Dear Friends,

CPC is Wondering. We are wondering about a number of things: what the future will look like, when a new pastor will be selected, how soon until we can get back into our sanctuary? During the past few months a lot of this wondering took place on the mountain through phone calls, zoom meetings and Session discussions. However, friends who live in the Valley or Tucson may not have gotten all the information. So let me share some of the thinking and hopefully eliminate some of the wondering …..

 - About the future: Many folks are taking guesses (on a national level), but I’m talking about the future on a local level. This much we know…. I will be leaving my position as your interim pastor the end of July (July 26th will be my last Sunday). Debbie and I will be moving back to Colorado. The Session is working for pastoral coverage beginning in August. Beyond these few details, we don’t know what else the future holds. We are wondering…. 

- About a New Installed Pastor: The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) has been diligently working to discern whom your next installed pastor will be. Their working assumption is that God has someone picked out - that person and the committee are in the process of finding each other. During these challenging times, the committees’ progress has continued and this coming Sunday we will receive an update report. So, even though progress is being made, we are wondering…. 

- About Getting Back Into Our Sanctuary: Governor Ducey has moved toward opening the State of Arizona. It would appear businesses, restaurants, churches, can just open their doors and go back to ‘normal’ operations. So you maybe wondering, why CPC isn’t just opening the sanctuary doors and resuming regular worship. Well along with Gov. Ducey’s declaration to open businesses, restaurants, churches, etc., he also issued detailed guidance concerning how these establishments should open. (The official document is included in this email with highlighted sections of particular importance.) In this guidance, we are encouraged to be particularly mindful of members who are over 65 years of age (which includes a large group of us) and as an alternative to sanctuary worship, the governor urges us to consider outside or drive-in worship services. (There is much less chance of contamination when we are outside.) Because of the average age of our congregation and the additional concern of air circulation in enclosed spaces (sanctuaries), the Session has decided to shift our worship services to an outdoor environment. We are blessed with good weather this time of year, so it should work fine. This is not a permanent arrangement and the Elders (Session) will continue to evaluate the situation. We all want to be back together in the sanctuary, but a definitive answer as to when that will be can’t be given at this time. So even though progress is being made, we are still wondering…. 

I hope this helps summarize some of the discussions that have taken place over the past few months and where we are today. Personally, I don’t enjoy/like wondering (ambiguity), yet that is where we find ourselves at the moment. May God’s Spirit comfort us and help us to wait…. 

Grace and Peace, Bob

We are a family rooted in Christ, called to glorify and enjoy God through worship, discipleship, compassion, and service to one another and to our community.