CHURCH NEWS December 23, 2007

Christmas Joy Offering which will be received today is a special offering received each year where half goes to help ministers with extraordinary healthcare needs or pensions that fall below a minimum and the other half is designated to help Presbyterian colleges specializing in minority education.  Please use the special envelopes provided in the pew pockets, or clearly Note on your check the portion that is to go to this special offering.

Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Service will be here at the church at 7:00 p.m.  Child care will be provided.

Year End Giving/Planning: Many of you who call Omak First Presbyterian Church your church home will be giving year-end financial gifts.  In order to meet IRS regulations, we want to remind you that to receive credit in 2007 your cash gift,  must  be delivered to the church office by no later than 3 p.m. Monday,  December 31, 2007, or if mailed, postmarked no later than December 31, 2007. 
For questions regarding giving please contact Pastor Ken or Stewardship chair, Paul Freese

A SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING has been called by the Session for Jan. 6th, following worship.  The purpose of the meeting is to consider a change in the by-laws proposed by the session, so the number of elders serving on the Session and Deacons goes from the current 12 to 9. The reason behind this is that our church membership is considerably less than it was a decade ago (about 40 less)  and having 9 serving in ordained office in each of the two boards seems more appropriate to a church our size.  All current elders and deacons would complete the terms to which they wee elected, so the reduction would happen over 3 years, electing 3 instead of 4 to each board.  (This is a special meeting, not our annual congregational meeting.)
  The annual congregational meeting will be Jan. 27th.

For all you who have reports to do (Committee Chair Persons) for the Annual Congregational Meeting, please get started and have them to the secretary no later than January 15th.  The book needs to be made up and checked before the meeting.

First Sunday Potluck is Jan. 6th. 
           A-M – Salad
           N-Z – Dessert
Lasagna will be the main dish.

Kurt Fudge and Jennifer Martin would like to announce to the church family their marriage which took place December 17.