Redeemer Presbyterian Church 2016 Annual Report
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A growing family of churches and ministries Table of contents Letter from Tim Keller
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Downtown Congregation
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East Side Congregation
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West Side Congregation 10 Redeemer Counseling Services 16 Diaconate 18 Hope For New York 20 Center For Faith & Work 22 Redeemer City To City 24 Administration & Finance 26 RISE, FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 2016 FUNDING AND EXPENSES
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M O R E T H A N YO U C A N I M AG I N E God exceeds our expectations. Having discussed it since 1997, in 2009 Redeemer set a goal to move from being a single church under my leadership to becoming a family of churches under a new generation of preachers, pastors, and leaders. At the time I was hoping to be able to step out of my position as senior pastor and turn over the reins to a set of new leaders within ten years. Today I’m grateful to announce that it has only taken eight years to do this.
Letter from our Senior Pastor
In 2016 we finalized plans to transition Redeemer from one church to a family of three churches. We held the Rise Campaign, in which we also pledged resources for three new sites and daughter churches. At the time I’m writing we have successfully launched Redeemer Lincoln Square and plans are being drawn for new sites on the East Side and Downtown. The goal is to work with City to City to triple the number of believers and churches in the center city over the next 10 years. May this vision also be realized within eight years too! What are the reasons for such hope? The reason is that God always does more than we dare ask or think. In 1989 when Kathy and I moved to NYC with David, Michael and Jonathan, we were merely hoping to have a self-sustaining church of a couple hundred people within 10 years…instead it took weeks! In the first few years hundreds of people found faith in Christ through Redeemer. Only a few of my readers know how often over the years God solved problems that could have completely derailed us. He brought in lastminute financial gifts and key personnel—always at crisis points where Redeemer could have stalled or perhaps broken down. He sustained my health, our marriage, our family, our hope, and our spirits despite pressures that often seemed ready to crush us. Good leaders can foresee problems coming, but I never could. Yet God always heard our cries and saved us, again and again.
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What we didn’t realize then was we were being sent to be a part of a drama about New York City that God had written and had already begun directing. At the middle of the 20th century, New York City was one of the most secular, least churched large cities in the country. But in 1970 missionaries and ministers from the non-western world began planting thousands of new churches in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Asian, Latin American, and African churches were springing up all through the boroughs. When we arrived, the center of Manhattan still had few churches that believed the historic gospel, but that was about to change. We discovered a surprising spiritual hunger among young professionals and soon we saw not just Redeemer but a whole movement of gospelbelieving, young, multi-ethnic churches springing up. The 1989 Kellers could not have imagined in their wildest dreams, that Redeemer itself would grow so much and that we would see over 150 new congregations planted in the middle of the city over two and a half decades. God always exceeds our expectations. Today I’m confident to say this is only the beginning. While I will step down from my role as your senior pastor in the spring of 2017, Kathy and I are preparing to move into new roles with Redeemer City to City where we will be equipping a growing number of new church leaders to do the things God has taught us to do over the years. While we will remain here in NYC and while Redeemer remains our church family, you are, as it were, sending us out to be more available to the churches and people of the city. Kathy and I are praying for the leaders of Redeemer and of the other churches of the city that they will receive a double portion of the spirit God gave us (2 Kings 2:9-10). Even though God has used Redeemer over the years, I believe he is just getting started. Why think that? Because our Lord is the one “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) In Him, Tim and Kathy Keller
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In 2016 the Rise Campaign was an important reminder that as a church in the city, we are a church on a mission and that God has called us to be a faithful presence here in the city. Because New York City is always in movement, we need to be too! It’s our hope that in years to come, each of the Redeemer congregations will see unprecedented numbers of people growing in their understanding of the life-giving gospel. In many ways, this year was a time of preparation for Downtown. Our staff began to lay the necessary foundation for us to rise together as a movement downtown. Here are some staff highlights:
** Michael Smith joined our staff as part of a Rise-funded pastoral residency program designed to develop and train pastoral leaders for the unique realities of ministry in New York City.
** Kari Jo Cates joined our staff as our Parents Ministry Specialist
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to support and provide resources to parents as they work out their calling to raise children in the city.
Downtown
** Susan Nacorda continues to work with our Community Groups,
Elders
Diaconate
** Sam Wheatley was installed as our Executive Pastor and has
Bruno Assante Wally Larson, Jr. Steve Tan Karl Wolf Henry Woo Andrew Yong
Aryana Chan Eunice Chang Euree Chun Lana Kim Lia Kim Esther Larson Lisa Ortiz Janie Rhee Emily Thiesen Abigail Tseng
but she has also taken on a leadership role in developing resources for discipleship and Christian growth.
Steve Brown Greg Buechele Daniel Clemens Huy Lim Dave Policano Adam Thiesen
brought decades of experience ministering in a skeptical culture and developing sustainable and thriving church networks, which will be important for our future as a growing network of churches.
** On a personal note, I took a sabbatical in 2016, which was
an important way for me to get ready for this new phase of Redeemer’s life.
