January 1, 2021

Dear Conference Churches,

I am certain we share a collective sigh that 2020 is now in the rear-view mirror! It was a year full of challenges and pivots. It was a year of soul-searching and new commitments. It was a year full of so many losses among many new opportunities. As we confess God’s new mercies every morning, we most certainly confess these same mercies as we begin 2021. We continue to share the vision to be a mosaic of churches working interdependently together to transform lives and communities.

New Years grace, peace, and blessings to you as you gather for your semi-annual/annual meeting. On behalf of the conference staff and your executive board, we pray that a spirit of pervading hope would fill you as we lean into these days. We pray for ongoing conviction and enlightening. We pray for a spirit of watchfulness and agility. We pray for a steady and unified spirit. May God continue to lead your church into great faith and mission. We are eager to come alongside you this year.

This year’s conference Annual Meeting Celebration was originally announced to be at Yakima and Selah Covenant Churches April 23-24. With ongoing health concerns and restrictions on large gatherings, we anticipate that we will either have another Saturday-only online meeting or a hybrid with some in-person in Yakima and others online. We will announce our final approach by the end of January. Also remember that this will be a superintendent re-election year.

Our denominational leadership is also discerning what will happen with Gather 21 (Anaheim, CA, June 24-26). This normally is a key time to send delegates that don’t know the denomination well or others that would benefit from networking and attending workshops. If we are able to meet in person, please remember that we have budgeted scholarships to help churches send delegates. Applications can be found at pacnwc.org/eccam. We will prioritize distribution of funds to churches with the greatest needs and those who have not been able to attend in the past.

May the Holy Spirit enlighten, lead, and set your hearts on fire. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in our shared work. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection (Psalm 91:4 NLT).

With faith and gratitude, Rev. Greg Yee, Superintendent

P.S. Stay connected through our monthly email newsletter The Catch (http://pacnwc.org/connect/newsletter) AND on Facebook group Pacific Northwest Conference