Here are the 2007 Annual Reports for Pilgrim United Church, Colwood British Columbia. These were submitted for the 2007 Annual General meeting held February 17, 2008.
CLERGY Report 2007
Greetings in the name of Christ!
Time has flown by since our family moved to British Columbia and began our adventure with Pilgrim United on July 1st. Since then we have gotten to know the people, traditions, and eccentricities of this congregation; you in turn have gotten to know our quirks, strengths and weaknesses. The journey so far has been challenging and rewarding!
When we interviewed with your search committee, back in November of 2006, we felt an immediate connection, and an excitement about offering leadership with Pilgrim. That has not changed. In fact, now that our relationships within the congregation are deepening, we feel all the more convinced that God has called us here. We have fallen in love with you! Your intelligence, commitment, and passion are inspiring, and your creativity and resilience are impressive.
When asked why they attend Pilgrim, almost every respondent says the same thing - "It's the people. We love these people." At its core, Pilgrim is a network of personal relationships. Yes, the relationships are between people of faith, but the relationships themselves are the centre. Pilgrim is a family. Healthy families are wonderful things, and the family here is healthy most of the time. The drawbacks to families are that they are hard to join (this usually only happens through birth, adoption, or marriage), and that sometimes harmony or "smoothing things over" is seen as being more valuable than working through conflict.
We believe that Pilgrim folks are being invited to re-centre themselves in Christ. Not sacrificing the relationships we treasure, but seeking to find our identity first as disciples of Jesus. It may seem like a small difference, but we feel it is an important distinction, and one worth considering. Will our relationships with each other determine how we live out our faith? Or will our relationship with God in Christ determine how we live out our relationships with one another and the world?
As a congregation, Pilgrim can continue to be a tight-knit family that enjoys being a small intimate fellowship of people exploring faith together. If this is your choice, we can help you figure out how to stay active with part-time staff support, as that is all you can afford, and all you need. The other option is to choose to re-configure as disciples first and friends second. This may mean discovering a passion for the "unchurched" -- people who desperately need the good news Jesus came to share. It may mean examining how our assets and gifts could best be used to serve a hurting world.
One path is not necessarily better than the other, but choosing a path is. Whatever your choice, God will continue to be with you, blessing you and gifting you with all you need in your life together. Thank you for sharing part of that life with us!
Ed Cawley and Erin Sterling
Read the full 2007 Pilgrim United Church Annual Report, includes the annual general meeting agenda.
Read the 2007 Treasurer's Report.
