Happy New Year

Friends, 

Welcome to the New Year! There is something encouraging about a new year, new beginning, a chance to start anew.  

 

One of the new things we will experience this year is the addition of SueJeanne Koh (back) to our staff. You may remember that we hired SueJeanne a few years ago, jointly with New Hope Presbyterian Church, to work with our Adult Education. It was a partnership that started out strongly when we were doing many things online during COVID, and it was a great opportunity to connect with our friends from New Hope. But, as our meetings began to resume in person, the physical distance between our two congregations proved to be too much to make our cooperative events sustainable. So, while SueJeanne continued to be visible and to exercise her gifts with us a lot, she was doing so as a volunteer. Now, things have changed.

 

During the last year, SueJeanne passed her Ordination Exams, was examined by the Committee on Preparation for Ministry and on the floor of the Los Ranchos Presbytery, and was declared “ready for a call.” While she continues to work as the Assistant Director of Graduate Futures and Research Engagement at UCI, SueJeanne is now back on staff with us. There are still a few steps to take in order for SueJeanne to be ordained, but with the blessing of the Presbytery and the vote of our Session, she is our Associate Pastor for Christian Formation and Public Engagement. As such, she will be primarily working with our adult and children’s educational programs as part of our Pastoral Staff. 

 

Here is an overview of how our staff cooperate with one another and volunteers in our work of Christian Formation. 

Children’s Ministry: Pastor SueJeanne and Jane Reimund, our Christian Education Assistant, work with our Children and Youth Ministry (CYM) Commission for Sunday School and other educational events pertaining to children up through the 6^th grade. 

Tween Ministry: Pastor Hayes and Pastor SueJeanne will work alongside one another and with the CYM Commission for opportunities for education and service with 4^th-6^th graders. There are times that the “tweens” join with other children and at times they join with our Youth and Family events for grades 7-12. 

Youth Ministry: Pastor Hayes will continue to lead this part of our church life, with the CYM Commission. 

Adult Education: Pastor SueJeanne will work with the Adult Education Commission and Pastor Mark, providing leadership and support for formation opportunities for adults. 

Public Engagement:  Pastor SueJeanne will work with Pastor Mark on opportunities for St. Mark to take leadership roles in the larger community, such as organizing Continuing Education for the pastors in the Presbytery and other cooperative ventures with churches and agencies throughout Orange County. 

 

Of course, flow charts and job descriptions only capture part of the realities of how ministry actually functions. Hayes and I are delighted with welcoming SueJeanne back to our staff as we continue serving God by you well. 

 

Mark of St. Mark