At its regular monthly meeting Sunday, CPC's session adopted this revised mission statement:

Our Mission: Feeding & the Fellowship of the Table

We welcome all* to gather at table at Clarendon Presbyterian, to be richly nourished in breaking bread and sharing cup, and to be sent into the world following the way of Jesus to nourish all* our neighbors in body, mind and spirit.

*All means all: all races, ages, genders, gender-identities, orientations, classes, convictions and questions.

This mission reflects the core commitments of hospitality and nourishing people both in the congregation and in the broader community that you have continually expressed in conversations and visioning exercising dating back to last October's "Unchurch!" three-part series on the meaning of church, the October congregational meeting, the January congregational meeting, conversations with our AFAC and A-SPAN mission partners, conversations in worship, various ministry team meetings, and extensive session discussions dating back at least 15 months.

The statement underscores Clarendon's long commitment to welcoming all, and echos the words of the statement that has graced our web site, bulletins, e-blasts and many other communications for years. However, we recognize that these days most churches say "all are welcome," so we want to spell out clearly that "all means all." Moreover, the statement focuses on the sacramental nature of our common life pointing toward the communion table as both the central place of gathering and also the source of our commitment to following the way of Jesus.

Vibrant Congregation
Adopting the revised mission statement is part of our ongoing commitment to creating a more vibrant congregation at Clarendon. During the past six months, based on information you have provided, we have more tightly focused some programs and broadened or added others. With the energetic leadership of Amber Hodgen, our mission and outreach into the community have focused tightly on ministries of feeding and hospitality, as reflected in our ongoing work with AFAC, the expanded Plot Against Hunger garden, the addition of several A-SPAN bag meal feeding evenings, our Rebuilding Together day, and our young people's outreach efforts to raise funds through the pancake breakfast to support Heifer.

Our congregational life has been enriched through multiple opportunities to break bread together, culminating during this season of Eastertide with a new round of dinner groups. Clark Chesser and Cheryl Lederle continue to provide outstanding leadership in our ministries of hospitality, and Ron Bookbinder is providing great support for the dinner groups.

Our worship life has been made more vibrant by expanded lay leadership and, thanks to the leadership of Walter Green, has included for the first time in memory training for lay worship leaders. With continued strong leadership from Mike Bagwell, Peg True and John Green, our worship and Christian education programs have been rich and vibrant.

Worship has also been a part of our education programs through the Unchurch experience last fall and through Lent this winter and early spring. Marit Simenson and Gwen Wray-Samans have led the way in these efforts. Contemplative worship in prayer, song and silence is also part of our Bible study on the Easter stories this spring.

Thanks to outstanding leadership from James Fisher, Grant Mandsager and Reg Mitchell, our internal financial system has moved into the 21st century, and is already helping us to be better and more efficient stewards of our financial resources.

We continue to work, as well, on revitalizing our space, and with the dedicated leadership of Carol DeFord, we have begun a conversation with local architects on making our worship space more vibrant.

Vibrant Staff
This ongoing work has helped to shape and inform the work of the staff design task force this winter. With shared leadership from Gordon Hawthorne, Karen Kimmel, Grant Mandsager, Dave Norman, Travis Reindl and Peg True, that work is drawing toward the stage of concrete recommendations, and next week the staffing team will meet with session to make its recommendation.

Session will act on that recommendation and circulate the complete report with the congregation. Session will call a special meeting of the congregation to receive the report next month, and to take any required actions at that congregational meeting.

This is an exciting time for CPC. We are in the season of Easter. Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! What better time could there possibly be for rebirth, renewal, and the simple rising up again to resurrection life?
 
peace,

David