KATHLEEN, WE HARDLY KNEW YE!
In
January the Stewardship and Mission Ministry began a program
to lend $100 to people who needed a hand up, with the
provision that those folks would repay the church when they
could. It was called the “Eyes Wide Open” project. The
new pictorial directories arrived.
On Palm Sunday we were treated to a new
computerized projection system to enhance worship. The
system was funded by Harry Fry in memory of Penny, Mary
Smith in memory of Ed, and Joan Seymour in memory of Tom.
The Presbytery passed the proposed amendment
to the fidelity and chastity clause (10A) by a vote of
99-72, and it eventually passed churchwide.
And then came June! It started out well.
The youth group, augmented by some adults, traveled to
Pittsburgh to work for a week at an inner city Presbyterian
church, helping the needy of the surrounding area.
And then came the double whammy! After less
than 18 months at Calvin, Pastor Kathleen resigned her
position. She announced that she would leave at the end of
June to be married to Prakash Navaratnam in Virginia, and
then to move to Columbus, Ohio. Her resignation meant that
Calvin Church, once again, would be without a permanent
pastor.
And June wasn’t finished with us yet! During
the last week in June, a 100 year, 4”, rainfall caused the
creek at the rear of the church to overflow. The waters
cascaded across the parking lot and flowed into our lower
level, flooding the fellowship hall and causing considerable
damage..
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED:
It didn’t take a vision process to know what
our immediate goals were for the remainder of 2011. We had
to get our fellowship hall back in working order, and we had
to take steps necessary to secure an interim minister.
Another immediate goal was to fill the pulpit
until the interim came on board. Credit your session with
taking the action necessary to fill the pulpit, both short
and long term. Joan Seymour of the Worship and Music
Ministry did a remarkable job of filling the pulpit on short
notice until an interim pastor was secured. At the same
time, Steve Van Eman, Joan Seymour, and Karen Middleton,
comprising the interim search committee, went right to work
to find an interim minister.
WELCOME, REV. DAVID GOOD:
On September 8, Session contracted with the
Reverend David Good to begin his interim pastorate at Calvin
Church effective on November 1. The search committee had
done an excellent job of winnowing a large number of
candidates to produce Rev. Good as the one for Calvin. This
is his eighth interim position, and he and his wife, Jane,
arrived on schedule. Pastor Good, also an accomplished
musician, has captured the attention of the congregation
with his unique preaching style and excellent explanation of
scripture.
On the fellowship restoration front, Steve
Van Eman (a man for all seasons!) has engaged TRI-WEH
Restoration to put the fellowship hall back in order.
Progress was good, and we were back in the fellowship hall
for two Session-inspired town meetings on December 11 and 18
to review the 2012 budget and hear reports of the Session
ministries. Coffee hour, which had been suspended in July,
was restored in August to the delight of all concerned.
In October, Kay Horning produced a Variety
Talent Show that was enjoyed by a good crowd. Things were
looking up as we said goodbye to a difficult 2011.
Welcome 2012. We look forward to the SON
shining down on us in the New Year.
New:
A Brief History of Calvin Presbyterian Church
Back to
The
Turbulent Two Thousands
Home Page:
A History of Calvin Church
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During 2007, Bob Bridges, our
church's resident historian, reminisced about
each decade of Calvin’s existence. Although he
wasn’t at the church in the ‘50s, he's spoken
with many who were. He has pieced together a
sketch of those earliest years. Bob
continues to update our history on an annual
basis.
