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by Cindy Carrol
President of the Congregation

 Life is full of changes. Writers better than I speak of shifting sands and flowing rivers. It is difficult to come up with new images to describe what has occurred at First Church this year. I frequently relate to events on a very personal level, and to me, it has been like some of the life changes we all go through. There have been difficulties and uncertainties. There has been a time of intense examination of ourselves and the pieces which make up this institution. Now we are ready to take what we’ve learned, let go of the negative and painful parts, be grateful for the good we have done, and move into the next phase of our church life with joy.

I cannot think of a better indication of our readiness for the next chapter than this year’s support of the Annual Canvass and the Talent Auction. After learning that we were $24,000 short of our pledge goal, the congregation dug a little deeper. With pledges now totaling about $154,000, we have been able to balance the budget for 1999-2000. This year’s Talent Auction raised nearly $10,000. This is double what we raised last year! We are the talk of the denomination!

I believe this extraordinary financial commitment is a strong statement about our need for this church to continue. No one can afford to contribute to a dying institution. Day after day the world reminds us that there must be communities which teach and live values and morality. We need to know there are others who are struggling with the same issues we wrestle with. We need a place to help us explore and connect. We support this because we can bring our troubles here and find someone to hold our hand, give us a hug, offer a little advice. When we commit financially, we are saying that we need the spiritual growth we can find here.

We are ready to move on. It is spring, there is more sunshine, and the air smells wonderful. It is good to be among us.

The Annual Meeting of the Congregation

The Annual Meeting of the congregation is scheduled for Friday, May 21, in Hull Chapel. Gathering and document reading will begin at 7:00 p.m. Chalice lighting and official business will be at 7:30 p.m.

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