News

Greeting from Sargodha. I am Tabish. My school is one of the famous school in city. I am writing this note to thank you for your help and support. I am actively involved in extra-curricular activities. This year our school won sport gala. Now Independence celebration are going on. The bazaars and streets are decorated with flags. Thank you again for your generosity and support. I promise you I will work very hard.

For ten years, Derry Church has maintained a partnership with the Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan. PEB operates 25 schools, primary through high school, including some boarding schools, that serve more than 5,900 students. Derry, through the Friends of Sargodha group, has a particular relationship with the schools in Sargodha. 

Our goal is to provide ten scholarships every year. You can help.

A full scholarship for a day student is $370 a year, about a dollar a day. We are dividing that amount into ten shares, $37 each, to offer you the opportunity to support a portion of a scholarship. 

You can purchase one or more shares by writing a check to Derry Church notated “Pakistan Scholarship” or giving online through the church website and selecting “Pakistan Scholarship.” 

Read Rev. Nancy Reinert’s message inviting you to participate. This fundraiser continues through February 2021.

The Monday evening study group will Zoom at 7 pm to discuss these books:

• MAR 1: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
• APR 5: Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

The Faithful Readers will Zoom at 9:15 am* Sundays to discuss these books:

• FEB 21 (*2 PM): Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• MAR 21: The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
• APR 18: Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now by Maya Angelou

Download the complete Faithful Readers list for 2020-21 and check out the Faithful Readers’ Facebook Group.

Copies of all books are available in the church library: contact Teresa to request a copy.

Looking for the Zoom Meeting ID? Check the weekly eNews or contact Sue George.

• Re-elected Kathy Yingst as Clerk of Session and Steven Guenther as Treasurer for 2021.
• Approved a transfer of membership for Louella Grgic due to relocation.
• The Treasurer shared the 2020 year-end financial reports. As expected, the church income for 2020 was approximately $30,000 below 2019 and $75,000 under budget. Expenses for 2020 were also below budget as we did not have an Associate Pastor or full-time Music Director for the entire year. Committees were conservative with spending. As a result, there is an approximate budget surplus of $80,000. At the request of the Stewardship & Finance committee, the Session approved distribution of the surplus funds as follows: $15,000 to Mission and Peace; $5,000 to Camp Krislund; $40,000 to Derry’s Capital Improvement Fund; and the remainder to be used as a cushion for the 2021 potential budget deficit.
• The Stewardship & Finance Committee has spent several months reviewing Derry’s Gift Acceptance and Investment policies. The revised policies were presented to the Session and approved.
• The Elders reviewed our current building opening policy, and based on recommendations from the Covid Task Force, voted to keep the current policy in place. There are several variables with the new strands of Covid that are appearing and numbers for cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have been steady since December. Many would like to establish a reopening date; however, at this time the Session has not set a specific re-opening date pending improvement in the vaccine rollout and number of cases.
• There was unanimous agreement that we communicate with our members to let everyone know that we are continually reviewing the plans for reopening, planning new things for keeping us connected, and praying for all. A mailing will be sent to all members and a video created to communicate our discussions.
• Derry’s annual meeting has been scheduled for Sunday, February 14, 2021. Due to Covid-19 restrictions the meeting will be held via Zoom.
• In preparing for the annual meeting, the session reviewed Dr. McKinney-Whitaker and Rev. Pamela Meiland’s Terms of Call for 2021. There are no changes to Pastor Stephen’s terms from 2020 and Pastor Pam’s terms are the same as when she was called to Derry. The session voted to approve the terms as presented and recommend them to the congregation for review and approval.
• Elected all active Elders as Presbytery Commissioners for 2020.
• The AA group has been meeting at Derry for many years. The group uses room 10 and enters the church through the door off Mansion Road at the rear of the sanctuary. While the group has not been meeting over the past year, they have continued to pay $250 quarterly for the space. Session voted to discontinue these payments while the group is not meeting and to reimburse them for the money paid over the past year.

For ten years, Derry Church has maintained a partnership with the Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan. PEB operates 25 schools, primary through high school, including some boarding schools, that serve more than 5,900 students. Derry, through the Friends of Sargodha group, has a particular relationship with the schools in Sargodha. 

Our goal is to provide ten scholarships every year. You can help.

A full scholarship for a day student is $370 a year, about a dollar a day. We are dividing that amount into ten shares, $37 each, to offer you the opportunity to support a portion of a scholarship. 

You can purchase one or more shares by writing a check to Derry Church notated “Pakistan Scholarship” or giving online through the church website and selecting “Pakistan Scholarship.” 

Read Rev. Nancy Reinert’s message inviting you to participate. This fundraiser continues through February 2021.

The Russell W. and Joann Brong Scholarship was established through generous gifts by the Brongs, and created by Session action in June 1983 to provide financial aid to students working toward full-time service in Christian ministry; members of the Derry Presbyterian church staff for continuing education; and for students preparing to serve in social and humanitarian service vocations such as social work, medicine, education and literacy, and other vocations that work for the common good.

Scholarships are awarded for one academic year and may be renewed, providing the recipient continues to meet the conditions of eligibility, maintains a good academic standing, and funds are available. Amounts are determined each year based on the number of applicants and the amount of the fund available. Scholarships up to $3,000 per semester may be given for tuition and other fees. Applications must be received by the Christian Education Committee no later than April 15 for consideration.

More information and an application are available on the Derry Church website. Questions? Contact Pastor Stephen or Claudia Holtzman, Chair, Christian Education Committee.