Pastor's Note | Saturday, January 10th

It never fails. During the Christmas Holiday season advertisers rigorously attempt to persuade us that one can experience ultimate joy and satisfaction by receiving the right gift (of course, the one they are promoting). Can Wal-Mart really give true joy as their ads suggest? Can a new shiny Infinity really be the key to true satisfaction?

Gratefully, Christmas is about God’s great gift to us – God’s own self in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who entered this world as a baby born in Bethlehem. There’s the greatest gift and true source of joy.
Just before Christmas we received an unexpected and gracious gift. The congregation of Wintersburg Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana sent us a gift of $10,000 to assist us with our Dismissal Settlement financial obligation. Such generosity and graciousness is humbling and overwhelming.

You may not know much about this congregation. It is a congregation of Japanese-Americans whose history includes serious mistreatment during World War II – loss of property, being sent to internment camps, and disregarded by the Presbytery during those tumultuous years.

Wintersburg was dismissed from the PC(USA) and affiliated with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians last Fall. For many reasons the Presbytery acted extraordinarily graciously and dismissed Wintersburg with their property without any financial obligation. That’s why they wanted to help us and the six other congregations that have been dismissed and have affiliated with ECO. What an amazing act of graciousness!

Speaking of our dismissal settlement I want to update you on where we stand. The total dismissal settlement amount owed to the PC(USA) is $443,000. Your generous and sacrificial giving has provided more than $337,000 in pledged gifts. To date, we have received over $227,000 toward fulfillment of those pledged amounts. Thank you very much. This too is an amazing act of generosity and graciousness. As you can see, we still need to raise $106,000 to fully fund the dismissal settlement. Please keep this in mind, ask God to provide these funds, and consider how you might go that “extra mile” to help make it happen.

Finally, as you may know, Marie Crenshaw is stepping into retirement at the end of February. She will be greatly missed! Our Session’s Personnel Team is conducting a search for a Senior Ministries Director and has already received about a dozen resumes. The position description, it is posted at www.churchstaffing.com/job/175432. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Pastor Paul White at .

I am thankful for God’s great gift of Jesus and for the gift of serving in ministry with you all.
Pastor Jim