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We began partnering with and resourcing new churches in the city. In January we sent leaders to be part of a new church, Resurrection Brooklyn Heights, led by Michael Subracko. We also began a partnership with Erick Sorenson, pastor of a new church plant in Stuyvesant Town. It’s our view that rising as a church is not merely about developing our own congregation, but about supporting new churches in the city. In 2016 we made significant progress in our preparation for becoming a distinct, self-governing church as part of a family of Redeemer churches that will be formed in the spring of 2017. Next year we will also begin looking for an additional site for a Downtown worship service and will develop resources for discipleship and Christian life in the city. Not only do we want to create more venues where people can come to experience the gospel, but we want to equip and support congregants to express the gospel in every area of life that we inhabit, whether that be our neighborhoods, families, social circles or workplaces. It’s our hope that in the coming years, there will be a movement of the gospel unlike anything we’ve seen or could have imagined. Thank you for all that you’ve done throughout the year as you’ve given, served and prayed for Downtown and the Redeemer movement. Particularly as we enter this new season as a church, I’d encourage you to pray that God will give you clarity and a sense of calling as to how you can serve him throughout the city, in your workplaces, neighborhoods, and families. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing to bring about a great city for all people. Warmly in Christ, John
Highlights CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
SUNDAY SERVICE TEAMS
** By the end of 2016, we served over 100 children, infants to
In 2016 we had 78 new people join us in serving on one of our Sunday Service Teams (Ushering, Communion, Info Table, Book Table). In total, we had 388 people serve this past year!
fifth grade each week. In the fall we continued to add to our elementary program by offering more grade-specific classes. We now have Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd/3rd and Club 45 (4th/5th grade) classes.
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COMMUNITY GROUPS Our 3 to 4-year-old class ended the year with approximately 30 children each week. In the fall we welcomed Austin Henderson on board as our staff teacher. This past year we also welcomed Jeffrey Miller, our Sunday morning coordinator!
** Our monthly family lunches continue to bring everyone
together for good food and community building. We are excited to continuously see new faces each month!
** Kari Jo Cates joined our team in 2016 as our Parents Ministry Specialist to support and provide resources to parents as they work out their calling to raise children in the city.
** In December we hosted our last Redeemer-wide “Birthday
Party for Jesus” outreach event at the W83 Ministry Center in conjunction with the Children’s Ministries of East Side and West Side.
MEMBERSHIP & BAPTISM In 2016 we had 127 people attend an Intro to Redeemer session. We welcomed 10 children as non-communicant members of Redeemer through the covenant of baptism. We also had 45 men and women take their membership vows with nine of them being baptized.
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** We launched 17 new Beta Groups in the fall. Overall, there
were approximately 70 Community Groups (CGs) meeting on a weekly basis, helping to foster a deeper sense of community Downtown.
** As a part of the Rise Campaign in the spring, we hosted 10
Neighborhood Gatherings where hundreds of Community Group members met to hear more about Redeemer’s vision and to connect in more meaningful ways with other congregants. This included a number of affinity group gatherings as well, such as professional women and creatives.
** We piloted new CG events this year, including our very first
Community Conversations event on dating and relationships, which had more than 200 CG members in attendance. We also had our first CG Leader’s Retreat where 60 leaders and hosts gathered to reflect on what it means to be sons and daughters of God.
** We continued to host quarterly CG socials throughout
the year, attended by an average of 200 people, where CG members were able to invite their friends and grow in community.
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G.K. Chesterton memorably wrote about the kind of attention that is needed to sustain what we most value: If you leave a thing alone you leave it to a torrent of change. If you leave a white fence post alone it will soon be a black post. If you particularly want it to be white you must be always painting it again … With the launch of the Rise Campaign, 2016 was a year of exciting vision and new possibilities. Yet, I find myself reflecting instead on the ways our community has invested so much in “painting the fence post white again” this year. Our Sunday services continue to be one of the primary ways we disciple Christians and invite in our skeptical friends. Through the efforts of more than 300 volunteers and scores of musicians and staff, we have painted Redeemer again to be built upon the power of the gospel to transform us all. Our children’s and youth ministries nurtured and deepened the faith of nearly 250 students every Sunday. More than 100 lay leaders invested countless hours of prayer and preparation into our children. These unseen efforts not only repaint the church for today; they also repaint the health of our families in the city.
