2015 year end annual report atascocita presbyterian church
TRANSCRIPT
2015 Year End Annual Report
Atascocita Presbyterian Church
To Glorify God, IVIake Disciples,
IVIeet Human Needs
Rev. Jacqueline Hannan,
Moderator of Session
Maureen Allen, Clerk of Session
Lisa Stacy, Moderator of Deacons
January 24, 2016
Reports to the 34th Annual Meeting of the Congregation and the Corporation of Atascocita Presbyterian Church
Atascocita, Texas
Page Table of Contents 2
Moderator's Report 3
Officers of tfie Church and the Church Staff 4
Clerk of Session Report 6
Committee Reports:
• Adult Ministry 7
• Ancient Mariners 8
• Presbyterian Women 9
• APC Men's Group 10
• Children's Ministry
• Committee Elder Report 11
• Director of Children's Ministry 12
• Communication & Outreach 13
• Discipleship 14
• Facilities 15
• Mission 16
• Nominating 17
• Personnel 18
• Stewardship 19
Worship 20
• Youth and Young Adult Ministry
• Committee Elder Report 21
• Director of Youth Ministry 22
• Young Adult Ministry Report 23
• Board of Deacons 24
• Creative Learning Center 25
• Finance 26
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Moderator's Report
Dear Friends, Dare 1 say it; this is my 8* Annual Moderator's report since I arrived in
September 2008. Every year has brought us new opportunities and presented new challenges. We have been growing in many ways beginning with many visitors joining us working for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We have baptized babies and adults; we have joihed together in work and fun. I am always amazed how the church marches on year after year at a steady pace even in light of difficult issues that need to be addressed. Atascocita Presbyterian Church is a place where diversity is encouraged. Cur different opinions are accepted and we still come together to care for each other and to praise a living God.
Two years ago, I began listing the closing statements of past annual reports so we could see our growth and progress in ministry. These closing statements remind us where we have been and where we are going.
2008 - / feel blessed to be a part of this work and know that 2009 will be a year of growth and change.
2009 - We are only as strong as our members and their participation, i am excited about what the Lord will do among us and with us this year. Aren't you?
2010 - As we go forth united in our commitment to our faith and to our church may God continue to offer surprises around every corner and may we continue to rise to the occasion.
2011 - 2012 wiii be a new chapter in our history. No longer will we say when the sanctuary is built; now we will JUST DO IT! That is a famous catch phrase for a very successful company. Just do the work of the kingdom, get on with a servant-minded vision. Look to the future with hope!"
2012 - / invited you to look to the future with hope, get your hands dirty, get tired, do not sit in the pews (beautiful as they are) but get up and do something. And so you did!
2013 - Our active membership grows at a steady pace; not by leaps and bounds but by one active member after another. Our strength is not in our numbers but rather in our commitment to Servanthood! As we look ahead to 2014, I pray it will be a year that challenges us to service and servanthood.
2014 - i pray that 2015 continues the momentum and the creativity that we had in 2014.
I, for one, am excited to see what God has in store for us for 2016. After the jump start for our Liturgical Arts Committee by the grant from the Calvin Institute for Worship, we are taking off on our own. Up to the challenge, we are growing and we are creatively worshipping our Lord. The different and varied Worship series challenge us to reach beyond our usual vision to see meaning in scripture that is new and fresh. How exciting it is to be a part of a congregation which comes in week after week ready for a encounter. In 2016 may we change each other to immerse ourselves in God's Word and God's Work and yes may we encounter scripture!
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Officers of the Church
The Session C l a s s of 2015
Mary Ann Kaminski
Eunice Munoz
Will Nees
David Gerald (1 yr.)
C l a s s of 2015
Bonnie Carr
Doug Hebert
Sharon Sessions
*Lisa Stacy
C l a s s of 2016
Grayce Oho ate
Jamie Hannan
Dave Leyshon
Connie Brown
C l a s s of 2017
Doug Botkin
Allan Griffin
DeeDee Mills
Ellen Nipe
The Board of Deacons C l a s s of 2016
Leah Barnes
Janet Griffin
Andrew Liao
Mazie Williams
C l a s s of 2017
Bob Arnold
Sandy Lee
Bonnie Russell
Ellen Taylor
C l a s s of 2018
Forrest Craig
Sara Lewis
Claudia Nelson
Ann Cwen
C l a s s of 2018
Judi Anderson
Kathy Cava
Ray Peregoy
Phil Schreiber
*Deacon Moderator in 2015
Church Staff Pastor, Reverend Jacqueline Hannan
Director of Music, Joe Weir
Pianist, Carl Braden
Hand Bell Director, Susan Phillips
Cffice Administrator, Jenni Strader
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Rachel Wells
Director of Children's Ministry, Traci HIavaty
Director of Creative Learning Center, Cathy Gerald
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Session Members 2016 Committee Assignments Adult Ministry Dave Leyshon, Chair Phone: 281-674-4690 Email: [email protected]
Chi ldren 's Ministry DeeDee Mills, Chair Phone: 281-852-0067 Email: [email protected]
Clerk of S e s s i o n Maureen Allen Phone: 281-852-3152 Email: [email protected]
Outreach Grayce Choate, Co- Chair Phone: 281-852-7058 Email: [email protected]
Ann Cwen, Co-Chair Phone: 832-724-7331 Email: [email protected]
Facil i t ies Doug Botkin, Chair Phone: 281-324-2171 Email: [email protected]
Finance /Treasurer Allan Griffin, Chair Phone: 281-852-6099 Email: [email protected]
Communicat ion & Technology Forrest Craig, Chair Phone: 785-699-2994 Email: [email protected]
Mission Sara Lewis, Co-Chair Phone: 832-275-9732 Email: [email protected]
Claudia Nelson, Co-Chair Phone: 713-876-1204 Email: [email protected]
Personnel Allan Griffin, Chair Phone: 281-852-6099 Email: [email protected]
Worship Connie Brown, Chair Phone:281-852-8756 Email: [email protected]
Youth Ministry Jamie Hannan, Chair Phone: 281-799-0320 Email: [email protected]
Discip leship Ellen Nipe, Chair Phone: 281-812-4600 Email: [email protected]
Nominating DeeDee Mills, Chair Phone: 281-852-0067 Email: [email protected]
