On May 22 at 10:05 AM, we held our annual Congregational
Meeting in the courtyard. The purpose of this meeting was to approve pastoral
terms of call, elect new Elders, Deacons and a Congregational Nominating Committee
for 2022, and to address a recommendation from Session to bestow Pastor Emeritus
status on Rev. Dr. Jeff Cheadle. Click here for an executive summary of our church budget that gives you an overview of our finances for 2022/2023 and click here for our Pastor's Terms of Call. For those of you who have questions about the budget or would like to talk more about our ministry and mission, feel free to email the church office.
For StoneBridge, this past year has had its celebrations and its challenges. After our congregational meeting last year, we enjoyed a successful Church Day Camp led by our Children and Family Ministries Director Stephanie Leedy, with around 60 children being blessed by our congregation. Later in the summer, we said a grateful goodbye to our Youth Director Olivia Moceri and welcomed Ryan Joslin, our new Director of Youth and Family Ministries. Pastor Jonathan helped lead more and more of our Growth Groups to in-person gatherings. Our staff hosted a wonderful Halloween party, with games and costumes and good food. We welcomed 10 new members to StoneBridge and got to baptize three individuals. We saw pandemic restrictions lifted as in-person community grew.
Then, in early winter, the Omicron wave hit and we unexpectedly reinstituted pandemic restrictions, at the advice of our local public health officials. The sense of excitement we felt was dampened by the reality of a deadly virus that won't seem to go away, as we all wish it would. However, amidst this challenge, StoneBridge showed its resiliency and God was faithful. While taking common sense precautions, we kept the doors to our indoor services open. We safely hosted a Christmas Trivia event, called "Quizmas." Our outdoor worship service steadily saw new faces, as more Christians concerned about the pandemic learned about this safe option for worship. And all the while, the Holy Spirit continued to move us forward as a community.
If there is one memory of StoneBridge from this past year that I will carry, though, it is Holy Week. To begin the week, we hosted an outdoor Easter Egg hunt, the first in years. Hundreds of children and parents came to our campus and enjoyed fellowship and games. We then hosted an in-person Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday, and four services over Easter weekend. Each of these services deepened our celebration of Jesus' resurrection and reminded us of all God has done to redeem, resurrect, and restore all of creation.
As we close the fiscal year, the state of StoneBridge is strong. With each successive wave of Covid-19, we have adapted, adjusted, and grown stronger. We have learned how to utilize our outdoor spaces better. We are actively looking toward what opportunities the outdoors might afford us in the future. And we continue to proclaim the news of Jesus' resurrection, sharing the hope of Jesus with any and all we may come into contact with.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jon