Dear Grace Community,
Earlier this year our Session, at my encouragement, committed to a staffing study for our church. We then contracted with Ministry Architects to make this study happen. Each year as we make a budget, we do so with uncertainty about whether we can maintain our staff and offer a modest cost of living increase to our employees. We make it work, but then we start to worry about ‘next year.’
Grace is much different than it was 12 years ago when I came here. (Yes, it really was August of 2010 when I moved here.) And like most churches, we are different than we were before the pandemic. In recognition of all of this, I would like to have a set of outside eyes help us evaluate what does and doesn’t make sense for us in our staffing, particularly related to long term financial sustainability.
We are not in a crisis, nor do we need to cut staff right now, and I do not want us to get to a place where we make decisions out of fear. Instead, working with Ministry Architects allows us to take a step back and think about where we are and where we are called. That way we can make decisions based out of planning and not panic.
Mike Crain, our Ministry Architects’ consultant, is on site June 13 and 14. He meets with staff and groups like the Session. His report will come with proposals for ways we might move forward, but how we move forward is up to us. The Session and I will share with you as we move forward, and we are grateful for your prayers and encourage your questions.
In Christ,
Catherine
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