Annual Report 14-15 - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/salemfirstpresbyterianchurch... · 2015....

ANNUAL REPORT

2014 - 2015

ii Annual Report 2014-2015

REPORTSSTAFF REPORTS1 Lead Pastor - Del Burnett

3 Associate Pastor for Congregational Care - Karen Renner

5 Pastoral Assistant - Sarah Page

6 Director of Worship Arts - Andy Wilson

10 Director of Mission & Outreach - Rob Thrasher

12 Director of Student Ministries - Corey Knudson

14 Children’s Ministry Coordinator - Ashley Gruber

15 Communication & Technology - Ashley Gruber

16 Director of Administration - Audrey Harman

COMMITTEE & MINISTRY REPORTS18 Administration Committee - Delores Pederson

20 Human Resources Committee - Mary Johnson

21 Nominating Committee - Chuck Zemanek

22 Stewardship Committee - Michael Talbert

24 Children’s Ministry - Ashley Gruber

25 Student Ministries - Corey Knudson

28 Adult Formation & Discipleship - Christine Talbert

29 Hospitality Ministry - Sarah Page

31 Impact Ministry - Teddi Tate

33 Worship Ministry - Guin Harding

35 Board of Deacons - Sue Crothers

37 Stephen Ministry - Marsha Kerr

GENERAL REPORTS 38 Church Offi cers

39 Session Membership Report

41 Financial Report

Salem First Presbyterian Church 1

LEAD PASTORDEL BURNETT

The past year will be forever known as the “General Assembly Year!” - the year the PCUSA General Assembly permitted local congregations to alter their life and ministry in signifi cant ways in relation to marriage, the year we Presbyterians approved an expansion of the defi nition of marriage. Although the vote to divest stocks held by the PCUSA was another piece of the 221st General Assembly’s controversial actions, the most life-altering decisions were those related to same-sex marriage and wedding ceremonies. The General Assembly’s actions prompted most PCUSA congregations to revisit the theology of marriage and review their wedding policies, something SFPC engaged with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.

This engagement has taken the form of a year of discernment, a year of theological refl ection, biblical study, respectful conversation, and Spirit-inspired insight concerning marriage in general and same-sex marriage specifi cally, a year in which we have explored the notion of a “Third Way” of addressing same-sex marriage as well as other “disputable matters” we will face as a missional community of faith in a post-modern world. This “Third Way” rejects the tired, old, binary perspective of the surrounding culture, where all decisions are black and white, where there must be winners and losers. The “Third Way” creates space for the generative presence of the Holy Spirit to lead us to imaginative options that honor the genuine differences we have over numerous theological, political, social, economic and relational issues while seeking redemptive and reconciling answers to the challenges we face as a people of grace. Much of my past year has been consumed with exploring and engaging this “Third Way” as the Moderator of Session, as Head of Staff, as Teaching Elder, and as fellow disciple attempting to listen for the Spirit’s voice. Although

it has been a challenging year, the insight and wisdom gained has made this one of my more formative and dynamic years of my life.

While this year of discernment has been inspiring theologically and spiritually, it has also been a year of loss as some of our fellowship have severed their ties with our church and/or withheld their contributions in protest over the actions of the General Assembly and the Session’s subsequent decision to seek the Spirit’s guidance before responding to the monumental change experienced as a PCUSA congregation. While the loss of community is a consequence of these protest actions, another consequence is a signifi cant budget defi cit, a challenge that has occupied the Session for several months, as we attempt to continue our forward momentum as a

missional community of faith.

The General Assembly’s actions not withstanding, the subject of momentum also has been a key part of the 2014-2015 SFPC story as we have expanded the scope of the Board of Deacons’ mission, launched an all-new men’s ministry - featuring the 2014 Men’s Breakaway and monthly Band of Brothers Breakfasts, sent our youth to serve Christ in Mexico, engaged in a congregation-wide Lenten study of the Heidelberg Catechism, launched a new Vision Statement process, approved the installation of a hearing loop in our sanctuary to greatly assist the hearing impaired of our congregation, continued our partnership with Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network, Habitat for Humanity and Young Life, enhanced our neighborhood outreach through Kick-Off Sunday and Easterpalooza, hosted another meaningful Women’s Retreat, and continued the growth of our Impact Ministry. Clearly, this has been a signifi cant year of forward movement in the midst of challenging times.

2 Annual Report 2014-2015

A key component of this forward momentum has been the dedicated staff with which I have the privilege to serve. These committed and gifted servant leaders have gone above and beyond their position descriptions to inspire and equip us to become the missional church we are today. I am honored to consider them my ministry colleagues and friends. I encourage you to read their reports carefully, gaining a fresh perspective of their passion for Christ and our church, the ways you have been touched by their gifts and leadership, and ways you can share ministry with them in the coming year.

A signifi cant result of the past year’s journey has been your Session’s commitment to a three-year transformational plan that leverages our resources, our gifted staff, and the kairos nature of this season of transition. The plan will make it possible to enhance the forward momentum of our mission as we intentionally embrace Christ’s call to be a reconciled and reconciling presence in the Greater Salem Area. Your Session realizes that change IS inevitable. The only question is whether we will allow change to overwhelm us, or trust the leading of the Holy Spirit as we embrace a dynamic and transformative identity as a missional community of faith. You will hear a great deal about this transformational plan in 2015-16 and beyond, and I encourage you to listen with open hearts and minds. Your Session has invested months of prayer and planning to offer SFPC the best opportunity to

embrace Christ’s call to new life and ministry.

Personally the past year has been marked by two experiences that have altered my world view and have deepened my spiritual journey. The fi rst has been the season of discernment your Session commissioned - a time of spiritual, theological, pastoral, and personal refl ection, study, and growth. Although I consider discernment to be one of my spiritual gifts, leaning into the challenge of same-sex marriage, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Ken Wilson’s book, A Letter to My Congregation, I experienced the Spirit’s awakening in transformative ways, ways that have

altered my theological perceptions and pastoral responsibilities, ways that have opened me to God’s grace and reconciliation as never before. The second experience was becoming an oblate at Mt. Angel Abbey, a decision to root myself in this wonderful community of prayer and worship as a means of strengthening my ability to serve the spiritual needs of our church. Although I have contemplated this spiritual step for several years, the dynamic nature of this season of ministry led me to intentionally embrace the daily Benedictine rhythm of work and worship, a rhythm that enabled me to weather one of my more challenging years of ministry. I sense these two experiences have made me a better pastor, spiritual leader, ministry colleague, fellow disciple, friend, husband, father and grandfather, and I look forward to the ways these godly gifts will positively impact our shared life and ministry.

The pages that follow are fi lled with data, facts, and information about the ways God has used this congregation to touch and change lives. Although the reports provide numbers, information, and data linked to our shared life and ministry, they can only describe a portion of the story of faithfulness unfolding in our midst. As a missional community of faith, the true measurement of our mission is found in the faces and stories of those we have touched, those who have joined our journey, those who have invested signifi cant time and energy to bring us to this time of celebration and commitment. I invite you to experience this annual report as a means of celebration of all we have shared over the past year, and as time of commitment to Christ’s call to be a reconciled and reconciling community of faith in the days to come. Friends, God is doing a new thing in our midst! Allow this annual report to awaken you to all God has done through us this past year and all God desires to do through us in the years to come as A Community of Ordinary People Experiencing and Embodying God’s Extraordinary Love!

Your brother in Christ,

- Del


ASSOCIATE PASTORFOR CONGREGATIONAL CARE

KAREN RENNER

This year was marked by a major milestone for me: the 20th anniversary of my ordination as a Teaching Elder (I still prefer the PC(USA)’s title at the time of my ordination – Minister of Word and Sacrament) in the Presbyterian Church. Thank you for the wonderful celebration you held for me last September, and for my Seattle Mariners jersey with my name and the number 20 emblazoned on it. I have worn it several times while in attendance at Mariners games, and fondly think of all of you each time I put it on.

I have to admit, though, that this 20th year of ministry has been quite a bit different for me, as I accepted a second part-time position as the Program Manager at Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network, began the task of trying to fi nd a good rhythm and pattern to the days and hours I worked in each place, and still fi nd balance in my life. It’s been tough! I am beyond grateful for the fl exibility and understanding of both Del and T.J. as I have struggled to fi gure this all out and be a good employee in both places. I am also grateful for your patience and understanding as all of us have truly lived into the associate pastor position being part-time this year. I’m not sure if this reality has been harder on you or on me, as most days I feel the weight of not being as available to you, Del, and the rest of the staff as I wish I could be, or on many days need to be.

Pastoral care continues to be a large part of my call, as well as providing leadership to the Deacons and their caregiving. I have spent a great deal of my time visiting and praying with you in the hospital, in your homes, at care facilities, in my offi ce, with a cup of coffee, or over the phone.

I consider these moments in ministry to be very privileged, and I thank you for allowing me to be with you. Along with Sarah Page, I co-facilitate the monthly gatherings our congregation holds at Capitol Manor. I enjoy the opportunity that these monthly meetings afford for fellowship, faith sharing, and fun. In May we had a request that we include communion quarterly at these gatherings. With Session’s permission we had our fi rst communion service at our monthly meeting and served thirty-two of our members and friends who live at Capitol Manor. It was a great morning!

The Deacons continue to grow into their call in caring for the congregation’s Neighborhood Nets. In this program, deacons are assigned a geographic region and have regular contact with members and friends of the church in that area. Some of the Nets have been creative in fi nding ways to have fellowship together, such as having a neighborhood barbecue, gathering together during our coffee fellowship time, and inviting members over for a Sunday afternoon deck party. These gatherings have provided wonderful ways for church members and friends to get to know each other better. In addition to their primary work with their Neighborhood Nets, the Deacons also continue to provide transportation to and from worship, organize quarterly blood drives at our church for the American Red Cross, visit congregation members in the hospital, coordinate and facilitate memorial service receptions, assemble and distribute Christmas Baskets at the holidays, and deliver fl owers and Easter Lilies to homebound church members. The Deacons also sent care packages to those in our church family who are in college, serving in the military, or a


mission organization with a note to let them know they continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

I know this year has had its share of challenges, but I see so much to be excited about as God leads us into this new year. I am especially grateful for Del and his faith and leadership as our Head of Staff. I appreciate his support, his mentoring, and his collegiality. It is a gift to me.

