At the session meeting held on May 23, the personnel committee submitted its work to the session that provided in writing the job description for the full time position of Director of Christian Education. The personnel committee had reviewed other job descriptions and been in consultation with other churches and pastors as they sought to complete their work. With a relative few editorial changes, the session accepted as complete and approved unanimously the job description provided by the personnel committee.

Now the hard and important work of listening to and being directed by God in the search for a Director of Christian Education. The personnel committee is already advertising this position through seminary placement offices and local and national publications. The committee covets your prayers during the approaching time of receiving resumes and arranging interviews. The committee is optimistic about having this position filled by late summer/early fall.

Also discussed at the session meeting was the report that Roger Ricketts presented. This report speaks to some initial steps necessary for the Touch the Future Campaign to begin to emerge more concretely. Specifically the report deals with the adoption of some self - imposed deadlines for having reports completed and information disseminated to the congregation.

The session unanimously concurred in the report and adopted its recommendations. Having these recommendations in front of us as a guide will be of great benefit. Over the next six months presentation booklets will be written and distributed to the congregation and small group meetings will be planned for more specific communication.

The new Director of Christian Education and the continued growth into the Touch the Future program will demand much from this congregation. We are poised and ready for the challenge. We will have increased demands on our discipleship. Such is always the case when God's call to serve in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit is answered by a community of people. God has blessed the Elliottsville community with many gifts. All of those gifts will be needed to do God's will and promote the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The time, the energy, the vision, the enthusiasm, and the money that God has given into our care and stewardship will be needed.

Let us be faithful and wise. Let us be courageous people unafraid to go marching forward into the arenas of service to which God calls. Luke writes this, " From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. " To the followers of Christ this is both warning and blessing. May we shy from neither. Rather, let us trust completely God's wisdom to use what we have and to supply what we have yet to imagine.

Grace and peace,