~ by the Pastor and guest writers ~
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Membership rolls ready to be reviewed (July 27, 2006) It sure was nice to look out this past Sunday (July 16th) and see all the people. With the Brown’s 50th and Dylan Bentsen’s baptism, we had more of a crowd than past Sundays. Just a few more weeks and the Lynn Flowers Preschool will be back in the building. Then in October we will see the first of the Winter Texans starting to arrive. Don’t you enjoy the increased activity level and friendly faces of the fall in the Valley? At its last meeting, the Session requested approval of an extension of the interim contract for another 364 days. We keep the same 30-day notice for cancellation when the PNC submits a pastoral candidate to the congregation for a vote. So we will continue our work together waiting for that pivotal event. At the August 8th meeting of the Session we will review the membership rolls of the church. Remember there are three sections to the church rolls. The first is the roll of active members consisting of those who participate on a regular basis in the life of the congregation. The second is the roll of inactive members who have not contacted or attended church activities in the past year. The only difference between the two rolls lies in the fact that inactive members can not be elected as elders or vote in Congregational meetings. The third roll is that of those baptized as infants who have not confirmed the baptismal vows taken on their behalf. That’s it in a nut-shell. But I know that it is more complicated than this simple explanation. See you in church, -- O'Quin
 "Well done, good and faithful servant" (July 18, 2006) VBS is winding down as I write this. What a marvelous experience it has been not only for the kids, but for the adults as well. It was nice to visit with some folks that haven’t been around the church recently. It is always special to renew those friendships of years past. As you all probably have heard, our Mission Presbytery is in the midst of a discussion regarding membership based on actions of St. Andrews, Austin. Again we need to remove emotion and discuss the issue. It is the issue of what determines membership in the Presbyterian Church which we need to discuss. And if you don’t think we have issues to discuss; then, you are not aware that the General Assembly of our denomination met June 15th thru June 22nd. And we Presbyterians always have issues. If we don’t, we will find some. I need to express my admiration for this congregation and all that you do for the Kingdom. As I meet with your Session, Sunday School Classes, and converse with you through the week, I am impressed with your ability to deal with the most difficult of issues. That is a rare talent amongst many of our churches. You deserve a “well done, good and faithful servant.” It is this talent that will continue to make this congregation stand out as an example of what the church can be and do. Hope to see you in the fall. I’m still having an interesting time adjusting to the summer schedule here in the valley. The winter Texans have gone north. The transplanted are taking a couple of months to visit family and the ol’ home place, while many of the residents/natives are traveling through much of the summer. This translates to a 45% decrease in worship attendance. I’m not really used to such a dramatic decline in attendance, but we preachers can get used to most anything. You really need to warn potential new pastors so that they don’t feel like they have done something wrong when summer approaches. Stay cool and see you when you get back, unless the PNC locates that special pastor for which you search. See you in church, O’Quin
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