VPC 2021 Annual Report

VIENNA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 124 Park Street, NE, Vienna, VA 22180 | viennapres.org | 703.938.9050

From Hope's Heart...

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I believe that it was the great “theologian” Bob Marley, who once sang, “in this great future, you can’t forget your past.” When we gather around an annual report, we have the opportunity to look back with gratitude and look forward with joy.

Since I only arrived in October, this annual report is incredibly helpful to me because it allows me to see what God’s been up to at VPC in the time before my arrival. We can remember, with gratitude, the four decades of Pete James’ ministry here and know that it was well-celebrated and that he was deeply loved. We can smile and be grateful for every distribution of “Bags of Love” that involved so many in our community and helped so many more. We can laugh along with the joy that Stan Ott brought over the summer, stepping in to provide leadership for a brief interim period. Our hearts were lifted by the Children's musical and the offerings of our youth choir. And speaking of offerings, the generosity of this congregation was phenomenal in a year where the challenges were many. THANK YOU to every single person who supported the life and ministry of VPC with their time, their talent, and their finances. There are so many vibrant ministries worthy of our time and reflection and I hope that you will take a few moments to read this report and give thanks for each one.

Should you have any questions or comments about any section of the report, please be sure to reach out to the staff or elder who is responsible for that area to address your questions or comments prior to our Annual Meeting on February 6 at 10:15am, in-person and via ZOOM for all members who wish to participate.

Let’s also be open to saying that 2021 was a very difficult year. COVID. That’s all I want to say about that. But, we also entered an incredibly rocky transitional period that came with confusion and frustration. All was not lost. In fact, we ended up gaining so much through the work of the “Transition-In” team over the summer. That period of reflection highlighted many of the things that we love about VPC: missions, music, depth of preaching and teaching. But, it also revealed that we have some work to do in terms of communication and conflict, removing barriers to engagement, addressing the future of our NextGen ministry with children and youth, and getting real clarity about our mission and vision. To begin the work of addressing these issues we have formed four Transformation Teams to help guide us in this new season. To learn more about their work and how you can get involved, please see page 11.

As we begin a new year, we have so much to be hopeful about: dynamic preaching and teaching, greater opportunities for local, national, and international service, a broader variety of ways to be involved in the congregation, the return of fellowship events and chances to connect with one another in meaningful ways, and significant opportunities to Be the Church, especially as lay people become better equipped to lead.

Finally, I cannot thank you enough for the exceedingly warm welcome that you have given to me as your new Lead Pastor. I am grateful for your enthusiasm, your stick-to-it-ness, your faith, your prayers, and your love.

We’ve got some hard work ahead of us, but we have a great foundation, and an amazing God who will fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him! In the Grip of Grace, Pastor Hope, Hope.Lee@viennapres.org

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A YEAR OF TRANSITION We Said Goodbye to Pastor Pete On February 28 we said goodbye to Pastor Pete after 42 years of faithful ministry at VPC. Many thanks to the Transition Team in helping to honor Pete and guiding the church through the transition.

Pastor Pete was adamant that any retirement celebration plans and gifts be focused on supporting God's Kingdom purposes at VPC. Mindful of his wishes, we established the "Serve the Lord, Serve the People" Retirement Gift Initiative.

From this effort we received almost $700,000 in gifts of gratitude to fund our VPC Endowment. Together with market growth in 2021, these gifts increased the value of our endowment to just over $2 million. The newly named Serve the Lord, Serve the People Endowment Fund in honor of Pete will continue to grow over time to support God's mission and vision for our church for generations to come.

Pastor Pete with Gary Bender on Pete's last day at VPC. Gary was on Pete's original search committee in 1979 and flew in from Alaska to celebrate Pete's ministry at VPC.

For more information about planned giving, contact Nina Graves at nina.graves@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 133.

