Pasadena Presbyterian Church
Session
Session Adopts Statement in Support of Biblical Marriage
The Session of Pasadena Presbyterian Church at its stated meeting October 23, 2012, voted to affirm and uphold the Pittsburg Declaration of Marriage issued July 6, 2012. Specifically:
The definition of marriage remains unchanged. No General Assembly has the power to redefine marriage. No government has the power to redefine marriage. No public opinion poll can alter the nature of marriage. God is the Author of marriage, and God alone has the authority to define marriage. We will obey God.
Jesus told us what marriage is. Answering a question from the Pharisees, He pointed back to God’s design in creation: “Have you not read that the One who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4-6a). We have no Lord but Jesus.
The constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) still upholds this biblical understanding of marriage. The Westminster Confession teaches, “Christian marriage is an institution ordained of God, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, established and sanctified for the happiness and welfare of mankind, into which spiritual and physical union one man and one woman enter” (6.133). The Book of Order still says “For Christians, marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship” (W-4.9001). It (the constitution) has no authority to bless that which God does not bless.
Whatever others may do, our consciences are “captive to the Word of God as interpreted in the standards of the church” (G-2.0105). We will continue to resist any efforts to depart from the biblical, confessional teaching on the marriage of man and woman.
In the face of our culture’s devaluing of marriage, we will offer a Christian counter-witness in our congregations, communities, and families, We commit ourselves to teach, practice and celebrate the “great mystery” of marriage: God’s gracious gift by which the two created sexes, male and female, “become one flesh” with a love that images the love between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). To God be the glory!
For the Session of Pasadena Presbyterian Church
“I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11)
We, the Session of PPC, believe that God has a glorious future and bright hope for us at and as PPC.
We believe that He has brought us together and given us each other, including our staff, so we can serve Jesus together and realize the future He has for us.
We believe the Lord has provided us with His Spirit, gifts of His Spirit, and abundant gifts to give and share, to build up His Body at and as PPC.
We believe we are on the right path, to becoming the new creations and future church He has planned for us tobe: Jesus’ Church in Jesus’ mission!
Therefore, we, your Session, believe the Lord Jesus wants us to do the following to faithfully follow Him, and walk on together into the wonderful life and works He has for us ahead, to His greatest glory!
Our current staff is an important part of our church, our redevelopment and future growth. Our Session will continue to consider staffing designs and positions to help the growth of our congregation today, and for the future.
God has blessed us with financial resources sufficient to meet and successfully weather the drought of our current operating budget deficit. The generous, faithful and sacrificial giving of our congregation is an amazing blessing and tremendous witness to the worthiness of Christ! We will continue to rely upon God’s provision through our congregation’s giving as the core for meeting our year-to-year operating budget. For 2013, we will continue the previous years’ Session strategy of using our undesignated reserves to help fund our operating budget, until by the growth of our church, we reach 100% funding of our budget through our congregation itself. We will use the undesignated funds of the PPC Foundation and the General Reserve Money Market to fully fund our current budget for the rest of 2013. All PPC staff salaries/wages will also be reduced by 3% effective April 1.
We are diligently praying, working for and expecting an acceleration of fruitfulness and growth beginning in the last half of 2013, as we reap the benefits of training and deploying our mission team to Trinidad, following-up the harvest the Lord reaps through our VBS, and continue in ministry and mission through our Food Distribution Center, worship services, discipleship ministries, and so, through the lives of everyone at and as PPC. Our focus continues to shift from bringing people to church, to being the church and reaching out to those around us (and around the world) to make disciples every day. What the Lord does through each one of us in our daily lives and relationships forms the basis for our life and future life together in Christ as His PPC. Session is committed to the retooling and redesign of Session to better help everyone in our congregation take their place, do their part, and find further growth and fruitfulness in the ministries of mission to which each and every one at PPC is called. By the end of 2013, we plan to implement new strategies, structures, teaching and training, so we all can be more fulfilled in our lives with Jesus, and be more effective witnesses for Him—prayer being the starting and continuing key.
We choose life over death, community over isolation, fun over drudgery, bold over mild, frontier over fortress,now over later, and we invite you to join us in discovering and living out those choices. Trusting in the Lord for His future of glory to Christ, and with gratitude for you, your prayers and participation at and as PPC
The Session
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
"My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8)
The Session met for its regular stated meeting on April 23, 2013 at 7 p.m. There were nine Elders present, including the Moderator, Pastor Carl. The meeting was opened with prayer by Pastor Carl. The following items were discussed and/or acted on.
1. The Session spent about an hour discussing parts of a book entitled, "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church", written by Paul Nixon. We will continue discussing it in our next meetings.
2. Some time was spent discussing and evaluating the April 14 prayer service and congregational meeting.
3. The operating account balance as of 3-31-13 was $14,153.33.
4. A volunteer church wide work day for May 18 was approved. It later had to be canceled.
5. A letter of resignation as a Deacon and church member was received from Judy Bloomfield. It was approved effective
4-10-13.
6. During the time Pastor Carl will be in Trinidad, May 15-22, Gene Hammond and Larry Oline volunteered to be on call.
7. The van was sold for $15,000.
8. Elders Leslie Hughes and Andy White were approved as commissioners to Presbytery on May 9.
9. Some information was received and made available to the Session relative to a movement to "marry" Christianity and Islam.
Elder Tom Smith IV closed in prayer at 9 p.m. A copy of the full minutes of this meeting may be obtained from the office.
Respectfully submitted, Larry Oline, Clerk
SESSION has called a CONGREGATIONAL MEETING for Sunday June 9. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the report of the Nominating Committee, and elect 2 deacons and 3 elders. There will be a single service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School will be at 9am. Lunch for all follows in Fellowship Hall. VBS set-up follow lunch.
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