East Side
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Elders
Diaconate
Dan Bitar Victor Chin Alexander Chou Greg Clark John Ellis Bill Gough James Herring Carter Hinckley Glen Kleinknecht Arvin Soh Mark Stambaugh
Rose-Marie Armstrong Linda Brooke Eileen Buck Kay Cain Kristin Carotenuto Inok Kim Carol Labozzetta Kathie McEwen Grace Monger Jean Soo Park Susie Park Victoria Schaly Diane Wenzler
East Side Neighborhoods has already impacted hundreds of lives, welcoming them into the church while rooting our community more in our neighborhoods. I can’t tell you how many people I met who were new to Redeemer East Side or new to church altogether. Arthur Ahn Michael Kumaresan Tom Palumbo Bill Paparis Andrew Protain Nick Shatraw Brandon Straub Tony Vavroch
Then there are nearly 100 Community Groups comprised of 1000 or so people. Week over week, these groups formed and trained us on how to practically love one another through the ups and downs of real life. 2016 was a year of so much possibility. Yet, we remember that the call of the church has always been the same: to be a sign and foretaste of the Kingdom that is come in Jesus Christ. That’s a calling that takes constant repainting. Thank you for all the ways you’ve done that with us in 2016! Warmly, Abe
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Highlights COMMUNITY LIFE Neighborhoods The East Side Neighborhoods initiative officially launched in the fall, with its vision to empower people to work together for the good of their neighbors. Central to this initiative is to do life in the neighborhood with our non-religious friends, neighbors, and co-workers. On average, 25% of those attending our quarterly gatherings throughout the year were not involved in a Community Group or were not affiliated with the Christian faith. Community Groups A total of 113 Community Groups, Questioning Christianity Groups and Beta Groups experienced Jesus together over the course of the past year, with 231 leaders and 35 leader-coaches actively seeking to grow the members and the groups to know and care for each other. One cohort of leaders also completed the Discipleship Intensive program, a three-month intensive to bring about growth in the areas of worldview, discipleship and community formation.
EAST SIDE LEADERS During 2016 we held five East Side leaders meetings, averaging 70% Community Group leader attendance, where we focused on engaging in gospel change and what it is to lead well as we prepare for a transformative year. We also equipped 117 East Side leaders through a leader retreat that highlighted Sabbath rest practices.
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EAST SIDE CLASSES We welcomed over 500 registrants in the 2016-2017 ministry year with eight unique classes repeated over 15 offerings. Congregants examined the claims and credibility of the Christianity faith; developed sustainable practices that lead to a thriving spiritual life; and engaged in discussions of race, class, justice and power, to name a few. To deepen the learning experience beyond the classroom, an online platform featuring related talks, articles and discussion questions was also offered to students.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY An average of 210 children attended our Sunday Children’s Ministry programs, and an average of 134 children attended our 9:15 Children’s Discipleship Hour. We also saw an average of 35 adults attend the 9:15 Adult Discipleship Hour classes before the Sunday morning worship service.
YOUTH MINISTRY In the fall we officially launched our youth ministry. We have over 50 students involved in a variety of programs: Dive Deep, Mid-Service Gathering, Friday evening monthly gatherings and High School Sunday Lunches. The Youth Ministry is thankful to partner with parents to help raise their kids in the city.
VOLUNTEERS Over 290 Sunday Service Team (SST) volunteers, including 47 captains and eight coordinators, served our congregation; 89 of these volunteers were new to ministry involvement this year. They also hosted a number of community building events and over 130 SST members attended. More than 100 Children’s Ministry volunteers faithfully served and cared for the children and families of the East Side.
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Writing a letter that looks backwards in an ever-evolving world is sometimes difficult. So much of our energy and attention is (rightly) oriented to the future. But taking the time to remember what has happened in the past is not only an important corporate discipline but a biblical one as well. God frequently calls on his people to remember (Deuteronomy 5:15), most notably when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Looking back at God’s faithfulness fuels our resolve and hope for the future. This seems particularly poignant in light of the imminent transition from one Redeemer church to three. 2016 was a year in which we devoted a great deal of resources (time, people, money) in preparation for the launch of Redeemer Lincoln Square, a project that was made possible by the generosity of those who contributed to the Rise Campaign. And it has uniquely allowed our staff, leaders, and congregants to connect Redeemer’s past with its future. For example, in the spring of 1989 when I first showed up to a pre-launch service for Redeemer, the future of that enterprise was uncertain. But our ability to envision a future was made possible by God’s provision of hundreds of people from around the country who invested their financial and prayer resources to see a new church start in Manhattan.
West Side
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Elders
Diaconate
Christian Becker Albert Chang Victor Clemente Paul Gross Dan Kramer Ted Morgan Bill Taylor
Elizabeth Blaufox Abby Buell Heather Butsch Cate Capozzi Elizabeth Carr Suzanne Coupe Patricia Denson Meredith Denton Ellie Ellsworth Lisa Hertzog Hannah Jang Katie Kuperus Karen Kwon Sharon McLean Margaret Nelson
Monica Philippo Sophie Poon Mary Jane Sobel Jenny Yun Will Anderson Chuck Armstrong Gary Bowler Kevin Fetles James Griffin Drew Melton Greg Nance Barry Russell Allen Trew
Today as we look back on all that God has done over the last 28 years I am in awe of what he has done through the thousands of people who made that 1989 dream a reality. And so as we look over the horizon of what can feel at times like an uncertain future, I am sure of this, that he who began this good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your partnership, prayers and friendship. In Christ, David Bisgrove
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Highlights ** We launched our own Youth Group for West Side students
in middle school and high school and have over 50 students attending each week.