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And Hello to Pastor Hope The VPC Pastor Nominating Committee introduced us to the Rev. Dr. Hope Italiano Lee on Sunday, May 2, 2021. Pastor Hope preached her candidate sermon and following worship, the congregation was invited to a congregational meeting to hear the PNC’s full presentation regarding our called nominee and to participate in the congregational vote. The vote was unanimous to call Pastor Hope as VPC's new Lead Pastor.

Working with the Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger at the DePree Institute of Fuller Theological Seminary, a Transition-In Team was formed in April to assess the current conditions, context, challenges, and opportunities facing the church as it transitions into this new season of ministry under a new Lead Pastor. With the help of the entire congregation through surveys, focus groups, and gatherings among many of you to tell stories about our church that means so much to us, the Transition-In Team was able to complete the assessment phase of this process and to present its findings to the Session, Pastors and Staff Directors on October 16. Pastor Hope will be using the report, and the discussion it ignites, to help facilitate her ministry among us. She and our leadership groups benefit greatly from knowing more about how the congregation thinks, feels, and hopes about VPC now and into the future.

Pastor Hope began her call at VPC on October 4 and preached her first sermon, entitled Y'all Come on October 10. We held a welcome celebration with food, music, and games for her and her family in between services. The energy in worship and at the outdoor celebration was exciting and uplifting.

It was with great joy that we celebrated Pastor Hope's Installation on November 14. The service which included many members of the National Capital Presbytery, VPC Session, Staff and many of Hope's family and friends, was vibrant and encouraging.

The Lee Family: Sung, Anna, Hope, Maria and Peter

Rev. Dr. Robert Austell, Rev. Dr. Hope Lee, Rev. Dr. Alice Ridgill and Rev. Tara Thompson

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Sunday Morning Although 2021 was a difficult year for us to be physically together, we made it work in different and creative ways. We worshiped in the sunshine, the rain and the snow when our services were outdoors, and on our couches online. In June we resumed worshiping in-person together in our Sanctuary. We prioritized the safety of our community gracefully abiding by new guidelines.

We enhanced our online worship experience starting on Easter Sunday with a format that provides a "chat feature," one-on-one prayer, ways to get connected and a place for community. Many of you sacrificed your time as volunteer "online chat hosts," encouraging individuals, families, and first-time guests joining from home. As VPC transitioned to hybrid, in-person and online groups, we learned the value of gathering people for Bible study in all types of environments. One Learning Community that meets on Sunday mornings shared praises for hybrid meetings, acknowledging that they would not have the opportunity to be in community without online ministry.

The church celebrated its 150th anniversary on August 22 with sermons, testimonials, song and fellowship. The celebration featured two worship services - a contemporary service featuring VPC's Praise Band and a traditional service with the Sanctuary Choir, organ and brass music. Four longstanding members, Jonne Clemmer, Doris Ling, Cap Oliver and Dan Walker shared what VPC has meant to them. The celebration kicked off eight weeks of outdoor breakfasts between worship services. The breakfasts created opportunities for fellowship, community and personal connection.

We experienced renewed spirit and energy in worship in the Fall with the arrival of Pastor Hope.

Hope's first sermon series was entitled, "Life Together," where she preached that absolutely everyone has a place in this church and her priority is about people over policy and people over programs.

She also mentioned Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs, but we will ignore that.

To learn more about how to get engaged in the life of the church, contact Kim Snyder at kim.snyder@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 130.

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Compassion for Others

BAGS OF LOVE

WORLD VISION 6K WALK FOR WATER

VPC's Bags of Love Ministry launched in April 2020 as a direct

No matter where or how you moved your feet, you changed

result of the pandemic and those suffering from food

lives by bringing clean water to those who need it most. VPC

insecurity. In the ensuing 18 months, God's people chose to

and local churches participated in the 6K Walk for Water for

act. VPC provided 500,000 pounds of food and was blessed

the fourth consecutive year. Team Vienna ranked second in

by the contributions of more than 500 volunteers.

the country for fundraising and participation. Team Vienna raised $54,000, enough to provide 1,066 people clean water for a lifetime.

