The Grace Blog

Full Session minutes are available upon request

• The Grace Session met on August 22 at 6:30 pm in the Grace Parlor and on Zoom. The meeting was opened with a devotional by Strom Sloan.
• The Session received elder Hal Pluenneke’s resignation. The Session is to have 9-12 elders. With Hal’s resignation, the body is now at 10.
• As noted at the July meeting, the church members who gave a $50,000 gift in 2021 to be used for ministries with children and youth are doing this again in 2022. Catherine talked with them about using some of the funds for the new Jacob’s Learning Ladder Chaplain position.  They are in favor of this.
• The Session has increased the honorarium rate that we give our guest preachers in recognition of their labor and the limited number of guest preachers in our community.
• The Session received the report from Mike Crain and Ministry Architects on the day of the meeting. Everyone will study it, and there will be more discussion in September.
• There was more discussion about LGBTQ welcome. Catherine gave some history on the PCUSA and Grace regarding this.  Catherine and Carolyn Shaw will draft a welcome statement for our website that will clarify and name things that we have previously said as a church.
• Financial reports were given and received. Other reports were received.
• Strom Sloan reported on the called Presbytery meeting that was held earlier in the month. The Presbytery office has been sold.
• The meeting was closed in prayer.