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MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION FOR 2015 NEW M E M B E R S : Don and Jean Treleaven, Jan. 18, 2015, Transfer of Letter from New Covenant Presbytery, #'s 1220/1221 Hugh and Brooke Parry, Feb. 01, 2015, Transfer of Letter from First Presbyterian Church, Baiiston Spa, New York, 1222/1223 Henry Adkins, April 19,2015, Transfer of Letter from First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood #1224 Jennifer Choate, April 19, 2015, Reaffirmation of Faith, #1225 Elijah Lowell Strader, Affirmation of Faith, Confirmand, #1226, May 24, 2015 Margaret Elise Pritchett, Affirmation of Faith, Confirmand, #1227, May 24, 2015 Grant and Morgan Miller, Reaffirmation of Faith, May 24, 2015, #1228, 1229 Bob and Ann Stephens, Reaffirmation of Faith, May 24, 2015 #1230, 1231 Elroy McHenry, Transfer of letter from 1^*Pres. of Pasadena, Tx., May 24, 2015, #1232 Jessi Moore, Reaffirmation of Faith, June 28, 2015, ##1233 Kathryn Mitchell, Transfer of letter from First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, July 5, 2015, #1234 Pat and Elmer Litzinger, Transfer of letter from New Covenant Presbytery, July 19, 2015, #1235,1236 Suzanne and Bart Baker, Transfer of letter from New Covenant Presbytery, July 26, 2015, #1237,1238 Lisa Herrington, Reaffirmation of Faith, October 18, 2015, #1239 Shanti Herrington, Profession of Faith, October 18, 2015, #1240 Doug Kennard, Transfer of letter from lT Pres. Church of Kingwood, October 18, 2015, #1241 Jan Kennard, Transfer of letter from 1^'. Pres. Church of Kingwood, October 18, 2015, #1242 Connie Thibodeaux, Reaffirmation of Faith, November 22, 2015, #1243 Rachel Wells, Transfer of letter frorn. First Presbyterian Church of Grapevine, Tx, Nov. 22, 2015, #1244
BAPTISMS: Cole Jeffrey Mayhew, born 10/31/11, son of Scotland Paige Mayhew, January 4, 2015 Piper Elizabeth Mayhew, born 08/08/2014, daughter of Scott and Paige Mayhew, January 4, 2015 Charlotte Parry, born 09/23/12, daughter of Hugh and Brooke Parry, March 01, 2015 Thompson Adeline Easton, born 08/26/2013, daughter of Daniel & Teagan Easton, April 5,2015 Coen Scott Bosard, 02/09/2015, son of Trey & Jayme Bosard, April 5, 2015 Shanti Herrington, Adult baptism on October 18, 2015 Alexandria Audrey Pongkorung, daughter of Alfa and Febriana Pongkorung, November 1, 2015 Hugh Edward Parry, born 10/13/15, son of Hugh and Brooke Parry, baptized November 29, 2015
M E M B E R S REMOVED: Jim and Jan Randall, removed by request to session, January 22, 2015, # s 1200/1201 Paul and Cindy Wightman, removed by request, January 22, 2015, #'s 898/899 Walter and Betty Rose dismissed to Crosby United Methodist, December 17, 2015
M A R R I A G E S : Elroy McHenry and Maggie McHenry, April 16, 2015, Houston, Texas Daniel Michie and Christina Hannan, April 25, 2015, Atascocita Presbyterian Church, Atascocita, Texas James Moser and Andrew Grego, May 7, 2015, Arizona Carl Braden and Joe Weir, June 23, 2015
D E A T H S : Bob Hoke, May 22, 2015 Roberta Bungus
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Adult Ministry Annual Report The Adult Ministry Committee members: Reverend Shelley Craig, Ron Spross, Steve HIavaty, Julia Ann Moffett, Dave Leyshon, Bob Arnold, and Moderator, Mary Ann Kaminski. Library subcommittee members: Julia Ann Moffett, Doris Fisher, Kari Lauer, Ellen Nipe, and Forrest Craig
Key Responsibilities: Adult Faith Formation Classes and Guest Speakers; APC Evening Book Group; Library Oversight; Daily Devotional Purchases; and Acting as an umbrella committee for Ancient Mariners, Presbyterian Women, and Presbyterian Men's group.
Adult Faith Formation This committee mindfully decides on adult faith formation classes for Sunday mornings from a variety of categories including contemporary, Bible study, scholarship, and faith disciplines. Adult Ministry recruits teachers/facilitators for classes and special presentations, purchases materials for the classes, and manages publicity and room assignments for each class.
Teachers/Facilitators The Adult Faith Formation teachers for 2015 were Pastor Jackie Hannan, Reverend Shelley Craig, Steve HIavaty, Ron Spross, Janna Hubbard, Doug Kennard, and Mary Ann Kaminski. Substitute teachers for various classes were Dave Leyshon, Doris Fisher, Linda Purves, Ron Powell, Ron Tribolet, Don Nelson, & Jenni Strader. We are grateful to our dedicated teachers/facilitators for their offerings.
Spring and Fall Classes Three (3), adult, faith formation opportunities were offered each Sunday morning in the Spring and Fall of 2015. These included: the Wired Word facilitated by Steve HIavaty with an average'' attendance of 5; Pastor Shelley's class led by Reverend Shelley Craig with an average attendance of 8; and a third class which had varying topics and various leaders/teachers. Topics for the third class included "Test of Faith," "A Lenten Study," "Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most," and "Historical Jesus." Attendance for the third, faith formation class averaged between 9-10. Ron Spross, Doug Kennard, and Mary Ann Kaminski each led different classes throughout 2015.
Summer Classes There was one (1) class offered each Sunday from July to August. The June-July class was led by Janna Hubbard based on the book by Barbara Taylor Brown, "Learning to Walk in the Dark." with an average attendance of 12. Reverend Jackie Hannan facilitated the July class based on the book by Walter Brueggemann, "Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now." with an average attendance of 15. The Wired Word also was offered on two Sundays in August.
Summer Speakers: The Adult Ministry Committee arranged for two, Sunday morning presentations in August 2015. On August 9, twenty-four (24) attendees heard Kenneth Burchfiel, of AmeriCorp, give a talk entitled, "A Faith-based Response to the Unaccompanied Minor Crisis." On August 23, twenty-three (23) attendees welcomed Presbyter Mike Oole as he offered his insight on the Jewish-Presbyterian and Muslim-Presbyterian dialogues.
Second Wednesday Book Group
'' Average attendance was calculated by totaling the number of attendees for each Sunday morning class and dividing by the number of Sundays in which that class was taught.
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Ron Spross, a member of the Adult Ministry Committee, continued his leadership in offering the APC Book Discussion Group which meets on the second Wednesday of each month. A sampling of books from 2015 include "In Manchuria: A Village Called Wasteland and the Transformation of Rural China," "Someone: A Novel," and "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History".
