2018 ANNUAL REPORT
Friends, At the heart of discipleship is the work of discernment. Discerning Christ’s call to us is the ongoing work of all who seek to follow Jesus. So it is for Christ’s church. 2018 was a year of continuing discernment for Myers Park Presbyterian Church. Discernment is best done within community. The Spirit has a way of working when we come together to consider where Christ is calling us to go and what he calls us to do. We began the year with “Dream Day,” a gathering in January of over 120 leaders of the congregation. The Reverend Jan Edmiston, Co-Moderator of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) was our keynote speaker for the event. (Little did we know that later in the year she would be called to become the Executive Presbyter of Charlotte Presbytery!) By the end of that day, we had over 2,400 post-it notes filled with ideas and dreams for our congregation’s ministry. Our Discernment Team, capably led by Averill Harkey, collected all these notes, and synthesized them into three strategies to inform our work: cultivating community, crossing divides, and changing lives. Upon defining these three strategies, we realized this is exactly what Jesus does throughout the gospels. He calls his disciples together and cultivates community among them, challenging them to love one another as he loved them, calling them “friends,” and sending the Spirit to bind them together as one. Jesus also led them across the divides of his day, going into Gentile territory, again and again, embracing those his world defined as “unclean,” embodying reconciliation and redemption in all he said and did. And of course, Jesus changed lives: healing the sick, casting out demons, bringing sight to those without vision, even raising the dead.
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Annual Report: Discernment
We are called to follow Christ. We follow him as we cultivate community within our congregation, with our neighbors in Charlotte and with our global partners. We follow him as we cross the divides that too often define our society. This also unfolds within our congregation, in our community, and around the world. Finally, we follow him in changing lives. We are not the ones who change lives, Christ does. By God’s grace, that happens through us, and to us. In offering ourselves in love for God, our lives are changed, and God might just use us to change the lives of others. Over the course of this year, our ministry councils have considered how they might respond to this call through their respective ministries. This annual report shares some of how we believe we are called to follow Jesus in cultivating community, crossing divides, and changing lives. This is still a work in process. Discernment never ends in the life of discipleship. May God continue to bless us with open eyes to see, open ears to hear, and open hearts to follow Christ’s call to Myers Park Presbyterian Church. In His love,
Joe Clifford Pastor
View and download the full Discernment Report at myersparkpres.org/discernment
Annual Report: Discernment
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Administration Council Our committees are the ABC’s of the church which may make one think we are only about nuts, bolts and dollars and thus the charge from the report is not as applicable to us or the decisions we make as it may be with Worship Council, Outreach, or Children’s Ministry for example. Our Committee Chairs and members still think it applies to our work. What does Discernment mean to Administration Council Committees and members? In its simplest definition, discernment is the ability to think biblically. In other words, what would God have us do? We discern through prayer and by keeping “what would God have us do” as a guiding principle in our decision making process. Currently, committees are answering God’s call to Cultivate Community, Cross Divides, and Change Lives in a number of ways. We are thoughtfully and prayerfully considering how best to manage and balance financial, staff, and fixed resources both inside and outside the walls of MPPC. All decisions take into consideration the impact on others.
GREG SMITH, ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL CHAIR
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Annual Report: Discernment
Communications Committee
The Communications Team is uniquely situated to support, resource, and help execute the strategic priorities of the Discernment Report across every ministry area. Apart from specific ministry initiatives, the Discernment Report provides a valuable framework to approach our existing communication channels and opens an opportunity to cultivate community, cross divides, and change lives in everything we do. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Use a voice of authenticity and compassion in print, digital, and social media efforts. • Continue to explore ways to promote relationships in addition to information sharing. This may represent a significant shift in approach, as most of our communication avenues center around engagement and attendance in worship, Bible studies, and other events held by ministry areas. • Utilize database tags to target messaging to particular interest groups. CROSSING DIVIDES: • Examine our Facebook groups to determine effectiveness and adapt as necessary. • Help create a positive ‘user experience,’ both online and in our physical space, to gather together disparate groups. CHANGING LIVES: • Together with the Adult Faith Formation Council, develop a process and platform for online learning. • Under clergy leadership, use our social media presence to advocate for justice, compassion, and mercy in the world.
BEV KOTHE, COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Annual Report: Discernment
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Endowment Committee
Having spent 2018 growing the Endowment Committee, as well as the Endowment Fund, to improve our connections with the ministries we serve, we enter 2019 ready to help congregational donors permanently fund ALL ministries in their efforts to Cultivate Community, Cross Divides, and Change Lives. These include Outreach, Facilities, Worship, Adult Faith Formation, Congregational Life, Denominational Support, and General MPPC Benevolences.
