6 minute read
New Spaces & More In-Person Events
With much planning and work, areas of our church building were renovated to give us more usable space. During Worship on May 1, 2022, we blessed the new rooms and dedicated them to the glory of God and the future strengthening of Marble’s Ministry. On that day, people explored the new 1st floor Youth and Ushers Room, the 2nd floor rooms for our Children, Youth and Families Ministry, and the 3rd floor Choir / Assembly Room which has since been used to host special PrimeTime lunches, a Peale Society event, and part of our Gratitude Sunday celebration.
Gratitude Sunday
This year’s Gratitude Sunday on November 13 was very special with an uplifting cross-generational service and celebration of thanks for God’s love and blessings. The Sanctuary was filled with music from the smallest voices of the Children’s Choir to boldest voices of our Marble Choir and Gospel Choir. We were inspired as the congregation came down the center aisle to offer their Expected Annual Giving Cards and our online congregation participated too. Each offering, no matter the size, is a meaningful commitment to the church and is cherished and appreciated. We had 260 in attendance in person and 1,046 online.
America After Roe v. Wade: Where Do We Go from Here?
Marble member Faye Wattleton, former co-founder and president of the Center for the Advancement of Women and past president of Planned Parenthood, Gloria Steinem, writer and political activist, and Kathryn Kolbert, reproductive rights attorney and pioneer for reproductive freedom, discussed the impact of the Supreme Court’s Roe decision and its ramifications on all people. And, most importantly, where the country goes from here. The event was hosted by the Marble Women’s Ministry and GIFTS. 685 people attended in person and online.
Easter 2022
We returned to in-person services for Holy Week 2022, the first since before the pandemic. Over 500 people attended on Easter Sunday when the Sanctuary was again filled with the sounds of brass, timpani, the full Marble Choir and the Marble Community celebrating the joy of the season.
Winter Gospel Celebration Concert
The Marble Community Gospel Choir, directed by Rev. Rashad McPherson, held our first in-person concert since March 2020. Through soul-stirring music, the Gospel Choir took us on a journey of song that inspired and empowered all who attended.
Ministry by the Numbers
Marble’s Ministry Engagement
Worship
9,183
In-Person Attendance
Increase of 25% from 2021 (August to December when Reopened)
Streaming for 2022
1,660
Average Weekly Views 86,330 Total Views
97
Total Countries
Program Participation
Average Monthly Attendance
750
Ministries / Programs include:
Children, Youth& Families
GIFTS: LGBTQ+
Women’s Ministry
PrimeTime (55+)
Prayer Circle
Arts Ministry
Afternoon Prayer
Gospel Choir
Social Media Followers
4,311
Chair Yoga
Small Groups
Tuesday Bible Study
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Racial Justice Series
Prayer Ministry
Tea Time
Ushers
Facebook Twitter
930
TikTok
464
Fans Likes
Increase of 3% over last year
Increase of 13.5% over last year
845
Started this year
YouTube
735
Increase of 21% during 2022
Marble Community
3,198
New Members
6
1,676
1,522
Adherents
Website
56,048
Total Online Users
18
107,000
Members In Person Sessions
335,496
Pageviews
24
Total Joined by Confirmation
Advent & Lenten Blogs
52,000
Lent Blog: Daily Average Views
62,400
Advent Blog: Daily Average Views
116
Total Countries
Top 3 Searched Lenten Blog on Google
Reaching Out Easter Offering
Every year, Marble gives 100% of the money raised during the Easter Offering to carefully-vetted organizations around the world that make a positive difference in people’s lives. Thanks to the generosity of over 500 donors, the Marble Easter Offering raised 99% of its 2022 goal of $220,000. Those helped include the UNICEF program alleviating critical health and hunger needs in Afghanistan, an organization helping asylum applicants at our southern border, and several organizations meeting the hunger challenges in New York City.
Migrants Outreach
In October, there were 500 migrants staying in a shelter around the corner from Marble. They came to our doors seeking help and the Marble Community stepped up to the challenge. We collected over 1,044 items of clothing weighing over 440 pounds. Congregants and staff (including the maintenance crew) contributed by giving money, sorting and organizing clothing, and a few people volunteered to serve as Russian translators, a need that was requested by the migrants. We will continue to support this migrant community as we become aware of their ongoing needs.
Helping to Equip New York City Children for School
Marble’s Back-to-School Drive provided over 300 school items for nonprofits with populations displaced by traumatic events such as domestic violence and poverty, and families impacted by mass incarceration.
