Annual Report 2010-2011
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title page
Annual Report 2010-2011
9820 Nesbit Ferry Road | Johns Creek, GA 30022 678-336-3000 | www.mountpisgah.org
Contents Introduction......................................................................................4 A Message from Pastor Steve ...........................................................7 FamilyLife .........................................................................................8 Children Students College Adult CommunityLife ...............................................................................16 Global Missions Local Outreach Generous Living..............................................................................20 WorkLife .........................................................................................22 Caring Ministry ...............................................................................24 Music and Worship ........................................................................26 Hispanic Ministry ...........................................................................28 Ministry Partners A Beacon of Hope ........................................................................30 The Summit Counseling Center..................................................32 Auditor’s Report .............................................................................34
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Introduction At Mount Pisgah, our mission is to “Love God – Love People.” These four words abbreviate the core teachings of Christ and help us remember the simple—if not always easy—task that is before us at every moment. In the Bible, both in Matthew and again in Mark, is the story of a teacher of the law who asks Jesus, what is the greatest of all the commandments?
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matt 22:34-40 Love God – Love People. All God’s law hangs on this. We see it as our task to hold this focus,
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Annual Report 2010-2011 These opportunities expand well beyond what we usually think of as charity: a kind word to a co-worker having a bad day, a warm greeting to a neighborhood acquaintance, a little extra time to comfort your worried child. The Methodist Church founder, John Wesley, considered visiting the poor as indispensable to Christian discipleship as acts of piety and worship. Authentic community with the impoverished—whether spiritually, affectionately, financially, or emotionally impoverished—allows us to see that God has chosen “the least of these” as his special means of grace.
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We’ve seen the beautiful smiles of those we’ve loved in God’s name and the peace we share by lightening another’s burden. to offer this love, not just at church, not just on Sundays, but as often as possible in all areas of our lives. We endeavor to minister every day to our loved ones, to those in our workplaces, and to those in our communities. By these acts of love, we experience God’s love working through us. Every day brings opportunities to share this love and to make disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere. When Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” He gave us the chance to see that no one is undeserving of God’s love—and no time, no place is without an occasion to be the feet and the hands of Jesus.
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When we share of ourselves, we give the greatest gift—and it gives back tenfold. People often say they get more than they give when they volunteer their time, expertise, and resources. This is no accident. It’s part of God’s plan; it’s part of God’s love; it’s how we know He is working through us.
W of w g gi b P sa m ex ac lo
Love God – Love People. At Mount Pisgah these words serve as a guidepost, as a reminder, as an aspiration. We offer our congregation opportunities to live this aspiration, to give of themselves, to experience God’s love working through us. Being in the presence of the least of these, sharing our love with them, is when we are closest to God.
“L w an op th
We hope you’ll join us on an upcoming Sunday and that you’ll explore on our website information on the opportunities we offer to Love
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Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ MATTHEW 22:37-40
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A Message from Pastor Steve The Best Church for the Community! For over 180 years God has worked in miraculous ways in and through Mount Pisgah UMC, and I am elated to report God’s great work con nues. Despite external factors that bring fear and anxiety throughout our world, the peace of Christ that passes all understanding is celebrated by the Mount Pisgah family as we con nue to stay the course to make disciples of Jesus Christ here, there, and everywhere. The following report brings light and life to this connued move of God in great clarity. We are moving toward maturity in our desire and discipline to be frui ul to the mission God has given us. We are once again among the leaders of those who lead to Christ people of every age, stage, and culture. We come alongside them to make our journey with Christ together as disciples who are intent on making disciples of Jesus. We’ve made great progress in a new paradigm of equipping and deploying those who are a part of the Mount Pisgah family to return to the three circles of discipleship: family, community, and work. We help them to live out their faith in Christ in both prac cal and contagious ways. In loving God and loving people we are reminded that God’s work is not deterred by social, poli cal, economic, genera onal, or cultural stress.
Let me thank you for remaining faithful and for believing that Christ can do all things through us as He gives us strength and wisdom. Thank you for persevering through the difficult decisions that it took to reload, to really put feet to our faith in Christ, and to move toward being the very best church for the community. The days and years ahead look very promising and are laden with poten al for bearing much fruit! May God be praised for this enormously powerful year of ministry and for His invita on to us to be partners and heirs in His great Kingdom work to transform lives by helping thousands of people near and far to experience help, hope, and a place to call home!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Steve
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Overview
Overview Family is one of God’s most important gi s. Our supreme purpose and responsibility is to model and guide our families into a deep and relevant rela onship with Christ. Mount Pisgah con nues the commitment made last year to families by infusing discipleship into the life of the family. Through mul -genera onal discipleship we have begun to dis nguish the value in providing spiritual direc on, not merely spiritual sugges on.