JIM MILLER, ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR
Facilities Committee
2018 HIGHLIGHTS: • Replaced roofs on D Building and small bell tower due to unexpected leaks. • Took delivery of new van, and made decision to keep only two full time vehicles (rather than three). • Took delivery of new pew cushions for sanctuary. • Completed first phase of stained glass repair in Sanctuary. • Completed second phase of outdoor lighting plan to increase visibility and provide additional security. • Updated Columbarium Garden policy and initiated discussions with architects to plan for the building of new walls and update landscaping. • Repaired parking lot at Outreach Center. • Assisted with moves and office repairs in connection with staff office relocations. • Assisted with painting/repairs requested by Weekday School. • Engaged architect to provide plans for replacement of Cornerstone. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY/CROSSING DIVIDES/CHANGING LIVES: Facilities provides the physical environment necessary for the various ministry programs of the church to meet these goals. Fostering a focus on good stewardship enables us to look not only in the short-term but toward long-term maintenance and new renovations in facility offerings. We continue to work behind the scenes with the Worship, Outreach, Education, Weekday School, and Wellness Ministries by understanding their needs in providing spaces and equipment to support their transforming work. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: • Update security cameras and servers. • Update technology necessary for worship. • Continue with outdoor lighting plan and stained glass repair. • Repair/replace Sanctuary narthex entrance door. • Replace cooling tower fan. • Work to identify and articulate long term needs and deferred maintenance concerns to the Session. TOM O’BANNON, FACILITIES COMMITTEE CHAIR
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Annual Report: Discernment
Finance Committee
In 2019, the Finance Committee is embracing the opportunities and challenges of facilitating the ongoing ministries of the church. We are grateful for a successful stewardship campaign and the generosity of our congregation. We will be working closely with the ministry councils and the Session to discern key priorities for our church. We have three identified priorities to consider heading into 2019. We will be assessing the needs of our children’s programs and facilities. We have opened up undesignated Endowment Funding to provide broader flexibility and application of those funds and will be discussing how best to discern these uses. And we have extended a loan to Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Partnership on a key affordable housing initiative. Funds for this loan came from designated funds and do not come out of the church’s annual budget. Our church is looking to thrive and engage in 2019, and Finance promises to be a key part of this church’s life. TRACY WATTS, FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Food Service Committee
The primary purpose of this committee is to promote Christian Fellowship in the church and to see that food service functions in an efficient and responsible manner. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: By providing opportunities to break bread together, a natural community building activity, can bring people of all backgrounds together. CROSSING DIVIDES: We have the opportunity to offer our facilities and food service operation to outside groups to further their work in the community. CHANGING LIVES: We can support various events and encourage participation, offering an enriching experience to all who come. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: With a first year’s experience of having a true budget and an oversight committee now behind us, we are excited for 2019. After a successful 2018 and with corresponding data in hand, we have a very aggressive 2019 budget targeting a 27% growth in food service revenue and services. In other work, we finalized the Food Service Committee description and Policies documents that have been sent to the Session for approval, as well as approved the addition of two part-time assistants to facilitate staff flexibility. We are currently finalizing our work on the Food Service Norms document (working guidelines for operations), plus we continue our review of pricing and how we can best position our capabilities within the church and to outside groups. A major challenge remaining for 2019 is the education of our church membership, not only on the vast array of capabilities that our Food Service staff and facilities can offer and how we can meet the needs of various church groups, but also that our services operate on a standalone budget without subsidies from the general church budget. ED BAESEL, FOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIR
Annual Report: Discernment
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Personnel Committee
On behalf of the Session, the Personnel Committee provides governance for personnel related policies, process, and strategy. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: We’ve spent a great deal of energy focused on building community in our staff team. One concrete change is that more focus has been put on monthly staff gatherings and events. Additionally, our Human Resources Director has spent focused oneon-one and team time with much of the staff in order to hear and respond to staff needs and input. Also intentionally gathering feedback from departing employees in exit interviews to continue making improvements and understanding where we are getting it right. Other highlights: • Updated staff relations teams and provided executive coaching support to Pastor • Completed searches for Director of Development, Major Gifts and Planned Giving; Mission Coordinator; Parish Associate; and Human Resources Director • Initiated searches for Associate Pastor – Discipleship and CROSS Director • Changed annual review process/cadence • Implemented a new clergy organizational structure CROSSING DIVIDES: Internally, bridging divides is being addressed by focusing on diverse hires (background, age, theology, race, etc.). Human Resources is working to identify qualified diverse candidate pools for open positions so that we have a real opportunity to increase diversity in our staff. Externally, we are keeping our staff team up to date on how the church is Crossing Divides and giving them opportunity to be involved through activities like the staff build day with Habitat for Humanity. Moving forward we will look at other ways we can engage our staff in church outreach activities. CHANGING LIVES: We are providing staff training and development to better equip our team to serve in their areas of calling and expertise. In addition, we are focusing on providing competitive salaries and benefits by reviewing market compensation rates and benefits options. We are also monitoring the living wage calculations to ensure that all of our staff members make a living wage. This year, we also launched the residency program, which will change the lives of residents and the people and communities they will touch through their ministry.
