The Spire. Congregational Meeting & Election is Sunday, June 17 at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary

Transcription

1 The Spire WOODMONT CHRISTIAN CHURCH JUNE 5, 2018 Congregational Meeting & Election is Sunday, June 17 at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary We will elect leadership nominees as well as approve the budget for The 2018 Nominee Slate booklet is available in the Narthex & Gathering Hall. Installation of newly elected leaders is Sunday, June 24 at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary

2 Budget Highlights WOODMONT S ANNUAL GIVING PYRAMID Total Commitments: 370 Pledge total: $2,632,314 Comparisons: 2018/19: 370 totaling $2,632, /18: 343 totaling $2,457, /17: 322 totaling $2,245,751 $50k+ 6 $30k-49,999 6 $20,000-29,999 $15,000-19,999 $10,000-14,999 $7,000-9,999 $5,000-6,999 $3,000-4,999 $1,500-2,999 $1-$1, Total to date: 370 MINISTERIAL STAFF Dr. Clay Stauffer, Senior Minister Dr. C. Roy Stauffer Minister of Adult Education & Church Life Rev. Justin Gung Minister of Children & Congregational Care Rev. Chris Cox Minister of Youth & Their Families Dr. Donovan McAbee Minister of Spiritual Formation Farrell Mason Minister of Family Life & Pastoral Care PROGRAM STAFF Michael Graham Music Ministry Director Abby McLean Children s Ministry Director Katie Sheridan-Gossage Assistant Youth Ministry Director Andra Moran Creative Director, The Bridge Stephen Daniel King Worship Leader, The Bridge Lauren Lucas Beuerlein Young Professionals & Couples Director Steve LaForge Missions Field Coordinator The Power of Generosity: 370 pledge commitments to date totaling $2,632,314. Last year we finished with 343 totaling $2,448,885, reflecting a 7.12% increase. As more pledges are received, they will be moved from the non-pledged to the pledged line. Outreach, Major Components: $132,500 awarded as cash grants to local non-profit organizations, $32,500 for the Habitat for Humanity build, $26,000 given directly to the Disciples Mission Fund (8.3% increase), $14,000 to support Walk Thru Bethlehem, $17,500 to Mission Trip Scholarships, $6,000 to the Nashville Food Project in addition to free rent and utility bills paid in South Hall (valued at $55,000), the addition of the Mission Field Coordinator position (Steve LaForge) and the addition of $5,000 for the Fall-Hamilton School Program. Personnel: Four full-time ordained ministers (Clay, Roy, Justin and Chris), two part-time ministers (Farrell and Donovan), three part-time Ministry Directors (Katie, Lauren and Abby), Music Director (Michael), Business Administrator (Chris), Bridge Leaders (Andra and Stephen), Accompanist (Russell), Executive Assistant (Amber), Communications Director (Matt), Administrative Assistant (Jan), Director of Small Groups and Connections (Anne-Marie), Mission Field Coordinator (Steve), Property Manager (Sam), Custodians (Cliff, Jeff, Steven and Emily). This includes cost of living raises and some merit raises for staff when recommended by Personnel. pg 2 SUPPORT STAFF Chris Beck Business Administrator Martha Duff Preschool Director Sam Marsh Property & Facilities Manager Jan Anderson Administrative Assistant Amber Moss Executive Assistant Anne-Marie Farmer Small Groups & Connections Director Matt Diffenderfer Communications Director For the most up-to-date information, download Woodmont s Realm church directory app. Search for Realm Connect in itunes & Google Play. Woodmont Christian Church 3601 Hillsboro Pike Nashville, Tennessee

