Reports, Deadlines, and Accountability

A value Presbyterians hold dear is doing things decently and in order.  Until it comes to filing reports!  Paperwork!!  Yuck....we hate it!!!  Or at least most pastors do.  This may be the difference between clerks and pastors, is the affinity and dislike of reports.  None the less, reports are part of our covenant life together.  They are a means by which we present ourselves as accountable each other.  Thus, Clerks of Session are busy with the statistical information for their church and the Pastors are busy with the Terms of Call Reports, and annual reports of ministers in non-parish validated ministries, parish associates, and Members-at-Large.   As of today, February 19th, 29 of our 67 pastors still need to send in their Terms of Call Reports;  26 of 45 minister members still need to send in their Annual Report.   Another way the Presbytery of Lake Michigan holds its members accountable to each other is to require attendance at a Boundary training.   Out of the 26 minister members of presbytery who have not yet attended the training in order to be in compliance with Presbytery Policy, only 1 has registered for the March 11 Boundary Training in Paw Paw on March 11th.  If you have done the training.  Great!  You are in compliance with Presbytery's Policy.  If you haven't, then you likely have received a communication from the Stated Clerk, with the invitation to register for the upcoming training.  Please do so.

Reports and required training are a pain.  Understood.  Just do it.  It's part of living in covenant community which we hold dear.

Peace