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Tuesday, August 13th, 2024 |
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Welcome to our
Community of ChristChurch
Holy Closure Updates
Last Sunday, August 11th, we held a Special Congregational Meeting after worship. At that meeting we voted to close our congregation and to distribute our remaining resources to several organizations that align with our values (see News & Announcements below.)
These words from our resolution to close the congregation capture well the overall mood during the meeting:
"... we the members of Community of ChristChurch, after extensive and prayerful deliberation, have come to believe that the changing context of our ministry and the diminished human resources available to us make it extremely difficult to conduct a sustainable ministry in this location... while we are saddened to face the reality of our congregation’s dissolution and discontinuance, we are thankful to God for the faithful ministry that has been carried out in this place, and trust that God will continue to renew the church here and always..."
Even though it is true that we held our final weekly worship service last Sunday, we will still be a congregation for a few more weeks and we want to invite you to continue on this journey with us for a little while longer.
These emails will no longer be weekly. We will send them out occasionally and as new stories emerge that we feel are worth sharing.
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August 11th
Special Congregational Meeting Recap
Following our final regular weekly worship on Sunday, August 11th, we held a special congregational meeting. There were 24 voting members present. At this meeting we voted on the following:
A resolution to approve our Legacy Giving distribution plan
Yes votes: 24 No votes: 0 Abstentions: 0
A resolution to approve the closing of our congregation
Yes votes: 23 No votes: 1 Abstentions: 0
A resolution to authorize and direct our ChristChurch Council officers to implement the resolutions to close and
to distribute our assets per the Legacy Distribution plan
Yes votes: 23 No votes: 1 Abstentions: 0
All three resolutions passed.
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Our Legacy Giving Distribution Plan
While it states in the resolution to approve our Legacy Giving Distribution Plan, that...
"the financial assets of Community of ChristChurch must be given to
501(c)(3) status organizations in compliance with state and federal law..."
it is also true that it has been a joyful part of this experience for our people to be able to share generously the financial resources that we have been stewarding over the years with our community partners.
In future installments of our Holy Closure Updates, we will highlight these organizations and invite you to join us in supporting the wonderful work that they do. Stay tuned! |
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A note from Pastor David...
Dear members & friends of Community of ChristChurch,
I simply want to say thank you to each and every one of you for the privilege of serving as your pastor for the last thirteen years. It would be an understatement to say that we have been through a lot together. We have walked side by side through several transitions along the way, most notably in the last four plus years: selling our building, becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation, and navigating a global pandemic. It has not been an easy or a smooth path. But throughout the journey I have witnessed how you have grown closer together as a community and how your faith in God's Beloved One, Jesus the Christ, has grown stronger.
As we approach the end of this road, I would like to remind you that I will continue to be your pastor for several weeks following our last weekly worship and congregational meeting on August 11th. Please reach out if you want to talk, or schedule a visit, or simply get together for coffee or a meal. I am also happy to help you think through your next steps after ChristChurch... such as congregations you might want to visit or connect with you as you discern where your next church home will be.
While I will miss seeing you all on a regular basis, I love knowing that we continue to be siblings in Christ wherever we go. And I trust that, even as ChristChurch comes to a close, the kin-dom of God will not be diminished. Each of you will continue to be the Good News of Jesus Christ in your words and your actions, and in the relationships you nurture out in the world.
God's peace,
Pastor David |
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Celebrate the life and ministry of
Community of ChristChurch |
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After prayerful discernment, the members of Community of ChristChurch have decided that is time to close as an active congregation and ministry. They invite you to join them in a service of remembrance to honor 25+ years of faithful ministry, worship and connections and grieve the loss of their church home. The service will begin at 2pm on Sunday, September 15th. There will be a catered reception immediately following the service. Please RSVP by September 6th to suze.engbretson@gmail.com. |
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Even though our congregation is coming to a close, we continue to recognize the importance of doing what we can to show love for our neighbors.
The St. Matthew Lutheran Church Food Pantry still needs volunteer support to make it possible for our food insecure neighbors to have access to the food they need to feed themselves and their families. Please consider signing up to help at the link below:
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We are a Reconciling in Christ Congregation. We are a faith community that is committed to the welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; that work for racial equity and are committed to antiracism. |
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