Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church
Midweek Update – January 22, 2020

In this issue:
• Why Church? Inspiring!
• Events
• Flooring—Watch your step!
• Annual Meeting prep & Pastor Terms of Call

WHY CHURCH?
hello, dear ones!
we are continuing our series of "why church?"--why might it be valuable and worth our attention and intention to be about "being" church. the root of the word religion is legio--to connect, to bind. so, religion, at its core, is the opportunity to re-legio--to reconnect, to re-bind ourselves to god, to ourselves and to one another. that is at the heart of our desire for edgcumbe presbyterian--that we untangle from those habits and expectations of "church" that do not support us to live more fully into trust and love...
being church actually is a pretty sacred opportunity we have to be the living body of christ. this is what folks had to say on sunday to the prompt, "church inspires me to....":
Church inspires me to think in a different way.
Church inspires me to live more fully.
Church inspires me to show up authentically🧡.
Church inspires me to love, listen, learn, and love even more.
Church inspires me to participate.
Church inspires me to show love.
Church inspires me to shed my mask, open my heart, and love others and myself.
Church inspires me to get out of my ego and narrow mind and think of others and feel our common humanity.
Church inspires me to try--especially community earlier in the morning-not my usual =).
Church inspires me to come to church as often as I can.
Church inspires me to think.
Church inspires me to be teachable, connections make me want to be coachable.
Church inspires me to stay focused on my connection with God through others.
Church inspires me to pray.
Church inspires me to breathe and find a higher purpose.
Church inspires me to show up as my authentic self. To let go of my stories about not being enough.
Church inspires me to desire to serve others and pray.
Church inspires me to pay more attention to my spiritual health.
Church inspires me to join with other Christians. To reflect on Christian teachings.
Church inspires me to love.
Church inspires me to remember how much God loves us, and is pursuing each and every one of us.
Church inspires me to turn beyond myself to see the world in need.
Church inspires me to think outside of myself.
i invite you to ask the holy spirit to open those doors for you to be an instrument of love this week!
--with joy! pastor julie .

EPC EVENTS COMING UP
• Scripture Texts for Sunday, Jan. 26: Psalm 27 & 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
• Every Tuesday: Contemplative Prayer at 3pm in Sanctuary. Every meeting is open to Centering Prayer beginners, so consider giving it a try.
• Sunday, Jan. 26: Bible Study at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary.
• Sunday, Feb. 9: Annual Meeting with potluck brunch.

FLOORING
The tiled floor in the library, hallway, kitchen and nursery school sleep/play room is breaking up and needs to be renewed. The project includes new tiles and abatement of the asbestos mastic. We are taking bids and the approximate cost for both abatement and new flooring will be $15-20,000. EPC has enough money in its rainy day Vanguard account to cover the cost, but I think it would be prudent to keep the Vanguard funds for a true emergency. All will be grateful to those willing to help. Please put 'tile flooring' on the memo line of your check. Thank you, Ron
*NOTE: for anyone who wants to talk about next steps with the flooring project, there will be a meeting after worship this Sunday, January 26.

ANNUAL MEETING PREPARATION
If you are new to Edgcumbe Church, here is a quick primer on what to expect at our Annual Mtg, scheduled for February 9 after worship.
• The best part is that we eat together. Yum.
• Also cool is hearing reflections and celebrations about 2019—worship, mission, music, the budget, the Backwoods and the building, etc. We re-tell the stories that brought us here so that we can remember in the Spirit who we are together.
• The one part of the meeting where the congregation votes on something substantive is the pastors’ Terms of Call, the congregation’s contract with the pastors for another year. For this conversation, Julie and Phil leave the room, and the conversation and vote will be moderated by visiting Pastor Jeff Japinga, who is also our Presbytery Executive. The proposed Terms of Call, which have already been approved and recommended to the congregation by the Session, are included below. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any of the Elders.
• At the end, we close with a prayer, clean up lunch, and head home!
• What do you need to do? Just show up—with your appetite, your questions and stories, and your open heart. Goodness and love will leak out all over the place.

Terms of Call for Pastors -- Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church
PRESBYTERY OF THE TWIN CITIES AREA—TERMS OF CALL 2020
Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church, Saint Paul, MN 55116
Reverends Julie GebbenGreen and Phil GebbenGreen
FULL OR PART-TIME 90% of full-time shared 50/50 between Julie and Phil
TYPE OF CALL Pastor (Co-Pastors sharing one position)
EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2020
DATE OF CONGR MTG February 9, 2020

TERMS (all should be annual):
Salary & Housing: $52,396.60 (Includes housing allowance of $20,000)
Note: This salary is 90% of $52,924.86 (the Presbytery minimum salary) plus a 10% increase for experience and merit, as recommended by the Session.

>Vacation: one month
Note: Pastors Julie and Phil share one position, so the position gets this time off—meaning that Julie and Phil take their time off together. They do not each get a separate month of vacation. This same logic applies to Continuing Ed time and Sabbatical.

>Continuing Education allowance $2,400 (cumulative over 3 years to $7,200)
>Continuing Education leave: 2 weeks (cumulative over 3 years to 6 weeks)
>Pension and Medical: Full family coverage
>Automobile allowance: IRS rate Vouchered up to $800
>Professional Expenses: Vouchered up to $1000
>Medical/Dental Supplemental: Vouchered up to $4000
Sabbatical _X_Yes ___No Length of leave: 3 months; years of service required: six years.
Session approval of dates and plan required.
Optional Retirement Contribution ___Yes _X_No Amount $______________

Parental Leave - When an installed teaching elder or spouse is to give birth, or to adopt a child, family leave shall be offered under at least the following terms: Eight weeks family leave at 100 percent of pro-rated annual salary and full housing allowance, or twelve weeks at 75 percent of pro-rated annual salary and full housing allowance. (See full Presbytery Policy on Family Leave for more details.)