Giving Thanks for the Ministry of Rev. Lynn Portz
An Update from Session
Dear friends,
Greetings to you this Eastertide in the name of Christ our Risen Lord! Earlier this spring, the Reverend Lynn M. Portz announced her intention to retire as a Minister of Word and Sacrament at the end of May after more than forty years of ordained ministry. As we, the Shadyside Presbyterian Church, prepare to bid farewell to Rev. Portz, we remember with gratitude her faithfulness and care for this congregation.
For more than thirteen years, Lynn has served as our Associate Pastor for Parish Life. In that time, we have been abundantly blessed by her wise and gentle leadership, her compassionate heart, and her thoughtful and inspiring preaching and teaching. In addition to leading us in worship and the study of God’s Word, she has comforted the bereaved and grieving; visited the sick and hospitalized; prayed continuously for our church family and for our neighbors, near and far; celebrated baptisms and weddings; nurtured our congregation’s culture of hospitality; planned fellowship events that have deepened our sense of community; welcomed guests and newcomers into our midst; maintained connections with elderly and homebound members; coordinated our ministries of care and support; and guided the Board of Deacons and the Care Team. In all of these ways and more — many unknown to us but seen by God — she has demonstrated her profound love for Christ and for our church.
As Lynn’s tenure draws to a close, there are several important dates this month to share with you. We hope you will join us in celebrating her ministry, and in thanking her for all she has meant to our church and community.
Sunday, May 15, 2022
- Please attend worship at 11:00 a.m. on May 15. As part of the agenda during the Annual Meetings of the Corporation and Congregation, which will be held in the sanctuary immediately following worship, we will act on the request of Rev. Portz that her pastoral relationship with Shadyside Presbyterian Church be dissolved effective May 31, 2022. It is important to have a good attendance for this meeting. If you are unable to attend in person, the format of the meeting will be hybrid, so participants may attend online via Zoom videoconferencing. The link, telephone number, meeting ID, and passcode will not be shared publicly in the interest of keeping the meeting secure, but these details will be provided directly to members in a letter delivered by the United State Postal Service and in an email on the morning of Sunday, May 15. (If you have questions or concerns, please contact the church office by phone or email before Friday, May 13, and we will be happy to assist you.)
Sunday, May 22, 2022
- Please attend worship at 11:00 a.m. on May 22, which is Lynn’s last Sunday with us as a member of our pastoral staff. During this service, she will preach her final sermon as Associate Pastor in Shadyside’s pulpit. While we know that, ideally, everyone would prefer to attend in person, the live worship webcast continues to be available at www.shadysidepres.org/live.
- Following worship, all are invited to gather outside under a tent on the McClintock Lawn for a reception in honor of Lynn to express our appreciation and offer our well wishes.
As an expression of gratitude, you are invited to contribute to a gift for Rev. Portz, which will be presented to her on May 22. Checks may be sent to the attention of the church finance office, designated as “Portz Gift” in the memo line. Contributions also may be made online by clicking here; please select “Miscellaneous Revenue” in the drop-down menu on the giving form and include “Portz Gift” in the memo line. The goal for receipt of donations is Wednesday, May 18.
We will deeply miss Lynn and her husband, Doug. Together, we lift Lynn in prayer as she enters retirement, with grateful hearts for the blessing she has been to us and with fervent hope that God will grant Lynn and Doug many long years of health and happiness ahead to enjoy with their family.
In Christ,
Elder Robert B. Luthultz
Chair, Human Resources Committee of Session