LECIL SULLIVAN, PERSONNEL COMMITTEE CHAIR
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As our ministry teams continue their discernment process, we will work with them to design organizational structures that support their work. In addition, we will look at creative solutions to provide more opportunities for disciples, interns, etc. to increase our capabilities. Taken together, all these steps enable our staff to serve as leverage for the work of the laity, which results in improved lives in our community and wider world. ADDITIONAL 2018 HIGHLIGHTS: • Assessment of health benefits and potential plan options to minimize negative financial impact while providing the best possible coverage for our staff, negotiated terms for a new plan, and executed plan transition • Compensation management decisions to verify we offer a living wage for all staff members FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: • Complete search for Associate Pastor of Discipleship • Continued alignment of organizational structures to support ministry goals • Assessment of staffing needs and projections over the next 3-5 years • Compensation market review • Continued refinement of strategy, policies, and processes to identify and address risks and ensure the health of the organization
LECIL SULLIVAN, PERSONNEL COMMITTEE CHAIR
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Adult Faith Formation Council The Adult Faith Formation Council provides educational opportunities for our members to learn about important social capital issues and engage in discussions about their unique sources of social capital. They can best deploy that both within our walls and through our partnerships local and globally. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Develop a sense of Christian Community through starting every meeting with a “Word-Share-Prayer” model and truly check-in with each member and what’s going on in their personal lives, including prayer requests. We then will make a concerted effort between then and our next meeting to really pray for them and hold them in our thoughts & prayers. We are a Christian Family, after all! • Implement programming that will incorporate joint Adult Faith Formation work with neighborhood churches, especially those we currently work with (Grier Heights; Antioch Baptist). We are already doing this and will endeavor to step this aspect of our work up a notch. • We have already enhanced our budget for the coming year to include the purchase and installation of higher-grade cameras, video technology, etc. We are also going to work with communications to convert part of one of the classrooms into a higher-grade “studio” where we can purposefully have classes that we intend to record and archive/post to the web. • We also intend to work on developing and building out a self-paced, online Adult Faith Formation Curriculum model. Our council has formed a sub-council charged with focusing on finding new and emerging curriculum that will include high-quality video content, including interactive technology programming. • One programming theme we intend to roll out next year is a programming concept of a “funnel,” whereby we would bring in a well-known speaker and have a one-time church-wide program. This program would likely be recorded and available online. From there, it will spawn off a 4-week Sunday Morning Discipleship Class (also maybe in that specially formatted “studio” classroom). From there we hope it will lead to a small group experience. • We have committed to form a collaborative partnership with Columbia Theological Seminary. They will bring members and we will bring some to form a task force to study this concept. Again, technology will be instrumental in this and will enable us to bring in a whole new slate of professors. CROSSING DIVIDES: • Encourage intentional and respectful engagement across divisions…through worship, study, and service by creating a cross-church philosophy. An example of which may be a pot-luck dinner with Bible Study. • We will build on the theme that the Comissioned class employs: “Study, Serve, and Engage.” We hope to engage other neighborhood churches in this model.
RANDY NEWTON, ADULT FAITH FORMATION COUNCIL CHAIR
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CHANGING LIVES: • Equipping members about how and why to use our social capital to benefit others who may not have access to impactful networking resources. • Partnering with the Commissioned Class in January 2019 to host a 3-week awareness series on the issues that Social Capital can resolve. • Forming an exploratory group to study how to go deeper after January in offering education on social capital. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: • We feel that by employing the “Word-Share-Prayer” model in all of our meetings, we will start with our own group fostering community and hopefully changing (our own) lives! It starts “at home” after all. We also believe that we need to take our neighbors into account and keep them in mind when planning our offerings, such as partnering with Grier Heights and Antioch Baptist. We want to invest in wise technology purchases, since we can then get our message to a broader base – this can be a way to cultivate community and overcome divides.
RANDY NEWTON, ADULT FAITH FORMATION COUNCIL CHAIR
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Children and Their Families Ministry Council Children and Family Ministries Council partners with parents to develop young disciples of Jesus Christ. In 2018, we focused on deepening engagement with families: welcoming children at birth and baptism, nurturing faith formation in the Weekday School, in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and walking alongside families in our milestones workshops and mission projects. We built relationships among families helping make our large church a welcoming place where all belong. We developed and equipped more lay leadership, so disciples of all ages can live out love together. The Weekday School embarked on an intentional strategic planning initiative to look towards the future.
ALLYSON ANDERSON, CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRIES COUNCIL CHAIR
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CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: The Families with Young Children ministry team welcomed many families to playground playdates, Mom’s nights out, a fall costume party and Christmas story time. Families gathered for fellowship, rest and study at our All-Church Retreat in beautiful Montreat. Sixty-nine babies were baptized in 2018, and many were welcomed with bread and MPPC burp cloths. CROSSING DIVIDES: Children served the community outside our walls all year. Sprout Outreach families made beds for Room in the Inn and served at a Grier Heights Block Party. Almost 250 VBS campers made sandwiches for the Men’s Shelter, school kits for Billingsville and The Learning Collaborative, happy home buckets for Charlotte Family Housing, and bracelet kits for friends in Uganda. Mission Kids passed out water bottles and care kits on urban walks, delivered meals with Friendship Trays, packed meals for Stop Hunger Now and snacks for the Jubilee Store, and more. Weekday School students collected 1,800 pounds of canned goods for Loaves and Fishes, snacks for Billingsville, pajamas for Hope Haven, and warm mittens and hats for friends at TLC. Our Tapestry Ministry created a place for teens with special needs to enjoy fellowship and fun and offered parents a time of respite during monthly movie nights. CHANGING LIVES: • Our greatest impact in changing lives is through the faith formation of our children. In 2018, families were supported in worshiping with their children through kindergarten worship and first grade communion workshops, second grade families explored different ways to pray, third graders received their Bibles and learned how to use them, and fifth graders and their parents had important conversations in our Faith and Human Sexuality workshop. Teams of lay leaders work together weekly to bring Sunday School lessons to life, teach our children the stories of our faith, and let each of them know they are loved by God. In the Weekday School, over 30 parents help with a weekly chapel program, and children explore stories of faith through Godly Play classes. In 2019, we will continue to change lives, cross divides, and create community with families. We plan to think strategically about the future of faith formation of our young disciples, with particular attention to our facilities needs. ALLYSON ANDERSON, CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRIES COUNCIL CHAIR
