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Dear Friends:
 As we begin 2007 together, I want to give you a birds-eye view of our church. Borrowing a line from a consultant friend of mine, “We are doing a lot of good things that nobody knows about.” I want you to know about those things, as well as some of the plans for the future. The prophet Jeremiah wrote;
‘For surely I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me,’ says the Lord, … (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)
We hope and pray that this church is a vessel that God can use to bless others, heal brokenness, empower people to forgive and reconcile, cross the lines of race and social class, promote justice and reveal a love that is unconditional and will stand the test of time.
Jesus charged us to “Go and make disciples …” (Matthew 28:19a). In modern language that might translate, “Go and make students of Jesus Christ.” It might even be more helpful to think in terms of “making interns for Christ.” We don’t just sit in a classroom and study Christianity academically, we learn in the field.
If this is the task of our church then the question is, “How are we doing?
Church Statistics
- At the end of 2005 MPPC ranked as the 17th largest PC(USA) church in the United States.
- Our current membership is 3,862, (along with 1,201 unconfirmed children) for a total of 5,063 people.
- In 2006 we have;
- received 133 new members and 68 confirmands
- administered 88 baptisms
- celebrated 26 weddings
- had 26 of our members die
- had 59 births
- served 17,259 meals!
How Is Our Stewardship?
When you give to the church you are honoring God and supporting God’s work in the world. Your financial contribution helps to provide for worship, Christian education, pastoral care, outreach, youth ministry, and a host of other ministries. It’s an investment with tremendous dividends!
We show an approximate $2 million growth over the past five years in our contributions and budget.
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
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$4,140,800 |
$4,886,000 |
$5,303,422 |
$5,771,695 |
$6,000,931 |
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Increase |
18% |
8.5% |
8.8% |
4% |
We draw 4 percent annually from a $4 million endowment. In 2007, four percent of the undesignated funds will total $55,000 that will be distributed to;
Community Ministries 50%
Worldwide Ministries 25%
Denominational Relations 25%
(seminary scholarships, etc.)
We also draw 4 percent from the designated funds that go to such things as special music events, scholarships, outreach and large maintenance items. This is in addition to the $1.3 million allocated for ministry in the annual budget.
One of my goals is to grow the endowment of our church to underwrite special needs outside of our operating budget. I hope more of you will consider this opportunity of putting the church in your will. In this way you can provide a perpetual gift to underwrite and sustain the ministries of our church for years to come.
Tell Us About The Staff
We have worked extremely hard over the past 4 ½ years to build our staff team. Initially, we had a lot of turnover but we now feel that we have the team in place to strengthen the ministry and outreach of our church. Everyone on this team is a vital player. We have a total of 71 full and part-time staff plus 35 teachers and staff in our Weekday School.
Personnel is the largest line item in our budget, which is the case with most churches in providing salary, benefits and professional expense for this team who provide leadership for every area of our ministry. The six clergy of our church represent 120 years of service to the Presbyterian Church USA in ordained ministry! With a church of nearly 4,000 members it is essential to have a staff in place who provide continuity and direction while the lay leadership rotates on and off the various committees and boards.
Our staff is diverse in talent and skill. You may have never thought about it this way, but the church runs a restaurant, a gymnasium, a music department, a school, a chaplaincy program, an outreach ministry (local/global), an adult academy, a worship center, and they maintain 139,000 sq. ft. of facilities!
We are grateful to this staff team for their gifts, hard work and commitment to the congregation and the various ministries of our church.
What Did We Do Well In 2006?
I would want to affirm everything that went well for us last year, but let me just give you some highlights;
- Hosted a Scotland Conference with 146 elders and pastors from the Church of Scotland.
- Strengthened our ministry to children and their families in a variety of ways.
- Sponsored three Gulf Coast mission team trips in response to Hurricane Katrina.
- Built our 20th Habitat home in Charlotte and participated in building two Habitat homes in El Salvador.
- Hosted another successful year of Room in the Inn (ministry for the homeless) as 183 MPPC disciples helped provide food and shelter to 255 of our homeless neighbors.
- Enrolled 235 children in our Weekday School, 80% of whom are church members.
- Added a Parish Nurse ministry, which provides a strong resource for those who are caring for aging parents as well as other healthcare ministries.
- Our Academy provided 34 course offerings in 2006 with 590 participants.
- Established an office for Covenant Ministry with an emphasis of “Every member has a ministry” that will be kicked off in Lent of 2007.
- The Christian Life Center (CLC) continues to provide recreational ministries for people of all ages. (We have 35 basketball teams this year!)
- Hosted 41 youth groups from nine states in our CROSS ministry. These groups stayed in our church and did community outreach with 25 agencies in Charlotte during their stay.
- Conducted a successful Hungarian Choir Tour.
- Our Youth Choir (Covenant Singers) grew to 30 members from 12. They traveled to Carnegie Hall and performed with a 300-voice mass choir.
- The youth took mission trips to Costa Rica and Thunder Bay, Canada.
- Hosted the Moderator and the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA).
- Improved our communication through upgrades to the Carillon and expanding electronic communications and website capabilities.
- Restored the exteriors of all the buildings: refurbished chapels and lounges – E202 and a new infant nursery; resurfaced parking areas, and upgraded furnishings for the Celebrate Service.
- Revised by-laws and upgraded our Operational Manual.
- Began the planning phase of a capital campaign.
