First, we want to start by saying thank you! Thank you for trusting us, praying for us, and supporting us as we implemented the Leadership Board. This was year one of taking care of the administrative life of our church in a new way. The Leadership Board replaced the Legacy Model, which consisted of four separate boards that included the Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee, the Trustees, the Finance Committee, and the Ad Board. We have gone from 64 members (some repeat on each board) down to 9 members. This, of course, has required much flexibility and patience as we put the Leadership Board into practice. There is a reason those who helped create this model said to give your church three years to begin to get used to the way the Leadership Board runs. We have made some discoveries and adjustments along the way. Some of those adjustments include the necessity to have a separate Building and Maintenance team. We are so grateful to Sandra and Greg Lane who agreed to take this task on. They and their team have been diligently working to continue and keep this place in great shape. We have also realized the need for more short-term work teams. Here is a list of the types of things our short-term work teams have accomplished:

• Building and Maintenance Policy

• Employee Handbook

• Financial Policy

• Church Audit

• Finding a new insurance carrier

• Church budget (in progress)

This list also helps to show what we mean when we say the Leadership Board is responsible for the administrative life of the church. By giving energy to these tasks, we help to free up space and time to support the ministry teams of the church to do the work God has called them to do. You can see how we all need each other in this wonderful community called church to be most efficient in carrying out God’s will for us. Thank you for being a part of that.

By the time you read this, the Leadership Board will have returned from our annual planning retreat. We will spend time praying and planning over the 2025 season, our church’s mission, vision and core value, what our God-sized goals are, building and strengthening our leadership, and introducing our new members to the way things are done. Our 2024 Leadership Board members include: Jenine Furry, Lynn Colosi, Pam Honeychurch, Ron Smith, Jere Cowden, Kristine Swaney, Mark Benjamin, Dan Gittins, and Laura Powell. The last three listed will be coming off the board, and the new members include Hurst Bartley, Johnathan Burnett, and Kara Wayne.

It is a joy to serve the Sewickley United Methodist Church, and we continue to ask for your prayers so that we do it well.

In Christ’s love,
Your Leadership Board