I am sure that this year will have its own distinctive challenges and opportunities, but it is my prayer that we will see in them the exciting chance to be God’s people engaged in God’s work of grace, peace, and love. May our steps be bold, full of curiosity, wonder, and awe, as we walk in the light of Christ.

Blessings to you on the journey,

- Karen


PASTORAL ASSISTANTSARAH PAGE

As the Pastoral Assistant, my primary role at SFPC is to provide administrative support for the Head of Staff and the Pastor of Congregational Care. I resource and facilitate AFD classes taught by these pastors as well as their preaching and other duties to our congregants. I work directly with the pastors in preparation for special services and holiday events. I keep their schedules and coordinate their weekly activities as needed. I organize all staff and session retreats throughout the year. I spend at least 8 hours each week working with Rev. Renner as she oversees the Deacons and the Neighborhood Nets. I attend all Executive Board meetings for Deacons and am responsible for maintaining current information relative to attenders and visitors. My work with Karen Renner and the Deacons has been an enjoyable task, and quite involved since the Deacons are responsible for helping to provide pastoral care to this congregation.

I coordinate the details of the memorial services and memorial receptions at SFPC. Again, the Deacons and I work to create a peaceful and celebratory experience for friends and family of loved ones. It is a highlight of my work at SFPC.

As the Staff Liaison for the Hospitality Ministry I am responsible for recruiting, coordinating and training Greeters and Hospitality Center staff. The Hospitality Team works diligently to create a welcoming environment for visitors and regular attenders. Hospitality spans not only the Greeter and Hospitality Center staff but also includes working closely with the Communications / Media Director to create a more user-friendly and inviting campus.

Along with this position, like many other work and ministry environments, comes the ‘duties

as assigned’ tasks for which I am very grateful. I have come from a ministry background and faith tradition quite different from that of Salem First, nevertheless I have been given freedom to participate fully as a colleague. I am on the preaching schedule, I occasionally join the Worship Team as a vocalist for the Contemporary Service, and I serve when needed with hospital visitation and monthly visits with our members at Capitol Manor. I even coordinated the ad hoc ‘decorating team’ for holidays and other special events.

As noted above, this position is varied and offers me the opportunity to learn and grow along with the SFPC staff and family. I have seen us move through a challenging year, responding to General Assembly decisions in a respectful and meaningful way, taking a year of discernment to gather in many different contexts, reasoning together and exploring ways of moving as a faith community towards a meaningful regard for one another in the midst of differing positions and continuing questions. I have been impressed with the integrity with which this congregation has engaged the issues, and I am encouraged as we move forward toward the embodiment of Christ’s call on all our lives; to love God and to serve others.

It is my profound hope that this coming year will lead us further along the journey towards Christian maturity; being one in Spirit, ministers of the true gospel and caretakers of our church family, our greater Salem community and our world through the expression of God’s extraordinary love as it has been so eloquently expressed to us – through Christ.

- Sarah


WORSHIP ARTSANDY WILSON

WORSHIP MISSION AND VISION:Build a worship ministry of trustees and guardians, brainstormers, dreamers and doers.

Develop and maintain current and relevant worship that connects with the SFPC community and draws in local Salem community members because they are of high quality. Worship services are authentic and safe without distraction from fellowship with God. A place where everyone feels open to express themselves in worship freely.

Create inspiring, engaging, encouraging and transcending worship opportunities that are mentally stimulating, physically exhilarating and emotionally exhausting. Maintain a multi-level focus on many elements of worship such as liturgy, sacrament, music and the overall experience.

Last year in my annual report, I began by stating that my #1 goal was to recruit a healthy, thriving, and sustainable worship ministry, one with discernment, appreciation, and vision for worship. My dream was for a ministry that increased from a few key players to a broad base of people, some with specifi c expertise and skills, some who are simply willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus in order to support and move the ministry forward. Through recruiting and consistency, we have built a group of dedicated people who are now running the ministry under my direction. It is nice to have a group of people with which to brainstorm, bounce ideas around, and develop worship opportunities. After two years of great service, Guin Harding stepped down as Moderator of Worship Ministry, but continues to serve through playing in the worship band, coordinating the lay readers and ushers, and taking the role of Worship Ministry Secretary. I would like to welcome Debra McAninch as the new Worship Ministry Moderator! She brings a lot of great ideas, a tremendous heart for worship, and some greatly appreciated wit to our planning meetings.

I am grateful for the people who have stepped up to serve on the audio and media teams. We have added one person to each of the teams, which sounds small but is actually a big improvement

for availability and scheduling. Now that we have Jesse Newman as a second person on the media team, it allows Earl Borah, who has been serving every Sunday in both services for years, the chance for a break. I know he appreciates the opportunity to have a Sunday or two each month when he can sit with his wife during the service and relax into worship. I am thankful for Ashley Gruber’s leadership and expertise in the realm of media development and her attention to detail in keeping our new media consistent with the style guidelines for our new brand that was implemented this year.

The new self-sustaining communication format for the lay reader team has been going very smoothly. Its specifi c date assignment and revolving order allows people to know exactly when they are assigned to read scripture in the Classic worship service. Readers with schedule confl icts can easily fi nd a substitute or switch with another reader. Soon we will incorporate the lay reader team into Planning Center Online, our worship organization and planning program, along with other scheduled groups such as ushers and greeters (an arm of the Hospitality Ministry). Thanks go to Guin Harding for facilitating the lay reader schedule - along with the Usher team schedule - effectively in the meantime.


One of the goals I had last year as part of expanding the Worship Ministry was to utilize a Chancel / Worship Center Guild. That group, now led by Sue Crothers, is responsible for keeping the worship spaces looking nice, fresh, and beautiful. This involves coordinating fl owers for Sunday morning services and special services such as Christmas and Easter, along with palms, balloons, and other decorations, and adding color to the worship spaces with fabric, art, and paraments. Because of the budget shortfall this year, we will be purchasing lilies, palms, and poinsettias only with the donations received from the congregation; the Flower Guild account has $0. The Chancel Guild, along with the rest of the Worship Ministry, has been collaborating with the Hospitality Ministry in decorating and setting up for major events throughout the church year. Worship Ministry will also work jointly with the usher and greeter teams to create an inviting and welcoming presence for the fi rst time worshiper and guest as well as the long time attendee. Additionally, I will be expanding the lead usher position to encompass a stage manager role in addition to the normal duties.

Communion coordination has gone well this year, thanks to Diane Bolen. We have gone through a number of ideas for acquiring or making gluten-free bread. After exploring the options of using a local bakery and having Maureen Zemanek and Donna Burnett bake bread, we have found a great recipe that is easy to make, cost effective, and tastes GREAT. Sharon Klocksieben will take over the baking responsibilities. In addition to traditional communion services using tray passing or intinction, we have continued with our Agape Meal in the second service. Sharing a meal together is such a warm and community-building occasion that allows church-goers to experience fellowship. This is one of the many reasons that we have seen such tremendous growth in our contemporary worship service at 11 AM. This style of worship is helping SFPC to offer a broad base of worship experiences that cater to the spiritual needs of the community. It’s wonderful to see so

many new faces coming in with a searching heart and desire for an encounter with God. If you would like to join a team to help prepare a meal for the agape communion service or create a new team, please let me know. A big thank you goes to Chuck Zemanek for the usually thankless job of doing much of the set-up, take down, and tidying for the different events in the Worship Center.

The Kirkin of the Tartans service went really well again this year. It continues to be a truly special annual occasion celebrating the history of our church heritage. With the success of last year’s changes, we continued with a truly blended style worship, incorporating not only bagpipes and drums but also other folk instruments such as guitar, upright bass, percussion, and fi ddle.

Christmas Eve was again one of our cornerstone holidays as a Christian community. Our Family Christmas Eve service was a wonderful experience that allowed many of our youth to be involved in the service giving their gifts of music. We had Madison Munro on violin, Lydia Borah on viola, Adara and Alaina Munk on vocals, and Mei Tate on percussion! Our Candlelight Christmas Eve service was fantastic: a wonderful service fi lled with Bible readings, liturgy, and beautiful classical music accompanied by orchestra, organ, and choir. The musical highlights included a beautiful Ave Maria sung by Dan Ross, a new version of O Holy Night, and a premiere of local composer Peter Chamberlain’s setting of the sacred text from the 9th century: Veni, Veni Emmanuel. It was truly a treat for me to step onto the podium and help lead you through worship on such a signifi cant occasion: the celebration of Christ’s birth.

I have a feeling that Mardi Gras Sunday will be sticking around for a long time. It is proving to be a service that everyone loves. It is always fun to let loose a little and bring out the joy of worship as we experience congregational singing in a new way! We are blessed to have such talented Willamette University musicians located nearby and willing to bring their jazz expertise to our service.


Holy Week was again an emotional look into the last days of Christ’s life on earth and a joyful celebration of the miracle of resurrection. Like Christmas, these services pull at my heartstrings, and I may have shed a tear on more than one occasion. Palm Sunday started off the week celebrating Jesus’ arrival into JeruSALEM. The choir sang one of my favorite gospel pieces, which I have waited 4 years to do: “Ride On, King Jesus.” It is such a powerful anthem that just grooves so hard! Maundy Thursday and Good Friday were again powerful services remembering the Last Supper and the Crucifi xion. Easter Sunday, one of the pillars of the Christian year was incredible. The Easter services are one of the largest opportunities for outreach in our community, and it is always amazing to me to see the evidence of God’s presence during Easter. Both services were equally meaningful, and I could feel the Spirit weaving through the space. It was electric and transcending! Musically, we were blessed by another solo by Dan Ross with two numbers from Handel’s Messiah, and also a lovely orchestra of strings, brass, timpani and organ accompanying the choir to some of our favorite Easter hymns. A big thank you goes to Susan Johnson for her steadfastness, dedication, expertise, and artistry at the organ console. It has been a pleasure collaborating with her over this last year.

