Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries

Danny Nicholson, President

As Debra and I anticipate our 4th anniversary at Connie Maxwell on September 1, 2021, with humble gratitude and sincere appreciation, we look over our shoulders to glimpse at all the many beautiful, miraculous, life-giving "holy moments" that God has provided to strengthen this precious ministry to children and families in Jesus’ name.

As we near completion of our first year of A Decade of Dreams strategic plan, it is with great excitement that we report on progress made towards our future dreams. These bold dreams, wrapped in the cradle of our history and prayerfully nurtured in the hearts of faithful saints, stand ready to take form and carry Connie Maxwell to an even greater level of excellence.

We have focused on introducing and educating our constituencies on the goals and objectives of our strategic plan. Several hundred personal visits have been completed across the state and beyond. From family kitchen tables, church offices, and back porches, we have personally shared about our dreams to heal children and families in a deeper way, expand our services, and enhance Maxwell Farms to increase our budget to enable us to serve more children in Jesus’ name.

Alongside A Decade of Dreams strategic plan, we continue our construction of a Campus Master Plan and simultaneously launch preliminary plans for a future comprehensive campaign to fund these strategic initiatives. Additionally, the Board of Trustees has created an Exploratory Committee for Land and Facility Use to review our future locations and facility needs statewide.

We have now received confirmation that a two-million-dollar gift has been placed in a donoradvised fund and specifically marked for use in building a Connie Maxwell Campus in Charleston, South Carolina. We are currently exploring location options and discussing plans for this new campus. We are encouraged by the sense of excitement that our many friends in Charleston have displayed since hearing about the prospect of this new campus.

This sense of momentum has also spilled over into our current Advancement (fundraising) and Marketing/Communication efforts. We are grateful for the compassionate response of churches by providing $805,593 last year. Our Annual Fund continues to grow. This year, "Giving Tuesday" set an all-time record by raising $227,871. Through this effort, over 800 first-time donors were created in 40 days! Additionally, we continue to be blessed by a growing endowment that recently hit an all-time high. We are thankful because the endowment provides half of our operating expenses each year. We are constantly amazed by the faithfulness of God and His many saints and servants.

In the midst of this growing support and setting the stage for our future dreams, we have currently served 220 children and families in residential care. Family Care provided services for seven

families, representing a total of 17 people. Foster Care services has 31 homes licensed and has served 35 children in the past year. Crisis Care has served 30 children and families. Additionally, Connie Maxwell's Higher Education/Independent Living program served 17 children this year.

As we continue our pursuit of excellence in healing and ministering to the needs of children and families, we want to thank each South Carolina Baptist for your prayers and support. With your help, we will continue to restore the faith, family, and future of our children and families and lead each of them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.