** We took on our first pastoral residents who are seminary
students at the new Reformed Theological Seminary in NYC, which partners with Redeemer City to City. Our residents have been helping with Community Groups this past year as well as getting hands on training doing ministry in the city.
** In October we partnered with CFW to launch our first Agora
event titled Civility in the Public Square. Tim Keller, Nicholas Kristoff and John Inazu spoke about the importance of engaging in public discourse in a way that wisely assesses our state of affairs with the type of nuance that transcends a liberal/conservative divide.
** This year we said goodbye to several staff members:
Pamela, Jess, and Michelle. We also welcomed new staff members including our Executive Pastor, Andrew Field.
** We helped in the preparation for the launch of Redeemer
Lincoln Square, gathering people and giving away ministry leaders in advance of the April 2017 launch.
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We hosted 1,400 congregants at our two evening Good Friday services and about 3,700 on Easter Sunday. We continued our tradition of opening W83 for quiet reflection and prayer on Good Friday.
WEST SIDE CLASSES
LEADERSHIP
** The West Side Classes continued to grow, including classes
** Hundreds of our West Side volunteers and leaders gathered
on how to read the Bible, apologetics, beauty, and prayer. The Phillip Series, a five-part series on case studies of “applied theology,” kicked off in the fall with more than 90 in attendance.
** More than 200 people attended Intro to Redeemer this
year, and 90 people became members of the West Side Congregation
** The West Side Cafe, an open space for seekers and skeptics
to discuss topics of Christianity, welcomed over 70 people to process the Christian faith.
BUILDING COMMUNITY
** 25 Beta Groups launched this fall, meeting all throughout the
West Side to study, pray and deepen friendships. In total, more than 100 Community Groups gathered regularly this year. These groups were supported by 19 leader-coaches, who care and pray for our groups and leaders.
** Our lay-led West Side Men and West Side Women groups
continued to meet and welcomed dozens of new participants in weekly gatherings.
at our five West Side Ministry Summits, including a full day Saturday Summit, to grow in our our ability to provide care for one another and deepen community.
** The West Side Prayer Team hosted the Prayer & Praise Series this year on the last Monday of each month, to pray for God’s vision for us and our church. They also interceded for our congregation and city throughout the year.
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
** More than 325 children participated in our Children’s Ministry Sunday School each week including our weekly Club 56 gatherings, and more than 135 children were part of Kid’s Community Group on Wednesday afternoons, where 50+ parents and volunteers taught and served each week.
VOLUNTEERS
** About 300 congregants made our church a welcoming worship environment by volunteering on a Sunday Service Team.
** More than 60 new volunteers joined over 200 volunteers serving our Children’s Ministry on Sundays.
** Our West Side staff and congregation continued to work with Hope for New York staff, volunteers and affiliates to expand the uses of the W83 Ministry Center to support mercy and justice activities in New York City.
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Redeemer Counseling Services Redeemer Counseling Services (RCS) seeks to transform people from all walks of life through professional, biblicallybased counseling, and to equip others to counsel through the redemptive power of the gospel. Consistent with Redeemer’s vision, RCS exists to help build a great city for all people through a movement of the gospel. As an extension of pastoral care, we believe personal healing and change come through a growing relationship with God and with others. Over the years, Redeemer Counseling has become a resource for the whole city engaging cultural renewal by offering a unique brand of counseling that is both gospel focused and culturally relevant.
Highlights ** Staff of 37 full- and part-time counselors and four counselors-in-training
** 19,407 sessions for individuals couples and families ** Three Career Direction Workshops ** Six Renewal Groups (group counseling) ** Five workshops integrating the gospel into topics including
PROMISE OF HOPE 48 people received our counseling services in 2016 through the Promise of Hope fund that subsidizes low income families, couples and individuals. Training and Equipping Others
** Redeemer Counseling training resources and
consultations were sought by church leaders, pastors and counselors throughout the U.S. and abroad.
** We trained eight new counselors in the gospel-
centered approach to counseling. Counselor training includes regular supervision for case oversight, guidance in the application of the Redeemer Counseling framework for gospel relevance in the counseling process, and best practices in adherence to ethical and professional standards.
** We served congregants from over 220 churches in the tri-state area.
** Along with our main Manhattan location, we also
offered our counseling services from eight satellite locations and partnered with approximately 35 churches.
mourning a loss, boundaries in relationships, and struggling with eating disorders
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Diaconate Redeemer's Diaconate is committed to fulfilling the biblical mandate of formally caring for our church community. Last September, our deaconesses and deacons joined our elders and engaged in a weekend of prayer and fasting, embarking on the new ministry year with a focus on becoming a family of churches . This exciting new endeavor is just one of the many noteworthy contributions of the Diaconate during 2016. As a response to God’s mercy and modeled after Acts 6, the Diaconate was established in 1991 to support those in need in our midst. Our deacons and deaconesses are trained to help Redeemer members and regular attenders who face challenging situations. We believe that God’s mercy moves him to relieve suffering, and this makes us sensitive to others’ pain and gives us a desire to alleviate it.
