Dear StoneBridge Friends and
Family,
On June 2nd at 10:05am, you
are invited to our annual Congregational Meeting. The purpose of this meeting
is to approve pastoral terms of call, approve revisions to the StoneBridge
bylaws, and elect new elders, deacons and a Congregational Nominating Committee
for 2024-25.
Over the past year, StoneBridge
settled into a rhythm. Much of the year looked like the year before. Our
worship services remained consistent, our fellowship events were consistent,
and our various programs were consistent. Given the uncertainty of the years
before, consistency has felt nice.
Our Children's Ministry hosted
StoneBridge Day Camp, which was a week of fun and exciting games and Bible
stories for 110 children from our community. Stephanie Leedy and Ryan Joslin
organized and hosted multiple fellowship events, like Black Night Mystery
Night, Quizmas, the Easter Egg Hunt, and a Fall Kick-off, that gave us space to
gather and celebrate as a church community. Through Local Missions, we
supported Sarah's House, James Storehouse, and Samaritan Center. In our worship
services, Pastor Jonathan reminded us of the Christians in Haiti we partner
with as we raised money for them. We received new members and people were
baptized.
However, while consistency has
been nice, change is a part of life. Often, the Holy Spirit presents us with
opportunities for change, so that we can grow. Our Elders approved a new
mission statement for StoneBridge, identifying that StoneBridge is called to
"Share the hope of Jesus, deepen our community in faith, and extend God's
love to others." With our staffing, we experienced change as we said
goodbye to Steve Malinowski and welcomed Sally Thompson and Stephanie Leedy
into new roles. A search team was put together to look for a new Children's and
Family Ministries Director, representing more change on the horizon. We also
began hosting a Women's AA group on campus, knowing that our facilities can be
used to provide refuge and healing. StoneBridge's leadership continued to test
the viability of an outdoor sanctuary, knowing that there is always uncertainty
with construction projects and that discerning how God wants us to use our
facilities can take longer than we hope. But God is faithful and will continue
to be, as we seek to use the gifts God has given us to bless others.
As we close the fiscal year,
the state of StoneBridge is once again strong. I'm excited about what God has
planned for our future together. I'm most excited about the people who will
learn of Jesus' resurrection through us, those who will be baptized in our
community, and those who will experience healing through God's work in our
midst.
Enclosed you will find the
Executive Summary of the 2024-2025 Budget that was approved by our Board of
Elders on April 16th and Candidate Bios for our election of Elders, Deacons,
and Nominating Committee this coming Sunday.
Sincerely, Pastor Jon
Senior Pastor/Head of Staff
