Jesus is Lord - Romans 10: 9
Below is a sample of an annual report of Fahan Presbyterian Church.
It has been modified slightly to remove such things as personal details and names.
FOREWARD
There are some countries in the world where the electric supply is not at all reliable. In those situations, when you use it any electrical appliance you know that the power could be cut off at any time and you don’t count on it working all the time. Our electrical supply is very faithful, and if it ever goes out because of an electrical storm or a blizzard, we are surprised, annoyed and inconvenienced because our whole lives are lived in dependence on it, precisely because we can mostly count on it. In the West we have an expectation of constant and reliable power from electricity but we can be disappointed. We can also be disappointed with people who let us down. Someone who had become very cynical wrote ... “never expect anything from anyone because they will only let you down." That is a really sad comment and it is probably true more often than we wish.
Electricity isn’t 100% reliable; people aren’t, but what about God? Do we believe that He is faithful or have we been disappointed enough times that we would want to say, “Never expect anything from God…?” The Bible tells us over and again that God is faithful. When God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6 we read, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…” Psalm 100:5 adds, “…his faithfulness continues through all generations.” and Psalm 117:2, "…the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever."
As we reflect as a congregation over another year that is passed we can rejoice in the faithfulness of God throughout the year. God has continued to guide His people in Fahan through all the various circumstances of life. As a fellowship in Fahan we have shared conflicting emotions. We were saddened by the passing of five of our members during the year: …………………………….. We give thanks for what each of these individuals contributed to the life and witness of Fahan Presbyterian Church and continue to uphold their families in our prayers. In contrast we were delighted to welcome ………………………………….. into our fellowship.
The activities of the various organisations in the Fahan congregation continued to run smoothly due to a dedicated band of leaders. We thank those who are involved weekly in teaching in Sunday school and involved in the Bowls and PW. We acknowledge those who offer their assistance in the audio-visual, crèche, flower and collector rota, in sending material to the press and Presbytery newssheet and in greeting people at the door. We are also greatly encouraged by the work of the Youth Fellowship and recognize that there exists a strong bond between the leaders and the young people. The Bible Study and prayer time continues on the first and third Thursdays of each month and I commend this meeting to all believers. There is nothing more crucial that seeking God in prayer for the salvation of souls, the upbuilding of God’s people and the healing of the sick.
During the year in our Sunday services we were well served by a number of musicians and we record our thanks to them. At Harvest our musician prepared the choir to take part in the worship and in various special services while members of Fahan contributed in readings, drama and song. The Good Friday Service, the Harvest Thanksgiving and the Carol Service were all extremely well attended and many who were present commented positively on the atmosphere of worship and sense of God’s presence. On our Mission Sunday we welcomed Mr. Eric Clarke from the Christian Blind Mission who gave an informative and challenging address. In June we hosted the joint Children’s Day service with Inch and enjoyed the ministry of the children. Another pleasing aspect of the past year has been the number of visitors who have joined us on Sundays for worship.
The annual “Holiday Bible Club” was a great success. We had a tremendous attendance and those who came on Monday attended consistently during the week. Many of the children were from the community and we thank God for the privilege of teaching them God’s Word. As always the Club was wonderfully organised and led by dedicated, gifted and enthusiastic leaders from Fahan. We sincerely thank all the young people who were involved. Many of these young people were involved in summer outreach and we commend them for their desire to serve their Saviour.
In Fahan we value the work of our caretaker, as the Church and Hall are always in excellent condition. As well as our own organisations we have consistent use of the premises by other groups. We also thank the Congregational Committee for their work in making decisions relating to our property and finances. One of the most time-consuming positions in the Church is that of Treasurer and we thank our Treasurer for his diligence throughout another year. It is very encouraging to note that the total funds have increased by 7%. The congregation deserves great credit for this increase and we recognize that our members have again been extremely generous to the work of God’s kingdom in Fahan. We have also benefitted from donations in lieu of flowers and we thank these families for their thoughtfulness.
In conclusion as minister I wish to thank the elders of Fahan for their continued support and encouragement. I deeply appreciate their devotion and unity in the Gospel. As always a number of leaders have worked quietly and efficiently in the background to build Christ’s kingdom in this area.
I extend the appreciation of the Kirk Session to all who continue to serve Christ in our fellowship. I pray that each family and individual will know God’s nearness in the year ahead. May we always remember that we serve a faithful, unchanging God. A God who lavishes His love upon His people, a God who hears our cries and a God who is able to do “abundantly more than we can ask or imagine”.