A N N U A LE L E V A T I O N C H U R C H

R E P O R TT W E N T Y T H I R T E E N

This may sound silly, but Annual Report time is one of my favorite times of the year. I know it’s just a booklet. But the information on each page reflects the prayers, work, generosity, and faith of so many people. All of this points to the faithfulness of God. I don’t take any of it for granted.

Would you take 10 or 15 minutes and look the full report over? I think it will refresh you with a perspective of the effectiveness of God’s work in our church.

And then, would you prayerfully consider the part God has called you to play in this mission? There’s something so fulfilling about being a part of something bigger than us, and investing in something that is guaranteed to outlast us. I value all of you who are committed to making an eternal difference. Thank you.

Jesus is building His church. It’s an honor to serve Him together with you.

Yours In Christ,

FROM PASTORSTEVEN FURTICK

P E O P L EBAPTIZED

3,699

1,215BLAKENEY

277GASTON

128PROVIDENCE

638MATTHEWS

362ROCK HILL

539UNIVERSITY/CONCORD

507UPTOWN

33GTA

OVER 9,000 PEOPLE BAPTIZED SINCE 2006

2013BAPTISMS & SALVATIONS

IN 2013

“ELEVATION HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING FOR ME AND MY

FAMILY. I GOT TO WATCH BOTH OF MY PARENTS ACCEPT

CHRIST AT THE EASTER EXPERIENCE, AND I HAD THE

OPPORTUNITY TO GET BAPTIZED ALONGSIDE THEM DURING

RAISED TO LIFE!

– ELLIE GUNKEL | ELEVATION ROCK HILL

DECISIONS FOR CHRIST IN 2013

6,663

= 10 PEOPLE

PEOPLE

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

483

2,089

3,892

5,5106,139

9,595

11,708

13,798

TOTAL AVERAGE HISTORICAL ATTENDANCE

TOTAL AVERAGE ATTENDANCE 2013

13,798PEOPLE

= 10 PEOPLE

2013ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

GOD LED ME OUT OF ISOLATION AND BREATHED LIFE

BACK INTO ME THROUGH THE PEOPLE AT ELEVATION

CHURCH. DREAMS I STOPPED DARING TO DREAM WERE

AWAKENED BECAUSE OF HOW THEY INVESTED IN ME.

THROUGH THE SERMONS, I NOW HAVE THE TOOLS

TO OVERCOME SHAME IN MY LIFE SO THAT I CAN SEE

OTHERS RAISED TO LIFE IN THE SAME WAY.

– OLIVIA ROHONCZY | ELEVATION GTA

BEING A PART OF OUTREACH HAS HELPED ME GROW

SO MUCH IN MY FAITH AND LEADERSHIP. IT HAS TAKEN

THE FOCUS OFF OF MYSELF AND PLACED IT ONTO

THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED. IT HAS REMINDED ME THAT

GOD HAS GIVEN ME GIFTS THAT HE WANTS ME TO USE

TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE FAR FROM HIM. I GET TO BE

HIS HANDS AND FEET THROUGH OUTREACH.

– KRISTI BEZY | ELEVATION CONCORD

$400,000GAVETO LOCAL OUTREACHDURING LOVE WEEK

52,220VOLUNTEERHOURS

SERVED11,381FILLED

VOLUNTEER ROLESA T L O C A T I O N S

LOVE WEEK HIGHLIGHTS JULY 13-21, 2013

LOCAL OUTREACH NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL CHURCH PLANTING$2,637,607 $851,735 $324,100

JUST A FEW OF OUROUTREACH PARTNERS

For a complete list of our Outreach Partners, visit www.elevationoutreach.com

2013OUTREACH HIGHLIGHTS

Our fourth annual Love Week was our largest yet with 688 different volunteer events,creating one of the largest outpourings of service our region has ever seen.

