Please e-mail comments or suggestions about this Web site
to the CPC Webmaster.
Last updated: January 31, 2008
The Rev. Dr. Lynn Stanton-Hoyle
Pastor and Head of Staff
The year 2007 was a year of beginnings, the details of which are contained in the reports of the Session Committee chairpersons and others who led us through 2007. I will provide an over view here of the story of our ministry in 2007.
Amidst the first snowfall of 2007 we gave thanks for and celebrated the successful completion of our building and expansion project with a dedication service on Sunday, January 21. (On 11/19 Fairfax County awarded our church and LeMay Erickson a design award for our new building.) That celebration was quickly followed on Sunday, February 11 with the ordination and installation of Pastor Jen as our Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministries. (The Deacons provided two lovely receptions for these celebrations.) Jennifer’s clear, steady and energetic leadership guided our mid-week BLAST program which included adult classes taught by Mary and Jim Wright (The Biggest Job Parenting Course) and Bonnie Davis (Difficult Questions). It was another strong year of programs and activities for nurture and fellowship of our families and youth of all ages and the return of our youth services with our junior and senior high students. (We also sent three delegates Zach Southern, Eric and Sara Stanton-Hoyle to the PCUSA Youth Triennium in July.)
The Deacons’ and Christian Education Committee co-hosted a baby shower for Jennifer and Andrew on 6/3. Then we celebrated with Jennifer, Andrew and Cady the birth of Thomas as Jennifer went on maternity leave in July for the summer. Upon her return in September we also had the opportunity to surround them and their families with our prayers and presence for Thomas’ baptism which I was honored to officiate on October 28.
Throughout 2007 God provided for our financial needs through the generous giving of our members and friends as we faced the unexpected need to dig a new well to supplement our existing well which had a dramatic reduction in output during the spring and fall.
Bonnie Davis provided strong leadership for our adult ministries as our Pastoral Assistant for Adult ministries and the interim director of the Clifton Senior Friends Center. She was joined in this start up effort by assistant director Kathi Robertson. Under their direction the Center opened in February with many volunteers and the support of grants from National Capital Presbytery and Fairfax County’s Community Grant program. At the end of June Bonnie completed her interim term to begin a process of discernment and sabbatical and Kathi resigned to prepare for the birth of her second child. The Center hired Liz Mirc as Administrative Director and Rebecca Daniel-Burke, PhD as Program Director. They continued to guide this new outreach and ministry to provide a social program for senior adults in our church and community with memory and mobility limitations.
CPC also provided a ministry of comfort and hospitality in January at the funerals of Clifton resident Denise Obremski and childhood CPC member Linda Doneghy Forrester. I officiated at both services and the Deacons hosted the receptions. In March this community hospitality ministry extended to the Clifton community as we hosted the town’s first talent show in our new Fellowship Hall and the Clifton Women’s Club’s silent auction for their annual spring homes tour and we participated in the annual Candlelight Tour. In April after the tragic shootings at VA Tech on 4/16 we co-hosted a community prayer service with Glory Korean Presbyterian Church on 4/20.
We were grateful for the ministry of our fourth seminary intern Gayle Schlenker. Gayle has blessed us as she has led worship, preached, taught the Women’s Bible study and led the Women’s retreat at Meadowkirk and the Covenant Disciple group formed to support her during her field education work with us.
Retired minister Lewis Johnson served a second year as our Parish Associate. Pastor Lewis has shared his extensive Biblical knowledge and experience from over twenty years of missionary and legal work in Iran with great enthusiasm as he led worship and the sacraments, preached, co-taught three Disciple classes and served as staff liaison for the Men’s Breakfast.
In my own ministry at CPC preaching, pastoral care, teaching (Disciple and adult ed.), and my responsibilities as head of staff and NCP’s Transforming Congregations process that the Session has joined provided tremendous opportunities for growth and new experiences. I led our annual summer mission trip to Mexico in June. I also provided pre-marital counseling for David and Kathleen Lavery Toellner and Carroll (Franzi) and Richard Schneider whose wedding I also officiated at in June. It was a personal blessing to observe Dale and my twentieth wedding anniversary with a “second honeymoon trip” to Cozumel, Mexico. In August I attended an orientation program at Columbia Theological Seminary with a group of fellow PCUSA pastors who have received a grant for travel and study at the Iona religious community in Scotland during late April and early May 2008. It continues to be a privilege to serve at CPC with such talented and energetic staff, church leaders and congregation. I look forward to where God will lead us in 2008!