Précis of December Session Meeting

Greetings,

I suspect that the energy at our Session meeting on Dec 13th 2016 reflected excitement over our Call to Sarina Meyer as well as the general pre-Christmas adrenaline!

Regarding Sarina, she will formally begin as our Minister the week of January 16th, and her Induction will be on Sunday, January 22nd, at 3 pm, at Briarwood. The Induction service is a special event. Everyone from Briarwood is, of course, invited. In addition, the Presbytery of Montreal invites people from other congregations to share this celebration with Sarina and us. Please mark your calendars – JANUARY 22nd, 3 pm. We will have a reception following the Induction service and will be looking for volunteers. More to follow!

In addition to our regular business, and consideration of pastoral celebrations and concerns, we met with our Treasurer to go over the draft budget for 2017. This will be presented for congregational approval at the AGM scheduled after a blended service on Feb 12th.

We received all the reports from the District Meetings that have been held over the past couple of months, and will be looking through the suggestions with Sarina. Also, note that we have a suggestion box in the Narthex, and welcome any suggestions that you may have.

Our efforts to ensure that all our leaders who work with vulnerable children, youth and adults are aware of the Leading with Care policy continue, thanks to the work of our Leading with Care Committee.

We are looking forward to the various services and events between now and January 1st. In case you have lost track, I have listed them below.

December 18th Blended service at 10:30 am led by Roland de Vries, with Intergenerational Christmas Pageant

December 18th 4 pm concert by Spectrum Voices and St Patrick Elementary School Choir “Seven More Sleeps”

December 24th Family service at 4:30 pm, led by Roland de Vries

December 24th Christmas Eve service at 7:30 pm, led by Roland de Vries

December 25th Blended informal service at 10:30 am, led by Liz Kirkland

January 1st Blended service at 10:30 am, led by Marilyn Scott. (If your nativity scenes have wise men, I encourage them to travel with you to the Jan. 1st service. There will be space on the communion table for them!)

As the preparation for Christmas continues, and on behalf of the Session, I hope you all find moments for quiet reflection and renewal – the kind of life-giving renewal that came to the world on the day of Jesus’ birth.

Marilyn E. Scott, Clerk of Session

Briarwood Presbyterian Church