3 Proposed Budget by Clay Stauffer The Woodmont Board met on Monday evening, June 4th, and has approved an operating budget for the year beginning July 1st. The congregational meeting will be held on Sunday, June 17th at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary where we will officially vote on both the budget and the leadership slate. We had another strong stewardship campaign this year so thank you to everybody who participated and provided leadership, especially to Jeremiah and Mary Clare Pyron who served as chairs again this year and did an incredible job. The generosity of Woodmont is inspiring. It s the people who make up the church and it s up to all of us to continue supporting the mission and ministries of Woodmont. To date, we have received 370 PLEDGES totaling $2,632,314. This reflects roughly a 7% increase in the pledged amount from last year which is very exciting. It also reflects a substantial increase in the number of pledges (up from 343 last year). Our goal each year is to have as many people participate in the campaign as possible. In an age where many good churches are struggling and seeing budgets decline, we continue to move forward in faith. When stewardship consultant Bruce Barkhauer was here last spring, he encouraged us to develop a narrative budget (in addition to our line item budget) that shows exactly how our giving goes to support the multiple ministries of Woodmont. From a missional view, here is how your dollars are being put to use in the new budget year: WORSHIP ($654,773) - Worship is the most important thing we do as a community. We gather together every Sunday in community to worship God, be challenged, and to lift each other up. We offer three different styles of worship every Sunday (Informal, Contemporary, Traditional) as well as many special services throughout the year. In each of these services, we seek to have outstanding worship with preaching that speaks to the head and heart. We are also blessed with an amazing music ministry. SPIRITUAL FORMATION ($552,113) - This includes Adult education, Small groups, Bible Studies, Connection, Stewardship, Leadership Woodmont, Community Events, Pastoral Care, Membership Assimilation, Discipleship Classes, and Introduction to Woodmont. Discipleship is important in the life of our church. We worship God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Spiritual formation happens in all of these areas. We are also about to launch Woodmont s new Center for Healing and Spirituality in August with Dr. Ben Curtis as the director. MISSION & OUTREACH ( $642,627) - Woodmont remains a missional church committed to serving this community and this world. There are so many opportunities to serve including Habitat, Room In the Inn, The Nashville Food Project, the Morgan Scott Project, Tools for Schools, Walk Thru Bethlehem, Fall Hamilton Elementary, and many more. We continue to be committed to healing ministries like AA, Ala Non, Divorce Care, Grief Recovery, and much more. CHILDREN & FAMILIES ($522,902) - We continue to have a thriving children and family ministry. Our Kids Commons is overflowing and in many cases, the classrooms are very crowded. There are many volunteers who make this possible on a regular basis. We want to continue to support all families and parents in the difficult tasks that they have. A healthy family life is essential. Our preschool continues to grow and expand as well. YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS ($481,583) As our children move up, our youth ministry continues to grow and expand. This is such a formative time in the lives of adolescents. We also want to continue to reach college and young adults as they find their way in the world. Lauren has brought great leadership with our young professionals. *ADMINISTRATION ($146,550) - In a church Woodmont s size, ongoing communication and administration is a necessity. We are blessed with a strong administrative staff that works very hard to support the mission, ministries, and programs of Woodmont on a daily basis. *It is important to note that Administration directly supports all of the other categories and make our ministries possible. It is difficult to break these expenses down into the specific categories. pg 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

4 Total Expenditures: $3,000, Proposed Budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 This is an exciting budget and will continue to allow us to do great things on this corner and beyond. Feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have. Thank you for your generosity and support. The budget details are below. Blessings, Clay Stauffer ADMINISTRATION Ongoing communication and administration WORSHIP Three styles of worship every Sunday & special services throughout the year YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS $481,583 16% ADMINISTRATION $146,550 5% WORSHIP $654,773 22% SPIRITUAL FORMATION Small groups, Bible Studies, Community Events, Pastoral Care, Membership Assimilation, Discipleship & Intro Classes, Stewardship, Center for Healing & Spirituality MISSION & OUTREACH Habitat, Room In the Inn, The Nashville Food Project, the Morgan Scott Project, Tools for Schools, Walk Thru Bethlehem, Fall Hamilton CHILDREN & FAMILIES $522,902 18% SPIRITUAL FORMATION $552,113 18% CHILDREN & FAMILIES Thriving children & family ministries YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS Youth, college, & young adult ministries MISSION & OUTREACH $642,627 21% $3,500,000 $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000, Year Stewardship History Total Budget 343 Total Committed $3,000,548 Total # of Commitments $2,762,500 $2,632, $2,532, $2,419,3755 $2,457, $2,229,000 $2,224,695 $2,245, $2,100,000 $1,967,063 $1,977,221 $1,802,624 $1,845,133 $1,730,819 $1,725,603 $1,498,102 $1,565,200 $1,543,365 $1,421,999 $1,274,939 $1,327,717 $1,330,209 $1,066, $500, $- 2007/ / / / / / / / / / / /2019 pg 4-25