$3.8 MILLION

ELEVATIONCHURCH.ORG

2,772,373 VISITS2012

2013 2,772,373

2,155,427

ELEVATIONNETWORK.COM

989,195 UNIQUE VISITORS

83%

530,139TOTAL VISITS

VIEWED BY165 COUNTRIES

AUDIO

VIDEO

2,603,376TOTAL DOWNLOADS

2,204,171TOTAL LAUNCHES

( N U M B E R O F P E O P L E W H O V I S I T E D A T L E A S T O N C E )

OF VIS ITORS WERE FROMOUTSIDE CHARLOTTE

PODCASTS

70% O F V I S I T O R S W E R E F R O M

OUTSIDE CHARLOTTE

ELEVATION APP TV STATS1,963,755

639,621

(NUMBER OF TIMES THE ELEVATION APP WAS OPENED)

29,758AVERAGE WEEKLY

VIEWERSDOWNLOADS: 121,631

2013MEDIA STATISTICS

WORLDWIDE IMPACT

F O R E V E R Y 1 PERSON A T T E N D I N G ELEVATION CHURCHEACH WEEK

11 PEOPLE A R E L I S T E N I N G

ONLINE

2013 CALCULATED TIME SPENT WATCHING

SERMONS ONLINE

Y E A R S D A Y SH O U R SMINUTESSECONDS

179 103234449

WEEKEND EVENTS | 3.8%

0

$1 MIL

$2 MIL

$3 MIL

$4 MIL

$5 MIL

$6 MIL

$7 MIL

$8 MIL

STUDENTS/EKIDZ/EGROUPS/ETEAMS | 11%

OUTREACH | 12.1%

*PERSONNEL | 29.8%

2013 OPERATING REVENUE ALLOCATION (AUDITED)

* NATIONAL AVERAGE OF PERSONNEL EXPENSES FOR CHURCHES IS 40-50%.

OPERATING REVENUE COMPARISON$20,360,132

$25,185,118 24% 2012

2013

2013 BANNER YEARS (EXPANSION FUND) BREAKDOWNTOTAL REVENUE $3,685,790TOTAL GIVEN TO OUTREACH $765,563*

TOTAL REVENUE BREAKDOWN

2013 TOTAL OUTREACH

2013FINANCE & EXPANSION

* INCLUDES OUTREACH FUNDS CARRIED OVER FROM YEAR END 2012 BANNER YEARS OFFERING

OPERATING$25,185,118

BANNER YEARS$3,685,790

OTHER$319,057

$3,047,878 | OPERATING$765,563 | BANNER YEARS OUTREACH

+

$3,813,4412013

ELEVATION CHURCH UNDERGOES A VOLUNTARY ANNUAL YEAR END AUDIT BY C. DEWITT FOARD AND CO., P.A.

EXPANSION/SAVINGS/DEBT REDUCTION | 26.3%

$7,499,283

$3,047,878

$2,767,313

$961,983

OPERATIONS | 8.1% $2,034,597

$6,612,318

FACILITIES | 9% $2,261,746

EXPANSION 2013The expansion strategy at Elevation Church has always been to use a percentage of the operating income and any expansion funds to add new locations. In 2013, we were able to use over 20% of our operating revenue, our Banner Years gifts, and our loan with Bank of America to do the following:

We were able to close on the purchase of a 22- acre site in Ballantyne, strategically located at Hwy 521 and Lancaster Hwy. We are in the design and development phases of the new project, which we anticipate opening in late 2015. The remainder of the project is expected to cost an additional $20 million.

3. ELEVATION BALLANTYNE

Our Elevation University location was out of room in September, so in just 30 days we launched a new location in Concord. Over 200 volunteers from Elevation University stepped out in faith to help launch the new site in order to reach more people with the Gospel.

2. ELEVATION CONCORD

$650,000T O T A L C O S T

936 PEOPLEAVERAGE ATTENDANCE

The second half of 2013 was a race to finish our newest location. Originally scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2014, Elevation Lake Norman was completed before the end of 2013, in time for a January 2014 opening.