Library Cversight In 2015, energy was directed toward making the library a usable space with relevant materials that are easily accessible. Beginning in the summer 2015, committee members selectively reduced outdated & duplicate materials. The library rejuvenation continued with the formation of a library, subcommittee which follows general guidelines made by the larger Adult Ministry committee. The library subcommittee worked to made the physical appliance of the library more welcoming and to make the the library materials more accessible. All library materials are now catalogued and available in digital format. The library management effort will continue in 2016.
The Adult Ministry Committee also acts as an umbrella committee for the following groups at APC: the Atascocita Presbyterian Women, the APC Men's Group, and the Ancient Mariners. The annual summary of activities for each of these aforementioned groups is found in the pages that follow.
We are grateful to all who helped make God's message and faith topics a priority.
Respectfully Submitted by Mary Ann Kaminski, Moderator of Adult Ministry Committee
Ancient Mariners Ancient l\/lariners-2015
The Ancient Mariners is an active, senior adult group (must be 50+ to ride a Precinct 2 bus) that makes quarterly trips to events and points of interest in and around Houston. This group enjoyed four outings this past year..
On February 14, the Ancient Mariners began 2015 by attending a performance of "Kinky Boots," at the TUTS; twenty-two (22) attended this event. After this performance, the group enjoyed dinner together at the Old Spaghetti Warehouse.
In May, nine (9) Ancient Mariners ventured to Galveston for the annual Galveston Home Tour and lunch at a local restaurant. In August, seventeen (17) attended an Astros's game. In our final trip of the year, the group traveled to the Houston Zoo for an outing reminiscent of the enjoyment felt at school trips to the Zoo. The weather was great with twelve (12) attending the Zoo trip.
2016 promises many interesting outings that will be posted in the Newsletter and Sunday bulletins.
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Presbyterian Women's Report DAY CIRCLE The 2015/16 Horizons Bibie Study - Come to the Waters has been well attended. The Circle meets on the second Wednesday of each month, September through May at 10:00 AM at the church except for the December meeting. Judi Anderson assisted by Ann Owen hosted the group for a special Christmas luncheon. All women of the church, members or visitors, are invited to join this study and fellowship group. The offering, taken monthly, goes to Fellowship of the Least Coin and to help fund other APW activities.
NEEDLERS CIRCLE This group meets twice monthly in homes and does needle work for various charitable projects. In 2015 these included:
• 25+ knitted washcloths, paired with bars of soap, donated to the Door, a local shelter for abused women and their children.
• 24 blue and white scan/es knitted or crocheted for the Texas Special Olympics Scarf Project. Each Special Olympian is presented with a scarf.
• The group also created ten knitted caps for the five new babies born to the congregation in 2015.
The Needlers Circle is also open to all women of the church interested in participating regardless of skill level.
ATASCOCITA PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN In addition to the Circle activities, APW had an eventful year.
• Sandy Denmon and Sara Lewis attended the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women in Minneapolis. This is the first time a member of APC has been a delegate representing New Covenant Presbytery.
• Several women attended the Presbytery-wide Spring Gathering of Presbyterian Women at St. Philip PC, Houston, and we will be hosting this event in April 2016.
• A group attended the horizons Bible Study Overview at St. Stephen's Presbyterian in August.
• Janet Griffin and the APW sewing group continued our long tradition of presenting a personalized quilt commemorating the baptism of every child.
• APW coordinated with the Mission Committee in the collection of the Seafarers' Christmas Boxes for the Port of Houston.
• A party celebrating five babies born to the congregation was held in September. Each received the caps mentioned above, stained glass angel ornaments by Addle Kephart, a decorated cross made by the Crafters group, diaper "cakes" by DeeDee Mills and Janet Griffin, a Child's Bible from APW and various books from the attendees.
The annual Christmas ornament exchange party was held at Sandy Denmon's home. The participants donated approximately $200 in gift cards for HAAM.
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APC Men's Group The membership of the Atascocita Presbyterian Church Men's Group is open to ali adult male members of APC. The Men's Group strives to provide "the guys" a venue for Christian fellowship outside of the formai sanctuary while offering opportunities to share in men's activities and participate in a sociai or service oriented event.
Over the years the group has hosted some of the church's family meal events and the competitive Chiii for Charity event. This year, aiong with others, we provided Chili as part of the faii 2015 Mission Market event sponsoring a competitive Chiii "Cook-Off raising money for Mission Committee selected charities. There were ten chili pots entered with highiy prestigious People's Choice award going to Chef Gary Denmon foiiowed ciosely by Steve Coieman; the judged "officiai" Braggin' Rights awards went to Dave Leyshon, Tim Brown, and Mindy Butier. We understand that Judges Spross, Olson and Russell required less than 24 hours to recover from gastronomical malfunctions resulting from sampling ali the chiii. Thanks from Market chairpersons Eunice Munoz and Dave Leyshon to ali who entered competitive Chili Pots.
The Men's Breakfast was conducted about seven months, in APC's kitchen, offering a venue for early morning fellowship. The tradition of Men's breakfast has seen many formats used for the over 20+ years that we have conducted the breakfast ~ everything from Coffee and Donuts with some formal discussion topics to the current monthly "made to order" aia' carte menu format.
With the serious waning of participation using the current format we will discontinue the Men's Breakfast until it can be decided what format reflects the current desires for morning fellowship and who will step forward to coordinate that effort. Historical special credit is given to Dick Crosby who served as chief critique provider and head bottle washer and to lead Chef Tim Brown with assistance of Jack Henderson for administrative duties over these many years.
The Men's Group hosts "The Fifth Wednesday Dinner" at Cedar Landing on the Thursday evening following any Fifth Wednesday that falls within a calendar month. We celebrated an increase in dinner attendance for 2015. The dinner is open to ail APC men, and any adult male guest. The dinners present an opportunity for a little fun entertainment provided by the Ruger Brothers {aka "Stevey Bob" and "Jimmy Bob") who offer corny Ozark humor to the group.
We encourage ali the church men to participate in the fun dinner event ~ it's also a great way to further introduce your guests to APC in an informal setting and encourage their continued attendance at Sunday worship services. Our group's thanks go to Doug Botkin and Cedar Landing's restaurant staff as they oontinue to be our graoious hosts.
For a number of years, including 2015, there has been a contingent of APC men, part of approximately 500 men statewide, attending the Texas State Presbyterian Men's Conference held at MO Ranch in early May. The conference presents an opportunity to participate in seminars geared toward increasing understanding of what it means to be a Ohristian man and highlighting current sociai, economic or PC-USA concerns.