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Children learn to live their faith each Sunday in Broadcast.
Nursery The Nursery Ministry moved into a new season by providing a new two-hour experience for three and four-year-olds. The first hour is a worship experience specifically designed and ageappropriate, and the second hour is a follow-up Bible lesson that complements the worship hour with hands-on and lively interac on. As well, six different weekly sessions provide support for many other special ministry events and adult discipleship opportuni es. Parents are provided with the assurance that their babies and young children are nurtured in the care of loving Chris an adults in a warm and loving environment. Children’s Ministry In March, the second annual S.C.R.E.A.M. retreat (Students CelebraƟng and Rejoicing EnthusiasƟcally in the Almighty Messiah) at the SharpTop retreat center was held by our Children’s Ministry with 137 children and leaders a ending. Lost in the Scriptures, a program designed to promote personal Bible study, gi ed 35 third-graders with new Bibles followed by a six-week study, which concluded with a celebratory lock-in. It is inspiring to see God’s Word ac ve in the lives of our kids. The addi on of Wednesday Night Live for kids K-5th grade was very well received. The children even began to bring their friends! To meet the need of busy families to share a family meal prior to a ending evening ac vi es and classes a fellowship dinner was offered to children and their parents. In June, 431 children and 145 leaders par cipated in Vaca on Bible School. That week 65 children accepted Jesus Christ for the first me. In addi on, over 700 people a ended the first Family Fun Night held mid-week during VBS.
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VacaĆ&#x;on Bible School fun
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104 Students were confirmed this year.
StudentLife Ministry The StudentLife Ministry experienced one of its most meaningful years of ministry as 104 students were confirmed in November. The many different retreats, mission trips, small-group mee ngs, worship services, and the development of the leadership team brought students into meaningful rela onship with Christ. We celebrated the opening of our new and permanent home for StudentLife worship, events, and ac vi es – The Underground. Over 400 middle and high-school students and leaders a ended opening weekend. A special highlight to the year was the StudentLife Jamaica Mission trip where 34 students and adults spread the love of Christ to the children of Jamaica.
Older students help lead children’s worship.
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College-Age This year the college-age ministry, The Well, entered its third year of ministry to the 18-24-year-old community. Well over 100 young adults came to hear the good news of Christ, experience authen c community, and meet together for worship and teaching. This year many who are engaged in small groups experienced a new level of depth and authen city. The Well ministry team does an excep onal job of reaching and discipling this inherently transient age group.
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The Parent Edi on Ministry is now a pillar of FamilyLife. Its goal is to support, train, and equip parents to be spiritual leaders in their homes, and to raise Godly children. A new part- me Parent Edi on Coordinator ensures smooth opera on in this new and vital resource. Here, parents discover Godly solu ons to the modern family’s daily real-life challenges of every age and stage of development. Through paren ng events, conferences, weekly classes, and a variety of workshops parents get answers to their ques ons and current needs. Confirma on-Parent Edi on, a parallel program to StudentLife Confirma on, averaged 120 parents each week for eight weeks. In this class the Eight Core Principles of the Faith were shared with parents. Paren ng-focused classes were offered four mes each week with over 100 parents a ending classes like Passport to Purity, 5 ConversaƟons You Must Have with Your Daughter, 20 Things I Need to Tell My Son, and more! Parent Edi on con nues to offer a wide variety of classes.
Couples renew their vows at ValenƟne Vows.
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With the forming of the Total Marriage Team, the Total Marriage Ministry became a FamilyLife staple this year. The team of layleaders, Mount Pisgah staff, and staff from The Summit Counseling Center was formed to help develop, nurture, and strengthen Christ-centered marriages in our church and community through a variety of marriageenrichment events, retreats, classes, and neighborhood small groups. The desired goal is oneness in marriage and oneness with the Lord. Fall brought Date Night with the comedy team Barnes and Miner. February burst forth with hearts and flowers in ValenƟne Vows, a celebra on of marriage event in conjunc on with 104.7 The Fish. Over 400 couples from the Atlanta Area came to Mount Pisgah for an evening of inspira on, vow renewal, and great music. In the weeks following each of these events we held marriage-enrichment classes. Two outstanding opportuni es to revitalize, heal, and restore marriages followed with Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway conferences in Cha anooga (fall) and Atlanta (spring).