P.S.30 Tutoring – Marble tutors continued to provide over 30 hours of weekly tutoring services online in English and Math to students at P.S.30 in Harlem through June 2022. In October 2022, tutors resumed in-person tutoring. Some tutors have been with their tutees for years, providing constant support and love.
Operation Santa Letters
Marble congregants were full of the Christmas spirit. We are thrilled to report that we were able to fulfill every child’s request this year! Because of your support, we made over 380 children’s Christmases a little brighter — reaching more children than we have in recent years. Gifts were given to children in need at Icahn House, Osborne Association, Fresh Youth Initiatives and P.S.30.
Stephen Ministry
Stephen Ministry is a lay ministry through which congregants provide Christcentered care in one-on-one confidential Stephen Ministry relationships. Stephen Ministers support church members by walking alongside them with compassionate care, offering a listening ear for life challenges including depression, illness, grief, divorce, job loss, and other life issues. Last September 2021, 10 new Stephen Ministers were commissioned who completed 50 hours of training. On January 12, 2023 training will begin with 10 new congregants. Over the last 10+ years we have trained over 100 Stephen Ministers and Leaders.
Voter Outreach
Marble and Middle Collegiate Church joined forces to mobilize voter registration through efforts to encourage citizens around the country to vote in upcoming elections. The ongoing campaign included writing letters to underrepresented voters, as well as providing education on important electoral issues.
Food Drives
Marble congregants continue to provide over 80 pounds of non-perishable food items to a neighborhood shelter. Thanksgiving Baskets were also provided to over 100 families at Housing Plus in 2022.
unprecedented time of financial challenges.
We had 1064 giving households in FY2022, an increase over 978 in FY2021. For every dollar of this support, we say thank you! You will also see that congregant revenue grew by 8% in FY2022.
Our FY2022 revenue was lower than budget mostly due to our decision to draw only $1.4M from our Marble Endowment rather than the $2.3M that was initially approved in our FY2022 budget. We drew 5.3%, rather than the budgeted 8.5% draw. While our FY2022 expenses decreased significantly compared to FY2021 and our FY2022 budget (mostly because of voluntary staff attrition), we ended the fiscal year with expenses over income of $525,955. This was funded by cash on hand that had built up over time in Marble's checking account. We deemed it prudent to utilize cash on hand to fund our expenses rather than making the full budgeted draw from the Marble Endowment as part of our ongoing commitment to move Marble toward financial sustainability.
Rev. J. Elise Brown, Ph.D. Executive Minister
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Dr. Elise Brown, Executive Minister, or Renier Van Aswegen, Marble Treasurer.
Marble Operating Results Revenue
Expenses (by department)
Adult Formation, Membership, Hospitality and Program Groups
Media and Communication (Live Streaming)
Caring for Our Staff – Finance and HR Benefits
Caring for Our Sacred Property, Facilities and Events
Capital Expenditures and Misc. Expenses
CYF Corner
In the midst of so much change and uncertainty in the world, Children, Youth & Families Ministry has continued to grow and thrive in new ways with God’s help. In the Fall of 2022, Brian Hampton returned as the CYF Director, Sarah Cheatham was hired as our new Youth Director, and four new CYF teachers were hired (including a singalong teacher for the Pre-K through 1st graders). Students returned (some who we hadn’t seen since before the pandemic), new students began attending, and registration grew by 25%. The average Sunday attendance for 2022 was 25 kids and youth – with 52 registered students in the program.
Back in Person
After spending all of 2021 online, CYF classes and choirs went hybrid (both online and in person) in the beginning of 2022 and in person only in the Fall of 2022. The CYF also relocated to brandnew classrooms and spaces this year. These beautiful spaces in the church building offer direct access to the Sanctuary and the congregational meeting spaces. As a result, this provided more opportunities for children to participate in Worship – such as ushering and greeting, reading scripture, lighting candles in the Advent wreath, singing, and attending special events with the congregation after Worship.
Christmas Pageant
The Christmas Pageant returned this Advent with 29 participants from ages 2 to adult, telling the story of Christmas during Worship with both scenes acted out by our children and youth and songs by the Youth Choir and Children’s Choir.
Scholarships
As a result of our generous Marble Scholarship donors, nine scholarships were given out this year to current college students and CYF alumni: James Banks, Amanda Crewey, Laura Cummings, Dylan Danuser, Sofia Testa Licata, Samantha Quan, Walker McSween, Ella Niewood, and Tya-Rae Washington-Boone.
Costume Party
In-person CYF special events returned in October with our first Halloween Costume Party since 2019 with 72 people attending – including our Marble families, new visitors — and the event also transformed into an outreach opportunity providing Halloween fun for migrant families that were housed nearby.
