Session Developments

Glenn McDonald
ZPC Senior Pastor

Like all member congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), ZPC is guided by a governing board. Our session is comprised of twelve elected elders and the four members of our pastoral staff (Bill Azbell, Glenn McDonald, Scott Shelton, and Pat Smith).

At their regular meeting of September 9, the session newly affirmed this wording of our congregation’s three main priorities – the guiding directives that shape our decision-making, budgeting, and strategic planning:

Missions: God calls us to take his Good News to all people everywhere, beginning at our own doorstep and going to the ends of the Earth.

Biblical Teaching: God calls us to demonstrate his kingdom and the reality of Jesus as King through the proclamation of Scripture and passionate ongoing worship.

Families & Children: God calls us to provide spiritual direction, encouragement, and equipping for spouses, parents, youth, and children of all ages.

The session approved a contractual relationship with Alston-Kline, a West coast organizational consulting firm led by Cathie Cowie and Rhonda Kline, to begin in October and to continue through most of 2009. Alston-Kline specializes in helping Christian ministries and not-for-profits do an in-depth assessment of their leadership, processes, staffing arrangements, and organizational strengths. They will help ZPC determine where we have been, what we have learned (especially during these transitional months of 2008), and how we can listen well to God as we go forward in pursuing the mission he has set before us. Four ZPC families have generously endowed the entire cost of this partnership with Alston-Kline.

The session also reviewed the first draft of our operating budget for 2008-09; voted to establish a Celebration Arts Vision Team by October 5 (whose charge will be to present a long-term vision for worship and music at ZPC); endorsed ZPC’s participation in the Acts 16:5 church renewal conference of our presbytery; welcomed the news that on September 6 elder Jim Dougherty was approved by the presbytery to become a Commissioned Lay Pastor for senior adult ministry, and that Terri Thorn has moved to Candidate status on her way to ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament.

The Transition Team, which is comprised of chairman Bill Dull, four current elders (Craig Alderson, Larry Larew, Andy Miller, and Jane Perkins), treasurer David Rausch, Finance Team member Greg Hahn, and Senior Pastor Glenn McDonald, is a working group that reports directly to the session. This month the Transition Team is tasked to oversee the finalization of our operating budget, and to ensure the establishment of best practices in our financial planning. The session will also be considering our congregation’s response to the decisions of last June’s General Assembly meeting in San Jose, California – the specifics of which will be the subject of a future Communiqué.

Stewardship Update

Dave Rausch
ZPC Treasurer

As promised in our recent town hall meetings, this update is presented to communicate more fully the status of ZPC’s finances.

We have recently completed our 2007-08 year-end accounting audit. The church was blessed with overall budget contributions that met its budget goals for the past year. However, restricted and in-kind gifts represented a significant portion of revenues, resulting in operational cash flow for the year that was approximately $100,000 below the year’s need.

The budget for 2008-09 is being considered by session. It assumes operational contributions of approximately $3.3 million, equivalent to those of last year. The expense reductions discussed in our town hall meetings have been incorporated, and the details of the complete budget will be shared more fully after the session approves a final version.

It will take some time before all the expense reductions in the budget are translated into improved operational cash flow. As noted in the Weekly Currents in recent weeks, September contributions fell well short of the needs of this reduced budget, resulting in additional short-term borrowing to sustain operations. ZPC has drawn $175,000 on its credit line since May of this year. Your generosity will be crucial as we strive to stay in step with God’s plans for our congregation. We are grateful for all of his blessings, and continue to trust that God will guide our way forward financially in the days ahead.