Where Are We On The Capital Campaign?
In 2006 we organized PCAT, the Pre-Campaign Advisory Teams. Approximately 100 of our members have been working extremely hard on plans for our next capital campaign. The last campaign we had at MPPC was in 1989 & 1991. We have teams working on our facility needs to support our ministry on campus and we have teams working on plans to elevate our local and global outreach ministries.
This campaign is about making disciples. It’s about strengthening our “internships” with Christ both here on the campus and in outreach ministries. It is not intended to be simply a check-writing campaign. We are praying that this campaign will take our church to the next level in ministering to the needs of others, as well as strengthening our ministry among our membership.
As I write this, the teams are still working hard on their plans. The Session will approve the projects, scope and timing of the campaign. Please pray for this process as we seek to be a witness to the world that the Church is an instrument of God’s grace for those in need.
Where Are Our Challenges And Opportunities?
Let me give you my Top 10! (not in any order of importance)
#1 The Capital Campaign “A Deeper Journey into Discipleship and Transformation”
This will be a unique campaign with a large outreach emphasis, and that is in keeping with our disciple-making task. We need to enhance our facilities to handle the growth of our ministry in keeping with Christ’s claim upon our lives. We need to bless others and go beyond our boundaries. This will be a central focus for us in 2007 and for the years to come.
#2 “Every Member Has A Ministry”
It has been proven that one of the most effective ways that God deepens our discipleship is to engage us in hands-on ministry. With this new initiative we are making a commitment to raise the bar of expectation of what it means to be a member of this church. To be baptized into Christ is to belong to him. To belong to him is to follow him. To follow him is to be where he is, doing what he’s doing for the reasons that he’s doing it. That means hands-on ministry. That’s what changes our lives. This will not be a one-year program. This is a cultural shift for us that will take five to seven years to mature. I see this as a key piece of the transformation of our congregation, for all ages. Our emphasis on this ministry dovetails nicely with the increases that will come in outreach opportunities through our capital campaign efforts.
#3 Strengthen our Young Adult ministry
More than 60 percent of our new members are aged 40 and under. That’s great news and we need to capitalize upon it. These young adults are both single and married, some with children, who are coming back to the church perhaps for the first time since they left home. What a great opportunity for us to embrace them. They bring a tremendous amount of energy and leadership ability to our congregation. We need to move over and make room for them to find their place with us in ministry.
#4 What does it mean to be a Presbyterian?
As one of the largest churches in our denomination I think we have a responsibility to be a leader. Our denomination has had significant budget cuts and there are probably more to come. It has downsized and restructured, which may not be all bad. What’s our role as a PC(USA) church? How are we needed and where can we make a contribution? I see that as an opportunity as well as a challenge for us in the years to come.
#5 Accepting people where they are without leaving them there!
We all believe in grace, but grace is cheap if it doesn’t change us. We have the challenge of deepening our own commitments as Christians, as well as encouraging others to do the same. A 4,000 member church has to provide ample opportunities for everyone to find their place on the journey while encouraging them to grow in their faith.
#6 Partnerships
Unlike in business, MPPC is not in competition. Our ministry will be much more effective if we form strong partnerships, both locally and globally. We are exploring those partnerships in the outreach portion of our capital campaign. We need to continually look for those partnerships that will maximize our efforts and build our relationships with sister churches and other ministry partners. This world needs a strong church and that strength will be enhanced by joining our hands with others.
#7 Worship
Worship is not entertainment. It is something we do for God. The quality of our worship matters. This in an ongoing challenge. Worship cannot be dead, boring, ill-prepared, or irrelevant. Worship is the heartbeat of any church. It is where our children and youth are cultivated in their faith. It’s where we sow seeds for the next generation. We are committed to provide whatever resources and leadership are necessary to make our best offering to God in all of our worship experiences.
#8 “When a horse dies, it’s an excellent time to dismount!”
We’ve used that saying around here a lot. We have to keep using it. We cannot afford to pour time, money, and/or staff support into ministries and programs that are not scratching where people itch and not making disciples in the process. Maintaining a tradition for the sake of the tradition turns the church into a museum. We have to have the wisdom to know what to keep and what to change. That is an ongoing challenge as well as a tremendous opportunity.
#9 Shifting From Membership to Discipleship
This is another saying we use a lot around here. A membership church seeks to provide services to its membership. It tries to add to the membership, to the budget, to the facilities and to the program and staff. It functions much like any other club. A discipleship church is about empowering members of the church to be in ministry. It asks, “Are we serving members or are we members serving others?” It’s both. Part of our discipleship is caring for each other as well as caring for those beyond our membership. Our challenge and opportunity is to maintain a healthy balance between the two.
#10 Stay Humble
Big churches can do big things. That can be a good thing as long as we stay aware of the fact that “To whom much is given, much is required.” (Luke 12:48)
“Better is the end of a thing than its beginnings…” (Ecc. 7:8a)
That’s it! That’s a birds-eye view of what’s going on at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, but there’s no way I can tell you about all the relationships and what it means to have a church family. God uses all of us in ways I cannot chart out or put in statistics. The work of the Holy Spirit in a church is not always measurable.
As we look back with gratitude and look forward with hope, join me in prayer that the Holy Spirit will fill our church and use us in whatever way God chooses to bless the world around us.
Many thanks for all you do. Blessings upon you and your family. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
Gratefully,
Steve Eason
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