It was so good to be together as a church family this past month to celebrate the birth of our Savior. As we begin the new year, we are writing to share some good news with you. We surpassed our end-of-the-year giving goal and are verifying the exact amount. The Finance Department continues to process year-end gifts. So far, a total of $2,350,000 has been given from September 1 to December 31, 2022. This puts us in a stable financial position ahead of our income target and supports budgeted expenses for the ministry year. On behalf of leadership and church staff, thank you. We are thankful for your continued partnership and grateful to see God’s provision for our church.

We invite you to an Open House on January 11 at 7 pm to discuss the latest draft of the church covenant. As you are aware, we have been working towards streamlining our church operations by revising our current bylaws. In August, we established a team to guide and finalize the document so we could bring it forward to the Congregation. The new document entitled the “covenant” has undergone a series of improvements these past few months and is ready to be shared with the rest of the church family. You can access the document and information about the meeting here: www.lakeave.org/bylaws

Our annual Winter Congregational meeting will include the covenant being brought forward for your consideration and approval. Save the date on Sunday, February 5, 2023, immediately following the main worship service.

We are excited as we look forward to a new year and season at Lake Avenue Church. We pray that you and your family will be richly blessed this coming year and that God will continue to transform all of us as a community for His Kingdom.

Blessings,

In Christ,

	Mathew P. John			Dan Crichton
	Senior Pastor			Church Chair