Highlights ** Over 500 individuals and families in our church
community were assisted by the Diaconate in 2016, and $193K in direct financial assistance was provided resulting in greater physical, spiritual, emotional and financial stability.
** The Job Search Ministry brought spiritual discipline and
** Close to 200 meals were delivered to those with
short-term needs while ill or having just given birth. Many recipients joined The Meals Ministry and became volunteers themselves after making a full recovery.
** On average 45 individuals and families supplemented
their ability to make ends meet by receiving weekly free fresh groceries and spiritual nourishment through the Free Indeed Community Cupboard (food pantry).
** OWLS (a gospel-centered group for adults 60+)
gathered weekly for spiritual encouragement and service opportunity; they ministered faithfully to 14 low-income seniors from the Upper West Side neighborhood.
** Divorce Care Group encouraged 12 women by providing a safe place for them to share their brokenness and experience God’s grace corporately.
** The Beyond Your Broken Past seminar unleashed
greater freedom and healing for 70 participants who were impacted by past abuse, exploitation or trauma.
** Each November Redeemer members are nominated by
the congregation to be vetted and trained to be church officers. Eleven new deaconesses and four new deacons were trained and installed.
renewal to approximately 213 job seekers, and many moved from being demoralized to being employed.
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Hope for New York Hope for New York’s mission is to provide volunteer and financial resources to organizations serving the poor and marginalized of New York City. Hope for New York (HFNY) partners with over 45 non-profit organizations, called “affiliates,” to serve populations in need, including the homeless, the elderly, at-risk youth, new immigrants, and the chronically ill. Redeemer’s partner for mercy and outreach, Hope for New York is a separate 501(c)(3) organization and partners with 10 church congregations throughout the city.
Highlights* Celebrating 25 years of doing justice and loving mercy in New York City In 2016 we celebrated 25 years of “doing justice” and “loving mercy” in New York City with a special HFNY Sunday at Redeemer and our 25th Anniversary Fall Benefit. While we’ve grown from a small cadre of volunteers and a handful of affiliates to mobilizing thousands of volunteers and investing over $13 million in grants to our non-profit affiliates, our vision remains the same: to see a city in which all New Yorkers thrive and flourish through the practical demonstration of the love of Jesus Christ. Launching our 10-year vision: to see a movement of mercy and justice Our hope is to see even more organizations loving and serving the poor of our city, and even more churches engaged in demonstrating Christ’s love in practical acts of compassion. That’s why we’re excited about our 10-year vision for growth across New York City. By 2026, we want to grow from 45 to 90 non-profit partners, and from 3 to 30 church partners, including strengthening and growing engagement at all Redeemer congregations and new sites.
*These numbers reflect HFNY’s 2016 fiscal year ending 6/30/2016.
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Hope for New York's vision is a New York City in which all people experience spiritual, social, and economic flourishing through the demonstration of Christ's love. __________________________
HOPE FOR NEW YORK BOARD Daniel Bitar Frank Bruni Elise Chong Katherine Chou, MD Keye Chow Carol Herring James Holmberg Paul Horrocks In Seon Hwang Douglas Monticciolo Hee-Jung Moon, Esq. Joseph Selvidio, Esq. Gina Sohn Rev. Scott Strickman Rochelle Yu, MD
Expanding and strengthening our non-profit and church partners We added two new affiliate partners to our network, both of which are start-ups in NYC: Do for One, which serves adults with disabilities, and Safe Families for Children, which connects churches to families in crisis. We also added three new church partners who have partnered with us in commitment to making mercy and justice a priority of their church life: Hope Church Midtown, Renaissance Church, and Redeemer Lincoln Square. Distributing over $1.7 million in grants to fund non-profit programs across the city Because of the generosity of our donors, we were able to give more than $1.7 million in financial support to our non-profit affiliates — more than we’ve ever given in our 25-year history. Our grantmaking supports programs like emergency food pantries, job training programs and after-school mentoring, as well as capacity building and volunteer impact grants to increase the effectiveness of our non-profit affiliates. Mobilizing thousands of Christian volunteers to love their neighbors We mobilized over 3,500 unique volunteers across the city to give more than 43,000 hours in service. We engaged more than 1,300 first-time volunteers and saw 250 volunteers in various leadership roles across the city. More and more volunteers are joining us to serve our affiliates at a strategic level, including our Community Grants Circle, a group of skilled volunteers who serve as external reviewers and advisors on our grantmaking process.
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Center for Faith & Work THEOLOGICAL AND DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING A critical part of CFW’s vision is to equip people theologically and spiritually for public life through three main programs: an introductory Faith & Work Class, an intermediate Faith & Work Intensive, and the Gotham Fellowship. New Faith & Work Classes (6 Weeks) This year CFW added a new introductory class on calling focused on six biblical passages to gain insight concerning God’s intention for work. Faith & Art and Faith & Finance courses allowed participants to explore a gospel vision of renewal for their particular fields of work. Faith & Work Intensives (12 Weeks) CFW’s 12-Week Vocational Intensives continued with exploration of how the gospel changes our motivations for work, our relationships at work, and the goals of the work itself. Gotham Fellowship (9 Months) Our eighth Gotham class graduated, completing a rigorous nine-month discipleship intensive and adding 42 new theologically trained lay-leaders to our growing alumni community. Over 260 Gotham alumni continue to serve the city, as cultural leaders in their industries and workplaces and in leadership positions within the church. The Gotham class of 2012 hosted the eighth annual alumni retreat focused on “The Soul of Work.”
