The year 2007 has reminded us that there are seasons in the life of God's people. Seasons when life seems almost effortless and then seasons that test our mettle as committed followers of Christ.

For the two years prior to 2007, First Presbyterian Church experienced increased attendance, growth and giving, all positive indicators that showed no signs of letting up. We entered 2007 holding out every prospect for continuing upward trends. Yet, the year unfolded in a different manner than we anticipated. Imagine that!

Worship attendance trailed behind 2006 levels. The drop was visible from January on, long before the fall worship changes. And yet, attendance gravitated to the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services, which were consistently filled. When a sanctuary gets full, attendance suffers because it is a hard experience to fail to find a seat. Easter of 2007 happened in a snowstorm (my first ever on Easter) and that caused lesser attendance, even cancelling the sunrise service. In the fall there was another drop driven by worship changes. By December we were back at our previous levels. For the year, however, we averaged 2,901 instead of 3,002 from 2006. Further, through a meticulous scrubbing of our rolls, our membership actually dropped slightly below the 5,000 mark by the end of December 2007 (4,976). Although many faithful and sacrificial givers helped us finish 2007 in the black, pledges for 2008 were two percent behind the previous year's levels, primarily because of uncertainty over a struggling economy.

So, we have entered a season of pruning, preparation and perseverance.

In agriculture, pruning is a time of hard work without any immediate benefit. It involves cutting back the branches on a tree, which doesn't quite make sense if you imagine every one of those branches full of fruit. Yet, the farmer knows that the roots of the tree can't support so many branches and that pruning is necessary to strengthen the plant and insure that in season the fruit is large and the crop profitable.

In this season, First Pres has had to prune. It has been a very difficult process; yet, so very necessary to insure the continued strength of the church. The Trustees and the Session have approved a balanced budget for 2008, which involved a variety of staff and program reductions. But, through the process, we are also realigning our staff and programs to be more efficient and healthier.

This is also a time of preparation as we restructure to become a more teambased ministry that can respond more quickly to missional opportunities. Staff talents will be realigned in a way that will take advantage of and better support congregational ideas for ministry. We also have added key positions during 2007 that will help us move forward during 2008 — including Brenda Smith as Leader of Staff who will spearhead much of this transition.

Through all this, I have been amazed at your faithfulness, love and sustaining support, even in spite of sometimes disagreeing about changes. Your work in missions, your presence and prayers through change and your giving of time and resources to help the needy in our community all speak to God's presence and direction in your lives. You are truly a witness to Christ's love in this city and across the globe.

So now it is with confidence that I call us to an attitude of perseverance as we advance in so many areas. I want all of us to take to heart the words the Apostle Paul gave to the Galatians. Although doing good is at times hard work, to persevere in it is to see a reward of harvest in due time.

We see all that is happening as a prelude to spring, which is indeed coming. As I have said before, God is up to something very good in this church and we will continue to trust God with it.

Yours in Christ,
Jim Singleton