Annual Report: Discernment
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Clerk’s Council OVERVIEW OF CLERK’S COUNCIL MINISTRY TEAMS: • Assignments Team – meets annually, and throughout the year is needed, to assign elders and deacons with a committee assignment for the following church year. The Committee may also convene to fill leadership positions in any ad-hoc committees or boards created by Session-approved Ministries. • Denominational Relations Team – operates in conjunction with the Pastor/Head of Staff to address external issues that may arise in the Charlotte Presbytery, PC(USA), seminaries or other denominational opportunities that come to our attention. • Residency/Internship Program Team – oversees the teaching ministry created to help recently graduated seminary students experience and learn pastoral duties in preparation for their first call to ministry. • Wellness Ministry Board – oversees the health and wellness ministry operated out of the Outreach Center. • Discernment Team – was created in May 2017 to study, reflect and prepare a report for the Session with strategic recommendations to help guide the Church Councils and Committees develop and implement ministries that are Cultivating Community, Crossing Divides and Changing Lives. The Discernment Team Report was unanimously adopted by the Session at their December 3, 2018 meeting. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: • Re-organize the Assignments Committee by reducing Clergy/Staff representation to Pastor/Head of Staff, Executive Pastor and Administrator. Remainder of the committee will include: Clerk of Session, Vice Clerk, Moderator and Vice Moderator of the Board of Deacons, Officer Nominating Committee Chair and Vice Chair. • With the Coordinating Council, oversee the implementation of the Discernment Team recommendations and initiatives through the Councils and Committees of the Church. • Re-focus Session meetings, particularly the Order of the Day, to reflect current priorities and issues facing the church. Coordinating Council will be responsible for determining and scheduling Session discussion of these priorities. If Session action is required, at least one Session meeting will be dedicated to discussion prior to scheduling a vote.
MARC BRINKS, CLERK OF SESSION
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Pastoral Residency Program
In 2018 the Residency Program launched as we welcomed our first Resident Pastor Amy Speas. Amy began her work here in July and was ordained at Myers Park Presbyterian on September 9. Amy has taught adult classes, provided pastoral care, and led in worship. She was able to travel to Cuba with a global ministry team in November. Through the residency program, Amy has also developed a relationship with The Grove, a smaller Presbyterian church in the Hickory Grove community of Charlotte. That connection has given her opportunities to participate in a different context and to observe a different ministry style. Here’s what Amy has to say about her experience: “‘Why a Residency Program?’ Is a question I hear often. Towards the end of seminary, I realized I needed additional discernment time, which this program generously gives. Myers Park Presbyterian stood out to me due to the flexibility of the program and being the initial resident. Upon meeting the Committee, I immediately became connected to the church, and felt called to this place. I’m particularly appreciative of the opportunities at the large church setting of Myers Park as well as the small church setting of The Grove, a PC(USA) church that serves as a Christ-centered neighborhood center for East Side residents. My time at this small, diverse congregation has only solidified my call to connect people from various cultures to learn and grow together in Christ. At Myers Park Presbyterian, I’ve experienced worship leadership, pastoral care, the all-church retreat, and Cuba. I’m excited for what’s ahead in 2019!” We are currently receiving applications for our next Resident who will begin in August of 2019. The program curriculum continues to develop and refine as we learn through experience. We are focused on developing leaders who will serve the PCUSA for years to come. MILLIE SNYDER, EXECUTIVE PASTOR
AMY SPEAS MPPC’s first Resident Pastor Annual Report: Discernment
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Wellness Ministry
The mission of the Wellness Ministry is to encourage and cultivate a spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy congregation and community. Our Wellness Ministry provides a welcoming and supportive environment and offers facilities and programs to assist individuals and families in strengthening these areas of their lives. We seek to build up our congregation and community by promoting health and wellness, and in turn empowering our members and guests to better serve their families and communities in Jesus’ name. The Wellness Ministry already has many programs that align with the Discernment goals of cultivating community, crossing divides, and changing lives. The Wellness Ministry will continue to look for ways to use its facilities and resources to build upon what its doing and further these goals. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Restorative Yoga Program - A yoga program developed for participants of community based support services for Multiple Sclerosis, LUPUS, and Arthritis. The classes began April 25, 2017 and are offered free of charge to participants. The class is led by a Certified Yoga Instructor) Carol Barry, who is also a church member. The program is marketed through the local support group meetings and on the agencies websites. Average weekly attendance in the class has been between 10-12 people. • Youth Basketball Scholarships - The Wellness Ministry provides three full team scholarships (30-plus youth) to the youth from the Grier Heights community to play in the IMPACT basketball league. The teams are coached by church member Cori Ray and Ben Page from 24/7 Ministry. CROSSING DIVIDES: • Respite for the Homeless - The Wellness Ministry provides a place of respite for our homeless neighbors as needed. The Wellness Ministry staff welcomes our homeless neighbors into the building during its normal hours of operation to shower, shave, use the phone or other needs that they might have on a daily basis. • Sigma Beta Club - The Wellness Ministry provides space on a bi-weekly basis to the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity to host the Sigma Beta Club. The Sigma Beta Club offers the men of Sigma an opportunity to help develop wholesome values, leadership skills and social and cultural awareness of youth at the most critical stages in the youth’s development. In addition, the club focuses on educational, cultural and athletic needs of the youth to help them develop wellrounded outlooks that are needed to cope in today’s society. Phi Beta Sigma believes that investing in our youth today will produce effective leaders of tomorrow.