COMMUNITY FORMATION The formation of deep and committed community is an essential part of cultural renewal. Through the following events and programs, our hope is to foster these kinds of communities across vocational fields. Vocational Initiatives Lay-led Vocational Initiatives continue to regularly gather people by industry in specific fields including: finance, higher education, philanthropy, journalism, and writing. The Financial Services Ministry held their 11th annual retreat to foster community among those in finance.
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Monthly Large Events CFW hosted Grace, Justice and Mercy: An Evening With Bryan Stevenson and Tim Keller to explore how Christians can be ambassadors of reconciliation and restoration in an age of growing racial tension. CFW partenered with the West Side to host Civility in the Public Square with Nicholas Kristof, John Inazu and Tim Keller to discuss civic engagement with nuance that transcends a liberal/conservative divide.
The Center for Faith & Work (CFW) exists to explore and investigate the gospel's unique power to renew hearts, communities and the world in and through our day-to-day work. __________________________
CFW equips, connects and mobilizes the church as it is scattered, living and working out in the city, beyond the walls of any one gathered place of worship. CFW’s many offerings can be characterized by three different areas of emphasis: 1) theological and discipleship training, 2) community formation, and 3) fostering innovation and imagination in all fields of work.
Learn more about the Center for Faith & Work at faithandwork.com.
Our Soul of Work series consisted of two events and a retreat weekend investigating what it means to work out of a soul that is being expanded by the gospel. CFW continued our popular Faith & Work Prayer Series — three evenings of teaching, worship and prayer to seek God for spiritual strength in the workplace. These evenings coincided with a four-month course entitled Real Life Prayer facilitated by Lourine Clark and David Kim. In January all three congregations hosted CFW Sunday including faith and work testimonies and industry-specific prayers, and a commissioning of the congregants as the priesthood of all believers.
EXPLORING IMAGINATION AND INNOVATION Imagination and innovation are critical in seeing the unseen movement of God’s Spirit. Our arts and entrepreneurship initiatives are key components in helping people persevere in their calling, grounded in the beauty and hope of the gospel.
Our third annual Startup Pitch Night encouraged and supported entrepreneurs with bold visions to start new ventures seeking to bring gospelcentered renewal to New York City and beyond. Judges awarded two prizes of up to $7500 to non-profit and for-profit ventures. Two workshops were also held for entrepreneurs: Productivity Lift and Get Backed.
CFW CONFERENCE AND EXPANDING INITIATIVES CFW awarded its inaugural Commission of Faith & Work to Pulitzer Prize winning author Marilynne Robinson for her notable integration of faith and work and remarkable contributions to the humanities. The sixth annual CFW conference, The Wonder & Fear of Technology, drew over 500 participants for a two-day experience. The weekend featured practitioners, academics and theologians developing new thought on the intersection of faith and technology and resulted in a corresponding book of essays for publication. We held our fourth week-long CFW Summer Ministry Leaders Intensive in July 2016, with 55 pastors and lay-leaders from around the world interested in developing faith and work discipleship programs. In 2016, the Center for Faith & Work engaged over 4400 people in classes, workshops, events and programs that help participants integrate the inseparable areas of faith and work.
Arts The Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program continued to build momentum and has now commissioned new works by 17 artists, all of which are now premiering in prominent art spaces. World-renowned poet Christian Wiman received CFW’s inaugural artist fellowship to develop new writing on the theme of calling that will be published in his forthcoming book. CFW continued its Faith & Art Lecture Series with author Gregory Wolfe who spoke on why human beings make art. We also began The Healthy Artist Workshop to help artists thrive in the midst of many challenges. Entrepreneurship & Innovation (EI) Dave Evans served as our inaugural Entrepreneur-in-Residence, teaching a Designing Your Life seminar based on his New York Times best-selling book, a six week course, and CFW’s first in-city retreat focused on rest.
Tim Keller and David H. Kim at the CFW Conference with cultural critic Alissa Wilkinson and journalist Derek Thompson.
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Redeemer City to City Redeemer City to City (CTC) is Redeemer’s partner for global mission, church planting and leadership development. It is a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. CTC recruits, assesses, trains, coaches and funds church planters and network leaders.
NEW CHURCHES In 2016, CTC helped start 40 churches and gave grants of $1,035,000 to help these and others in our networks. Here are the new churches that started this past year: Asia Name Withheld, Bangalore* Covenant City Church, Jakarta Mustard Seed, Kobe Name Withheld, Kuala Lumpur* plant@17, Kuala Lumpur Name Withheld, New Delhi* Uiwang Seoksu Presbyterian Church, Seoul
Australia Joshua Tree, Sydney
East Asia 13 Churches* (Assisted by China Partnership, a partner of City to City Asia Pacific) *Due to the sensitive nature of their location, church names are not listed.