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Mount Pisgah partnered with 104.7 The Fish for ValenƟne Vows.
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DiscipleLife was one of the most significant developments for FamilyLife Ministry this year. The development and implementa on of a direc onal course of maturing as a disciple was lined out through the CORE founda onal classes and the development of a small covenant-group sequence. It is based on the 5 Keys of Discipleship, which Mount Pisgah has longregarded as the biblical purpose of making disciples-here, there, and everywhere.
Too many to name were the experiences of Women’s, Men’s, and Singles’ ministries and the dozens of Adult Bible Studies, Small-Groups, and Sunday School classes that met weekly. While we celebrate God’s faithfulness we also begin to focus on frui ulness. May God be Glorified! The Women’s Ministry Spring Tea
This past year was invested in bringing this concept of discipleship into clear view. We now have a seven-year track for individuals to pursue that provides discipleship training like never before. Our goal of inten onal leadership development con nued to be a high priority.
The Women’s Ministry Spring Tea
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Global Missions Overview True disciple-making is a global endeavor. The mission of Global Missions is to lead the church to give, go, serve, and pray in obedience to Christ’s call to take the gospel to the ends of the world. As a result of Mount Pisgah Global Missions, thousands have been reached for Jesus and grown as His disciples. This past year the generous giving of Mount Pisgah members enabled us to Love the Na ons on several con nents. We employed our strategy to lead children to Jesus, to equip leaders to disciple the na ons, and to support the persecuted church by partnering with indigenous believers and mission organiza ons established to work with them.
The annual Water for the World Run helps raise funds for internaƟonal ministry. These investments were undergirded by the personal touch of our self-suppor ng mission teams who brought a helping hand, addi onal supplies, and water purifica on filters to our friends around the world.
St. Lucia On this beau ful Caribbean island the bornout-of-wedlock rate is over 80%. Despite having to reduce our four full- me abs nence educa on teachers to three, our ministry in St. Lucia’s secondary public schools s ll bore fruit of hundreds of boys and girls trus ng Christ for their salva on and their purity. Our ongoing support of the Soufriere Soup Kitchen allowed the hungry and homebound in this fishing village to receive daily nourishment. Iran Persecu on of Chris ans in Iran was on the rise in 2010-2011 with a par cular emphasis in the wee hours following Christmas day, when at least 70 were taken from their homes. Over a six-month period and spanning 35 ci es 285 believers were arrested for the crime of apostacy—conver ng from Islam to Chris anity, a crime punishable by death. At least 41 of those arrested were imprisoned 1-8 months and some even longer. S ll others remain in prison with li le or no word about them. Most spent weeks enchained in solitary confinement. Interroga ons, insults, torture, threats…church leadership in Iran is for the brave. Yet, amid such persecu on Christ con nues to build His church, and believers con nue to hand out Farsi New Testaments to anyone willing to take one. Some mes they simply leave one where it may be found by one of the many Iranians who have longed to read about Jesus. Working through Elam Ministries Mount Pisgah provided Bibles and other tangible support for these persecuted believers during this period of heightened persecu on, when the families of those imprisoned o en have no way to support themselves because they are refused jobs. We also partnered with Internaonal Leadership Ins tute (ILI) to train the courageous leaders of the Persian Church. Nigeria We provided 25 scholarships to train West African pastors at West Africa Theological Seminary in Lagos, a world-class city located on the southern border at the Gulf of Guinea. Other pastors were trained in Gombe State in Northern Nigeria through our partnership with ILI. These pastors live among a high degree of persecu on, as Northern Nigeria is dominated by Islam and Shari’a Law.
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Kenya Kenya is home to 2.5 million orphaned children. It is es mated that every 2.2 seconds an African child is orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic, poverty, drought, and tribal warfare. Unless there are facilies where God’s servants can educate, house, and nourish the children while also nurturing their faith, then nothing will change. But there was change in 2010-11. Kioni Genera ons High School in Meru received a new kitchen. The AIDS’ orphans at Beat the Drum Village now have three greenhouses and a new cow. The former street boys at Strong Tower Centre in the Ri Valley now own two milk cows and a shed. The Kasarani Children’s Centre received much-needed physical and occupa onal therapy equipment. Each child at Loodariak now has their own textbooks; and their school now has two more classrooms, toilets, a kitchen stove, and four water tanks. Mully Children’s Family at Ya a now has a modern poultry housing unit that will produce about 10,000 broilers per month. Finally, we sponsored about 50 of the 1000 children a ending the Tumaini Children’s Conference that focused on spiritual growth. Nepal The church in the rural areas of the Himalayas con nues to be shepherded by our five “mountain goat pastors,” who face persecu on and trials of many kinds to trek the rugged terrain to do the work of the ministry. Costa Rica Coming alongside the local church in Platanares and Los Guido provided opportuni es for Mount Pisgah families to mature together on the mission field.