Overall the Chancel Choir has had a really great year! The local students continue to be a huge blessing to the choir, bringing a fresh perspective and a little extra youth and vitality. With this tiny nudge, the Chancel Choir has become more vocally agile and musical all around, allowing us to do more complex and meaningful literature. This brings a certain depth to the worship service which I believe the worshiper craves and appreciates. If you have even the smallest little voice inside your head telling you to join the Chancel Choir, I encourage you to serve your church in this way!

The Winter Street Worship Band also had a fantastic year! I feel like we truly had a chance

to gel and become more cohesive as a musical team. We progressed to a point where we could really read each other and determine where we wanted to take the music in the worship service, all with non-verbal communication and a commitment to not only practicing our instruments but practicing worship. This, again, creates a certain depth in the music we sing together. At the end of the school year, we said goodbye to Jarret Tracy and Tom Shipley, who graduated from Willamette after being with the band for two years. They are consummate musicians with whom I feel privileged to make music.

The Winter Street Worship Band and Chancel Choir have just been extraordinary! It is such a joy and blessing to lead these two groups in worship each week. Getting to direct them along with guiding the congregation in worship is one of the many reasons I love serving at Salem First Presbyterian Church.

Our plan to install a hearing loop is moving forward, and we are in the fi nal stages before installation. We hope to have it done by the end of the year. To review, it is a system that allows those with a “T” switch in their hearing aids to hear directly what is being said through the microphone. It has been proven very effective in many contexts but especially in places of worship. It will be a great service to those with diffi culty hearing without having to wear something over the ear. It is my goal over the next few years to start an ASL interpreting program in collaboration with the Western Oregon University sign language department. This, in combination with the hearing loop, will be a way that we can serve our hearing-impaired community with consistent resources and assistance, removing any barriers to the worship experience.

Some goals I have for the next few years that align with the Worship Ministry Missional Action Plan (MAP) are as follows:

To do an all worship-music service, a hymn-sing service, and a complete Taize service.


To pursue a relationship with our neighboring Catholic friends to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with mariachi music, similarly to our using jazz music in the Mardi Gras services, all while celebrating the culture.

To collaborate with the students to have a “Youth Sunday” that invites the church to worship God through the perspective and experience of young people.

To explore grant writing to bring in major musical artists and groups to share with the Salem community.

To develop an after-school music-mentoring program in collaboration with the local universities.

To open up the use of the Worship Center at a minimal cost (if not free) to local school music groups to hold jazz nights, coffee shop concerts, desserts, fundraisers and other events.

And fi nally, to explore ways to partner with area universities to provide meaningful worship experiences on their campuses for the student body.

I am grateful for the amazing opportunities to engage in meaningful professional development as part of my position as Director of Worship Ministries. This year I was able to go to the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, reconnect with colleagues from all over the country, and recharge my batteries with a few days of exceptional music-making and learning from master musicians.

“I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” - Psalm 104:33. Please remember to sing. Sing with reckless abandon. If you are unsure of how a song goes, try to adopt an attitude of trying, and sing where you can. Often, music parts will repeat, giving you a great opportunity to remember what you heard and try it on the next verse! Especially with new music, try not to say “I don’t know this song,” but instead try saying “I get to learn a new song in church today!” It could turn into your new favorite! There are few feelings greater than hearing the congregation sing OVER the choir and band. It is truly exhilarating. Be the one who people hear singing, and empower them to feel confi dent enough to do the same. It has a positive ripple effect. It is your responsibility to make a joyful noise!

Humbly,

- Andy


MISSION & OUTREACHROB THRASHER

Christlikeness is one of the mysteries of our faith. We are called to imitate Christ and to lose ourselves in Him in order to fi nd our true identities. It’s a mystery to me why God chooses ordinary people, like me and you, to experience and embody His extraordinary love, yet He does! Our Impact team continues to explore this mystery as we seek to fi nd ways in which we as a community of faith can become less and Jesus becomes more in our city, nation, and world.

We launched the ministry year with our Kick Off Sunday Block Party event that coincided with the city’s Salem Sunday Streets event. This was a great opportunity to meet and have fun with many of our local folks of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities, sharing God’s abundance with them through our hospitality. We’ve engaged in various kindness projects through our Impact Service Sundays, desiring to encourage and bless with things such as new stair treads at the House of Prayer, hygiene kits for the school district, food boxes for hungry families, home-made play dough for Family Building Blocks, trash pick up around Parrish and North campuses, and more. We’ve continued to work alongside our partners at Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network, Habitat for Humanity, Marion/Polk Food Share, Shelly’s House, and Community Action Agency who tirelessly engage issues of poverty and shelter. We’ve started new partnerships with Parrish Middle School, Young Life, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as they work to enhance the lives of students in our city. We’ve also explored further with Salem Leadership Foundation ways in which our church can be more of a neighborhood center for the downtown area of Salem. All of this is being done with the desire that we become less and less and Jesus becomes more and more in and through

our lives.

As we embody the extraordinary love of Jesus, even in seemingly small ways, the results can be profound on the receiving end. There’s a story of a girl and a garbage can that comes to mind. We partnered with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship by cooking a pancake lunch for an event they hosted at Willamette University. The event was in one of the gyms, and we had the joy of cooking outside on a typical Oregon liquid sunshine day that could be likened to a monsoon. With some creative tent placements we managed to pull off the meal and serve around 40 students. As we cleaned up, I tossed about a dozen leftover pancakes into an empty trashcan. Up came a girl who had just missed the meal. I apologized indicating that I’d just tossed the leftovers. She looked at the can, grabbed a couple of plates, and proceeded to pull out several cakes to take with her. She was hungry! It happened so fast that there was no time to talk further, but I’m guessing that even the leftovers were of great value to her in her time of need. I could go on and speculate about the impact of this, but the point is her life and my life changed in that moment. She got some food, but so did I in the form of greater mindfulness of people’s needs at different stages of life. Another story is one of high yield returns on a seemingly small investment. In June, I received a call from our friends at Salem House of Prayer asking to borrow some tables for an auction they were hosting. You see, the current owner of the building they lease is selling, and H.O.P. found itself in the position of needing to raise $70,000 (10% of the sales price) quickly in order to make a valid offer on purchasing the building or close, move out after all the remodeling efforts, and fi nd a new home. They requested round tables for their banquet,

“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” - John the Baptist


but we don’t loan out our round tables. So I decided to rent some from A-Z Party Rentals. For $100 I had 10 tables delivered to partner with in their faith event. As of July 9th, they had raised $54,000! We played a part in seeing this happen for them. I don’t take credit for this amazing return, but I do wonder if the outcome may have been different had I not said yes to them. It’s fun to be a small support of something that God does big things with.

There are many other stories to tell of Jesus becoming greater in our midst. I encourage you to live into these stories waiting to unfold all around you, and once experienced and embodied, tell of God’s greatness. Let’s celebrate all that God is doing in our midst as we live like John the Baptist in our day, pointing people to Jesus, becoming less so He becomes greater in our city of shalom.

Blessings,

- Rob


STUDENT MINISTRIESCOREY KNUDSON

There were several goals going into the 2014-2015 year. Most all the goals involved adults: adults engaging kids, adults caring for kids, adults serving alongside kids, adults praying for kids, adults knowing kids. We are at a place we haven’t been in youth ministry for a long time because adults are stepping to the plate. The culture is beginning to shift.

There were several adults who began leading in youth group and spending signifi cant time with students throughout the week. We had at least 10 adults take part in the Operation Christmas Child wrapping party, not to mention everyone who donated. We had a handful of adults take part in Cocoa and Caroling, and we had adult engagement in the Christmas Party. We had support with Souper Bowl, we saw young people and old people serving in our Impact events, and we had incredible support and engagement in the Mexico trip. Five adults went, and at least 100 adults were involved in supporting the cause in some capacity.

It has been mentioned year in and year out: without a signifi cant team of adults caring for kids, youth ministry is doomed at SFPC. Without a culture of care, concern, and interest in young people, youth ministry is doomed at SFPC. Without adults there is no foundation to build upon, no model to learn from, and no net to catch the fi sh. This year we took leaps forward, but in order to continue to grow spiritually (and also in numbers) we need more adults asking, ‘how can I get involved?’ One way we will be engaging adults in the ministry is by inviting adults to personally pray for a student individually. Each student involved at SFPC will have an adult other than their parent or youth leader praying for them. We hope this investment will lead into deeper concern for young people, greater engagement in their lives,

and begin a forward thrust toward mentoring. No matter who we are, what we are good at, or how old we are, we can all pray. In addition, we will be inviting folks to join us for Third Sunday lunches and to share testimonies for REACH Connect.

This year we have a signifi cant number of students entering high school, making it a prime time to begin a separate high school youth group, and we have the rails in place for strong growth in the middle school level. My time spent at Leslie this past year has already begun to produce fruit. We had over 30 students at our end of the year party, most of whom were middle school students, and many of whom were kids Ben and I invested in throughout the year at the school. There is potential for signifi cant numbers at both levels, which means potential for even more adults to engage the ministry. This fall, Middle School Reach Connect will continue to meet on Wednesday nights, however we will be moving High School Reach Connect to Sunday night.

