Spring is now upon us!

It is exciting to see all the colorful trees and flowers blooming after our usual overcast and chilly winter. And it’s exciting to see everyone, new and familiar, on a Sunday morning! I feel that we are all “blossoming” with the sense of energy and purpose for our church.

Spring is also a time when we plan ahead to our next church year that begins in September. As your Treasurer, I’ve had the pleasure of participating in our Executive Team’s work on the budget, ensuring that the church’s spending supports our goals and wishes for our church. Thank you, Reverends Alison and Tom, and our fabulous Church Administrator, Kathryn Estey for your hard work. And a great big thank you to our Stewardship & Database Manager, Erin Tafuri for her efforts in pulling together the numbers we needed in this process.

Also, I want to thank all of the members and friends who attended one (or more) of the congregational meetings where the Finance Committee and the Executive Team presented the breakdown of the budget and the budget priorities that guided us in the process. We had good conversations about the budget and church goals. As we do every spring, soon all members will receive a package for voting on this budget. And you will have another opportunity to ask questions about the budget after you receive your package. We will schedule another congregational meeting to review the budget. Look for information forthcoming in the Front Steps.

Speaking of planning ahead, this is also the time of year when we have the opportunity to vote for new church members to serve on your board of trustees. This year we have four wonderful people who have stepped forward to serve the church in this very important way. In the package I mentioned above about the budget, you will also receive ballots that will describe who they are and their backgrounds.

Were you aware that it is time for our church to do some long-range planning? Yep, its true, it has been a really long time since we have put together a 5-year plan for the church. And your Board and ET want you to be part of the process. Look for more on this coming to your Front Steps soon.

And let us not forget our exciting and wonderful spring event that is going on right now: the Church Auction! Big whoops to everyone who is working on this community building and fund-raising activity. Remember, bid early, and bid often!!

Here is to a colorful and fruitful season for our church!
Roger Robinson, Church Treasurer