Session Notes - December 2022

Your Session sat, by Zoom, for its regular monthly meeting this week. 

The main order of business was adopting a budget for 2023. The budget preparation process brought several issues into focus. 

As you know, Western has a long history of running deficit budgets, and we have always made up the fiscal difference from our investment fund. The current economic environment resists this solution going forward.  Next year will be especially challenging because the stock market has performed poorly and some substantial givers have moved away. 

We will have much more to say about this at our annual congregational meeting on January 29. 

By the way, the Presbyterian Foundation provides advice to congregations in these kinds of predicaments.  We’ve engaged Paul Grier and Olanda Carr from the Foundation to help us with ours. 

Some good news to report. Our Bible Study classes during Lent and Advent each drew more than twenty participants. In-person worship attendance continues to climb and, including those online, was well over 100 for the Jazz Mass on November 13.  

Finally, we said goodbyes and gave thanks for two elders, Kate Brittain and Cindy Stevens, who rotate off the Session this month. Ari Brose and Dave Escobar will join us next month. 

Thanks for reading, and have a blessed Christmas.