BELONG! SERVING THE COMMUNITY

AFGHAN REFUGEE SUPPORT

Belong! launched in 2017 thanks to funds from VPC's capital

A nurse at Walter Reed National Medical Center desperate to find

campaign, Ignite. In 2021, Belong! provided weekly online and

formula for an Afghan baby who was injured in the Kabul blast

in-person tutoring for 46 elementary students with help

called VPC to see if we could help. The answer, of course was YES!

from more than 30 volunteers. They hosted an academic

Not only did we provide the formula, but because of God's grace

enrichment camp and math club, collaborated with George

and your generosity, we were able to immediately take action. We

Mason University to offer a specialized reading clinic for 20

provided Giant gift cards to help with patients' needs and

students, supported a mentoring program at Madison High

catered a halal meal for their families. We also purchased 20

School and established a college scholarship fund so low

Amazon tablets, which will facilitate educational opportunities

income kids can continue their education.

for the Afghan children and allow the refugees to connect with their families still in Afghanistan. And you stepped up when we

Belong! also provided educational workshops and community

asked for help to donate and assemble 130 Welcome Home Kits

service opportunities for parents to support their children's

to the refugees who arrived in our country with little but the

academic and emotional success, and to encourage civic

clothes on their backs.

engagement.

To learn about our Missions Ministry, contact Sue Hamblen at To learn about Belong!, visit https://www.belongvienna.org/

sue.hamblen@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 111.

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Compassion for Others

HYPOTHERMIA PREVENTION PROGRAM

CHRISTIAN BEST CAMPS OF KENYA

VPC's Hypothermia Prevention Program looked very different in

VPC provided much needed funds to Christian Best Camps of

2021. Unable to house our homeless guests due to COVID, we

Kenya to launch a new school for the youth in the slums of

delivered 2,520 meals to Lincolnia Senior Center during the

Kenya. Many youth often drop out of school for a variety of

two weeks we would typically host guests in house. We also

reasons. The new school is already having a profound impact

supported several small restaurants that were struggling during

on those who are graduating. In addition, CBCK is developing

the height of the pandemic, and many of you volunteered to

a new generation of educated Christian leaders through

assemble the 'ready to eat' breakfasts and lunches that we

the program.

provided every day.

IT'S MORE THAN LEARNING ENGLISH

MEET VIRGINIA

In our second full school year on Zoom, we continued to serve

Virginia was a student in our ESOL program in 2019/2020. During

an enthusiastic and committed student base. Enrollment

the pandemic, she lost her job and her husband was getting limited

reached 250, with students from nearly 50 countries. At least

landscape work. Her two sons (one on the Autism spectrum) were

30 of our students joined from outside the DC area - all across

also doing school at home, so she had little flexibility to work. The

the country and the world.

teachers from her class worked with her to come up with a plan to make money. She started making pupusas, an El Salvadoran staple,

Our teachers gamely rolled with the impact from the pandemic

as well as tamales to sell from her home. The teachers helped

and found ways to continue to make a difference in the lives of

advertise her products to other teachers and throughout their

our students, even on Zoom. One said, "Although we

networks in Vienna. They even helped deliver orders for her.

teachers do give a gift of our time, we all receive the much more valuable gifts of friendship, love and

Her business helped the family stay afloat through very

gratitude from our students in return. We all are

difficult times. Virginia has made great strides and is now excited

blessed!" We cannot be more grateful for these teachers who

to be working at Westwood Country Club. Without the

give so generously of their time and hearts.

encouragement and help of these ESOL teachers, things may have been very different for Virginia and her family.

To learn how you can get involved with the ESOL Ministry, contact Deb Rymer at deb.rymer@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 102.

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Creative NextGen Ministry 2021 posed a unique challenge for families. As a result, we leaned on one another and discovered precisely why being together matters. NextGen programming on Sundays moved from online to inperson outdoor gatherings, and then in June we resumed Childcare, Bridges to Worship and Doorways to Worship in-person. In September, we launched our 10:10AM Learning Communities for children and students. We supported families by delivering 130 Easter Engagement Boxes, 15 New Mom Baskets and 70 Advent Devotional Craft kits. Our students grew in their faith at AM and PM, Wake Up with the Word, and the annual Student Retreat. Our children learned about Jesus at Summer Splash VBS, and Music and Drama Camp. And our church showed up for our Children's Concerts, Trucks &Tunes, Treats & Tunes and Church Street Stroll.

