It's official!  We now have a nominating committee and a newly configured structure for elders and deacons.

Half of the committee is determined by the session.  This why I was able to bring the names of John Whitehead, Linda Grote and Paige Miller to you at the beginning of yesterday's meeting.  Thanks to John and Linda for representing the session, to Paige for representing the deacons and to Steve Borelli, Torry Ryan and Ruthie Sherrill for their willingness to be elected by the congregation.  The first meeting of this committee is set for September 7, 9:30 a.m.  Please be in prayer for them.  Please be in prayer about how God may be calling you to serve.

Beginning with this year's class, you will be electing more deacons and fewer elders.  The number of deacons will increase from three to six over the next three years.  The diaconate will be increasingly focused on service, hospitality and congregational care, and there will be at least two active deacons serving in each area.  The session's membership will shrink from twelve to nine over the next three years (in part to accomodate this new emphasis on serving as a deacon).  There will still be enough elders for the session to be represented on every committee by at least one person (and, in most cases, two).

On Friday, representatives of UPC met with representatives of First to renew our covenant regarding use of the student center with them.  As of now, we are committed to each other through the end of 2010, and at its stated meeting this month, UPC's session approved renovations to the facility proposed by First (that will be funded by First).  Mary Helen Martin will serve as our liason in the process, which may begin as early as this week.  Thanks to Cathy Andreen and Garry Warren for representing UPC so well as our covenant with First was renewed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Cathy and her family this week as she travels to Oregon for her daughter's wedding.  We also continue to remember Carla Hall as she recovers from surgery and Cleveland Hinton as his wife is hospitalized in Birmingham.

Please join us this Sunday, August 31, 9:30 a.m. in the library for an adult educational event.  Author Justin Watson will be with us to discuss "The Politics of Marytrdom."  Watson has written extensively on the Christian Coalition and the politics of martyrdom following the Columbine massacre. 

By the time that the next "Monday Morning" column is written, I will have a new schedule and new contact information.  With session's approval, I have accepted an adjunct position to teach World Religions at Shelton State Community College.  The class meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:15-2:30 p.m.  Now that I have actually been in Tuscaloosa a while, I am becoming more accumstomed to the rythmn of life here.  So I will be designating a "day off" soon (but please note that I am always available to you in crisis situations).  I also have signed up for cell phone service with a local company and will be distributing the phone number at church on Sunday.

Can you hear me now?  I hope so, and I pray that what you hear inspires and challenges to do justice, walk humbly and love kindness.  Grace and peace to you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!