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Europe CityKerk, Amstelveen Esk Valley Church, Edinburgh Rahlstedtprojekt, Hamburg Lutheran Church Helsinki, Helsinki Evangelical Church, Perugia
NEW NETWORKS
REDEEMER CITY TO CITY BOARD Tim Keller, Chairman Christian Hempell, Vice-Chairman Bruce Terrell, Secretary David Dillon James Herring Carter Hinckley Tanya Pitre Mary Beth Vogelzang
A CTC network is formed when leaders from the same city, region or even country develop relationships with each other and formally decide to work together to plant churches and reach their geographical area with the gospel. The networks formed this year are catalyzing church growth and increasing the body of Christ. Here are the new networks formed in 2016: City to City Africa City to City Taiwan City to City India City to City Korea Grace Church Planting Network, Japan City to City United Kingdom Greater Budapest City Network, Budapest Beta Network, Buenos Aires Lima Initiative, Lima Mexico City Network, Mexico City Gospel 360, Vina del Mar
LEADER DEVELOPMENT Latin America City Church, Lima Pasion por Cristo, Linares Fuente de Redención, Mexico City
New York City Resurrection Church, Brooklyn Grace Tabernacle Church, Bronx Crossroads Community Church, Jersey City Hope Church, Long Island Church of the Living Hope, Manhattan Trinity Heights Church, Manhattan C3 Church, Manhattan Ethnos Community Church, New Brunswick CityReach Church, Queens Hope Church, Queens The Community of Grace, Queens
CTC trained 2,314 leaders in 2016. Here are a few highlights: Asia Pacific City to City Asia Pacific trained 1,551 leaders through Intensives, Incubators and coaching. The 13 church planters who participated in the International Church Planting Intensive in Singapore and Hong Kong reflected the widest array of cities and cultures of Asia Pacific’s five Intensives to date. Due to the vast size of the Asia Pacific region, three regional leaders have been identified: Guna Raman—Southeast Asia Regional Director, Stephen Ro—Movement Catalyst for Korea and Gary Watanabe— Movement Catalyst for Japan.
Europe In April, more than 250 leaders from across Europe gathered in Lisbon for a three-day conference hosted by a local church. The number of attendees from the Iberian Peninsula had tripled since a similar network gathering held three years ago. This demonstrates how hosting gatherings in diverse geographic locations draws new people into the movement. In October, nearly 150 leaders from across Ukraine attended a Gospel in the City event hosted by CTC Europe in Kiev. The group was interdenominational, reflecting the diverse and unique relationships that CTC believes are vital to developing robust and healthy church planting networks. One participant reflected, “I’ve never seen a conference in Ukraine where so many people from different denominations gathered together with so much unity around the gospel.” Latin America In May, 68 leaders from three leading cities gathered with the goal of igniting a gospel movement in Bogota. From that meeting, 12 church planters were assessed, evaluated and plan to start at least 10 new churches. New York City A class of 73 apprentices from 33 churches across the city joined a new nine-month Apprentice Program created by CTC to help New York pastors develop young adult congregants into potential leaders, deepen their daily experience of the gospel, identify their unique calling and understand how to engage the city effectively. CTC awarded 20 seminary scholarships (with plans to award 1520 more) to incoming students for the master’s degree offered by Reformed Theological Seminary in NYC in partnership with CTC. The program specifically recruits leaders who are called to vocational ministry or church leadership in New York. To support bivocational pastors across the city, CTC repackaged the monthly Incubator training into a format that works with these pastors’ full schedules. This first cohort of this new program, called The Lab was launched in September.
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ALL FUNDING SOURCES
Finance & Administration Thanks to your generosity, 2016 marked the first time that giving to Redeemer exceeded $30M in a single year. All giving totaled $34.0M in 2016. Additionally, there was another $0.9M in income which brought total funds for the year to $34.9M. And $14.6M in Rise Campaign giving in 2016 represents the largest amount given in a single year to a campaign at Redeemer. Operating Fund giving in 2016 was $18.2M, down 1% from 2015 and down 9% from 2014. In the previous four year span from 2011 to 2014, our Operating Fund giving had grown from $10.6M in 2011 to $20.1M in 2014. This growth in giving was fueled primarily by new churches, new leaders and new buildings: the start of our Downtown congregation in October 2012; the leadership of our Lead Pastors commissioned in September 2010; and the opening of the W83 Ministry Center in March 2012.
