Dear Westminster Presbyterian Church Family,

In February we shared that we were engaging a church consulting firm to help us revisit and revise our strategic plan. After many months of work, we want to share an update with you.

In May, the consultants at McGowan Global Institute came to our campus to hold a focus group Session of about 40 church members. They also interviewed members of our staff, Session, and Diaconate. The Session then took all the feedback received and is in the process of determining a way forward. The major areas of focus are developing and codifying our philosophy of worship that preserves the uniqueness and beauty of each service style, improving communications between the Session and the congregation, developing a new vision statement for Westminster, and the possibility of a capital campaign to update our campus.

In addition to this, we are working with McGowan to carry out a search for a new Executive Director. This pivotal role will not only help us think strategically but also unite our church community in our mission to help people find hope, freedom, and purpose in Jesus. We look forward to discovering a leader who shares our vision and passion for making meaningful impact in the lives of others.

As part of our desire to improve communications, each month we will provide an update from the Session so that you are better informed of the work your shepherds are doing.

SHEPHERDING

In Session meetings, our elders begin with a time of equipping through prayer and teaching, in order to fulfill their role as shepherds of our congregation. At the September meeting, Pastor Mike facilitated a thoughtful discussion on You’re Not Crazy: Gospel Sanity for Weary Churches by Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry. We focused on how to create a more welcoming environment for everyone in our church. Our goal at Westminster is to ensure that all individuals find a true sense of belonging, and our elders are dedicated to guiding us toward that vision.

ORGAN REPAIR

Our organ has served us well for the last 40 years. However, it is starting to show signs of its age. As such, we will be having our organ console and some pipes repaired at the beginning of the new year. This will allow us to not only get the pipes back in tip-top shape but will also bring the instrument into the 21st century. Please be aware that the organ will have to be removed from the sanctuary to make these repairs so we will be without it during worship for several weeks at the beginning of next year.

PARK MAINTENANCE BUILDING

If you have visited Westminster Park, surely you have seen our dedicated team of volunteers, led by Park Manager Ron Russell, hard at work on some pretty heavy-duty equipment. That equipment is housed in a building that is insufficient to properly protect and store the equipment. The Session has approved a plan to build a new maintenance building to house the equipment we have so that we may be better able to care for the Park and, through it, the community.

FINANCIAL UPDATE

If you have been keeping track in the bulletin and the e-news, you will have noticed that our giving is ahead of where we projected to be at this time of year. Praise God and thank you all for your generosity to support the mission of Westminster.

PRESBYTERY DELEGATES

You may not be aware, but our church is part of a larger body of churches in the York county area, Fellowship Presbytery. On Thursday, September 26, several members of our Session will be attending the quarterly meeting of our presbytery. Please be in prayer for our elders as they manage the business of the presbytery and seek to care for churches in our area.

OFFICER CANDIDATE COMMISSIONS

It’s almost time to elect new officers! Each year, the congregation nominates qualified, godly men to serve as your elders and deacons. These men are trained and interviewed by the Session to determine their calling to serve as church officers. The Session formed commissions to interview 10 men who will stand for election in December. Please keep an eye out for a notice of a congregational meeting to vote on new officers.

ANNEX UPDATE

Our student ministry is growing and is therefore quickly outgrowing its current space. Since WCCS moved off campus, our Annex building (the small building by the playground) has not been in use. The Session is considering a remodel of the Annex to house our student ministries. This would not be a long-term solution for the student ministry as we hope to continue to see growth in the participation of younger generations, but it would allow us to house our student ministry for a season and accommodate the recent growth.

Please stay tuned each month for continued updates from the Westminster Session. If you have questions about any of the items mentioned in this monthly update or want more details, please email wpcsession@wpcgo.com.