STEVE RIXHAM, WELLNESS MINISTRY BOARD CHAIR
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CHANGING LIVES: • 24/7 Ministry Membership Scholarships - The Wellness Ministry provides student memberships for young men participating in the 24/7 Ministry from Grier Heights. The young men are allowed to utilize all aspects of the wellness ministry as a way to have a safe place to hang out afterschool and on days when school is closed. In addition, the wellness ministry staff have developed mentor relationships with these young men and monitor their school attendance, behavior, and grades. • Special Olympics - We partner with Special Olympics to host their annual Spring Games for basketball. Special needs youth from local elementary, middle and high school come together for a day long competition and fellowship opportunity. • Youth Basketball Scorekeeper - The Wellness Ministry hires youth from the Grier Heights Community to serve as basketball scorekeepers. The goal is to assist them financially while also helping to teach them the responsibilities associated with maintaining gainful employment. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: The Wellness Ministry will look to continue many of its programs that cultivate community, cross divides and change lives. The Wellness Ministry is always look for additional ways to engage with the Myers Park Presbyterian Church Community and the broader community.
STEVE RIXHAM, WELLNESS MINISTRY BOARD CHAIR
Annual Report: Discernment
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Congregational Care Council The Ministry teams that are part of the Congregational Care council work to provide and encourage hospitality, fellowship, and support to members, guests, and others in the community associated with our church. During 2018, there was an emphasis on creating initiatives that would foster a warm and welcoming environment at MPPC. Several events were held with the intention of providing members opportunities to develop deeper relationships with one another. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Membership Engagement hosted the initial Men’s Fellowship Breakfast featuring Claude Alexander as the speaker. A second breakfast was held on October 4th with Tom Are as the keynote speaker. The gatherings were well received, with approximately 200 attendees. • Membership Engagement hosted a gathering for first time “Empty Nesters” in an effort to provide fellowship and support to members transitioning to life without children at home. This gathering will be an annual event. • Presbyterian Women offered eleven Circles and other opportunities for fellowship and spiritual growth, including the Women’s Retreat and the Women of Faith Luncheon. • Presbyterian Women along with clergy hosted a social at Sharon Towers to engage with MPPC members who are residents. CROSSING DIVIDES/CHANGING LIVES: • The New Members’ Ministry team welcomed eighty-two new members (not including confirmands) to MPPC in 2018. The New Member class now incorporates worshiping as a group as a component. Due to inclement weather in the fall and the need to reschedule a class, a night option was offered. This proved to be very popular and will be explored in 2019. • The New Members’ Ministry team hosted a gathering for new members at Jennifer and Joe Clifford’s home in the spring and fall. These gatherings were well attended and appreciated by new members. • Fifteen MPPC members are Stephen Ministers. They provide one-on-one care to members of MPPC, guests, and members of the community. Stephen Ministers were available in the Chapel following the 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. The Stephen Ministry team added podcasts and additional resources to the MPPC website. • Presbyterian Women organized the annual Children and Teen Consignment Sale in March. One hundred percent of the $12,800 raised was granted to MPPC’s community partner ministries. • Presbyterian Women partnered with Crisis Assistance Ministry to donate and/or help distribute healthy snacks and water in the Crisis Assistance waiting area. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: In 2019, the ministry areas of the Congregational Care Council will continue to explore and offer ways to connect members with each other and with ministry areas throughout the church utilizing one-on-one meetings as well as life/community groups offering special informational opportunities. The following are some of the initiatives planned to date. JEANNIE FULLER, CONGREGATIONAL CARE COUNCIL CHAIR
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Deacons
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Deacons will continue to assist the Sunday Hospitality Ministry team at the Reception Desk by meeting and greeting visitors/members and walking them to locations on campus. This allows the disciple at the Reception Desk to stay there to answer general questions. • In the next year, Deacons plan to be stationed in the Outreach parking lot and the circle drive beside the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings. At the Outreach Center, Deacons will assist guests in any way needed, and at the circle drive they will help older members with mobility issues get safely into the building. CROSSING DIVIDES: • Deacons will work with Room In The Inn to support our guests with both physical and spiritual needs. • Deacons are interested in providing respite for families who have experienced the death of a loved one to suicide by planning a weekend retreat. This would be modeled after similar retreats offered for caregivers of veterans with PTSD. CHANGING LIVES: Deacons will continue to provide a variety of pastoral care within MPPC and in our community through visits to our members who are ill or facing challenges and assisting in Room In The Inn. STEPHANIE CLINE, MODERATOR
Stephen Ministry
