Dear Folks,
As we reported at the Annual Meeting last Sunday, 2016 was a strong year by almost every measure. We saw dramatic increases in mid-week events and measured increases in weekend attendance; generous 2016 financial support and careful stewardship resulted in a $155,000 surplus, which will be directed toward the endowment; relationships with the wider community were deepened through a shift in perspective from “outreach” to “engagement,” and regularly gathering parish leaders for mutual support and information-sharing; adult education programming significantly widened our reach, attracting hundreds of people to hear speakers, meet authors or enjoy a silent retreat, and many of the participants we’ve welcomed are brand new to Redeemer.
Thank you for your good questions on Sunday: Is there similar growth in Sunday School families… How are we doing with children’s programming… What kind of resources do we need sustain our parish growth and build on it? What does Redeemer look like in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, and how are we charting our path to get there?
The staff debriefed the meeting on Tuesday, and along with Vestry leadership, we will use your questions to shape our work going forward. As I said on Sunday, we have room to grow in the numbers of children and teenagers, young families, un-partnered adults, and millennials we serve at weekend worship services, but we are very excited about the large numbers of those folks we are attracting to our other offerings… and all of that is Church! Important questions remain about how best to nurture those relationships and facilitate Redeemer’s mission to build the broadest possible community in Baltimore.
Thank you for your patience, too, since the service was longer than intended! Next year we will print more information for you in the service leaflet, tighten our meeting agenda, and move the time for questions and discussion to a Rector’s forum following the service.
I also reported that 2017 pledges are not yet where we hoped they would be. The shortfall as of April 30 is $80,000 (the overall goal for pledges is $1.275 million), and the gap is due primarily to the deaths of several long-term parishioners. Churches like us which are growing in mission must consistently build their base of contributing members, inspiring visitors to become members and long-time supporters to become even more engaged. I ask you to return thanks to God through your robust support of Redeemer.
The good news is all the ways that Redeemer is thriving today. Our challenge is that the church we are called to build is for the future: for children and neighbors and strangers that we do not yet know. That exciting task will require leadership gifts from all of us, in time and talent and treasure. Ahead for us is a continued focused mission that draws Redeemer more deeply into Baltimore, inspired programming and worship that nourish an evolving community, planned giving that enables the current generation to support the ones that follow, and inspirational annual support that responds to the Biblical call.
I am inspired and nourished by you, thankful for you, and so blessed to be on the journey with you.
Love,
David
P.S. Click here to make a 2017 pledge or increase your current pledge. Click here to make a gift to Redeemer through our online giving program.