5 Love Is The Only Way by Farrell Mason Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves is of God and knows God. - 1 John 4:7 I am drawn to the work of the famous Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci for his ability to capture the mystery of the human form in all its inherent beauty and contradiction. The Master personally selected models from the Floretine streets for all of his paintings from the Mona Lisa to the Salvador Mundi portrait of Jesus to Judas in The Last Supper. There is a story about Leonardo, true or spiritual allegory, where the artist searched and found on the cobblestone streets of Florence a model for his daring rendering of Jesus; an exquisite human being whose eyes projected the light and whose presence suggested all the wondrous possibilities of God. Years later, da Vinci would return to Florence s Piazza della Signoria, but this time, in search of a model for Judas in his masterpiece, The Last Supper. What face could capture the betrayer of Love? Finally, he found what he was looking for; eyes lost, a presence that communicated the brokenness of humanity. When da Vinci approached the model, the man said, You don t remember me, Master, but I know you. Many years ago, it was I you painted for the face of Christ, our Lord. Within us all is the full spectrum of living possibilities. Are we aiming for the light of Christ or descending to Judas darkness? At any given moment, our eyes, our thoughts and our actions can reflect love, light and redemption or fear, selfishness and despair. It all comes down to Love. Do we follow, pursue and enable it for ourselves and others or like Judas, do we betray the love within us for pride, insecurity and selfish gains? When we hurt the people that we claim to love, think of ourselves before all else, and either ignore or turn our back on God, we are the living face of Judas, betrayer of Love. Sadly, it is sometimes our reality, and in secret we lament our lesser selves. But in the same breath, we can embody Victor Hugo s illumined words in Les Miserables, When I see you, I see the face of God. Eyes that radiate benevolence, words that inspire hope, love that is selfless and actions that make redemption a reality for ourselves and others. This is humanity at its best the face of Christ, our Lord. In his homily at the Royal nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Bishop Michael Curry quoted Rev. Martin Luther King, We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way. Every day God invites us to try again. The ultimate goal in our evolving as human beings is to embody more and more, in the words of Paul, not I, but the Love within me. Love is the way. Holy Yoga is back at Woodmont Holy Yoga starts back Wednesday, June 6, and continues all of June, July, and August with the exception of June 27th and July 4th. Please, invite others to come because this is a FREE practice! A great time to just be with a friend as you you hear/meditate on the word of God while you move (or find stillness.) New 3-week lecture on Science & Religion The Points of View Class will have a guest lecturer on the topic of Science and Religion for three consecutive Sundays beginning June 10th. Everybody is invited to hear Matthew Groves talk about the intersection of science and religion with regard to global warming. Matthew is a graduate student at Vanderbilt Divinity School and is a resident at the Disciples Divinity House. He has undergraduate degrees in Physics and in Religious Studies from The College of William and Mary. Matthew has lectured widely on topics relating to science and faith including Big Bang Theory, and Genesis and Evolution. The Points of View Class meets in Room 105 at 11:00 A.M. New Corinthians book study begins A six-week study of II Corinthians will begin on June 10th at 8:30am in Room 105. Through the words of Paul and the wise commentary of N. T. Wright, see how human weakness, spiritual strength, hurt, forgiveness, and zeal for the welfare of the weak and suffering apply as much to us today as they did to the first century Corinthian church. Learn why we are all like the Christian contemporary band, Jars of Clay and what valuable treasure our clay jars contain. Come learn, discuss and grow with us. Coffee provided. pg 5