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Local Outreach The mission of Mount Pisgah Local Outreach is to make disciples through service. …use your freedom to serve one another in love. – GalaƟans 5:13 Our vision is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through loving and compassionate acts of service. As resources allow, we seek to meet some of the physical needs of the poor, underprivileged, imprisoned, lonely, and at-risk around us, as well as foster opportunies for those who serve to grow as disciples. Overall, our mo va on is to glorify God through our work. Building God’s Kingdom through loving acts of compassion is one of the marks of a disciple of Jesus Christ. As we become the face of Christ to a lost world in which many see li le reason to hope, we advance God’s Great Commission one life at a me. Not only do we offer the love ...In the same and grace of God to our neighbors way, let your in need, we also good deeds shine grow as followers out for all to see, and servants of the Master in the proso that everyone cess.
will praise your heavenly Father.
Tornado relief work in Apison, TN
On the night of April 27, 2011, tornadoes ripped MATTHEW 5:16 through the southeast US. Li le did we know then that the Mount Pisgah family would soon embark on a journey that would lead to Apison, TN, and an on-going effort to help families in that ravaged area just across the Georgia border. Since May of 2011, busloads of volunteers have invested hundreds of hours in clearing debris, rebuilding homes, feeding the masses, and offering the love and hope of Jesus Christ to many whose lives were sha ered by the storms.
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The Atlanta TransiƟon Center helps prepare male felons transi on back into society as responsible ci zens. When a small group of volunteers visited the ATC in downtown Atlanta a few years ago, it developed into an on-going partnership. That one- me event led to a ministry in which we share worship and fellowship with the ATC inmates on a regular basis. A weekly Bible study offers a chance to share the Word of God in a small-group se ng. Our vision is to take this lifeaffirming ministry to the next level and offer mentoring and follow-up encouragement as the inmates transi on back in to society.
Over twenty years ago we at Mount Pisgah par cipated in our first Habitat for Humanity project. Now we celebrate the building of our 20th Habitat home. All Habitat owners provide many hours of sweat equity in their homes, as well as the homes of others. Hundreds of volunteers from churches and community partners support the effort by providing the construcon labor required. It takes thousands of dollars to provide a Habitat house, and Mount Pisgah donors have been extremely generous over the years. We are proud of our rela onship with Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia and look forward to many more years of collabora on as we provide homes...one family at a me.
This year, Mount Pisgah looks forward to compleƟon of its 20th Habitat House
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The first year of For the Least of These celebrated Mount Pisgah’s commitment to share the Gospel of Christ in ministries at home and around the world as more than 400 families reached out through their gi s to touch lives through Global Missions; Community Outreach; and expanding ministries in the areas of Special Needs, Marriage, Paren ng, and Young Adults. In addi on, gi s to For the Least of These and Freedom to Serve constantly reduce our worship home mortgage so that in me all future gi s may be put directly to mission and ministry.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. – MaƩhew 6:33 Generous Living encompasses the stewardship efforts of Mount Pisgah and includes First Fruits - the annual campaign to fund the opera ng budget, For the Least of These – extra-mile giving to provide for those in need here and abroad, Freedom to Serve - a movement to financially free Mount Pisgah of debt, and the Mount Pisgah FoundaƟon. The Bible teaches us to live in joyful generosity knowing that our God has and will con nue to provide for our needs abundantly in every circumstance. First Fruits funds the annual opera ng budget that supports Mount Pisgah’s on-going ministry programs such as Children’s and Student Ministries, Worship and Music, Congrega onal Care, outreach opportuni es, building and grounds, other support ministries, and staff salaries. This year 572 households have pledged over $4.1 million to help us accomplish God’s work as we learn to trust God in all things.