CROSSING DIVIDES/CHANGING LIVES: • Stephen Ministry will offer training for lay people who want to become Stephen Ministers from February-April in 2019. • Stephen Ministry Leaders held a Summit Meeting with Stephen Ministry Leaders from St. Mark’s Church, Myers Park United Methodist Church, Covenant Presbyterian Church, First Presbyterian Church, Providence United Methodist Church and Myers Park Baptist Church to discuss best practices for Stephen Ministers and also how to better serve the community at large. We plan to hold a second Summit Meeting in late Spring to build on the ideas we discussed. • A two page Stephen Ministry article was published in Journey in January 2019 stating the role of Stephen Ministers in MPPC and how to contact one if needed. • In February and March, Stephen Ministers are offering a Lenten Series class, Finding Your Spiritual Gifts for eight Sunday’s during the Sunday School hour. Participants will identify how they can use their spiritual gifts at MPPC. • Stephen Ministers write a sympathy note to everyone who is a member of the church that has lost a loved one and will continue to do so. • Stephen Ministers serve families before and during funerals. We meet in the parlor with families before each funeral and will continue to serve in this capacity. SARA ROSE, STEPHEN MINISTRY CHAIR
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Outreach Council In 2018, MPPC’s Outreach Ministry experienced an abundance of blessings and joy as we heard God’s call to grow in faith, to go and make disciples, and to experience God at work. Through the deepening of ministry partnerships in Charlotte and around the world, the Outreach Ministry will continue to respond to Jesus’ invitation to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. In 2018, MPPC disciples continued to serve alongside 22 ministry partners in Charlotte and six global partnerships assisting each with dignity and grace. Through active discipleship and prayerful discernment, Outreach Ministry teams continue to grow in faith together and build relationships that transcend economic, racial, and cultural differences. In this upcoming year, MPPC’s Outreach Ministry will deepen its understanding and strengthen our congregation’s commitment to live out our love for God by loving and serving in Christ’s name. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Over 80 MPPC disciples served as reading mentors for students at Billingsville Elementary to further the development of critical literacy skills. • Room In The Inn provided shelter, food and hope for 24 guests each week from December to March. By sharing the love of Christ, MPPC disciples built relationships with our neighbors in need of a warm place for rest for the night. • CROSS Missions brought 542 participants from over 35 different churches to serve with ministry partners in Charlotte as youth stepped out in faith to cross those barriers and cultivate community. • Through the fall Habitat Home Build, MPPC members worked alongside a homeowner in Grier Heights and in turn participated in family’s journey to obtain stable affordable housing. • World Communion Sunday was celebrated on October 7th through worship, study and fellowship. Over 130 church members and neighbors from Congo, including Reverend Simon Mbala, broke bread together, lifted up MPPC’s global ministry partners and recognized the importance of loving our brothers and sisters around the world. • MPPC’s Outreach Ministry hosted its Third Annual Partners Retreat featuring nationally acclaimed author and CEO, Bob Chapman. Over 120 people from MPPC’s ministry partners and Outreach ministry teams attended this retreat to hear Bob Chapman’s impactful message of creating a culture of caring • The Jubilee Store brought together four different churches (MPPC, MPUMC, Christ Church and St. John’s Baptist) to provide gifts for approximately 95 families of Charlotte Family Housing this Christmas. MPPC ministry partners Billingsville Elementary, Crossroads, Grier Heights Community Center, the Learning Collaborative and Hope Haven were able to collect excess gift inventory for students and families.
CATHERINE ARMSTRONG, OUTREACH COUNCIL CHAIR
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MPPC continued to live out its deep commitment to and partnership with Crossroads Corporation for Affordable Housing and Community Development through not only its ongoing financial support, but also through critical discipleship engagement with youth and academic programming, neighborhood fellowship and study. The Outreach Funding Team continued its work to steward and allocate annual budgeted funds while the Outreach Council worked to encourage engagement of MPPC members in a breadth of outreach ministries. Through sharing and reflecting on the challenges of our lives and joys of ministry during monthly meetings and an annual Outreach Dinner, the Council hoped to provide an example of the work of Christ as an agent of transformation through love and support.
CROSSING DIVIDES: • MPPC Disciples left the comfort of their own homes to share fellowship at The Harvest Center through a monthly knitting circle, at Charlotte Family Housing through a Panthers game watch party, and at the Men’s Shelter through serving a monthly dinner. • MPPC members traveled across geographic, cultural, language, and socioeconomic divides to El Salvador, Hungary, Cuba, and Uganda. Relationships are nurtured year after year through consistent travel and communication; by writing blogs, sharing pictures and videos, and utilizing new technologies, other members of MPPC took an armchair trip to our neighbors beyond our own borders. • During the summer, ministry and fellowship come to life in the Grier Heights community at block parties. In partnership with Crossroads Corporation, the smells of a summer supper along with the sounds of music and children laughing could be heard behind Antioch Baptist Church in the Grier Heights community. For a few hours each week youth, families, friends, and neighbors congregate and relationships form between MPPC members and residents of Grier Heights based on shared faith and love. • At the Learning Collaborative in Grier Heights, a preschool that provides free, high-quality early education to children from low-income families, MPPC disciples built relationships with teachers and students by providing classroom assistance to help students develop a love of learning and prepare for kindergarten. • Mentoring and meals were provided to student athletes involved in the I AM 24/7, which support boys from Grier Heights through sports practice, tutoring, and Bible study programming. • Over 60 MPPC Reading Buddies supported Freedom School scholars living in the Grier Heights community through igniting a passion for reading and inspiring a love of learning.
