Filing a flight plan

Dear friends,

By now it should be clear that the traveling metaphors I have been using in the last several coach’s corners are all over the map. One article had “All aboard “as a title and another “Full steam ahead.” So from trains to ships to planes with “Filing a flight plan.” I wanted to remind you not just of where we are, but where we are going. Some time ago in another coach’s corner I discussed the task of exploration groups (to determine where we are going as a congregation) and a task of the session: to help make our church not only multicultural but also more inter generational. The residency program is one vehicle to reach that last goal. It will bring new pastoral leaders among us for a year at a time with new ideas and energy. The residency preparation group (Titus Toyama, Maurine Huang and Carol Sakai) have finished up a program description and church/ supervisory profile and are now working on the residents’ job description. Meanwhile the Kansha house renovations are ahead of schedule with the help of Stan Umeda and Barbara Hiyama-Zweig. While you may notice that we have an income-expenditure gap in our finances through September) ( note: the highly successful rummage sale and breakfast earnings have not yet been posted), generous gifts to the Kansha renovation fund have been steadily coming in. In the attempt at regeneration we also have to do more to welcome little children and I am grateful for Julie Chew’s once a month availability to help the preschool age. In addition Wade Tambara and Ben Pryor who are already active as leaders of the College Hi group are stepping in to help with the Sunday school for the older ages.

This brings me back to the exploration task. Now that we are anticipating more crew to help “fly”our Parkview “plane,” like with any airplane there has to be a flight plan filed. In our case this is a mission statement that will determine our direction, our compass heading. The last exploration group meeting established goals found creative worship, community involvement and outreach. Now this will need to be translated into a mission statement. I will be meeting with moderator Lois van Beers to formulate some questions before the November 7 meeting at the Hill’s home which we hope you will be able to attend. It is the session and the pastor’s task to find the tools to equip our mission, but the task of the exploration group meetings to chart the course. Thank your for all your support and participation. May God bless our ministry. Aart