VPC Preschool celebrated the return to in-person learning in January. With numerous safety protocols, the year was full of mask-covered smiles, laughter, and nine months of learning about God’s love and His world. Our children, ages 2.5 – 5, delighted in being back together again with their classmates.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

For more information about our NextGen Ministry, contact Melissa Ciavarella at melissa.ciavarella@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 124. To learn more about our VPC Preschool contact Terri Franke at preschool@viennapres.org or visit the preschool website at VPCPreschool.org.

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Caring for Our Community WHY RACIAL RECONCILIATION MATTERS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE In January, in partnership with First Baptist of Vienna, VPC hosted the Rev. Dr. Nicole Martin, a professor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary and VP of Church Engagement at the American Bible Society. Dr. Martin shared with us her passionate commitment to Jesus Christ and spoke on why racial reconciliation is an essential component of Christian discipleship. She took our questions and offered practical suggestions for how we can grow as Christians.

CELEBRATING LIBERTY AMENDMENTS MONTH VPC's Ministry for Racial Reconciliation hosted two successful concerts on the Town Green in cooperation with the Town of Vienna for Liberty Amendments Month. These concerts celebrated the equality of all image bearers, as expressed in the Liberty Amendments. These events gave VPC's Ministry for Racial Reconciliation and Healing the opportunity to be visibly present and active in the community on the issues of race, equal rights, and equal treatment. We accomplished these events in partnership with other churches, including performers from First Baptist, Floris UMC, and Immanuel Lutheran.

The Friday Racial Reconciliation and Healing prayer meetings have been a blessing to me, to our congregation and to our community. The Friday discussions have fostered a whole new level of understanding for me about race relations, enriching my understanding of the challenges we all face, shaped as we are by our individual racial heritages. MRRH opens our hearts to what breaks the heart of God.

l became a Stephen Minister, at Pastor Connie's request, to a church member. He was in a family crisis, devastated, overwhelmed and depressed. We met face-to-face quickly and often. I was amazed at how God allowed us to communicate, laugh, and pray when our personalities and background were so different. At closure, he felt that he was filled with the Holy Spirit and able to deal with his future. I was blessed to have been asked to minister to this man and my faith in God was recharged. Stephen Ministry can be the perfect answer for so many who need it.

DEACON MINISTRY The Board of Deacons remained faithful and on the ground, meeting very practical needs - visiting homebound and infirm; cooking and delivering a warm meal; cleaning up a yard for an elderly couple; and preparing Sunday Communion. And the Deacon's Agape Fund tangibly supported real and present needs throughout our church family and beyond during the pandemic.

For more information on our Care Ministry, contact Connie Jordan-Haas at connie.jordan-haas@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 116 or Charles Geschiere at charles.geschiere@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050, ext. 151.

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Being the Church Together After a long time apart, our church had fun connecting with each other and welcoming new people at our community events. These outdoor parties gave us much longed for opportunities to be together as a church family, and to share hospitality as the body of Christ, spreading His love to visitors.

At Trucks & Tunes, people joyously scrambled through an inflatable obstacle course, shared Dole Whip food truck creations with friends, danced with the DJ, and got their corn hole game on. During the fall breakfasts in the parking lot, passersby frequently inquired if they could join in the fun. One morning, a couple walking down Maple Avenue leaned over the retaining wall to ask a volunteer what was happening. They loved the idea and came back the next week.

We hosted our first Treats and Tunes on October 31 and a marvelous time was had by ALL! Children of every age, our Friendship class, VPC families and others from the Vienna community gathered together in costume for an evening of FUN! The afternoon included a costume contest, freeze dancing with DJ Jacob (one of our teens) and plenty of food and CANDY.

