Session Report

Session is the body of the church that looks after the spiritual matters of the congregation. Currently Quispamsis United Church has 23 members of session called elders, each serving a three-year term. Members of Session are listed in the Nominating Committee Report at the back of this Annual Report. Session met on the 3rd Monday of the month except in June, July, August and December. We met 9 times in 2008, as we held two meetings in May. Rev. Dr. Ron Vincent has chaired most of our meetings with our pastoral charge supervisor, Rev. Len Mills chairing a few times. Larry Watson is our clerk of session.
     At any given meeting we might discuss matters on a national, conference, presbytery or congregational level. We discuss baptisms, weddings, communion and confirmations. Several committees report to session, including Christian Development, Presbytery, Outreach and Worship and Memorial. This allows the elders to become familiar with many aspects of the church. One of the most important duties of the session is to be in contact with their assigned families. All elders are assigned approximately a dozen families. The idea being that the elder is willing to be a contact person between the church, minister, and family. We deliver a newsletter twice a year to our families and keep in touch through those visitations, phone and speaking with them on Sunday mornings. Session also serves communion monthly, meets with the confirmands at an informal get-together and usually hosts the confirmation reception following the confirmation. Quispamsis did not have a confirmation class in 2008.

Highlights for 2008 include:

• Accepting Rev. Dr. Ron Vincent and Rev. Dr. Linda Marcott as our ¾, ¼ ministers for the year
• Annual pancake supper for Shrove Tuesday with donations given to the Outreach Fund
• Lively discussion around the Song of Faith document
• Support of Christmas families through Christmas exchange and Rothesay Fire Dept.
• Participated in the Community Chaplaincy program through Outreach
• Jane Reinhart’s awesome work with the library. Check it out!
• Choir’s involvement with Meals on Wheels and providing desserts
• Purchase of ” More Voices United” for our choir
• Kim Kimball offering to be the Sunday Superintendent
• CD committee re-established.
• The re-establishment of the senior youth group.

We sincerely appreciate the help of so many people over the past year. Thank you to:
Pat Vincent our choir director, and our choir for their awesome ministry of music.
Our secretary Donna Larooi who keeps it all straight. 
Jane Reinhart for the time and effort she has put into the library.
Our Sunday School teachers and organizers, and the children who take part.
The representatives of the KV Food Basket and those who support this outreach project
The congregation’s continued support of all our outreach projects
The leaders of our youth group and the children
Members of the Worship, Christian Development, Outreach and Memorial and Session committees and presbytery reps. Several people are leaving session this year as their term is completed. A sincere thank you for your time, interest and effort is extended to you from your session.
A final thank you to each and every one who calls QUC home, is extended from Session.

Last year at this time session thanked the JNAC committee for their efforts in completing the JNAC ( Joint Needs Assessment) report. This year, session thanks the members of the search committee who continue to look for our next minister. Rev. Vincent and Rev. Marcotte have been very much appreciated over the past year, and we look forward to their continued leadership into 2009. 

Respectfully submitted