The conference's social and competitive sporting events help'refresh the friendships that participants have developed over the years. We welcomed Joe Breda and Matt Drake as "newbies" to MO Ranch. Some of the attendees enjoyed Mulligan riddled pre-conference golf; even George Williams enjoyed limited participation as a "pitch & putt" player. We note that former APC member Ken Cavanaugh won the highly competitive Washer Toss event and as always we really enjoyed visiting with our former pastor. Rev. Tom Gibbons at the Tri-Plex area campfire. We note that Ron Spross was able to spend some time with, a first time Mo Ranch attendee, his former college roommate the Rev. Dr. Jim Burns.
We thank Ron Tribolet and Gary Denmon for coordinating arrangements for MO Ranch group.
Respectfully submitted for The Men's Group, Tim Brown
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Children's Ministry The members of the Children's Ministry Committee include Bonnie Russell, Jill Spross, Brooke Parry, Cathy Gerald, Traci HIavaty and DeeDee Mills. We would like to recognize Sandy Denmon as a member of our committee for all of the time she devotes to children's ministry. We are grateful for many volunteers that teach classes on Sundays and Wednesdays, help with VBS activities, and assist with Children's Ministry events.
The Children's Ministry Committee works to provide a Christian foundation of sharing God's word and God's love to children that is friendly, warm, and fun with learning opportunities on Sunday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. Events throughout the church year help enhance these opportunities. The curriculum for Sunday morning is "Whirl" published by Spark House—a lectionary based curriculum that includes take-home leaflets for each learner and a short video presentation for each lesson. Our committee also oversees the nursery with many changes through the year in the nursery staff. We are working on a possible rotation schedule or substitute attendants to keep things running smoothly.
The Epiphany Pest in January included a light lunch and short lesson. Between 35 and 45 were in attendance. On Ash Wednesday in February the children decorated poster board "ALLELUIAS" which were put away to bring out again on Easter. On Easter Sunday, the committee members provided breakfast foods and a butterfly craft to go along with a butterfly release. An Easter egg hunt for each age group of children was held on the playgrounds and classrooms.
Traci HIavaty spent many hours writing summer lessons for the children's "Storybook Summer" Faith Formation hour and searching for books to be read aloud during the "Time for Children" on Sunday mornings. The storybooks for read-aloud were very well received and many church members enjoyed reading to the children. Summertime brought Vacation Bible School with 65 children taking part in the four-day event of "Hometown Nazareth—^Where Jesus was a Kid." We are blessed to have many church members and youth leaders that helped make this a meaningful week in the children's faith journey. Throughout the summer, several mission-based activities were planned with the idea of "Giving Back".
August brought Back-to-SchooI activities and a Blessing of Backpacks was scheduled for students and educators and Kid's Hope mentors. A new 5"'' grade class was formed to allow the oldest elementary school students to make connections in the Bible and to practice really using a Bible. Attendance in the Pre-school/Kindergarten class soared and consistently remained our biggest group on Sunday mornings. We continue to look for ways to increase interest in other age groups. Wednesday Nights at APC resumed in the fall with healthy dinners available for everyone and activities for all age groups. An indoors Halloween event replaced the scheduled "into the Woods" due to weather. Many youth-led games were fun for all the younger participants who enjoyed indoor trick-or-treating as well.
We began the Christmas season with the Advent Event "Do You Hear What I Hear?' The evening included music, games, and a wooden nativity family craft. Susan Phillips organized the chimes performance by the children and provided some history behind carols we know and love. About 55 people attended this event for all ages. A child-friendly Christmas Eve service was planned by Traci HIavaty and included a no-rehearsal children's pageant. We will conclude the Christmas season with our Epiphany Event in January.
GLC continues to provide a loving Christian pre-school environment for children to learn, play, grow and develop. The program serves 182 students and their families.
Respectfully submitted, DeeDee Mills, moderator of Children's Ministry Committee
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Director of Children's Ministry Reflecting back, I noticed that 2015 was a year of discovery, discovering what is
currently working in our programming and where there is opportunity to learn and grow, and understanding that that growth looks like learners actively engaged in the learning process, regardless of the number of learners.
I had the opportunity to attend the Annual Event of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators in Baltimore in late January and serve on the Administrative Team for this vital organization. This is an event dedicated to supporting church 'educators and sharing of information, ideas and networking. I had the great privilege to share in many conversations concerning educational ministries with children and the new and innovative ways educators are sharing the life and stories of Jesus with the congregations they serve, and even beyond.
We began our Lenten time by decorating an 'Alleluia' banner which reappeared for our Easter festivities. Continually trying to make Easter a celebration of the basis for our faith and all we do (and less focused on sweets and things), we had snacks of breads prepared by members of the Children's Committee, a craft focused on butterflies, an egg hunt (with the prizes largely being small trinkets with a few sweets as well) and our traditional butterfly release to symbolize a transformed, new and vibrant life that we have in Christ.
Summer programming was based on service opportunities and was held in the evenings. With falling attendance and a desire to be intentionally intergenerational, other opportunities will be considered for next summer. The idea for Faith Formation to be a fellowship among generations as well as a learning opportunity is gaining a wider audience with many support materials available.
For Vacation Bible School the program was lengthened to four days after having spent two years with a three-day offering. The lengthened schedule was welcomed by many participants. We planned our fourth day to include activities led by our youth to provide enthusiasm, energy and the opportunity for leadership for this important group of teens. We had multi-age small groups and discovered that our preschoolers were having a difficult time engaging in the story, while the elementary participants did a great job of working with one another across ages.
Our Wednesday@APC program has continued with a focus to invite those who may not have participated before to simply join in for a great dinner and fellowship. With our brief services moved to the Sanctuary, those who have joined for dinner though not interested in a contemporary service are welcome to stay and continue in fellowship. It has been a positive step and given us the ability to engage in another style of worship within our worship space.
The Advent and Christmas season brought more opportunity for fun, fellowship and learning as we focused our Advent gathering on music and its importance to the season. We also enjoyed making a keepsake craft, a musical game and a catered dinner. The family Christmas eve service included a no-rehearsal pageant in which we had lots of participation. We closed out the Christmas season with an Epiphany celebration in which we spoke about the gifts we ourselves bring before Jesus.
Discovery leads to excitement for what is and what can be, and I look forward to taking our APC discoveries and building upon them to create an exciting learning atmosphere with engaged learners.
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Communication & Outreach Report MEMBERS: Linda Andrus, Chads Nees, Janna Hubbard, Sara Lewis, Bonnie Carr, Forrest Craig, Grayce Choate ADJUNCT MEMBER: Rachel Wells
GREETERS - The quarterly sign-up for front door greeters for both services has worked well. Given the vagaries of Houston weather, recruiting parking lot greeters has not been so successful.
