Page 11 - First Churches 2019-20Annual Report.docx

Administrative Ministries Board
It was a most challenging start to a new church year, complicated with the COVID pandemic that arrived in March. That said, the congregation has “soldiered thru” and we found ourselves – challenged but positively thriving at year's end.
First Churches started the church year with significant concern as our spring 2019 pledge campaign yielded a significantly lower than anticipated amount of financial support for the new year. The congregation moved forward in faith not making any major changes from plans until Pastor Todd returned from sabbatical in late summer. We convened a working group (that came to be known as the Strategic Futures Team (SFT) to respond to this challenge. The Strategic Futures Team were tasked with leading the congregation thru a process to develop a sustainable future for our faith community.
Early in 2020, the SFT led the congregation in a process that mobilized members to take action and engage in a way that would enable us to support and cultivate our growing congregation. New leaders emerged and grew the spiritual sense of community.
As COVID presented itself, the pastors and the congregation stood up to the challenge off finding new ways of doing business, (I mean worship and engagement), and in a zoom- connected world, we have held together and held each other as we have learned to “worship from home”.
First Churches has thrived in this new environment, rising to the challenges and reaching out to navigate unchartered waters, with grace, humor and technology. Our extraordinary pastors committed staff and members of our faith community have been there for each other. We step forward in faith into a new year in FY21, with renewed commitment and confidence that First Churches will live long and prosper in service to our faith community and the wider world as we work towards becoming the beloved community – here on our Pioneer Valley.”
In Faith
MJ Adams, Moderator
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