Third Sunday Lunch proved to be a fruitful endeavor. We started Third Sunday Lunch to engage students more in Sunday worship and have a platform to learn, to grow, and to ask questions. It was a success. We will continue to build upon this in the year to come. Through Third Sunday Lunch, I became increasingly aware of the need for more effective opportunities for middle school students to learn and grow. It has been great having them engage worship, but at the same time there have got to be better ways for them to grow where they are. This year we will begin a class for middle school students during the 11 AM worship preaching time, where students can learn about the Word in ways more applicable to them. Students will be involved in the fi rst music set of worship and then will have an opportunity to leave for class when the preaching begins. There

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are several adults and parents who have already expressed interest in sharing the teaching load.

This year we plan to start a Youth Internship Program. We will be hiring an Intern who will assist in the middle school ministry by leading a small group, leading and developing middle school fellowship and programs, and intentionally connecting with middle school kids outside the church through Wyldlife, school volunteering, and other outreach opportunities they will explore. In addition to direct ministry, the Youth Intern will take part in a leadership development and spiritual growth program led by the Youth Director. The Youth Internship program is designed to support and develop relational ministry as well as foster and prepare the intern for full time ministry. We believe that with the addition of an Intern we will see a greater connection with students outside the church, more dynamic and purposeful middle school ministry, new fresh perspective and ideas, and a stronger leadership structure.

I am encouraged by what we saw in the spring in the lives of students and in the work of the ministry. We saw growth in numbers, we saw growth in relationships, we saw fruit in kids desiring to truly pursue Christ, we saw kids growing spiritually, and we saw an increase in a

culture of discipleship. I praise God for the ways He continues to reveal himself through students. The most encouraging and life-giving thing to experience is seeing a kid grow closer to Christ in their walk with Him and actively and intentionally pursue His heart. This happened all over the place this past year, and it gives me great hope and great expectations for what’s to come.

VISION FOR THE YEAR TO COME:Expanded outreach involving more schools in Young Life, more adults in the lives of young people, and more connection with the homeless youth population

Development of mentoring culture leading toward a mentoring program

Youth Internship program

Develop a Sunday school class for middle school students during 11 AM worship

Split middle school and high school students for Reach Connect

Develop ways to use the youth facilities for after school programming

- Corey


CHILDREN’S MINISTRYASHLEY GRUBER

The 2014-2015 year for SFPCkidz was a great one. We started off the year with our Kid vs. Wild curriculum, where we fi nished up our summer adventurez with “Bear” Gryllz. At the end of the summer we celebrated with a trip to Get Air Trampoline Park.

In the fall we switched to Hillsong Kids BIG curriculum that we’ve used throughout the year. We’ve learned about living BIG from worship to service, and how to live our lives showing God’s BIG love to others. It’s been a great year of growth and learning.

This year started with six of our students aging out to Middle School, lowering our average age to second grade and drastically changing what Sunday mornings looked like. We renovated our Hang Out space with more active and experiential things for kids to run and climb on and added more age appropriate games.

We also started our Sunday morning breakfast program this year. Each Sunday we have pancakes and sausage with the kidz during the 9:30 AM

service. Sharing a meal together and talking about our week is a great way to connect with kids and build relationships.

Easterpalooza this year was an incredible party. We partnered with the Comm/Tech ministry to really use Easterpalooza as a way to get our new image out into the community. We created swag bags for each of the kids that came. We also gave away lots of other swag to parents who signed up for our monthly newsletter, plus updates about Parents Night Out.

We had two middle school leaders this year who helped out and two high school leaders who are being trained as teachers.

We took 15 students to camp again this year and learned about living in community and becoming who God created us to be.

We’ve kept SFPCkidz active and engaging as we continue to teach kidz that they are unconditionally loved, cared for, believed in, and accepted just as they are.

- Ashley


COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY

ASHLEY GRUBER

2014-2015 was a busy year for the Communication and Technology department. We rebranded Salem First and have created multiple style guides to help us maintain our new look.

Using our new logo, we have created SFPC swag to help get our image out into the community and allow our people to represent their church family in their daily lives. We created T-shirts, water bottles, coffee mugs, beanies, key chains, and kidz swag bags for Easterpalooza (water bottles, key chains, pens, magnets, and Frisbees).

We’ve continued to create and refi ne our communication strategy for our church. We’ve changed the guide, Sunday announcements, and website to help us reach visitors and keep our attenders in the loop of what is happening. We made some big changes to help break old patterns and have been refi ning what we need while helping our people understand where and how to fi nd the information they need.

This fi rst year of Communication & Technology Ministry has been one of change and growth. We’re still working on how to best serve our church families while helping visitors.

We created new church way-fi nding signage with the help of a local graphic designer to make our building more user-friendly. The signage was created to be simple yet industrial looking to help match our building and new look and help visitors fi nd their way around to the main rooms and areas of the church.

We started tracking statistics for our website to get a better understanding of who uses our website and for what. It has been interesting to see that more than 50% of users are over the age of 65, 75% of users are fi rst time visitors to the website and a majority of people are looking for date, time, and location of services.

We also started to use our social media sites to help keep connected with our families and show our community what we’re doing while we’re out serving and being a part of our town.

- Ashley


ADMINISTRATIONAUDREY HARMAN

2014-2015 was an interesting year: blown ovens, roof leaks, thermostat repairs, electrical short-circuits, heating & cooling issues, carpets, drainage issues, graffi ti, playground repair, and computer gremlins. You name it and it feels like we experienced it. The cost of maintaining this beautiful facility is like maintaining a fl eet of classic cars. The obsolete parts to repair them just get more and more expensive as time goes on, yet if not maintained it loses its splendor and value. The biggest challenge is how to maintain the facility and staffi ng needs within a reasonable budget. Is it possible to help our facility become more budget neutral? Only time will tell.

Maureen Zemanek was again invaluable as Offi ce Assistant and my second right hand. After all, what multi-tasking woman couldn’t use a second or third extra hand for that matter? She completed her numerous clerical duties, assisted staff, and managed to keep the offi ce running smoothly anytime I was away. I have enjoyed working with her over the years and continue to value our friendship. If you follow the laughter down the hall, it will more than likely lead you straight to the two of us.

My volunteers (you secretly know who you are) helped keep the offi ce running smoothly by sharing the workload and contributing to the completion of multiple daily, weekly or monthly tasks. They were always willing to do whatever was asked of them for little, I mean NO, payment. I thank them for allowing me to be a part of their lives while they help keep mine a little more sane.

Neal Wilkes as our new head of maintenance did a fantastic job learning our facility and all of its quirks, refurbishing and repairing necessary items and meeting with contract vendors, while just beginning the actual process of getting

into maintenance mode. He is an asset to our facility and congregation. If you have not met his adorable four-legged companion, Zoey, look for her occasionally by his side.

Unfortunately, our search for a competent custodian willing to work part time has not yielded the desired result. This year we struggled with a weekly janitorial service, which was less than ideal for our basic cleaning needs, with little more than restroom tidying and minimal vacuuming. We will continue to look using a temporary agency that can bring us qualifi ed applicants to fi ll our needs more suffi ciently.

Melissa Munk has been working tirelessly on updating our fi nancial reports and has spent numerous hours (really too many to count) with staff and Session to equip us with the tools we need to better understand our budget process. This year she also implemented QuickBooks as our fi nancial reporting system.

Rebekah Borah was again tasked with drafting and editing our main publications - the weekly Guide, monthly Communiqué, and this Annual Report - while dealing with change. The worship guide changed both in style and size allowing us to update the look while printing more economically. Words are her canvas to paint wonderful pictures, and if you are looking for a small bit of trivia you’ll probably fi nd it by asking her. She usually has the answer (42).

Sharon Klocksieben kept our appetites in check once again as our Hospitality Coordinator by supplying Sunday treats, Wednesday night dinners, and special event food. She also coordinated the Agape Meal teams. It is inspirational to watch her serve the Lord and others with such passion and enjoyment.


Although our small, daily outreach to the community in the form of food for the homeless was appreciated, this spring brought the offi ce snack bag program to a close. As Impact Ministry seeks to fulfi ll the need with a greater passion and intentionality for more effective results, they are exploring the possibility of partnering with local agencies to address different aspects of food insecurity.

I ended the year traveling with the youth mission to build two family homes in Mexico, an experience that I shared with my teenage daughter. I am truly grateful to have been a part of the trip and want to thank my church and work family to allow me the opportunity.

Blessings,

- Audrey


ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEEDELORES PEDERSON

This past year the Administration Committee has been working to keep up with the maintenance issues that come with an aging building and no custodial staff. We also have been managing the continued lease with Little Friends Montessori School, and the renewed leases of both the YMCA parking lot and Somerville property.

SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OURMAINTENANCE ISSUESWe replaced the malfunctioning ovens in the main kitchen, making Church Hospitality Coordinator Sharon Klocksieben very happy.

Roof leaks were discovered and repaired over the pipe organ and also between the Narthex and the Fellowship Hall. With the newly painted hallway as our catalyst, we arranged for the much needed carpet cleaning in some of the major areas of

Other thermostats will be replaced as needed, or as budget permits. We also scheduled the replacement of a fan motor and shaft which supply heat to the Pioneer Room, to be completed in the near future.

The largest potholes in the parking lot were repaired, and the lot was re-striped and numbered, allowing us to begin monthly rental of 10 parking spaces to supplement General Fund income.

The needed repairs to the Somerville Building HVAC system were completed by CJ Hansen Co., while Maintenance employee Neal Wilkes fi xed some plumbing and electrical issues.

REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE FY 2014-2015the church after years of neglect. St. Andrews

Room, the staff room on the second fl oor, was remodeled with new paint and fl ooring. A small microwave was added, and the refrigerator was replaced with an energy effi cient model.

As required by the Fire Marshal upon annual inspection, an emergency door between classrooms & multiple exit signs were installed in the main fl oor education wing, the area leased by Little Friends Montessori School.

A new thermostat was needed in the south end of the basement, so the planned implementation of upgrades to our boiler system began. Our monthly maintenance contract company suggested the upgrades as the old-style thermostats are obsolete. The control board was replaced, and one thermostat was upgraded to a more user friendly model.