1. ELEVATION LAKE NORMAN

$10.5 MILLIONT O T A L P R O J E C T C O S T

2013 BANNER YEARS (EXPANSION FUND) BREAKDOWN

CREATED IN NORTH CHARLOTTE1,200 SEATS

PROJECTED 1,600 SEATSPURCHASED LAND FOR $3.95 MILLION IN 2013

Elevation GTA launched in Toronto, Canada on Easter weekend 2013 becoming not only our first location outside of the Charlotte area, but our first international location. • Launch costs were covered by the Elevation GTA launch team.• Average attendance: over 250 people in the Fall of 2013.

4. ELEVATION GTA

HOW MUCH DEBT DOES ELEVATION CHURCH HAVE? At the end of 2012 we had $5.5 million in debt. At the end of 2013, with the Blakeney location paid for, Elevation Lake Norman completed and Ballantyne land purchased, we had $9.39 million in debt on a low interest rate loan. In all, we increased debt by $3.89 million in 2013.

WHAT DID WE USE THE BANNER YEARS GIFTS FOR? Through Banner Years, $11.8 million was given generously by the church from year end 2012 through 2013. After designating $1.4 million to outreach, we were able to put $10.4 million towards Elevation Lake Norman, Ballantyne land and reserves for future locations.

ARE WE CONSIDERING PAYING OFF DEBT WITH OUR CURRENT CASH ON HAND? At the end of 2013, the church had $9.24 million of cash on hand and short-term investments (almost the same amount as our debt). A significant portion of that is set aside as reserves for the church as part of our general stewardship policy to maintain operation reserves. We also have additional funds set aside for our minimum reserves in compliance with our relationship with Bank of America. In addition, we have a small outreach carryover from 2013 to be given in 2014. And finally, we like to keep enough cash on hand to move quickly if we have a new expansion opportunity.

ARE AUDITED FINANCIALS AVAILABLE? As in years past, the financial numbers in this annual reportare audited. Additionally, a full copy of our independent financial audit can be downloaded at elevationchurch.org.

LAST YEAR I wrote that I could not wait to see what 2013 would bring, and I was not disappointed. It was indeed another banner year with 3,699 baptisms, and because of your gracious generosity, $3.8 million was given to outreach activities. And when our 2013 audit was completed by our independent certified public accountants, it marked the fifth consecutive year an audit has been done. What a blessing it is to be able to serve God and all of you.

God called me to Elevation in 2008, and shortly after that, a former colleague from the banking world asked how I liked Elevation. I told him I loved what I was doing and that the staff and leadership had great integrity and were simply squeaky clean, particularly with respect to financial matters. He said, “Well, I already knew that, or you wouldn’t be there.” And I am still here. I feel like my professionalism is still at the same high level of integrity as it was when I was responsible for filing financial information to banking regulators and with the Securities and Exchange Commission for what was then the fourth largest bank in the nation.

Our Finance Director, Jerry Sumner, CPA, continues to build excellent internal reporting and analysis systems. He has added personnel to the Finance team, oversees daily operational expense activities, and continually develops and enhances backup processes and training. The addition of Jerry to our staff ensures that Elevation will be adequately prepared for future growth. As I reflect on the meaning of my journey, Pastor Steven summed it up best for me when he recently said two words during a sermon, “Only God.” Through faith in Christ Jesus, only God can equip us to do what we do in service to Him. All else we try to do is like chasing after the wind. It is only God that allowed us, through your obedience and generosity, to see the baptisms and the outreach activities we have seen this past year. Now I look forward to seeing what we can do together in 2014 as God continues to build His church through us.

May the Lord Bless You, Gary Sessions, Controller

2013A NOTE FROM OUR FINANCE TEAM

FINANCIAL FAQs

WWW.ELEVATIONCHURCH.ORG