VISITOR CENTER - With Sara's assistance, brochures have been updated and maintained, visitor bags prepared and distributed. The informational TV screen is kept current by the office administrator, Jenni Strader, and is very helpful. A map of the building was developed by Charis and Jenni that will be made available to visitors as needed. Visitor attendance continues to be strong with between 10 and 20 each week. Janna tracked visitors' attendance, welcoming by email those who left information.
SIGNAGE - With some of the funds remaining in the VI Grant from Presbytery, indoor room number signs and outdoor directional signs were purchased and installed along with door sign holders to indicate what activity is currently meeting in classrooms. The remainder of those funds will be used to defray the cost of cleaning the tile in the restrooms.
SUPER SENIOR SOCIETY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES - The Soup and Salad Social meets on the last Thursday of each month January through May and September through November. Various programs are offered, both informative and entertaining. Linda Andrus has done an outstanding job coordinating this program. The Society is grateful for the assistance of Sandy Denmon and Lisa Stacy in facilitating the Socials. Bonnie Carr coordinates the Seniors and Friends lunch outing the first Wednesday of each month.
INQUIRERS' CLASS - Five adults attended classes on May 17 and 24 facilitated by Allan Griffin along with Session and Diaconate members. All united with APC. Including these five, 21 adults and 4 youth joined the church in 2015. A class is planned for late January 2016.
COMMUNICATIONS - Forrest managed the media needs for Outreach until October when the Session approved making it a stand-alone committee chaired by Forrest.
YOUNG ADULT OUTREACH - Rachel kept the committee informed about activities of her YA group. Outreach will provide her with visitor contact information when available for those in that age bracket.
Wednesdays@APC - Outreach agreed to coordinate with the dinner chefs to encourage more "empty nester" adults to attend and invite friends for great food and fellowship with their church family.
YOGA - The Monday morning Yoga for the Rest of Us class continues strong with 8 - 1 4 participants weekly. Several non-church members attended having learned about it on the church website or by invitation from a friend. This activity is coordinated by Lisa Stacy.
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Discipleship The members of the Discipleship Committee during 2015 included Julie Arnold, Forrest Craig, Sandy Denmon, Addie Kephart, Clay McCool, Ellen Nipe and Lisa Stacy.
The goal of the Discipleship Committee continues to be to build upon the spirit of hospitality started with the Outreach Committee, striving to encourage a sense of belonging to the body of Christ among all its members, whether new or old, active or inactive. We have tried to do these things by active use of our Time/Talent Commitment surveys, our Mentor program, our New Member receptions and Fellowship opportunities.
We planned and held a Talent Show on February 22"^ to benefit Family Promise. Many members provided entertainment for all attending.
Throughout the early months of 2015, we updated the Time/Talent Survey and then distributed it to the congregation on May 3'"'̂ during both services. After it was collated, the information was made it available to the Session. It is our hope that Elders and Deacons will use this information to find new committee members, involve interested members in activities and help us to involve more and more members, new and old in the activities of the church.
In May, we held a New Member luncheon that included families of new members and their mentors. Forty-five people attended and gave us information on what attracted them to APC and the activities in which they would like to be involved.
During the summer, we planned to re-offer the Bible in 90 Days program that APC members were involved in several years ago. We started the program in mid-September, offering two classes, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. We started with 18 people involved and ended in December with 12 members completing the program.
In October, we finalized the Fellowship Interest Survey, which was distributed to the congregation on November 15* during both services. After collating the results, we will host the first event, a potluck luncheon and games day after church services March 6, 2016.
We planned another new member function for December, but we post-poned it to January since too many people were unable to attend.
Throughout 2015, we have welcomed new members to the church, assigned mentors, collected their contact information and pictures to share with the church office, and posted their biographies and pictures on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Hopefully, we are providing ways in which all members may share in the life of the church and be disciples of Jesus Christ. Respectfully submitted by Ellen Nipe
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Facilities The Facilities committee plans, oversees and approves the maintenance, care and use of the churoh building, grounds and contents.
In addition to normal operations, the following is a summary of activities during 2015:
Lawn Service: The existing contract with Jose Pinon was expanded to include additional aspects of grounds maintenance.
Prayer Wall: The prayer wall in the narthex was made permanent. Work completed by Nancy Tribolet and John Sheridan.
Sanctuary: A contract was executed with Hi-Fi Doc, LLC for repair and replacement of lighting and other miscellaneous items in the sanctuary. The work was completed in October. This is the first major lighting repair/replacement project since the sanctuary was constructed. This is a recurring project on a 3-year cycle due again in 2018. At that time LED technology should be such that a different plan will be available.
Mechanical System: All mechanical work continues to be under contract with All Star Mechanical. They performed major repair work in the older part of the building that was carried over from 2014.
Kitchen: The refrigerator was repaired and a replacement 3 compartment sink and hand washing sink were installed as per code requirements. A new ice machine was installed.
Window Replacement: Approximately half the defective windows in the older building were replaced by Binswanger Glass.
Utilities: The dumpster contract was renewed with Waste Management. Our electricity service provider was changed to Star Tex Power.
Electrical Repairs: Electrical repairs were made to lighting fixtures in the older building per code requirements.
Budgeting: Carpet and ceramic tile cleaning was deferred to 2016 due to budget restraints. The replacement of the remaining defective windows mentioned above, a significant drainage project and pressure washing the building has been deferred indefinitely due to budget restraints. A repair and replacement fund has been established to provide for major mechanical issues and will be under the direct control of the Session. This fund to be accumulative from year to year.
Committee Members: Co-chair - Elder Doug Botkin, Co-chair - Elder David Gerald, Tim Brown, Jim Hannan, Tom Purvis, Forrest Graig
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Mission Report Mission Committee: Eunice Munoz (co-chair), Julia Ann Moffett, Bonnie Russell, Sara Lewis, Ray Peregoy, Dave Leyshon (co-chair) 1 Peter 4:10 "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." The APC Mission Committee reaches outside the church, following the Biblical imperative to help others and to support the mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA). We work together to help those in need. Support for Children and Youth:
1. Funds for APC youth for mission trips, such as to New Mexico ($2700) 2. Made a covenant with Kid's Hope - mentorship program for at-risk students at Jack
Fields Elementary, Sandy Denmon-coordinator. ($940) Support for the Environment:
APC adults participated in Trash Bash program in March to help clean shores of Lake Houston, Dave Leyshon-coordinator.
Support for National and International Aid Programs: 1. Funds to support two PG(USA) missionary personnel, one of whom was Leslie Vogel. 2. Numerous APC volunteers participated in November Mission Fair through which $4200
was raised by selling various items. Money raised from sales were donated to charities mentioned below. Each team made arrangements to explain the work of their charity and to sell something to benefit their charity.