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The Mount Pisgah FoundaƟon (MPF) was established in 2009 to serve donors of Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, Mount Pisgah Chris an School, The Summit Counseling Center, and The Beacon of Hope Pregnancy Center through the gi ing of non-liquid assets to benefit the work of the Kingdom of Christ. Gi s through the Founda on provide the benefits of maximized investment to make long-term Kingdom impact, tax reduc on and savings, and the flexibility to gi a variety of non-liquid assets – from real estate to business interests to restricted securi es. Through a partnership with Na onal Chris an Founda on, which provides administra ve, legal, and gi -planning exper se, MPF is able to receive and dispose of
non-liquid assets, thus reducing me, expense, and legal liabili es for the Church, School, Counseling Center, and Pregnancy Center. In May 2011, the Founda on received a $1.29 million dollar gi from an anonymous donor with specified distribu ons benefi ng all four of the Mount Pisgah enterprise ins tu ons. Our congrega on’s financial responsibility is at the founda on of our ability to Love God, Love People. Mount Pisgah is richly blessed and con nues to invest faithfully in His Kingdom to recruit, train, and send disciples of Jesus Christ to this genera on and the next.
Building a foundation for the future
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Connect and Mount Pisgah@Work The Connect Ministry encourages people to connect to Mount Pisgah with the goal of becoming authen c disciples of Christ. We encourage guests to return for worship at Mount Pisgah through le ers and phone calls and by offering a private session with a pastor. We encourage members to become involved through service, co m m u n i t y, stewardship ac vi es, and by joining the welcome team. The Pathways Class and the Pastor’s Lunch are designed for new members. Tracking ac vity and following up with guests and new members is an important part of this ministry. Through Get2Work!, Christ-Centered Career Groups (C3G), LinkedIn, and Crossroads Career Network Mount Pisgah @ Work offers jobseekers the tools needed to find meaningful work. Through this current economic crisis God has provided the church with a great opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ to our workforce and jobseekers. Every month Mount Pisgah hosts a networking and equipping event a ended by an average of 75 jobseekers and 20 volunteers. At these events many people are blessed with free resumé reviews and free headshots. Even a er finding work many volunteers con nue to serve in the Get2Work! ministry, choosing to help and encourage those who have not yet found work.
AƩendees get free headshots at Get2Work!
A Get2Work! meeƟng in the North Campus Gathering Area.
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Each month, Get2Work! speakers inspire the unemployed and underemployed
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Caring Ministry Highlights Celebrate Recovery was busy in 2010-2011. Four men’s and four women’s Step Studies were completed. Celebrate Recovery (CR) also con nued to minister to the women of Mary Hall Freedom Center, a transi onal housing unit and recovery ministry for single women in Sandy Springs. Each Tuesday Mary Hall brought women to our regular Tuesday CR mee ng. It was amazing to see God transform the lives of these women as they par cipated in worship, small groups, and step studies. One of the women from Mary Hall gave a par cularly moving tes mony of how CR gave her hope and helped her overcome her addic on to drugs. That same evening she celebrated one full year of sobriety!
Our Mission The Caring Ministry seeks to provide Christ-centered help, hope, and healing to those who find themselves in difficult and challenging life circumstances. Mount Pisgah is known throughout the community as a place of grace, hope, and compassion; and caring for people in their mes of greatest need is a precious gi God has entrusted to us. As we work to meet the needs of those who hurt and are spiritually broken, we trust our compassionate Lord Jesus to equip us. In doing this we offer “a cup of cold water” in His name.
As a result of the ministry with the women of Mary Hall Freedom Center, two of our leaders felt a calling to go to the Center every Friday morning to teach a step study to the women. Now, each week over 40 women par cipate in this study. God con nues to grow Celebrate Recovery through His grace. One of the reasons for this growth is the development of CR 101, an overview of CR for first- me visitors. CR 101 is a one- me class where the nuts and bolts of CR is explained. Par cipants are also told about share groups so they can make an informed decision on which gender-based share group best meets their needs.
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Seeing lives transformed by God’s grace is a passion we all share. One example of a transformed life is a woman who struggled with low self-esteem and food addic on all her life. Through ac ve par cipa on in Celebrate Recovery she lost over 130 pounds and is now coleading a women’s step study! DivorceCare began at Mount Pisgah in 2000 with four par cipants as a ministry designed to bring help, hope, and healing to those struggling with divorce. For the first me since then there are now more men par cipa ng than women.
Each year in the Caring Ministry is more exci ng than the one before as we con nue to see God at work to transform the lives of hur ng and broken people. We look forward to 2011-2012 to see what God has in store for us as we con nue to be a place of grace, hope, and compassion.
