It’s Gonna Be Super! - Congregational Meeting, 2026
It’s gonna be an amazing Sunday for at least a couple of reasons: First, a bunch of us Americans will gather together to watch the New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX (aka 60 for non Romans : ) While the Patriots will be trying become the first team with seven Super Bowl wins, I’m more excited for an entirely different reason – our annual Congregational Meeting!
This year’s meeting will contain some unprecedented good news during the budget presentation. It turns out that as a result of the incredible response to our Hearts Ablaze Initiative, we are entering a brand new season of possibility where we can be newly responsive and flexible to the visions that the Holy Spirit is providing.
This Sunday’s Congregational Meeting is really a family meeting of sorts: it’s for all the sisters and brothers of the Elmhurst CRC community to talk about the business of the church. While we won’t be deciding where we should go on summer vacation (though, that sounds amazing right now) or whether or not to adjust our dietary habits (awkward), we will be discussing and deciding some significant matters:
First, we’ll vote on and elect four new Elders and four new Deacons. The family process for this is wonderfully creative at ECRC. Of the eight candidates, the top six vote-getters—who stay anonymous—will have their names placed in a basket. After a moment of prayer for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, four names for each Elder and Deacon will then be drawn from the basket and are thus chosen to serve. I love this hybrid method of voting, which seeks to honor the will of the family/congregation and the mystery of the Holy Spirit.
Second, we’ll hear short reports from the chairpersons of the Elders, Deacons, and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), as well as from the pastors. These reports are meant to update the family on the most significant work that our leaders have been involved with over the past year. It’s like sharing an update of how your day went and is an opportunity for all of us to wonder, “How is the family really doing?”
Third, we’ll receive an accounting of our family finances from the SLT chair, Brian Stolzenbach. Brian will highlight some of the good news from 2025, and also present a plan for how the family finances will work in 2026 as we eliminate our remaining debt and begin to stretch into new ministries and opportunities. There is room for questions, clarifications, and feedback. Key to this moment’s success is asking whether our shared financial commitments align with the values that we profess to share together.
My prayer in advance is that there will be a good spirit in the room. I do believe that the Holy Spirit does some of its best work in moments like this. While we typically credit the Holy Spirit with moving through inspiration and even improvisation (as a musician, I love this), the Spirit is equally generous through the good gifts of administration and planning.
This will all happen at 11:15 am on Sunday following quickly on the heels of the 10:00 am worship service. You can click HERE to access the materials for the meeting. If you can’t be there in person, a Livestream option will also be available.
Blessings to you on this Super Sunday,
- Pastor Gregg