CATHERINE ARMSTRONG, OUTREACH COUNCIL CHAIR
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Outreach Council Continued CHANGING LIVES: • From serving at Billingsville Elementary or the Learning Collaborative, building a home for Habitat in Charlotte or El Salvador, to sleeping in the church with others for a night for Room in the Inn, the lives of MPPC disciples and those they are serving are mutually transformed through their time with each other. • MPPC’s financial resources changed lives for the neighbors our partners serve every day. In addition to the funds provided to our partners through the annual budget, final allocations from the Deeper Discipleship Capital Campaign were completed in 2018, marking the end of $10 million in financial support in the Charlotte community and around the world. Thanks be to God! • The Congo Ministry and Outreach Council approved two key projects to the further the empowerment of women in the Kasai through education. In 2019, in partnership with the Congolese Presbyterian Church, MPPC members will be able to follow the construction of a second girls school in Mbuji Mayi and the construction of a dormitory for female students pursuing graduate studies in theology and law at the UPRECO University in Kananga. • Students and faculty in Congo, Cuba, Hungary, Uganda, and El Salvador will gain access to critical educational opportunities and professional development through the scholarship assistance provided by the allocation of resources from the Outreach ministry budget.
CATHERINE ARMSTRONG, OUTREACH COUNCIL CHAIR
22 Annual Report: Discernment
Stewardship Council In 2018, the Stewardship Council was tasked with implementing strategies and plans to advance goals contained in the discernment report. In order to cultivate community, cross divides, and change lives, the Stewardship Council has initiated the following plans over our various committees: ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE: • Co-chaired in 2018 by Mary Katherine Stukes and Mac McBryde, the Annual Giving Campaign funds the operating budget for the church on an annual basis. Under the leadership of Joe Clifford, the committee built a strategic plan deemed “This Generous Undertaking” to seek to increase both the number of giving households and the total operating budget for 2019. This plan called for targeted messaging for various segments of the congregation. • As of December 31st, 2018 the Annual Giving Campaign has secured almost $5.7 million from over 1,000 pledging households. These funds will address all three areas of the discernment report in 2019 by strengthening the faith journey of our congregation, acting locally in areas of outreach, and ministering globally. MAJOR GIFTS AND PLANNED GIVING (LEGACY PARTNERS): • Following up on reaching their goal of identifying 90 Legacy Partners by the end of 2017, the Legacy Partner Committee, chaired by Wayne Felton, reorganized with new representation from an advisory committee and hired Lauren Mulcahy as the Director of Development, Major Gift and Planned Giving. While only a few new Legacy Partners we added to the list in 2018, many “behind the scenes” changes have been executed and new Legacy Partners Ambassadors have signed on and there will be a re-launch in January 2019.
CHIP COOKE, STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR
LAUREN MULCAHY Director of Development, Major Gifts, and Planned Giving
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Worship Council The Worship Council has the lead for the session in assuring that Worship is conducted properly and in good order. The functions within Worship include music, usher service, communion preparation and serving by officers, weddings, floral services, and the development and improvement of regular worship. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • The Wedding Procedure was revised to allow members of the community who are not members or connected to members of MPPC to be married in our church. • MPPC hosted a called meeting of the Charlotte Presbytery. • Online streaming of worship services for both Celebrate and Sanctuary services provides a means for those not in the church building to worship as part of our congregation every Sunday. 25% of weekly average attendance is composed of the ‘online’ congregation. • Steps were taken to improve the quality of audio visual aids to worship. • Plans are underway to improve the visual appearance of the Celebrate worship space. • MPPC continues to provide worship space for local members of the Hungarian Reformed Church in our facilities six times per year. CROSSING DIVIDES: • Two ministers and an elder from The Great Church in Debrecen, Hungary visited MPPC in October and assisted in worship leadership and Bible Study. The first international Bible Study was conducted via Skype and plans are underway to expand this on line aspect of worship and community. • MPPC celebrated World Communion Sunday on October 7, 2018 in an expanded fashion using elements from all of our international outreach partners.
ROB ATKINS, WORSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR
24 Annual Report: Discernment
FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: All activities of the Worship Council are governed by the following strategic initiatives developed by Worship Council as part of the Discernment Process: • • •
• •
Provide opportunities for cross cultural worship experiences on a regular basis. Utilize technology to effectively facilitate worship beyond the walls of the church. Explore and develop worship elements making room for the experience of mystery, the enhancement of the drama inherent in the Gospel, the creative use of our worship environment, and the inclusion of experiential aspects in worship, particularly in response to the Word and Sending Forth. Make planned, concerted efforts to show hospitality to the stranger. Forge a strong connection between worship and local mission expressed in every aspect of worship. ROB ATKINS, WORSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR
Annual Report: Discernment
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Youth and Their Families Ministry Council Youth and Their Families maintains a clear focus to provide a strong foundation of faith that allow them to follow Christ as part of the MPPC community and beyond. In 2018, our youth were encouraged to stop and “TAKE NOTICE.” Take notice of God in their midst, take notice of their neighbor and take notice of their actions. We embraced opportunities to cross divides as we seek to change the lives of our youth and those they interact with as they share those lessons learned through faith and following Christ. Gratefully, we share highlights from our year below. CULTIVATING COMMUNITY: • Class Dinners offer space where our youth gather by grade to share a meal and practice their faith monthly. Class mentors join the class in 5th grade and stay with them until they graduate building long term relationships. This year we have two leaders that will graduate with our seniors. Hannah Overholt started with this class the day after she moved to Charlotte and Steve Stroup has been with the class since they were in pre-school. These leaders help facilitate community and are a great example of the faith family that grows in youth ministry. • Room in the Inn is a ministry of the entire church but the youth have a weekly set up team and the youth have an emergency team on alert. They gather weekly from November – March to create space for our neighbors on the street to sleep and while serving, build a strong community with one another. • Small groups focused in different areas of interest started this year and will grow in 2019. • A youth band and choir was started with a larger variety of instruments, and with Cameron Moore serving as the band leader. CROSSING DIVIDES: • Charlotte Youth Ministry Consortium, a group of youth from smaller AfricanAmerican churches in Charlotte, have joined MPPC for ministry and mission. They went with our youth to Chicago on a mission trip and to Montreat, sharing adult chaperones. The youth of CYMC invited our young people to attend the movie, The Hate You Give and we joined in discussion together. • Our youth went on mission trips to Cuba, El Salvador, and Chicago. • Rise Against Hunger provided 25,000 meals for children in Bududa, Uganda after the landslides, and youth partnered with our children’s ministry to make sure every meal was packed. • Operation Sandwich made 3,000 sandwiches for Urban Ministry Center during our youth group, at Alexander Graham Middle School during Bulldog Prayers, during a summer mission day and with our Cub Scouts.