Change
$18,284,450
$18,188,880
-1%
Rise Campaign Giving 1
$3,084,204
$14,567,485
372%
Mercy and Justice Giving 2
$1,190,431
$786,965
-34%
W83 Building Fund Giving
$254,750
$357,787
40%
All other donor restricted giving
$552,645
$75,784
-86%
$9,087
$16,768
85%
$124,646
$77,198
-38%
Net Investment Income
Significant progress was also made in reducing the debt on the W83 Ministry Center mortgage. As of December 2016 the debt was $23.9M, down $6.5M from $30.4M in December 2013. Over this three-year period you have given $1.7M to the W83 Building Fund, $2.8M was designated from our Operating Fund, and the remaining $2M from regular mortgage monthly payments.
Royalty Income
$769,323
$828,660
8%
$ 24,269,536
$ 34,899,527
44%
Redeemer West
$4,046,916
$4,867,810
20%
Pastoral Staff & Community Groups
$1,449,963
$2,015,546
Worship & Children/Youth Ministry & SST
$1,453,733
$1,679,939
W83 License Fee Income Total Revenues 3 Expenses
$1,143,221
$1,172,324
Redeemer East
$3,852,714
$4,025,415
Pastoral Staff & Community Groups
$1,467,836
$1,466,742
Worship Site Rent
Worship & Children/Youth Ministry & SST & Communication Worship Site Rent Redeemer Downtown
$1,311,845
$1,510,279
$1,073,033
$1,048,395
$2,441,461
$2,875,481
$1,038,990
$1,330,092
Worship & Children/Youth Ministry & SST
$731,314
$865,660
Worship Site Rent
$671,157
$679,729
$3,875,879
$3,577,181
Pastoral Staff & Community Groups
City-Wide Ministries Family and Youth Ministry
$419,203
$278,505
Counseling Center
$446,788
$456,050
$1,780,663
$1,755,332
Admin and Finance Media and Communications
$344,599
$203,919
Executive Leadership
$884,625
$883,375
$1,080,929
$1,576,723
$639,165
$601,210
REVENUES
2016 CUMULATIVE ACTUALS
TOTAL PROJECTED
Mercy and Justice
Giving
$19,770,000
$62,000,000
Diaconate
EXPENSES
2016 Total Actuals
Operating Fund Giving
The decrease in Operating Fund giving over the last two years has led Redeemer to be more conservative in planning the 2017 budget. Our 2017 Operating Budget is based on giving of $18M, which is 9% lower than our plan for 2016. In addition, just over $1M in Rise funding was set aside to launch our new West Side site, Redeemer Lincoln Square, on Easter Sunday 2017.
RISE CAMPAIGN UPDATE
4%
18% Note 1 - Rise Campaign gifts received through Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Does not include Rise Campaign giving to Redeemer City to City.
-8%
Note 4 - Community Renewal Grants are designated from Redeemer's Operating Budget to support independent ministries, HFNY and Redeemer City To City.
46%
$441,763
$975,513
$601,000
$6,740,000
Center for Faith and Work
$1,068,534
$1,088,537
2%
New Leaders
$430,000
$9,360,000
W83 Ministry Center
$3,668,234
$2,427,606
-34%
New Buildings
$71,000
$40,000,000
W83 Ministry Center
Notes:
Community Renewal Grants 4
$1,102,000
$56,100,000
Mortgage Principal Paydown 5 Rise Campaign
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2016 Cumulative Actuals include giving and expenses for Redeemer Presbyterian Church and Redeemer City to City.
General Unallocated
Total Projected Giving includes all pledges through 12/31/2016.
Ministry Opportunity Fund 7
Total Projected Expenses are shown after deducting an allowance for uncollectibles and the costs to run the campaign.
Total Expenses 8
$1,012,788
$852,941
$2,655,445
$1,574,665
$772,087
$2,241,929
190%
$329,137
87%
$175,557
$220,555 $ 20,982,311
Note 2 - Revenues include the annual special offerings and donations for HFNY and Diaconate Mercy Fund. Note 3 - Redeemer City to City financials are not included in the 2015 and 2016 annual report totals as Redeemer no longer has a controlling interest as of October 2015.
New Churches
Total Expenses
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2015 Total Actuals Revenue
$ 23,230,373
11%
Reserve Build Up 9
$ 3,287,226
$ 11,669,154
255%
Cash Balance as of 12/31
$ 8,723,998
$ 20,393,152
134%
Note 5 - Includes designated gifts toward mortgage principal from the W83 Building Fund and the principal portion of regular monthly mortgage payments (includes a $500,000 extra payment made in 2017). Note 6 - Rise Campaign Expenses in 2016 consist of both campaign costs and program spending. Note that Redeemer City to City Rise Campaign giving and spending is not included. Note 7 - The session approved one-time Ministry Opportunity Investments using a portion of the 2014 General Fund giving surplus. Note 8 - To provide a more accurate picture of spending by ministry front, expenses include an allocation of office rent. Note 9 - 2015 and 2016 Reserve Build Up is largely attributed to Rise Campaign giving which has not yet been spent, but will be spent in future years.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: Caryn Azure Carson Godwell Andrew Chan Nathan Troester Andrew Walker DESIGN: Lee Marcum
Redeemer Presbyterian Church Offices: 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor New York, NY 10036 212-808-4460 redeemer.com
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