Page 3 - First Churches 2019-20Annual Report.docx

Co-Pastor’s Annual Report
This has been a year of unprecedented challenge, and yet, at every turn, our congregation has proved to be both resilient and faithful. First Churches began the fiscal year with an act of deep faith, pledging to move forward with our co-pastorate, replace our aging boilers, maintain our building, and continue all of our ministries at their current level, with the knowledge that our deficit by the end of the year would be unsustainable long term.
In response to the challenges before us, we formed a strategic planning team that met bi- weekly to talk about how we could strengthen our church community and our relevance to the larger community while increasing giving within our congregation and securing additional funds from the outside. As a campaign was initiated to cover the cost of new boilers, our team set to work envisioning what it would take to create a spiritually vibrant and financially stable First Churches.
Throughout the Summer and Fall, as attendance rose steadily, 10 members joined, special gifts were given, and grants were written. Things still felt precarious, but there was also a growing sense that the congregation was committed to the co-pastorate and we would find a way forward. The congregation stepped up to fund the boiler project, with help from the Jonathan Edwards Meetinghouse Fund, things were looking up.
Then the pandemic hit, and everything changed. Everything.
Our building, along with many others, was closed. Within days we moved as many of our ministries online as we could. Common Ground, Choir, and Sunday School were effectively suspended, but we quickly familiarized ourselves and the congregation with new technologies and moved Sunday worship, music, coffee hour, Bible Study, and centering prayer on-line. With Andrew’s help, Sarah learned how to edit videos and with Todd and Melinda’s help, we all familiarized ourselves with Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube. We initiated an evening Vespers Service to create a daily place and time to check-in and pray for one another. Laura Dalton moved her book group on-line. Rebecca, our Minister of Music, found a way to meet one-on-one with musicians to record music. And our strategic planning team pivoted to become the 2020 Stewardship Team.
Thanks to everyone’s hard work, faith, and generosity, we conducted our most successful campaign to date, raising over $200,000. Our staff, church officers, finance, and property
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