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Music and Worship Overview Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Each and every week the Worship Center is filled with joyful sounds and praise unto our Savior for His grace and unfailing love. Whether the voices of worship come from the choir lo or congrega on, when blended with the sounds of our extraordinary orchestra, we are ushered into the presence of God by the power of music that transforms hearts. The Music and Worship Ministry is comprised of the choir, orchestra, and the hospitality and usher teams that help create the warm and invi ng environment for congregants and visitors. Mount Pisgah Worship Choir The choir is a beau ful example of using one’s me and talents to the glory of God. Each week our dedicated choir members prac ce on Wednesday to lead the congrega on into the presence of Jesus on Sunday, which is the heart of the choir’s ministry. They are all worship leaders dedicated to the mission of making disciples! The choir’s enrollment has con nued to remain steady and strong. Sec on leaders con nue to do a great job of ministering compassionately to each person in their sec on and addressing needs as they arise. The Mount Pisgah Worship Choir is a church family, and we care and minister to each other.
Orchestra and Rhythm SecƟon Under the skillful direc on of Geary Newman the orchestra has grown in number, quality of their sound, and performance. They create the beau ful music we love to use to praise our Lord. Tim Johnson leads our rhythm sec on and has brought the level of professionalism to new heights. He also does an outstanding job arranging and orchestra ng special music, as well as rehearsing our Praise Team. Music and Worship Volunteers The Music and Worship ministry’s strength lies in our volunteers, who help create the warm and invi ng atmosphere that we have here at Mount Pisgah. Without our volunteer teams the Sunday Worship experience would not be what it is today. Thanks to our Parking Team, Coffee Team, Ushers, Greeters, Info Desk Team, Sanctuary Prep Team, and Communion Team, we enjoy an atmosphere of fellowship and warmth that makes Mount Pisgah so invi ng.
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The North Atlanta Christmas FesƟval Each year The North Atlanta Christmas Fes val con nues to be a tremendous draw for our surrounding community. In 2010 nearly 10,000 people a ended four performances. The purpose of the NACF is to bring thee good news of Christ to the community by sharing the joy of Christmas in a family-oriented, fun-filled evening. The NACF starts with a Broadwaystyle show, moves into
2010 The Bethlehem Christmas FesƟvval all 2 010 01 0 The Mount Pisgah Worship Choir par cipated in the 1st Annual Bethlehem Christmas Fes val in December 2010. Choir families, Pastor Steve and his family, and other church families traveled to Bethlehem in late
a tr tradi onal sacred C hrist Christmas concert, and eends nds with w a spectacular b iblica presenta on of biblical C Ch hrist’s birth and ministry. Christ’s TThe he NA NACF has become a co ommun community favorite for fa amilies each Christmas, families aand nd it con nues to be w wh here ma where many meet Jesus for tthe he ve ery first Ma gave their life very first me me. Many to Chr to Christ during the 2010 NACF and our ho is that many more will each and hope eevery very season.
December to sing in this special fes val. All were bl d by b th i f i iin B thl h blessed the experience off performing Bethlehem at Christmas, as well as by touring the sites of the Holy Land. It was a once-in-a-life me trip for many!
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Hispanic Ministry
Wednesday night Hispanic Bible Study
The purpose of Mount Pisgah Hispanic Ministry is to reach out to the Hispanic and La no community to make disciples of Jesus Christ here at Johns Creek, there in our community, and everywhere in Hispanic countries. There is great poten al in the Hispanic leadership at Mount Pisgah. Pastor John Cuentos encourages his Hispanic leaders about the great things possible as we seek to make disciples of Christ. As a result, the Hispanic Ministry grew from 36 adults and 10 children to an average Sunday a endance of 70.
In March we held a revival with a preacher from Argen na. This gave the Hispanic Ministry the opportunity to challenge the congrega on to reach out and invite new people to worship with us. In June a youth-night celebra on was held, and over 60 youths from the local Hispanic community came for a night full of worship and preaching. Men reading the Bible at a Hispanic Sunday service
In order to help Mount Pisgah become more visible in the La no community as a welcoming place, the Hispanic Ministry began sponsoring special events at Mount Pisgah.
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The Hispanic Ministry worked hard to organize another summer outreach for the Hispanic families. Over 700 people came to the family-friendly “Chris an Comedian Night.”
Hispanic youth at our Mission in Cristo la Roca, Woodstock, GA
700 people from the Hispanic Ministry came to Comedian Night
The great blessing from that one event was 87 people made a profession of faith, 20 new people were connected to Mount Pisgah, and the following Sunday almost 200 people worshiped with us - the highest ever for a Hispanic service at Mount Pisgah.