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OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEEACTIVITIESWe arranged for maintenance of all vehicles and are currently developing a regular maintenance schedule to enhance the longevity and safety of our very small fl eet.

We researched placing hearing loops in the Sanctuary, Chapel, and Worship Center to more effectively help our hearing-impaired congregants enjoy worship. An assigned task force is currently reviewing the bid and checking references.

We researched the playground drainage issue brought to our attention this winter and are currently collecting bids to correct the problem. After concern from Little Friends Montessori,

the play structure was removed due to age and deterioration. Admin, with input from staff, is currently researching new play structures and possible solutions.

A 4-foot high fence at the South end of the building to provide extra outdoor space for Little Friends Montessori students was approved. We agreed to pay a predetermined portion of the cost, yet construction has not begun.

- Delores

MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEEDelores Pederson (Chair), Rod Bailey, Shirley Deckard, Jan Carlson, TJ Putman, Dave Williams, Audrey Harman (staff liaison)

AVERAGE MONTHLY UTILITIES FY 2014-2015


HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEEMARY JOHNSON

The Human Resources Committee is tasked to attract, motivate, retain, and develop a qualifi ed and productive church staff. In addition, it is HR’s responsibility to foster a workplace that exhibits Christ-like behavior in its dealings both within and outside the walls of the church.

The HR Committee supports our staff with respect to professional goals, duties, compensation, and performance. The HR Committee is available to answer any question staff may have regarding their employment at Salem First.

The position of Handyman/Maintenance was fi lled this past spring.

The HR Committee reviewed compensation packages and made recommendations to Session for budgeting purposes. Ongoing efforts continue toward standardized job descriptions as well as development of needed policies and procedures. HR is working towards providing an updated, Session-approved Human Resources policy within the next few months.

- Mary

MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEEElder Johnny Mack (Chair), Elder Clinton Gertenrich, Deanna Dyer, Mary Johnson, Pastor Del Burnett (staff liaison), Accountant Melissa Munk (staff liaison)


NOMINATING COMMITTEECHUCK ZEMANEK

The task of the Nominating Committee is to make nominations to the congregation for Elders, Deacons, and Nominating Committee members for the coming year. Our efforts started Labor Day weekend and continued for several months. Initially we encourage the congregation to suggest members for offi ces along with reasons for their recommendation. At the end of September the committee started the process of determining the members for offi ce. The process is done with prayer and input from all concerned.

The resulting offi cer nominations are at right:

- Chuck

MEMBERS OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEEChuck Zemanek (Chairperson), Diane Bolen, Kim Bonn, Guin Harding, Scott Kohl, Gigi Merrill, Pam Morris, Margaret Sather, Marilyn Webb, Del Burnett (staff liaison, ex-offi cio)

FOR ELDER Class of 2016: Johnny Mack

Class of 2017: Luanne Boice, Gretchen Jensen, Michael Talbert, Dave Williams

FOR DEACONClass of 2015: Betsy Van Cleve, Lola Morrison

Class of 2017: Ted Envela, Janis Hoekstra, Bruce Kerr, Debra & Gary McAninch, Donna & Norm Marsh, Sue Roner

FOR 2015 CHURCHWIDE NOMINATING COMMITTEEClass of 2015: Kim Bonn, Joyer Takju

Class of 2016: Diane Bolen, Scott Kohl

Class of 2017: Candace Lufkin, Don Taylor

Deacon: Guin Harding

Elders: Gretchen Jensen, Chuck Zemanek


STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEEMICHAEL TALBERT

The Salem First Presbyterian Church Stewardship Committee was established by Session in 2010. Its mission is to encourage and inspire members and regular attendees of Salem First to further God’s will and mission in and through our covenant community by giving of their time, talents and fi nancial resources.

Again this year, our stewardship campaign worked to focus our attention on giving as a core aspect of worship and to help us answer Christ’s call for us: to open our hearts to being givers and to grow spiritually through giving.

The Consecration Sunday worship service and our Celebration Luncheon on May 17, 2015, was a spirit-fi lled time of devotion and fellowship. Our morning’s message on stewardship was given by guest leader, Rev. Mary Lynn Tobin. The stage for this celebration had been set in the preceding weeks by inspirational messages on stewardship from Pastor Del Burnett and personal testimonies on giving from Luanne Boice and Teddi Tate. We must also give thanks for the many hours of planning and hard preparatory work by the Consecration Sunday Team: Luanne Boice, Rev. Del Burnett, Donna Burnett, Jan Carlson, Audrey Harman, Sharon Klocksieben, Melissa Munk, Sarah Page, Michael Talbert, Chuck Zemanek, and our guest leader, Rev. Mary Lynn Tobin. Finally, this would not have been possible without the very hard work of all of the church’s staff and the many members that planned, cooked, decorated, served, cleaned, etc. The luncheon was a great success socially as well as spiritually.

We must give thanks to God for the generosity of the members of the congregation. We received 152 Estimates of Giving (EOG) for 2015-2016, representing a total $449,546. Of the 152 EOG’s we received, 66 were from givers who increased their commitment as compared to last year; and, 21 were from new giving units. On the other hand, 42 givers that had submitted EOG’s last year did not submit an EOG this year.

This has been a challenging period for our church. The General Assembly (GA) decisions in June 2014 with regard to same sex marriage, investment of Presbyterian Foundation funds, and the defi nition of marriage have proved to be controversial throughout our denomination and within our own congregation. The GA decisions have led to a few members leaving our church and impacted the giving of others. This made it all the more heartening to see the spirit of generosity and commitment to our covenant community that was so present at the Celebration Luncheon.

NATIONAL EXTRA MILE CAMPAIGN GIVING FY 2014-2015


Though it is not possible to precisely determine the impact of the GA decision on giving to our church, it is clear that it was dramatic. Based on pledges made by members and what have been historically reliable estimates of giving by members that do not make specifi c giving commitments, last year at this time we had projected that total giving to the church would be approximately $596,000, for 2014-2015 Fiscal Year. In fact, actual giving in the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year fell approximately $80,000 short of this planned amount. While some of this shortfall was due to the death of members and members’ moving from the community, we believe that a very signifi cant portion is due to the GA decisions.

As we looked at the results of our stewardship campaign in May 2014, the Stewardship Committee and Session felt that our church’s fi nancial circumstances had turned a corner and that the outlook was good. Now, we will need to redouble our efforts to make sure we get back on the path to fi nancial health.

In a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude for the commitments of fi nancial support that have been received, we also must recognize that we will need to do more if we are to put our church on a sustainable footing. Starting this spring, we began mailing quarterly reports to member to help them keep track of their giving. Additionally, a number of steps have been taken to lower facility costs and to use the building to earn income, so that we can be more self-sustaining. This coming fall, we plan to have a Second Mile campaign to raise an additional $100,000 for the 2015-2016 fi scal year. We have taken these steps and we make these plans in gratitude for what God has provided and confi dence that His will shall be done.

Finally, we thank God and the members of Salem First for the opportunity to serve, and ask for your prayers of support and guidance.

Respectfully Submitted,

- Michael

MEMBERS OF THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEEMichael Talbert (Chairperson), Luanne Boice, Jan Carlson, Chuck Zemanek, Del Burnett (staff liaison)


CHILDREN’S MINISTRYASHLEY GRUBER

The 2014-2015 year for SFPCkidz has been a year of great change. We started by fi nishing up Kid vs. Wild and moved onto Hillsong Kids BIG curriculum. We’ve kept our curriculum Bible-based, experiential, active, and character-building.

When our students aged up to middle school this year we lost 6 students, lowering our average age to 2nd grade. This changed what and how we continued to do ministry this year. It affected our Wednesday Night Connect numbers and gave us an average of two kids each week because of the time of WNC.

On Sunday mornings our numbers dropped slightly with an average of fi ve kids each week. Throughout the year we had 33 students who came regularly to Kidz Church (9:30 & 11:00 services combined). We had 11 volunteers help out this year with Kidz Church, and throughout the year we had 23 visitors, mostly coming 1-2 times.

The 9:30 service regularly sees lower numbers for Kidz Church. We created the Breakfast & Bible program where we play, eat breakfast together, and have a short, age appropriate Bible study each morning.

The 11:00 service has an average of 6 students. During this service we use the Hillsong Kids BIG curriculum. We have a game, watch the video, talk about the lesson, and usually do an activity.

We took 15 students to Camp Tadmor this summer. We had three visitors go with us and two students who went to camp for the fi rst time. We raised over $2,000 at our Spaghetti Feed / Silent Auction and raised the rest of our camp money through sponsorships.

At Easterpalooza this year we created 300 swag bags for kids that participated in the egg hunt, and had other adult swag for parents who joined our email list for updates. We served 650 people breakfast and had 275 kids at the egg hunt.

- Ashley

MEMBERS OF THE KIDZ TEAMMakenzie Dyer (team lead), Liz Cook, Jenny Hatfi eld, Madison MunroAshley Gruber (staff liaison)

SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS RAISED BY KIDZ MINISTRY FOR ACTIVITIES

OUTSIDE THE BUDGETFY 2014-2015


STUDENT MINISTRIESCOREY KNUDSON

REACH CONNECTThis year was a struggle as far as number of kids regularly attending REACH Connect. We went from 30+ students involved in REACH connect last spring to a consistent 15-20 this year. There were a couple of factors that led to the decrease. First, we lost a handful of key kids because they moved out of town. These were ones who consistently invited several friends, both middle school and high school age. When they moved, their friends no longer were involved. We lost momentum when we lost our key kids. Second, a handful of Seniors graduated and left the youth program. With that said, the smaller numbers did not deter the faithful ones from staying involved. A deep connection formed among the faithful few, and we saw more spiritual growth in kids this year than we have seen since Corey’s time at SFPC started. We attribute the growth to one major factor: we haven’t seen this kind of adult investment in young people’s lives in a long time. Adults invested hours with kids outside of the weekly program and church events. Weekly, Liz Cook would hang out with girls after school, shopping and having a good time; Rob Thrasher began giving guitar lessons to another student; and Ben Liudahl spent time every week investing in kids at Leslie Middle School and taking students out to lunch. Our high school students began to see themselves as role models and leaders to their middle school friends, as well. It was discipleship in action through life on life. This stuff didn’t evolve from a complex program or strategy but from adults merely doing what they love to do and inviting students in. There has been a culture change, and there is now a strong foundation for growth moving forward.