CEDEPCA (Centre Evangelico De Estudios Pastorales en Centre America) Bienvenidos Outreach (New Mexico food outreach)
Rebuilding Houston Together (volunteer home repairs for needy Houston homeowners)
Pal Craft Aid (Crafts made by Palestinians and imported by volunteers) Redeemed Ministries (Human Trafficking Remediation) HAAM -Humble Area Assistance Ministry (training, volunteers, meals on wheels) Family Promise Program (Helps local homeless find jobs-training and housing
provided) 10,000 Villages (Crafts made in 3''̂ world countries and sold by volunteers) Fair Trade/Equal Exchange (Coffee and chocolate from 3"''̂ world countries) Houston Seafarers Ministry (Assistance for seafarers at port of Houston)
3. Organized 4 Special Offerings (Dave Leyshon and Eunice Munoz-coordinators) One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas Joy, Pentecost, Peacemaking-Global Witness These programs are run by PCUSA. Total donation in 2015: $4912.
4. Provided funds ($2400) in response to disasters: a. Fire at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Galveston b. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Iraq refugee crisis c. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance US Flooding d. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Nepal Earthquake
Support for Ongoing Aid Programs: 1. Covenant relationship with HAAM (Humble Area Assistance Ministry) to provide
volunteer workers and financial donations ($1758). 2. Covenant relationship with Family Promise through which APC members volunteer to
host, provide meals and financial aid ($825) to homeless families.
Other Donation Recipients: PCUSA-Young Adult Volunteers program (Rachel Wells is graduate of YAV program) Presbyterian Pan American School, Kingsville, TX (Eunice Munoz is graduate)
Submitted in Peace, Eunice C. Munoz and Dave Leyshon
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Nominating Committee Report The APC 2015 Nominating Committee included Anne Wallace, Danny Williams, Jill Spross, Ron Powell, Bonnie Russell (Deacon representative) DeeDee Mills, Vice-Moderator, and Grayce Choate, Moderator.
The Nominating Committee was charged with the responsibility of nominating a slate of officers to fill the vacancies of those 4 Elders and 4 Deacons whose terms expired on December 31 , 2015. The committee met on Monday nights beginning on August 10, 2015 to select candidates for the vacant offices and to plan who would contact the nominees. All members of Atascocita Presbyterian Church were encouraged to submit names of prospective nominees for the various offices that were to be filled. We thank the congregation for their prayers, support, and nominee suggestions.
The Nominating Committee selected 4 Elders and 4 Deacons to serve three-year terms beginning in January 01, 2016 and ending in December 31 , 2018. Kathy Gava, Judi Anderson, Phil Schreiber, and Ray Peregoy were nominated and agreed to serve as Deacons in the Class of 2018: Ann Owen, Claudia Nelson, Sara Lewis and Forrest Craig were nominated and agreed to serve as Elders in the Class of 2018. Tom Olson was nominated and agreed to serve on the nominating committee in the class of 2018.
On Sunday, September 20, 2015 the Slate of Offioers was presented and approved by APC members attending the Congregational Meeting held after the 10:30 am worship service.
The Nominating Committee appreciates the support of the Congregation and the willingness of individuals to serve.
Respectfully submitted Grayce Choate, Moderator
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Personnel The 2015 Personnel Committee was comprised of Allan Griffin, Jenna Dhayer, Charlotte Nazarko and Janet Griffin. The committee also consulted with Mazie Williams, Will Nees and Pastor Jackie Hannan.
It was a very uneventful 2015 for the Personnel Committee and that is usually a good thing. No changes to staff positions occurred. As a result only two consultations with committee members resulted in minor salary adjustments through the year. In December, Annual Performance Evaluations were received and reviewed. The entire Atascocita Presbyterian Church staff continues to perform at levels exceeding expectations.
Budget limitations led the committee to consider alternatives to salary increases for some staff members. All of the staff appreciated the changes in their compensation structure.
The committee will explore revisions to the Performance Review Process for 2016.
I look forward to another year of positive personnel outcomes.
Respectfully submitted by Allan Griffin
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stewardship The Stewardship committee for 2015 included, Allan Griffin, Will Nees, and the Rev. Jackie Hannan. The committee was given the task of handling the annual Stewardship Campaign for the 2016 Operating Budget.
The theme for this year's campaign was aligned with the sermon series which was asking our members to get out of their comfort zone. In keeping with the theme, there were announcements placed in the church newsletter and Sunday bulletins, as well as letters sent directly to the congregation leading up to the dedication of pledges, as well as follow up letters after dedication Sunday. During the campaign the following members gave a Minute for Stewardship; Grayce Choate, Steve Coleman, Camilla Drake, Dave Leyshon, Jamie Hannan, DeeDee Mills, and Ellen Nipe. In addition to pledge Sunday which was held on November 15,2015, the ability to pledge online was added to Atascocita Presbyterian's website by Forrest Craig.
Members and friends of APC were asked to step out of our comfort zone when considering their pledge for 2016 and remember the many blessings that we receive every day. Pledges were received and dedicated during both worship services on November 15, 2015. The campaign resulted in pledges totaling $313,929, with $362,000 being used for the 2016 Operating Budget.
The Stewardship committee would like to thank everyone for their participation and generosity, which resulted in a very successful campaign.
Respectfully submitted.
Will Nees
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Worship The Worship Committee would like to thank the Church Staff and members who gave of their time and talents to enrich this year's Worship Services.
Two services were held on most Sundays with 4 having only one service. Special services held included Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunrise and Christmas Eve.
The Committee is responsible for Ushers and Liturgists (as needed). We arrange for flowers when they are requested including Palms and Lilies for Easter and Poinsettias for Christmas. These are provided by the generosity of the congregation. Thanks to Jenni Strader for setting up internet sign-ups to fill these slots and also paper sign-ups in the Narthex.
When Pastor Hannan is absent, it is the responsibility of the committee to find pulpit supply. We are grateful for the willingness of Steve Thorney, David Wells, Kathy Sebring, Shelley Craig, Rachel Wells, Rose Niles and Gayle Grubbs to fill this necessary role.
Music is provided in our Worship by the Chancel Choir under the direction of Joe Weir. Carl Braden in the accompanist for the choir and others as needed. The Bell Choir provides music under the direction of Susan Phillips.
The Sacrament of Communion is celebrated by both Intinction and with the congregation seated being served the elements. The elements are prepared by teams of two and are served by Elders and Deacons. It is served on the first Sunday of the month, special occasions, each Sunday in Advent and on Christmas Eve.