The lay leaders of the Hispanic Ministry have a commi ed heart for Christ. They work hard for God at Mount Pisgah and are faithful in their prayers, presence, service, and financial support to our mission. We are blessed with new members who come willing to learn and with a servant heart. And we are proud of the progress and faith of the 14 Hispanic youths who began mee ng regularly on Sundays and who want to serve God and His church. The future looks bright for the Hispanic Ministry at Mount Pisgah under the leadership of Pastor John Cuentos. His dedica on and devo on to making disciples of Christ forge a welcomean cipa on of many new members to God’s family here at Mount Pisgah.
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A Beacon of Hope ‌fearfully fearfully and wonderfully made made‌ Psalm 139 In 2010-2011, A Beacon of Hope continued to pursue its mission to save the lives of the unborn and promote healthy relationships while leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. God’s love for the unborn, seen and unseen, continues with compassion through our lifeaf irming ministry. God faithfully impresses upon a number of unbelievable volunteers a passion to promote healthy relationships and provide life-af irming counsel and care to people in our community dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. In addition to this service, the center now aggressively provides post-abortion recovery services to care for individuals that are truly seeking forgiveness and healing. As the servants of the Body of Christ continue to collectively live out the unique mission to serve men and women considering abortion through a vast array of Christ-centered support services, multiple miracles are birthed. Over 1,100 children have been born since the conception of A Beacon of Hope, many of whom were initially to be aborted. Our services are designed to empower greater socio-economic, spiritual, emotional, mental, and inancial stability, while making parenting and adoption viable options. The bene iciaries of A Beacon of Hope are men, women, newborns, and toddlers. All services are free of charge, anchored in Christian faith without regard to race, age, nationality, religious af iliation, marital status, income, or disability. The majority of the mothers we serve enter the center feeling vulnerable, considering abortion as their only option. A Beacon of Hope, the parent organization to Pregnancy Center of Johns Creek and Pregnancy Center of Decatur, embraces these
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individuals in the midst of their tumultuous circumstances and serves them with love. Both centers provide biblical education with medically-accurate truth about their options: aborting, parenting, or placing a child for adoption.
Services Provided
Many individuals have responded to the call to give to the organization though their time, talent, or treasure. A Beacon of Hope currently has approximately 65 volunteers walking, talking, and breathing life into both centers which leads to many men and women experiencing unplanned joy in the midst of unplanned crisis.
Life-Skills Education
Free Pregnancy Verification Free Limited Ultrasound Sexually-Transmitted Infection Testing Options Education
Parenting Classes Material Support Adoption Referrals and Support
Post-Abortion Recovery Highlights Grand opening for the new location in Decatur providing additional space for counseling, a Baby&Me Boutique, lab, and office. Total appointments between both locations: 1,696 Total new patients between both locations: 704 Total pregnancy verifications between both locations: 711 Total ultrasounds performed between both locations: 269 Total number of patient/class participation: 408 Patients stating they are a believer in Jesus Christ: 399 Patients rededicating their lives to Christ: 14 New professions of faith: 2 Positive pregnancy verifications: 494 Known number of babies born under care of the center: 148 Known number of babies aborted: 20 Known number of patients that were abortion-minded and chose life through options counseling: 56 Known number of patients that have chosen to parent through options counseling: 140 Known number of patients that have chosen to place the child for adoption through options counseling: 3 Prevention Initiative: www.theswatteam.org Formal approval from the Fulton County School system 1,413 students received the message of truth in regards to sexual integrity
Support Groups Budgeting Financial and Medical Referrals for Patients Domestic Violence Assistance Housing Placements Referral Recovery Placements Referral Pre-natal / Post-natal Education Programs
Our Vision Lives Saved, Touched, and Changed
Core Values Compassion, Grace, and Hope Respect Autonomy: Minister not Manipulate Sacrificial Love and Integrity Prayer and Christian Discipleship Presentation of Truth from a Medically-Accurate Perspective
Five Areas of Ministry Prevention Intervention Patient Care Evangelism Reconciliation
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The Summit Counseling Center The Summit con nued in its mission to provide professional, faith-based counseling, conduc ng 5,680 individual, marriage, and family counseling sessions, which was a 6% increase over 2009-2010. We saw 712 new clients this past year, a 25% increase over the previous year. The Summit also provided $81,742 in pro-bono discounts and $86,775 in client assistance funds to underwrite the fees of those who were unable to pay the full cost of counseling services. We also grew to a staff of six full- me and four part- me therapists.