SERVICEWe continue to focus on service and learning what it means to give, to serve, and to see a need and then work to meet it. We led Operation

Christmas Child in November. With the help of the congregation, we put together 71 shoebox gifts to be given to children in need around the world. A total of 36 adults, youth, and children came out to help pack and wrap.

In December, we held an event called Cocoa and Caroling. We purchased pies and delivered the pies along with some holiday cheer to folks around Capital Manor. This was a great time of giving and blessing folks. People were surprised and pleased.

We continue to take part in Souper Bowl of Caring as well. This year we wanted to build a little more momentum and learning around the event of collecting, so we held an all-nighter on Saturday, the night before the collection. We served the organization to which we planned to direct the Souper Bowl donations, Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network, and did several homeless awareness activities throughout the night. We capped off the event on Sunday with the annual Souper Bowl collection, where we raised nearly $1,000 which was given to SIHN.

In addition to Operation Christmas Child, and Souper Bowl, students were very involved in church-wide Impact projects throughout the year.

GROWING IN THE PASSION FOR AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORDThis year we made a point to get kids in the Word of God - not just listening but engaging it. We wouldn’t just share the scripture but we would ask kids to actually open up their bibles to fi nd the passage, to read it themselves, and to answer questions based on what they saw and read. In addition, we encouraged students to take action throughout the week by either reading other assigned passages or refl ecting more deeply on the passage of the week. As the year went on, we saw students underlining verses, taking notes,


and even bringing their own bibles to worship on Sundays. This may seem like something basic and simple, but these things have not been instilled in students through the Student Ministry and need to become second nature in order for students to fi nd their own faith.

We took a group of middle school students to Portland for a weekend conference called Christ In Youth. The conference was focused on the life of David and being people who chase after God’s heart. It was a great memory for us all. One of the boys spoke up for the fi rst time expressing a desire to pursue God with his life. Since then he has been eager, super engaged in learning, and growing in his faith. We hope to do this conference again in the year to come and add a weekend conference for high school students as well.

INTERGENERATIONAL WORSHIPWe continue to make headway with students’ engagement in Sunday worship and feeling more and more comfortable there. This year we began a program called Third Sunday Lunch. We invited all

students to attend the entire worship service the third Sunday of each month. After the service, we would go to lunch somewhere in town and discuss what we learned, sharing what we observed and any questions or struggles we may have had. This event turned out to be something students looked forward to and were excited about. We had incredible conversations about faith, about life, about liturgy, about a whole lot of things. It was reminiscent of new testament Sabbath feasts. The more students engage worship and the more we can engage students in worship, the better we all will be. The most special thing is to look over and see a bunch of students with arms around each other, and hands raised swaying back and forth praising God during worship. That kind of thing draws us ALL closer to Jesus.

OUTREACHCorey continues to spend time in schools through the ministry of Young Life and engages other adults and leaders to do the same. He spent weekly time at Crossler, Leslie, and South, and

SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS RAISED BY STUDENT MINISTRY FOR MISSIONAL ACTIVITIES, FY 2014-2015


began to invest extra time connecting with students at Leslie. Youth leader Ben Liudahl joined Corey at Leslie a couple times per week. Corey became known as ‘Donut Man’ at Leslie because of his weekly donut deliveries. Through this commitment and consistency, relationships are beginning to multiply and fl ourish. Ben is developing a strong connection with several kids. Corey is taking students from Leslie to Wyld Life camp this summer.

MISSIONOne of the most exciting and transformational developments came when Corey received an email from Community Presbyterian Church in Redmond asking if we would like to join them on their mission trip to Mexico. Corey had been praying about this opportunity for over a year and was waiting for the Holy Spirit to open the door for us to be able to join another group. The email was an answer to prayer. In just four months we put together a team of 9 and raised $5,000 through our annual rummage sale and our Shareholder program, and took off for 10 days serving with

Amor building houses in Mexico. This trip changed kids’ lives, and adults’, too. We had a one-to-one adult-to-student ratio, one more testimony to the impact adults engaged in the lives of students has. The stories that came home were touching, and the relationships that formed were priceless. We held the Shareholder dessert, an opportunity to share testimonies of our trip with those who supported us, a few days after arriving home from Mexico, and 50 people showed up. It was one of the most energizing events I have been a part of. Adults were interested, engaged, and moved by the stories shared. It was cool to see their investment in young people and interest in them. After the dessert, several adults were excited and eager to go on the trip themselves in the future.

- Corey

MEMBERS OF THE YOUTH COMMITTEEKim Bonn, Sue Bailey, Dick Simpson

MEMBERS OF THE YOUTH TEAMLiz Cook, Marcos Esquivel, Joyer Takju, Ben Liudahl, Rob ThrasherCorey Knudson (staff liaison)


ADULT FORMATION & DISCIPLESHIP

CHRISTINE TALBERT

The Adult Formation and Discipleship (AFD) Team’s purpose is to focus on the spiritual and growth needs of our church and community-at-large. It is AFD’s intent to work together to listen as best we can to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we develop opportunities for participants to grow in their relationship with God, in their relationship with each other, and in their experience of service as God leads.

As a part of our meeting, the team discusses a chapter of a book on faith, intentionally keeping our minds and hearts open and fresh as we chew on some of the issues of faith for today. This year, we read and discussed A Letter to my Congregation: An evangelical pastor’s path to embracing people who are gay, lesbian and transgender into the company of Jesus by Ken Wilson.

During the 2014-2015 year, we focused much of our energy on the continuation of Wednesday Night Connect (WNC). This program offers classes and experiences for the congregation in four areas: Spiritual Formation, the Bible, Living our Faith, and Family/Community Interests. WNC meets almost every Wednesday from mid- September through early May, with short breaks. The team developed a core curriculum that provided basic education/experience to assist adults in living their faith. There were other activities included for children through the youth and children programs. As a part of this core curriculum, WNC Special Edition – an occasional stand-alone WNC that includes activities for everyone was initiated. Sometimes the Special Edition was a movie, which we called Reel Spirituality.

The classes and facilitators for the 2014-2015 year are listed below.

Fall 2014:• Engaging the Sermon, George Burt & Rich Noland;• The Holy Reformation, The Reverend Calvin Steck;• Presbyterian Distinctives, Del Burnett.

Winter 2015:• Same Sex Marriage: A Conversation with my Congregation, Del Burnett;• Tapping into the Mystery 101, Jan Taylor

Spring/Lenten Study 2015:• Body & Soul: Reclaiming The Heidelberg Catechism, Del Burnett.

The team supported Contemplative Listening, the Silent Retreat, “IF” conference for women, and the Women’s Retreat. In addition, faith stories from members of the congregation were included in the monthly Communiqué so that we can encourage one another and share our life experiences. Over the past few years Jane Lamb and I have been organizing, weeding out, and adding books to our church library.

We are eager to sponsor other activities that provide community and growth opportunities for our congregants and the community.

Respectfully submitted,

- Christine

MEMBERS OF THE AFD TEAMChristine Talbert (Team Leader), Donna Burnett, George Burt, Terry Casteel, Rich Noland, Kyle Page, Carolyne Thrasher, Marilyn Webb, and Joyce WilsonDel Burnett (staff liaison)


HOSPITALITYSARAH PAGE

2014 has been an eventful year as we’ve moved towards our vision of welcoming and belonging. Our goals have been fourfold:

To further develop a biblically based culture of hospitality at SFPC

To create a more user-friendly campus

To enhance and further develop a dynamic strategy for fi rst time visitors

To explore and facilitate opportunities for deeper fellowship

While there is still much to be done in each of these areas, we are well on the way to establishing a fi rm foundation for hospitality as practiced throughout the history of the early church. The Hospitality Team, along with the Director of Communication and Technology, have established the Hospitality Vision Statement in prominent areas of each worship space. Our printed material is geared toward guests and current attenders alike, intentionally articulating who we are and what we do at SFPC in a way that allows all who worship here to feel comfortable, respected and encouraged.

Last year our team did a lot of work to update and refresh the Worship Center, creating an ambiance which allowed for a relaxed atmosphere in which to explore the spiritual journey towards a deeper understanding and experience of Christ and the Word. We have enjoyed a growth in attendance over the last year and have met many guests, some of whom now call SFPC ‘home.’ This year we have turned our focus to the main level

hallways, freshening up paint and, again with the tremendous expertise of the Communications and Technology Ministry, creating “way-fi nding and labeling” signage that helps everyone to navigate the building. We believe this is critical to creating a sense of hospitality for everyone and hope to continue the ‘refreshing’ of the building this coming year.

Our Greeter Team has continued to serve with grace and joy in both the Classic and Contemporary Services. As we have introduced some changes [new Name Tags and new printed material in the pews], they have supported and encouraged everyone. Our SFPC Greeters continue to be a warm and inviting ‘fi rst impression’ to all.

Our guests are greeted at the Hospitality Centers with a gift and any information they need about Salem First. We are encouraged to see more new faces, hoping they feel welcomed and encouraged as they experience worship and fellowship. There is more to be done as we move into the program year. We will continue to invite everyone who calls SFPC his or her church home to participate in this ministry of hospitality. We believe members of our team are the ‘hands and feet – the fi rst impression’ of Christ’s love and the extension of His grace. We look forward to continuing that work with passion and presence in the coming months.

