Northminster Presbyterian Church

Northminster News - August 2021

Calendar of Events:

August 1 1 pm: Ladle Fellowship
August 7 2 pm: Celebration of Life - Shannon Farschon

August 13 6 pm: Celebration of Life – Robert Douglas Qua

From Pastor Jay:

We are studying the Book of Acts on Sunday mornings to see what we might learn from the early church that could help us grow in numbers following the Covid-19 shutdown.

We experienced fantastic attendance on Zoom, but now that the church is beginning to open again, we realize that things have changed and will not return to normal anytime
soon. Programs & ministries that had helped us connect with families in the past are still not practical while infection rates rise, once again, due to the Delta variant.

What have we learned in the first 9 chapters of Acts? Growth comes:

• when followers of Jesus begin to boldly tell others about God working in their lives, bringing hope, joy, and peace

• when the Spirit of God moves in the hearts of individuals, and they are convicted of the sin in their life

• when believers being to regularly meet and encourage one another as a community of faith

Several stories that Luke shares indicate that these conversations happen one person at a time. When once that person comes to faith, now two people begin conversations about Jesus, which leads to 4, then 8, then 16...etc. Imagine if the 25 to 30 of us who attend each week began a conversation with someone else, leading them to a new or renewed faith. Before long we would begin to have different problems, like having enough parking spaces.

But the first step is simply beginning with one.

The question we might ask one another is: “Who is your one?”

We only need to look, listen, & share. It is the Holy Spirit that opens the ears and hearts of a person. We are simply to be faithful and brave enough to begin the conversation.

My prayer is that each of you be discerning: WHO IS YOUR ONE?

From Peggy Brown, Outreach Committee

CCSA Backpack Program Donations: Barrels labeled “BACK PACKS for CCSA” have been placed near the grand piano in the Northminster Presbyterian Church library. Backpacks for children K-9 will be received at Northminster through the first week of August. Check with the church office, NPC’s web site, or Peggy Brown for lists of school supplies needed for this project. Over 200 names of children needing backpacks have been received at CCSA; 200 more are expected to be signed up.

Ladle Fellowship: VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Ladle Fellowship, located at First Presbyterian Church of San Diego, has been serving San Diego's homeless community with hot meals and clothing since 1983. Services have been limited during the Covid-19 months; now many restrictions have been lifted, so Ladle is again serving guests in the dining room inside the church on Sunday afternoons. Volunteers from churches and community are always needed. Northminster Presbyterian Church has agreed to provide 6 to 8 volunteers every other month, with the first of those service opportunities coming up AUGUST 1. If you are interested in joining others from NPC helping with this ministry on Aug. 1 from 1-5 (or future dates of Oct. 3 or Dec. 5), please call or e-mail Peggy Brown.

From Carol Weckman and Doug Gouger, Nominations Committee

Our committee is tasked with finding church members who are willing to serve as Deacons and Elders. Each term is 3 years, and the person can stay for an additional 3 years if they so desire. Both groups meet monthly and communicate via email and phone. The new officers will be installed at the annual Congregational Meeting next year.

We will be meeting starting in October to nominate a new Elder and a new Deacon. Members will be contacted and asked to serve a 3-year term. When a member resigns, another person is nominated to fill their position and serve out their term of office. These are wonderful opportunities to get to know members better and to learn more about the workings of the church. Pray about these opportunities – maybe one of them will fit into your life!

From John Neffeler, Finance Committee

What does the Finance Committee do? If things go well, the job is easy!
The Finance Committee consists of an active elder and volunteers from the congregation. Our primary responsibilities are to prepare the annual budget and monitor expenses and perform an annual audit.

At the beginning of each year the Finance Committee prepares a budget report for the congregation so everyone can see what money was spent the previous year and what changes are being made for the coming year. This is presented at the annual congregational meeting.

While the pledge cards and commitments are being collected, each elder is asked to submit a budget for their committee of proposed expenses for the coming year. Sometimes there are expensive projects like the removal of the bees or an upgrade to the sound system. Other times the projects are small such as purchasing Sunday School curriculum.

Once the committee has the income estimates (pledges, investment income, etc.), they look to see if there is any gap between the income estimates and the expenses. Usually this is not a problem thanks to the wonderful support of our members! When there is a gap, the committee works with each chair to see how expenses can be trimmed.

Elders are responsible for maintaining their own committee budget and must let Finance know if their expenses will exceed their budgeted amounts. The elders have done an excellent job of staying within budget. Still with a small church like ours, we are only one plumbing disaster away from a budgetary nightmare.

Another responsibility of our committee is to perform an audit of the previous year’s expenses and income. This is happening right now for 2019 and 2020 since we were unable to meet last year. The audit will let us know if our processes are being followed. Our church by-laws require so many checks and balances and signatures to get checks issued, it would be difficult for someone to defraud the church.

The Finance Committee plays an important role in our church by managing the flow of income and expenses. God has blessed us incredibly over the years. In these uncertain times, many churches have struggled to exist, our church has flourished! God’s generosity has enabled us to continue to help others outside our congregation.

If you ever have questions about how Northminster spends money, please ask. If you would like to see the budget, the church office will be happy to send you a copy.

Church Banners and Their Meanings

Articles for the newsletter are always welcomed. Please send in by the 25th of each month to Carol Weckman.