6 Calendar Clay Stauffer Lost Connections by Johann Hari* The Power of a Humble Life by Richard E. Simmons* The Soul of America by Jon Meacham* Suicide of the West by Jonah Goldberg Unafraid by Adam Hamilton The Common Good by Robert Reich Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis Farrell Mason Everybody Always by Bob Goff* Everything Happens for A Reason, And Other Lies I Have Loved by Kate Bowler A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson Andra Moran Love by Matt de la Pena Craddock Stories by Fred B. Craddock* Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford Revolution (The Sixties Trilogy) by Deborah Wiles Roy Stauffer Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser Immortal Diamond by Richard Rohr Unafraid by Benjamin Corey The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal Unbelievable by John Shelby Spong Anne Marie Farmer The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L Engle Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt Lauren Lucas Beuerlein A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle Daring Greatly by Brene Brown Deepest Thanks Deeper Apologies by Stephen Shortridge The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck The Frontline Generation by Marjorie K. Eastman Justin Gung The Evangelist: The Worldwide Impact of Billy Graham by Lewis A. Drummond Tattoos on the Heart by Father Gregory Boyle Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully About Racism by Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel The Pocket Cathedral: A Collection of Prayers by Farrell Mason * = available for purchase in Woodmont s bookstore Sunday, June 10 9:30 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary, Sun. School Kennedy Joy Caputo child dedication 9:45 a.m. Worship at The Bridge, Drowota Hall 11:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary, Sun. School 12:15 p.m. Intro to Woodmont luncheon, Boardroom Monday, June 11 Youth Group: Light Up Music City for Chi-Rho 10:00 a.m. The Baby Bunch, Room 134 3:00 p.m. Geezers, Boardroom Tuesday, June 12 Youth Group: Light Up Music City for Chi-Rho 7:00 a.m. Exploring the Contemplative Path, Campbell West 9:00 a.m. Women s Prayer Group, Campbell-Stone 12:00 p.m. GEMS Luncheon, Room 105 6:00 p.m. Handbells Rehearsal, Choir Room Wednesday, June 13 Youth Group: Light Up Music City for Chi-Rho 6:15 a.m. Men s Small Group, Room 100 7:00 a.m. Original Men s Bible Study, Room 105 7:00 a.m. Younger Men s Bible Study, Boardroom 5:30 p.m. Grace Notes practice, Kids Commons 5:30 p.m. Jubilation Youth Rehearsal, Youth Lounge 5:30 p.m. Summer Gospel Sing-Along, Room 105 6:15 p.m. Potluck Dinner, Drowota Hall 6:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room 6:30 p.m. Holy Yoga, Room 200 Thursday, June 14 Youth Group: Light Up Music City for Chi-Rho June 1-15th Birthdays Rhys Williams 6/1 Jennings Martin 6/2 Archer Reynolds 6/3 Neely Rogers 6/5 Brooks Bearden 6/5 Bennett Jackson 6/6 Anna Van Dyke 6/10 Emmeline Mansfield 6/12 Jack Wellman 6/12

7 PRAYERS FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY SYMPATHY TO: Julia Shipp, on the death of her cousin, Larry Young, on June 2 in Pulaski. IN THE HOSPITAL: Pam Richardson - knee replacement surgery Monday, June 4 NEW CONCERNS: The people of Guatemala - volcano Fuego erupted June 3 Bill Heyne - knee injury, surgery June 4 75th Celebration kicks off with July 8 concert, Gov. Haslam to keynote Birthday Sunday, July 15 Sunday, July 8 3 PM Special Music Celebration Featuring three of our ensembles, Chancel Choir, Handbells, & Grace Notes, this concert consists of favorites that have been performed over the past several years and should be a fun event for all who attend. MAY 13: MAY 20: MAY 27: JUNE 3: SUNDAYSCHOOL: Sunday, July 15 - Birthday Sunday 3:00 to 4:30 PM Music in the Sanctuary featuring Jubilation, the Gospelaires, Andra Moran, Lauren Beurlein, Lockwood Barr, and Moriah Domby Pirtle 4:00 to 7:00 PM Family Fun at Campbell West 5:00 to 7:00 PM Dinner and Program featuring Gov. Bill Haslam in Drowota Hall ATTENDANCE: OPERATING: $40,682 $44,296 $82,195 $68,645 CONTINUING CONCERNS: Ben Cherry Gayle Cherry Everett Davis Sheila Mathias JoAnn Patterson Al Richardson Nikki Schmutz Lynne Thompson Isse Waddey FAMILY OF MEMBERS - CONCERNS: Ann Luther s mother, Dorothy Ann Patterson, Gainesville, GA. Rebecca DiNapoli and Melinda Norris- Munro s father Paul Hardin s uncle, Jimmy Glasgow, Hillcrest Nursing Home, Ashland City, TN. Martha Duff s sister, Barbara PRAYERS FOR OUR WORLD Those killed or injured in the latest storms and flooding in the United States. The police Sargent killed in Dickson and the family. Those working hard to refurbish Bethany Hills. Vacation Bible School. Woodmont to host Bethany Hills meeting Bethany Hills meeting Monday, June 18, 4:15 PM Woodmont s Boardroom Dr. Christal Williams will give an update on long terms goals and objectives for our youth camp, Bethany Hills. pg 7 Visiting former minister Rev. Trey Flowers with wife Merillat and 7-week-old daughter, Bailey. Trey led communion at The Bridge.

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