The Summit Society. In July 2010, The Summit created The Summit Society, an auxiliary organiza on whose purpose is to promote awareness of the services offered by The Summit and to provide for the long-term financial stability necessary for the center to connue growing and serving the North Metro Atlanta community. Mrs. Karen Parham, owner of KMP Interiors (www.KarenParham.com) and member of The Summit Counseling Center Board of Directors, was elected the first president of The Summit Society.
Highlights New Chair. Mr. Don Barden, Board Director at OneAmerica and Speaker/Author of The Perfect Plan, was selected chair of The Summit Counseling Center Board of Directors.
The Samaritan InsƟtute’s Clergy & CongregaƟonal Care Training Program. In August 2010, Rev. David Smith a ended the Samaritan Ins tute’s Clergy and Congrega onal Care Training Program. This program was part of a three-year program sponsored by The Samaritan Ins tute and funded with a grant from the Lilly Endowment. Sixty program par cipants were selected from over 500 Samaritan Centers in the US and Japan. In August 2010, Mark Zuccolo, Ph.D., LMFT, joined the staff of The Summit. Dr. Zuccolo is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in the management of stress – including post-trauma c stress. He is a Ph.D. graduate of Northcentral University in Presco , AZ, and earned his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. With a background in business, Dr. Zuccolo is a Cer fied Master Coach and serves as an Execu ve Coach. Dr. Zuccolo also serves as Director of Clergy & Congrega onal Care Services for The Summit.
Jim Pope, President and CEO of KeyWorth Bank, and Don Barden, Chair of the Summit Counseling Center, together at the fundraiser. Keyworth Bank was presenƟng sponsor of the fundraiser.
New Website. In September 2010, The Summit Counseling Center launched a completely redesigned website (www.SummitCounseling.org) with integrated social networking sites Facebook, Twi er, LinkedIn, Vimeo, and YouTube. This was also integrated with a new electronic e-newsle er via Constant Contact.
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New Program CreaƟon. Licensed clinical social worker Danielle MacMillan developed a program to provide free depression screenings to assess, then refer or treat, those suffering from symptoms of depression. Rev. Ewell Hardman, MAC, completed crea on of the Magistrate’s Alterna ve Prosecu on Program to treat those charged with substance-abuse-related and other misdemeanor offenses. This program was created to serve Forsyth County, GA, but has been used by other local judicatories such as the City of Johns Creek, the City of Roswell, and Fulton County. The program is a partner organiza on with The Summit Counseling Center. Full AccreditaƟon. In November 2010, The Summit was granted full accredita on by The Samaritan Ins tute (www.SamaritanIns tute.org), an associa on of over 500 professional counseling centers located in 365 ci es throughout the United States and Japan.
support, educa on, and healing for children whose parents were in the process of marital separa on or divorce. This program was subsidized by a generous grant from Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church. ValenƟne Vows. In February 2011, The Summit partnered with the FamilyLife Ministry of Mount Pisgah UMC and 104.7 The FISH to help 500 couples renew their marriage vows in a specially-designed worship service. Summit Staff Therapist Leigh Anne Spraetz, LPC, counseled over 70 students in her Individualized College Counseling Program. Ninety-eight percent of her high-school seniors achieved acceptance to their 1st and/or 2nd choice of colleges. Leigh Anne toured over 45 colleges na onwide throughout the year. The Summit Golf Classic. On Monday, June 20, 2011, The 5th Annual Summit Golf Classic, sponsored by KeyWorth Bank, was held at The Country Club of The South. In these difficult economic mes the tournament s ll fielded 93 golfers and raised over $25,000 to support The Summit’s Client Assistance Fund.
In November 2010, Mrs. Kellie Gwaltney joined the staff of The Summit as a Staff Associate Therapist. An alumnus of Richmont Graduate University (www. Richmont.edu) in Atlanta, Mrs. Gwaltney helps adolescents and adults and specializes in Chris an Sex Therapy. In January 2011, Dr. Lenore Doster led a series of educa onal “Suicide Preven on Awareness” seminars for young people and their adult leadership at Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church. Caring 4 Kids Thru Divorce. In February 2011, Dr. Lenore Doster and Mrs. Danielle MacMillan launched a new program for children en tled Caring 4 Kids Thru Divorce. This 8-week program was designed to provide
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title page
9820 Nesbit Ferry Road | Johns Creek, GA 30022 678-336-3000 | mountpisgah.org
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