The Liturgical Arts Committee continues to function well and continues to awe the congregation with their talents and vision as they enhance the message presented by our Pastor. This year a few highlights for the Sermons series were the Lenten Series, "Holy Vessels." We had a series in the fall "Outside my Own Little World." We did an Advent series entitled "Into the World." Each time our group gathers they offer innovative ideas which include decor, readings, graphics, and other ideas to enhance the understanding of scripture.
There were eight Baptisms performed in 2015; two of those were adult baptisms.
Our media crew continue to enhance our service each week. Performing this function are Forrest Craig, Jim Hannan, Dave Leyshon, Steve Coleman, Eric Mills and Traci HIavaty.
Committee members are Dick Crosby, Allan Griffin, Nancy Tribolet, Susan Sheridan, Forrest Craig. Pastor Hannan provided direction and advice.
Submitted by Connie Brown
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Youth Ministry
2015 was a strong year for youth ministry at APC. Weekly events included Sunday school, or Faith Formation, and Bible Study for Junior and Senior High Youth. Through study in Confirmation, we were able to assist some of our young people in learning more about the Reformed Faith, PC(USA), and Atascocita Presbyterian. Confirmation also allowed some of our young people to connect with members of our congregation who served as their mentors.
Participation in weekly events was constant through the course of the year. We are excited to have youth representing our congregation as members of the Presbyterian Youth Connection Council, or PYCC, for the first time in many years. These individuals provide leadership for presbytery wide youth events including youth rallies, fellowship events, and conclaves.
The youth of the church have participated in many weekend service opportunities and the Annual Mission Trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico was a great success as they served the homeless and hungry at various non-profit agencies in Santa Fe. After the trip, the youth planned and led a worship service which allowed them to share their experiences with the congregation and thank the congregation for its continued support of this wonderful, life changing trip.
The annual garage sale, golf tournament, and catfish dinner were great successes and helped to offset the cost of the mission trip. For the third year in a row we were awarded a grant through the Kurt Warner foundation which also helped to defray the costs a bit. Also, at the end of the year, the youth sold "Gifts in a Jar" to continue our fundraising efforts. The youth, parents, and youth ministry volunteers are very grateful for the support of the church and of the foundation in making this mission opportunity possible.
In addition to the Mission trip, our youth participated in Conclaves at Cho-Yeh with other youth of our Presbytery, traveled to Mo-Ranch for Junior High Jubilee, and went to Synod Youth Workshop in Tulsa, OK. All of these opportunities allowed our youth to grow in their faith and meet other Presbyterian youth from around our Presbytery and Synod. Rachel and the youth ministry committee continue to look for opportunities to strengthen programming at APC and allow our youth to grow in faith.
Respectfully submitted, Jamie Hannan
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Director of Youth Ministry
2015 has been a year focusing on meaningful engagement from the youth in our program. Youth have been participating more in the conversation of what they want their youth program to be. Parents have also been integral in this process. We elected two Youth Representatives to the Youth Committee. They receive meeting minutes, give feedback, and help coordinate and lead events. During this year the program has been structured around a few key aspects: service, learning, leadership, fellowship, and spiritual practices. Another goal for this year was to connect more to our church community, to the Presbytery and other churches, and to the outside community.
The youth have done many similar programs from previous years, but have been willing and able to try new things. We had great fundraising support with Catfish Dinner, Garage Sale, Golf Tournament and Gifts in a Jar this year. The Santa Fe Ski and Mission Trip included nine youth who bonded very closely. They did very meaningful work seeking to make a contribution to organizations that combat hunger, homelessness and poverty. Much of our fundraising goes toward this trip, but this year we were able to use half of our funds raised to help make Camps and Conferences more affordable for youth and families. We also received generous donations from the Mission Committee and from the Kurt Warner Foundation.
APC Youth participated in three conferences this year. Conclaves in March, Junior High Jubilee in June and Synod Youth Workshop in July. Seven youth attended Conclaves which includes youth from all over New Covenant Presbytery. This year, we had four youth apply and be accepted to be members of the Presbyterian Youth Connections Council (PYCC) which is the group that plans and leads the entire Conclaves conference. Five youth attended Junior High Jubilee. It was a conference full of spiritual growth for Middle School students. We also had six High School youth attend Synod Youth Workshop which connects youth from our entire Synod of the Sun in fellowship, mission work and worship.
I believe we have met our goals this year surrounding our "key aspects." The youth worked on their team building skills this year at InSpire Rock which included a lock-in. The youth also showed amazing leadership during Vacation Bible School and Youth Sunday. The Youth completed a service log and did mission projects for Texas Children's Hospital, The Linus Project, Kids Against Hunger, Family Promise, The Houston Food Bank, Souper Bowl of Caring, Star of Hope Homeless Shelter and HAAM in 2015. The youth had fun and fellowship this summer at events like Splashtown and the Chris Tomlin Concert. We have explored current events, read the bible Lectio Divina, and done different styles of prayer. We covered topics like Suicide Prevention and Awareness, Gossip, Justice, Decision Making and much more during Youth Mondays.
Two youth completed the Confirmation program and presented some very impressive and developed statements of Faith. Two youth also joined the church as New Members this year. The youth are starting to become more active in the life of the church in other ministries. Two of our youth are members of the Choir and a few of our youth have gotten more involved in the ministry of Family Promise.
Attendance is often low in the program from week to week, but the energy and enthusiasm from the youth, the Youth Committee, and the congregation is propelling us to continue doing great things in the name of Christ in the New Year! We have built a solid foundation to grow on and have met many of the goals we set out to accomplish in 2015.
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Young Adult Ministry Annual Report At the start of 2015 the consistent groups of 12 Young Adults were unable to
make many of the gatherings we attempted to schedule at local restaurants. We did have a few great small gatherings, but we realized we weren't meeting the needs of the entire group. I had discussions with the regular members of the group and we collectively decided in August to change the format of gatherings to Potluck Dinners at each other's homes.
After the change occurred, we have met every month with almost full attendance consistently. In October we were unable to meet because of a variety of new life circumstances for our members. We had Newlyweds, two babies born, and a member with an injury. It was an exciting and busy year!
The goals of the Young Adult group are to meet once a month, to have some Saturday service projects, and to have a retreat in 2016. We also have expanded our email list and agreed to focus on outreach with the help of the Outreach Committee. We seek to develop some time for meaningful engagement at the church for Young Adults. The focus of our Tuesday gatherings is mainly fellowship, but there are places where Young Adults desire some relevant programming like Sunday Mornings.
Since this is not a group with a committee or a budget, we are limited in the activities that are available to us right now. We have discussed forming a committee and becoming more organized in the coming years.
