THOSE WHO GO BEFORE US
By Charlee Turner Foundation Administrator
Charlee: charleet@vpc.chuirch
As my eyes graze across the congregation from my seat in the back of Landes during worship, I see the span of the generations represented in our church members. As my neighbor passes the offering plate to me, I feel their small young hands, barely able to hold the weight of the dish as I pass the plate to a set of hands weathered by a lifetime of work and adventure. Those over the age of 70 account for nearly 44% of VPC's population. Our seniors tend to be the core of volunteers for many of the events and mission causes on our campus. In their service and wisdom I see love, peace, joy, compassion, security, and support. Through those, I find Jesus. My world has always revolved around seniors in some capacity. When I was younger, my father owned a small business in our hometown of Anderson, Indiana. His claim to success was that he surrounded himself with those older than him to learn from their successes and failures. They've been an important foundation throughout his life, and it's a sentiment I share, as well. As a teen and college student, I worked at an Assisted Living facility, and my first “real job” post-college was for the Mayor of the City of Anderson, Indiana, where I learned and was mentored by some amazing seniors. And now, as the Administrator for the Valley Presbyterian Foundation, I'm able to work with some incredibly accomplished seniors. I'm lucky to have them in my life. And here's the thing— we're all lucky to have them. The hands and hard work of those who have known the world much longer than you and I are the foundation of our church and our world. Many at VPC are surprised to learn our church has a Foundation – and not just the kind that our campus is built upon—an actual Foundation with its own Board of Trustees and strategic goals for our financial future. Surprise! VPF has existed for over 40 years! It was established in 1976 by the hearts and minds of those who were inspired and touched by the work of God and Valley Presbyterian Church. They wanted it to be a place where their children, their children’s children, their neighbors, and those they would never know, could be inspired, too! I know I am inspired when the last living original VPF Trustee, Don Swanson, is able to attend our events. Through his foresight and the foresight of others in 1976, we have made strides over the decades and continue to execute plans to continue to serve our congregation and community. So far this year, VPF distributed more than $275,000 in funds to directly support VPC's many ministries.
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VPF Trustees, Pastor Joynt, & Kris Bahr