At Church Street Stroll, the Vienna community had the opportunity to ring the chapel bell, experience a magically lit walkthrough garden, listen to the cherub voices of our Children's Choir and have their Christmas photo taken in our photo booth. Volunteers and Staff enjoyed sharing all about VPC with our guests.

While we completed our Ignite Capital initiative in 2020, we delayed our commitment to replacing the Great Hall chairs due to COVID closures.

As we began to emerge from our time apart, we fulfilled our Ignite commitment and purchased 450 chairs. When disposing of the old chairs, we discovered an unintended blessing. We hired a company to haul away the chairs and rather than putting them in a landfill, they worked with a charity to identify a place to donate the chairs. Little did we know that a church in Ghana had been praying for new chairs since 2018. So last fall our “old” chairs were the answer to prayer for "new" chairs for this Ghanaian church! God connecting the greater Church.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Looking Ahead

We are excited for what lies ahead as we move into a new season of ministry. We are planning for more fellowship opportunities for reconnecting after our separation due to COVID. Our mission trips are about to make a roaring return, with opportunities for everyone to serve. In March we will welcome Christian comedian, Robert G. Lee all the way from Hollywood for an evening of fun and fellowship with a cause! And later in the spring Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley, author, Wheaton College professor and contributing writer for the New York Times, Washington Post and Christianity Today, will join us to speak about the Gospel, racial reconciliation and our call as Christians. These are just a few of the exciting things we have planned as we discover what it means to be the church in this new season.

We also have hard work ahead of us. In the first six months of this year, it is our goal to significantly improve transparency and communication across the life of the church. You cannot Be the Church unless you know what is happening and how you can be a part of it. We’re going to get very clear about what God is calling us to do and be. There will be changes in staffing as well, so that we are appropriately staffed for new vision and ministry. Transformation teams, formed in response to your input from last summer, have already begun working to reimagine and strengthen our children and youth ministry, reduce any barriers that might hamper greater participation in the life of the church, and create new opportunities to serve and engage for all ages. All of these things take time and will not happen overnight. As much as this year will be a year of new beginnings, it will also be a year that will need to be marked by patience and grace as we catch up on things that normally would have been addressed during a typical interim period before calling a new pastor.

In order for our work together to reach its greatest potential, we encourage everyone in the congregation to reach out to any of the Transformation Teams to share suggestions, ask questions, voice concerns, or provide insight into these areas of growth. Contact information for the Chairs of these teams can be found on our website at viennapres.org/about/leadership. We also encourage you to contact our Leadership or Staff. Your Session can be reached at session@viennapres.org. To reach a member of staff, visit viennapres.org/about/staff.

We look forward to new opportunities to be the Church together, boldly sharing Christ’s love in our community and beyond.

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2022 Unified Spending Plan Due to the faithful generosity of our congregation and diligent management of the resources to which we are entrusted, VPC is going into 2022 in a strong financial position after finishing 2021 in the black.

Your gifts to the Unified Ministry and Missions fund support our Kingdom work throughout the church.

Gifts designated for a particular program or mission partner are always used for the purpose intended and help VPC meet our budgeted commitments. Designated gifts are used first to fund those budgetary commitments. If designated gifts equal or exceed our budgetary commitments, Session has the ability to modify the budget to allow additional expenditures.

2022 Annual Unified Ministry and Mission Budget - $4,000,000 Per Capita $86,000 Facility Management $646,642

2% 16%

Generosity/Communications $210,988

Worship $588,396

15% Spiritual Formation $317,637

8%

5%

13%

14% Church Administration $540,364

19%

Next Generation $525,143

8%

Missions & Outreach $777,346

Congregational Care $307,484

Complete financial reports and detailed budget information are always available to members. Contact Rod Mateer at rod.mateer@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050 ext. 119, or Kellie Owens at kellie.owens@viennapres.org or 703.938.9050 ext. 121 for information. For questions about your giving contact Nina Graves at 703.938.9050 ext. 133 or nina.graves@viennapres.org.

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