As the staff liaison for the Hospitality Ministry, I have a few observations from the past year. First and foremost, I am deeply thankful to everyone who serves. We all have busy lives and we all make choices about our time and the use of our

The Hospitality Ministry exists to create a space and culture where guests become family and where family, encouraged by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s presence, feels a deep sense of welcome and belonging.


gifts, and this service to guests and church family is impactful. My prayer is that more of our friends will join in. This is a ministry that benefi ts the entire community by providing assistance and a warm welcome so that our friends can experience the love and grace of Christ.

Secondly, I believe we are on the way towards helping people navigate this very beautiful and very large building. Those who have called SFPC their church home for years have an innate sense of where everything is and how things are done; however, it is a daunting experience for those for whom SFPC is not a familiar place. I believe strongly that the more we all can do to create this sense of home for our guests, the more we will benefi t from their presence and participation in church life. I would extend a challenge to everyone at SFPC to look at our campus through the eyes of a guest and then participate with the Hospitality Team towards a more user-friendly and usable campus.

I can testify to some wonderful growth at SFPC. Our Contemporary Service in the Worship Center has been steadily growing in number and continues to have a warm and celebratory ‘vibe.’ The environment has been comforting and inviting for many new faces, not to mention family members who enjoy the atmosphere of this relaxed worship setting. I’m grateful for the

opportunity to be a part of this alternative service, and I hope that if you haven’t yet visited you will soon. The fellowship is warm, the worship experience is lively, and the food is delicious! Even though the Classic Service and the Contemporary Service are different in style, we are united in our theology and in our witness to the Salem area.

Lastly, I’ve noticed, through some of the seemingly small changes we’ve made in the past few months, that we as a community are enjoying a renewed fellowship and joy in just getting to know one another better. Name Tag Sunday is one of those small changes. I’ve enjoyed hearing statements like, “Oh! I’ve seen you every Sunday in church, but I never knew your name!” My hope and prayer is that in this next program year we become more intentional in our hospitality and more focused in our fellowship with one another. Biblical hospitality dictates that we collectively work to create a space for all to feel safe, welcomed, and invited into a community of faith living out Christ’s call to journey together towards the full expression of love and humanity our city of Salem so desperately needs.

Blessings and God’s shalom,

- Sarah

MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITALITY MINISTRYSharon Klocksieben (Coordinator), Susan Hick, Lynda Newman, Verla Woods, Maureen Zemanek, Sarah Page (staff liaison)


IMPACTTEDDI TATE

The Impact Team is moderated by Teddi Tate and co-moderated by David Dyer. Staff member Rob Thrasher provides support, vision, and direction. The team’s goal is to guide the congregation of Salem First Presbyterian in spreading hope at home and throughout the world through practical expressions of the extraordinary love of Jesus, one kindness at a time.

Your gifts provide support for a wide range of missions worldwide. These include Presbyterian-related missions of our Presbytery and Synod, One Great Hour of Sharing (which helps fund Presbyterian Disaster Assistance), Christmas Joy (which helps retired church workers and gives assistance to ethnic schools), and the Pentecost/Peacemaking Offering (which helps a variety of ministries to youth and folks suffering

from violence and war). We continue to support Judy Chan in her missionary role in Hong Kong and Julie Gertenrich in her ministry to students via Young Life.

Locally, the Impact Team has offered many ways to serve our community all year long. Our contributions have continued to provide assistance to Habitat for Humanity in addition to monthly build teams. The congregation also stepped up with an additional offering to help Habitat match funds from a Thrivent grant. Salem First has continued its partnership with Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network, hosting families in the months of November, March, May, and June. Guests were able to enjoy the two additional private bedrooms that were constructed using part of the old “gym.” The congregation helped us to bless

IMPACT MINISTRY’S BUDGET FOR FY 2014-2015 SUPPORTED THESE OUTREACHES


the staff of Parrish Middle School by writing notes of encouragement that accompanied a “Welcome Back to School” gift, and by praying for those staff members individually throughout the year. Impact Team further blessed the Parrish Staff with a Keurig coffee maker (the Parrish staff room had no coffee maker) and treats on long conference days. Due to the coincidence of Kick-Off Sunday and Salem Sunday Streets, Impact Team participated with staff to turn the event into an outreach, serving free lunch and providing fun times for members of our community in addition to the congregation. In early October, a team prepped and painted the living room at Shelley’s House, a transitional home for women coming out of the penal system, as well as provided new lighting and curtains. On Halloween night, the Impact team again sponsored a “pop up café” in a South Salem neighborhood to bless trick-or-treaters and their families with free coffee drinks, hot cocoa, hot cider, and cookies. There were many return visitors from last year, and the response was again one of excitement and blessing. In April, Impact partnered with the Children’s Ministry to make Easterpalooza bigger and better than ever. In July, and Impact Team again cooked breakfast and served participants in the annual Relay for Life event. And last, but not least, the Job Quest Workshop ministry continues to grow and develop support for community members who are unemployed or under-employed.

The Impact Team organized Impact Sundays

this year on the 5th Sundays of November and May. The congregation was given opportunities to participate in blessing local ministries as well as some of our neighbors. Salem House of Prayer was blessed with new stair treads for their back stairway, hygiene kits were put together for children in the STEP program (Salem-Keizer Schools program for homeless families), a group worked at Marion Polk Food Share, “plarn” was made for use in making sleeping pads for the homeless, playdough was made for Family Building Blocks, and a team picked up trash around the Parrish Middle School and North High School campuses.

On the international front, Impact partnered with SFPC Reach Youth Ministries, Redmond Presbyterian Church, and Amor Ministries to send a team to Mexico June 19-28, to build homes for two families. Impact helped with funding, and also staffed the Shareholders Dessert, in which the team shared how this life-changing trip impacted their lives as well as the lives of the families in Mexico.

The Impact Team is continuing to actively seek God’s heart for the city of Salem, and to discern how God would have us use our resources locally, nationally, and globally. Your prayers and support are valued.


- Teddi Tate, moderator

MEMBERS OF THE IMPACT MINISTRY

Teddi Tate (moderator), David Dyer (vice-moderator), Rebekah Borah (secretary), Ted Envela, Melissa Gee, Mitch Gee, Peter Harding, Evelyn Hopkins, Michael Lamb, Amanda Solis, Susan Solis, Rob Thrasher (staff liaison)


WORSHIPGUIN HARDING

The Worship Ministry has had an eventful year. As I refl ect on both the end of my time as the chairperson of the Worship Ministry and on the past year as a whole, I’m reminded of how life has its seasons. I think church life, and worship in particular, shows that in the most wonderful ways.

In August, the sound systems in both the Sanctuary and the Worship Center got a small tune-up. The systems were reorganized and adjusted to better suit the needs of the spaces and the congregation. August also brought the purchase of two new Kirkin banners.

Speaking of the Kirkin, it was held on the 26th of October (on Reformation Sunday, as always), and was a wonderful celebration of our Reformed Scottish Heritage.

A month later, Advent came along to prepare our hearts and minds for the birth of the Christ child. It was an engaging and meaningful time, fi lled with refl ection and exquisitely beautiful music. It was the perfect warmup to our Christmas Eve services, which were both deeply meaningful.

The 7 o’clock Family Service was held in the Worship Center. As attendees entered, they were encouraged to put a swipe of paint on a black background; as Ashley gave the message, the tape on the painted canvas was removed so that all could read, “Fear Not”. The music was provided by the Winter Street Worship Band.

The 9 o’clock Candlelight Service was a profound experience, fi lled with deeply meaningful readings and absolutely breathtaking music, including a truly sensational and worshipful arrangement of “Oh Holy Night” by local composer Richard A. Nichols.

In January, the Ministry Summit (which we hope will be an annual event) was held. The Worship Ministry team engaged in long-term planning and a discussion of our hopes for the future of the ministry as well as what worship truly means to us as individuals and as a congregation.

Lent began on February 18 with a quietly profound Ash Wednesday service.

In March, Debra McAninch was elected to the role of Worship Ministry Chairperson, Sue Crothers took on the role of Head of the Chancel Guild, and Guin Harding took on the position of Secretary.

Holy week began with a cheerful Palm Sunday celebration on March 29. The following three days brought meditative noon-time communions. Maundy Thursday provided a meaningful atmosphere for wonder and refl ection through a candlelit chapel and ethereal Taize music. Good Friday provided both celebration and mourning as congregants were encouraged to lay their burdens down before the cross, with music led by the Winter Street Worship Band.

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Holy week found its culmination in Easter Sunday, which brought a joyous celebration of the Risen Lord. As per usual, there was a small orchestra for the 9 o’clock Classic service, and energetic Contemporary worship service at 11 o’clock.

In May, we extended our well-wishes to those in the Winter Street Worship Band and the choir who graduated from Willamette University, and welcomed new members to both.

As I look back, I can’t help but give praise to the Lord for my time as the chair of the Worship Ministry, and it is with a glad heart that I pass that

title on to Debra, who will lead us with plenty of good humor and intuition.

“There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ISV)

-Guin and Debra

MEMBERS OF THE WORSHIP MINISTRYDebra McAninch (Chairperson), Guin Harding (Secretary, Usher Coordinator, Lay Reader Coordinator), Sue Crothers (Head of the Chancel Guild), Diane Bolen (Communion Coordinator, Chancel Flowers Coordinator), Andy Wilson (staff liaison)


DEACONSSUE CROTHERS

Deacons represent the hearts, hands, and feet of the church, to the church, willingly applying our varied gifts of spirit and personality to the task of caring for the congregation. We do this through an array of ministries that nurture physically and spiritually, and that foster connection within our church family. Deacons meet monthly to pray and plan, discussing church needs and sharing ideas; we do our best to model within our group the accepting and loving community to which Christ calls us, supporting one another other in the tasks and ministries we are called to provide.

The many and varied Deacon Ministries include:

NEIGHBORHOOD NETS

Undoubtedly the Deacons’ most important and most challenging ministry is one of attempting to expand the “hands and feet” concept of Deacons to more deeply embracing the role of caring for people spiritually.