DEBORAH HULLINGER, YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRIES COUNCIL CHAIR
26 Annual Report: Discernment
CHANGING LIVES: • We believe that lives are being changed as we build resilience in our young people. Youth Ministry at Myers Park went back to the basics this year and has been teaching faith practices our youth can carry with them. These practices of prayer, gratitude, hospitality, the Awareness Examen, practicing Sabbath, mindfulness, daily intentions, pilgrimage, and devotions are tools of faith our youth can carry with them into their adulthood. • Our youth leaders were trained and certified in a Suicide Prevention Training. A workshop on suicide was provided for our parents and a workshop was offered for both middle school and high school youth where they were encouraged to identify and contact three people to be a support team for them in times of crisis. • A parent and youth workshop was offered on anxiety as we premiered the documentary ANGST. • Confirmation welcomed over 62 youth into the church as new members and started a new class with 70 youth. FUTURE MINISTRY INITIATIVES: As we move into 2019, we will continue to give our young people the resources they need to be resilient. A mindful drop-in for youth in Charlotte will begin in January, partnering with Time-Out Youth and Grier Heights Community Center teaching mindfulness every month. We know that mindfulness is one way we can change the lives of our young people dealing with anxiety, depression and the pressure of adolescence as it actually rewires their brain. A bystander intervention program for both youth and parents will join our sexuality education program for youth not only building community but valuing community. We will reveal a youth leadership internship program working with nonprofits in Charlotte this summer as we cross divides and change the lives of the youth at Myers Park Presbyterian Church. DEBORAH HULLINGER, YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRIES COUNCIL CHAIR
Annual Report: Discernment
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2019 Approved Budget $6,133,000
3.07%
CATEGORIZED BY COST OF MINISTRY SERVICES
CATEGORIZED BY FUNCTIONAL AREAS
%
Ministry Service
$
%
INCREASE FROM 2018 TO 2019
Functional Area
$
4.12%
Adult Faith Formation
$252,884
6.25%
Administrative Services
8.87%
Children & Their Families
$543,696
0.37%
Adult Faith Formation
22,576
Congregational Care
$957,398
1.37%
Children & Their Families
83,944
4.06%
Denominational Support
$249,100
1.37%
Communications
84,000
3.87%
Program Management
$237,617
1.55%
Congregational Care
95,354
$1,804,776
4.06%
Denominational Support
$415,415
17.39%
Facilities
$1,116,254
11.23%
Outreach
$555,860
53.07%
Personnel
$6,133,000
0.12%
Program Management
0.41%
Stewardship
1.74%
Worship
1.07%
Youth & Their Families
100%
TOTAL EXPENSES
15.61%
29.43% 6.77% 18.21% 9.06% 100%
Outreach Stewardship Worship Youth & Their Families TOTAL EXPENSES
For purposes of this presentation, allocations from facilities, program support, and personnel total $4,788,946 of the budget expenses. These categories benefit all ministry activities. Financial statements are prepared by our professional staff, overseen by the treasurer, and routinely examined by the finance committee. Audited statements are available upon request. Detailed discussions may be scheduled by appointment. Contact Amy at ahock@myersparkpres.org.
28 Annual Report: Discernment
383,595
249,100 1,066,404 688,950 3,254,947 7,080 25,000 106,725 65,325 6,133,000
Average Attendance by Month 2018 Attendance
2018 Streaming
2017 Attendance
1000
500
2018
2018 Streaming
% Change
January
729
890
255
+22.08
February
968
791
286
-18.3
March
793
970
228
+22.32
April
1064
963
193
-9.5
May
839
706
169
-15.85
June
610
585
187
-4.1
July
466
475
200
+1.93
August
578
602
228
+4.15
September
754
518
350
-31.3
October
769
706
311
-8.2
November
846
842
298
-0.47
December
1186
716
420
-39.6
AVERAGE:
800
730
260
-8.75
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2017
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Annual Report: Discernment
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30 Annual Report: Discernment
Annual Report: Discernment
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Mission Statement Claimed by the Love of God in Jesus Christ, we are called into this community of faith living out our Love for God in worship, study, and service, loving and supporting one another as we join God’s transforming work in our city and in the world.
This mission statement was adopted by the Session on January 23, 2017. The language was developed through stories shared by leaders in the church about life changing experiences they had had through our church’s ministry. It builds on the work of the visioning team which conducted listening sessions designed to take the pulse of the congregation in preparation for calling a new Pastor. Our Reformed tradition is reflected in that we are claimed by God, called into community to live out love, and join God’s transforming work.