Young Adults are present in so many facets of our church. Many of our members have attended and helped with church wide events and served on committees. They are new parents, Session members, dedicated youth and children's ministry volunteers, choir members, bell ringers and Wednesday night volunteers. We look forward to growing more in 2016 and continuing to build meaningful connections within the Young Adult community and to the church community.
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Board of Deacons Report
The Deacon's responsibilities are to meet the needs and care for our congregation. Each of the twelve Deacons is assigned about 12 to 13 Families to care for through-out the ear. We provide meals and transportation for those facing difficult times or in emergencies. We make visits to the hospital, to the hoe bound and send cards for birthdays, anniversaries, as well as holidays and other special events.
We have our Deacon Deli, which is made up of volunteer members of our congregation and the Deacon who can provide and deliver a meal in an emergency or over a period of time. This year. Children's Ministry helped provide frozen meals and cookies for the Deacons to use. This year we provided over 60 meals.
The Deacons are also responsible for supplying food and helping with set up for Funeral Receptions. This year we only had one.
Bonnie Russell represented the Deacons on the 2015 Nominating Committee
This year the Deacons were not involved in any fund raising projects.
The Deacons provided baked goods for four different events. The first was a Presbytery meeting at APC, breakfast for Adult Ministries guest Mike Cole, cookies for the Mission Fair and the Ecumenical Service.
It has been an honor to serve these past three years. Many thanks to all that helped your Deacons.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Stacy Moderator
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Creative Learning Center HISTORY GLC was originally two distinct programs: Children's Day Out beginning in 1985 and the Creative Learning Center in 1987. The two were combined in 2001 under the umbrella name of Creative Learning Center. Both were begun as a mission outreach ministry to our community and have served successfully in that capacity for more than 25 years. In order to provide continuity, the program was conducted off-site until the new building was completed following the 2001 fire. CLC faithfully adheres to its original Purpose Statement: to provide a Christian atmosphere for young children to learn, play, grow and develop. As a result our graduating students are highly recognized within HISD for kindergarten preparedness.
• Enrollment for 2014 was at capacity (182) with a waiting list for most classes. • All preschool teachers are degreed professionals, certified by the State of Texas • All CLC supplies are regularly shared with Sunday school classes and Vacation Bible
School • Playground equipment and maintenance are provided by the school for use by
the church and the school • G.A.T.E. (God's Acre that Educates) is maintained by the school. • CLC is responsible for:
Annual building inspection fees $1,600.00 School portion of the phone bill 960.00 Workers' Comp for CLC employees 3.000.00 Cleaning of the two rugs in the school area 300.00 Fire ant treatment of playground/church grounds 500.00 Mulch and spreading of mulch 600.00 Rug and "hook on chair" for nursery 150.00 Hole in nursery wall/toilets tightened 250.00 Monthly donations to APC ($1250.00/month September - May $500.00/month June and August), totaling 12.250.00
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS $19.610.00
The majority of funds raised by CLC during the 2015 auction/dinner were dedicated to the drainage issues in the G.A.T.E. area and completion of an intercom system. If anyone would like more in-depth information, please contact Cathy Gerald for a copy of the Preschool Task Group report of 2006. The administrator, the CLC Board, and faculty would like to thank the congregation for their continued support. The value of your volunteer hours is incalculable and greatly contributes to the positive impacts on the lives of children in our community.
Respectfully submitted, Cathy Gerald, Director CLC
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Finance
Summary of 2015 Operating Results
Total member contributions exceeded the planned budget by $6,650. Expenses were over the planned budget by $1,515, with actual expenses exceeding total income by $22,808. Expenses exceeded the budget in the following areas.
Office operations were over budget by $1,830, due to extra expenses for supplies, postage, and copier expense. Facilities was over budget by $14,083, due to upgrades in the kitchen, A/0 repair, and Landscape/Mowing expenses. The extra expenses were absorbed by the carryover from 2014.
The operating bank account ended the year with a balance of $61,784 and after reserving funds for the special funds accounts there was $14,940 available for daily operations.
Summary of 2016 Budget
Member pledges as of 12/31/2015 were $313,929, with $362,000 being used for budgetary purposes, due to the expectation of receiving more pledges. After allowing for other contributions and building use income, the total income number being used for the budget for 2016 will be $442,750, leaving a budget deficit of ($25,957). The Pastors salary and housing will be unchanged with an increase in salary for the Youth Director. The facilities budget is increasing over the 2015 budget due to maintenance, building cleaning, and landscape/mowing cost, but is being budgeted under actual expenditures for 2015. The increase in ministry expense is mainly due to a shifting of items from the office expense area to a newly established Communication and Technology committee. In addition, a new line item has been added, the Facilities Capital Improvement Fund, which will be used for unplanned repairs. It will be transferred from the operating budget to the special fund which has been set up as a holding account for this purpose.
The Finance Committee was co-chaired by Will Nees and Allan Griffin.
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Budget Report Contributions 2014 2015 2016
Member Pledges 379,418 354,660 362,000
Other Contributions 47,875 68,623 65,000
Building Use/CLC 26,650 12,250 12,250
Other Income/Building Use 4,672 3,908 3,500
458,615 439,441 442,750
Personnel & Office
Salaries & Wages 136,428 143,954 148,475
Benefits 81,009 96,777 94,875
Payroll Expense 7,593 8,342 8,500
Supplies/Other 2,498 3,727 2,550
Communications/Postage 4,443 4,457 900
Office Equipment 4,299 4,986 0
236,270 262,243 255,300
Facilities
Utilities 25,189 30,014 27,450
Building Oleaning 13,287 14,414 14,000
Maintenances! Landscaping 10,392 21,835 18,050
Window Replacement 0 4,721 0
Other Expenses 2,435 2,978 3,300
51,303 73,963 62,800
Finance
Mortgage 68,190 67,010 67,010
Facility Insurance 15,940 16,413 16,675
Other Expense 1,481 -449 1,550
85,611 82,972 85,235
Ministry
Mission 29,657 29,911 30,000
Worship 4,807 3,808 5,760
Children's Ministry 2,361 2,559 3,110
Youth Ministry 5,199 5,558 5,976
Adult Ministry 314 645 1,400
Outreach & Communication 2,409 718 480
Communication 8<. Technology 0 0 11,906
Other 199 -128 740
Facilities Capital Improvement Fund 0 0 6,000
44,946 43,071 65,372
Total Expense 418,130 462,249 468,707
Surplus/(Deficit) 40,485 -22,808 -25,957
Note: Pastor Salary 36,744 36,744 36,744
Pastor Housing 45,324 48,016 48,016
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