Each SFPC member is assigned more or less geographically to a Neighborhood Net. Each Net has a deacon. If you don’t know who your deacon is, please call the church offi ce to make sure you have one! The Deacons’ goal, insofar as Net members are comfortable in doing so, is to engage in dialogue regularly, to pray for and with each member, and to facilitate connection between the congregation and pastoral staff. Some deacons send newsletters that keep their Net members “in the loop.” Others host group events that allow Nets to get to know members who live nearby. Others call or email, or chat at church. Through all of this, we are not trying to pry, but rather we hope to nurture and to connect in order to pass along news, and to listen for your concerns and needs. For example, it is often through Neighborhood Nets that we learn of needs for meals, hospital visitation, or for referral

to a Stephen Minister. No matter how - or how often - you hear from your Deacon, you can be sure that his or her prayers are being offered up for you.

HOSPITAL VISITATIONDonna Marsh and Janis Hoekstra lead this ministry team. These caring Deacons felt called this past twelve months to focus visitation efforts primarily on our SFPC family at Capital Manor, especially those confi ned to Manor Care. Virtually every Friday night since July 2014, Donna has visited to bring comfort, prayer, and news from the church to those no longer able to attend services. In addition, pastoral staff conducts worship and/or communion at Capital Manor the 3rd Wednesday of the month, for upwards of 30 attendees.

MEAL MINISTRYChaired by Bill Mainwaring, this effort provides meals that bring tangible help and an important gesture of bearing one another’s burdens during emergency, illness, or a death in the family. Approximately a dozen households were assisted with three days of meals each during the year.

FLOWER DELIVERY/EASTER LILIESSue Roner and Pat Gee co-chair this “fragrant” ministry. Flowers donated by the congregation for display during services are delivered by Deacons every Sunday afternoon to care homes and homebound members, at the discretion of the donor. At Easter, the more than 100 lilies that graced the Sanctuary were delivered after worship services to those who had suffered loss of a family member, or who were homebound or in a care facility.

CHRISTMAS BASKETSSue Roner led this major project in December 2014, with the help of all the deacons plus other congregation volunteers. Using food and cash


donated by the SFPC family, Deacons provided everything needed for a nutritious and bountiful Christmas. There was food for the table, including fresh ham and turkey, and $25 gift cards for each child under 18 living in the household. Through the generosity of the Congregation, Deacons served 63 households and a total of 92 children for Christmas 2014.

OPERATION CARE PACKAGEDeacons began a new ministry this past year: to send “tangible love” in the form of treats, practical items, and hand-written notes to individuals away from their families, going to school, or serving in the military. Last May we provided 24 of these Packages of Care, and we envision a similar outreach in fall of 2015. Sue Crothers, Kari Niemeyer, and Pat Gee head up this outreach.

DEACON’S CUPBOARDSusan Solis, with able assistance by Sue Roner and “honorary deacon” Bob Franklin, looks after this ministry. In recognition of the privilege we have to feast at The Lord’s Table, Deacons recently designated the fi rst Sunday of the month as “Fill the Cupboard Sunday” so that our pantry is always ready to overfl ow to meet needs of hungry people both inside and outside our church.

TRANSPORTATION MINISTRYChaired by Tim Nissen, with “co-pilot” Ted Envela and other volunteer drivers, this service uses the church van to pick up members and bring them to church every Sunday. Tim and Ted also, on occasion, arrange for rides for those not on the van route.

BLOOD DRIVESOnce again, Lola Morrison chaired this vital service to our community of organizing quarterly blood drives at the church. Lola is ably helped by “retired deacon,” husband Jerry, and Deacons Pam Morris, Bruce Kerr, Janis Hoekstra, and Norm & Donna Marsh. Tim Nissen serves as the Rotary Liaison.

MEMORIAL RECEPTIONSSue Roner coordinated this important church tradition in 2014-2015. Sue calls on Deacons to provide home-baked cookies. Deacons assist by setting up, serving, and cleaning up after reception guests have gone home. This is an “all hands on deck” service of SFPC Deacons, with virtually all Deacons having graciously served over the last year. A special shout-out goes to Pat Gee and Betty Bunnell for homemade sweets that never fail to inspire a recipe request.

In summary, your Board of Deacons is a dedicated group from all ages and backgrounds. Yet, we are also “ordinary people embodying God’s extraordinary love” who share the understanding that we serve in His power not our own, with faith and gentleness, with the love of Christ as our message and inspiration.


- Sue

DEACONSSue Crothers (Moderator), Bob Stai (Vice-Moderator), Pam Morris (treasurer), Lola Morrison (secretary), Betty Bunnell, Ted Envela, Pat Gee, Guin Harding, Janis Hoekstra, Bruce Kerr, Bill Mainwaring, Donna Marsh, Norm Marsh, Debra McAninch, Gary McAninch, Kari Neimeyer, Thelma Nissen, Tim Nissen, Sue Roner, Susan Solis, Karen Renner (staff liaison), Sarah Page (staff liaison)


STEPHEN MINISTRYMARSHA KERR

Your Stephen Ministry program extends confi dential, one-to-one, distinctively Christian care to congregation members and non-members who are experiencing challenging life situations. Stephen Ministers provide lay pastoral outreach to assist the pastors in caring for the congregation. There are currently nine active Stephen Ministers. Three of these are also Stephen Leaders. Stephen Ministers have provided well over 375+ hours of lay ministry care and study in 2014-2015. In addition, Stephen Leaders have held meetings as needed to supervise the program and provide support to the Stephen Ministers.

In the past year, eleven care receivers have been served by our Stephen Ministers. Two care receivers have been members of another congregation refl ecting outreach into the community of faith. Six of those relationships have closed and four are ongoing or new. A closed relationship refl ects a mutual agreement and feeling of God’s healing power in the care receiver’s life. Several Stephen Ministers have taken leave during the year and have returned to active service. A Stephen Minister commits to a three-year term of service. Many continue to serve beyond the three-year period. In the future, to insure a continued viable program of service, recruitment of new Stephen Ministers will be necessary.

We are thankful for each person who answered the call to serve others through Stephen Ministry, and for the loving care they have provided their care receivers. A Stephen Minister/Leader, once commissioned, can return to service with minimum continuing education and a Leader Team recommendation.

Active Stephen Ministers participate in twice-monthly small Group Peer Supervision and Continuing Education in addition to their weekly time with their care receivers.

We are thankful to the Session, the congregation, and the Board of Deacons for your prayers and support of this ministry, for your openness to accepting care when you are burdened, for your attentiveness to others who are hurting and who might benefi t from the care of a Stephen Minister, and for your prayerful consideration of serving as a Stephen Minister or Stephen Leader.

In His service,

- Marsha

ACTIVE STEPHEN MINISTERSLuanne Boice, Ted Envela, Bruce Kerr, Jane Lamb, Kathie Van Ronzelen, Michael Lamb, Maggie Sather , Susan Hick, Marsha Kerr.

ACTIVE STEPHEN LEADERSLuanne Boice (Small Group Supervision Coordinator), Bruce Kerr (Continuing Education Coordinator), and Marsha Kerr (Team Leader & Referral Coordinator.)


CHURCH OFFICERSWe are grateful to the church’s offi cers for their leading this year!

ELDERS ON SESSIONSession meets monthly on Tuesday at 6:30 PM or Saturday at 9:00 AM

CLASS OF 2015 CLASS OF 2016 CLASS OF 2017Sue Bailey Jan Carlson Luanne BoiceGigi Merrill Clinton Gertenrich Gretchen JensenDelores Pederson Johnny Mack Michael TalbertTJ Putman Chuck Zemanek Dave Williams

Clerk of Session: Mary Johnson

Staff: Pastor Del Burnett (Moderator), Associate Pastor for Congregational Care Karen Renner

BOARD OF DEACONSThe Board of Deacons meets third Tuesday of the month, 6:30 PM

CLASS OF 2015 CLASS OF 2016 CLASS OF 2017Betty Bunnell Pat Gee Ted EnvelaSue Crothers Bill Mainwaring Janis HoekstraGuin Harding Pam Morris Bruce KerrLola Morrison Kari Neimeyer Donna MarshBob Stai Thelma Nissen Norm Marsh Tim Nissen Debra McAninch Susan Solis Gary McAninch Sue Roner

Moderator: Susan Crothers

Vice Moderator: Bob Stai

Secretary: Lola Morrison

Treasurer: Pam Morris

Staff: Associate Pastor for Congregational Care Karen Renner, Pastoral Assistant Sarah Page

CHURCHWIDE NOMINATING COMMITTEECLASS OF 2015 CLASS OF 2016 CLASS OF 2017Kim Bonn Diane Bolen Candace LufkinJoyer Takju Scott Kohl Don Taylor

Session: Chuck Zemanek, Gretchen Jensen

Deacon: Guin Harding


SESSION MEMBERSHIP REPORTJULY 1, 2014 — JUNE 30, 2015Session Meetings Held 16

Adult Baptism 1

Infant Baptism 2

NUMBER OF ACTIVE ROLL MEMBERS JULY 1, 2014 458 Received by:

Profession of Faith 2 Letter of Transfer Reaffi rmation of Faith/Restoration 1

TOTAL 3

Loss by:

Deaths 10 Transfer of Membership 9 To Inactive Roll-Removed from Roll 15

TOTAL 34

NUMBER OF ACTIVE ROLL MEMBERS JUNE 30, 2015 427



FINANCIAL REPORT

FINANCIAL INFORMATION (FY 2014-2015)STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES INCOMESTATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES EXPENDITURESSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

FINANCIAL INFORMATION (FY 2015-2016)BUDGET SUMMARY

AN EXPANDED VERSION OF THE FINANCIAL REPORT, INCLUDING DEDICATED ACCOUNTS AND LINE-ITEM INFORMATION, CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE OFFICE, IF REQUESTED.





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