"New Horizons"
Dear Friends,
Despite a week’s delay, the Annual Congregational Meeting took place last Sunday, January 27th. After we heard the financial reports as well as staff and committee reports for 2018, I can say without a doubt, that First Presbyterian Church in Hawley, PA is healthy and showing no signs of slowing down! We had a great year of service and mission to our community as we opened our doors to literally hundreds of people with our Spring for Kids, Good News Café, Family Movie Night, and Vacation Bible School. We had a great Cookie Walk and Victorian Luncheon and a successful Tags and Treasures Rummage Sale. We were able to support the Hawley Head Start program with hundreds of dollars of supplies thanks to another wonderful Golf Tournament. In addition to all those events, many people came to worship and Sunday School every Sunday, as well as those who participated in the Thursday Morning Bible Study. All of this from a congregation of 128 active members! We may be considered a “small congregation” but, we sure don’t act like one!!
With the completion of the beautiful Jackie Wolf Wing and other improvements to Blough Hall, we have some of the best church facilities in the Lake Region. This has already greatly enhanced, and will continue to enhance, our mission outreach to the larger community.
Of course, absolutely none of this would be possible without the amazing support from YOU – the members and friends of First Presbyterian Church! From the moment I arrived in Hawley to start as your Pastor in May of 1990, you were ready to do some great things together in the name of Jesus Christ and we have! For almost 29 years I have been blessed to work alongside such a wonderful, dedicated congregation.
As many of you know, I have announced that I will retire effective November 1st of this year. This was not an easy decision. However, after much thought and prayer, I do feel the time is right. I know that many of you are wondering what will happen next. I can assure you that the Session and I, along with representatives from the Presbytery of Lackawanna, will work with you to make this as smooth a transition as possible. A Transition Team is being assembled and will start working in the weeks ahead. You, the members and friends of First Presbyterian Church, will have a part to play and will be kept informed every step of the way.
As we continue our last year in ministry together, I am reminded of God’s encouraging promise to us: “See, I am making all things new!”
Grace, Peace, and Love,
Pastor Bill
#mission #HeadStart #LakeRegion #Hawley #Presbyterian #ministry #BibleStudy
