Stepping stones

There are a lot of challenges facing the Knox congregation as we move into yet another stage of transitional ministry, challenges as we move into yet another stage of what may seem to many as a long, detailed process to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Rev. Mark.

Session will be taking another of those steps this month as the elders with the assistance of our interim moderator, Rev. Thomas Kay, lay out the process for creating a search committee.

Knox has been fortunate during the past few months to have the ministry services of the Rev. John Duff as well as the grief counselling support of the Rev. Linda Corry, who has put together an extensive program which continued through the Christmas season.

In most cases, when a church has a vacancy, it is the result of a minister retiring or moving to another pastorate, and yet, there is still a process that must be followed before getting to the search phase.

In the case where a presiding minister passes away, there is also an extensive grief recovery phase. The program put in place at Knox was so extensive, in fact, that another minister mentioned to me that it should be written up as a guide for other churches to follow under similar circumstances.

So now, as we move into the next phase, there is a lot of work to be done. The search process is a complicated program, full of minute details, so detailed that the Presbyterian Church in Canada has issued a 96-page guidebook covering everything Knox will have to consider in the weeks and months ahead.

While it is necessary that some of the details about the search process be kept in strict confidence, every effort will be make to communicate the ongoing process as much as possible as we seek out a new minister for Knox, Burlington.  

Final service
We will experience yet another phase of the ever-changing process as the Rev. John Duff will be conducting his final service this Sunday, as he prepares to once again to enjoy his time in retirement, all the while preparing for an exciting trip to Peru in the days ahead.

Knox will miss John’s presence among us, but thank him for helping us in this most difficult time.

As Rev. John leaves, another retired minister, the Rev. Bob Docherty, takes on additional duties providing pulpit supply as well as pastoral support, for the next few months. Rev. Bob, who retired from St. John’s, Grimsby, is well known to the Knox congregation having preached here during the summer months.

Saying thank you
The Knox congregation is encouraged to stay for coffee after the Sunday service, as this will afford everyone an opportunity to thank John and Viola for their service to Knox during these past few months. There will be a special cake to mark the occasion, and everyone is urged to sign the card, thanking the Duffs for their assistance through this difficult time.

And thank you
A number of people have been asking about your year-end financial results as it was necessary for the stewardship team to put on a real push in the later part of 2011, this when it appeared that we would be facing a major deficit.

That being said, it is with a grateful heart that I announce that not only did the congregation meet the operating budget, but also there were sufficient funds available to pay for the deficit in the approved allocation for Presbyterians Sharing.

Knox is fortunate that we have so many generous contributors who heed the call when funds are needed, so that instead of starting the year in a precarious financial situation, we started 2012 with a small bank balance.

Thank you for your support of Knox and its mission…its mission here in Burlington and around the world.