THE CROSSROADS. In This Issue Salem United Methodist Church S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO Renovations Student Ministries

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1 Issue 1 January 7, 2015 THE CROSSROADS Salem United Methodist Church S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO In This Issue 2 7 Renovations Student Ministries Missions at Salem Save the Date Review 5-6 New to Salem 8 Upcoming Events

2 Renovations Rev. Terri Swan - terri@salemstlouis.com 2 The Crossroads - January 7, 2015 Over the past four years Salem has done some much needed repairs and maintenance to our campus. The trustees have addressed the issues of roofing, painting, plumbing, parking lot maintenance, sidewalk repairs, sprinkler system installation, door and windows updating, improving security and refinishing the multi-purpose room floor. One of the biggest expenses we have encountered this past year was the replacement of our HVAC system in the Education Wing. This was a little over $70,000, for a new system and ductwork. Beginning in the new year, Salem will once again undergo some needed renovations. The Salem Sanctuary is 50 years old, and it still uses the original heating and cooling systems. The boiler downstairs takes up an entire room! In January, the trustees will begin work with The Legacy Group to replace our heating and air conditioning system in the Sanctuary. At the same time, we will begin the reconfiguration of our chancel area by flattening the floor so that the orchestra and choir will have the ability to expand. (Several of our members have fallen on the little steps in our chancel area, including me)! The modesty panels will be removed so that those in the congregation can see and hear what is happening in the chancel area with ease. In addition, we will be able to move the grand piano from the Fellowship Hall to the chancel. The piano is a donation from members that we haven t been able to utilize because of space constraints. We will also consider some other minor repairs if funds provide. For those of you who might be wondering, the lectern and the pulpit will remain intact! In fact, there will be little change to the look of the chancel area; however, the changes will provide the flexibility needed to provide passionate worship experiences. I can imagine that you are now wondering: How are we paying for all of this? We have been blessed with several benefactors to make these renovations possible; yet, there is still some money to be raised. More information about this will be coming in the near future, along with an opportunity to give for this special need. While the reconfiguration of the chancel is being completed, we will need to use our gifts of patience! We will work hard to provide the best worship experiences we can during the construction phase. God will provide! I give God thanks for our trustees! They provide guidance and expertise as we take care of Salem s facilities. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. I am happy to answer any questions you might have or to refer you to Dan Mattison, chair of Salem trustees. King David wrote these words in a song of praise: I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let s go to the Lord s house! For the sake of the Lord our God s house I will pray for your good. Blessings to you, Pastor Terri Contact Sean McIntyre sean@salemstlouis.com Youth Connect: Sundays from 6:00-7:30 pm CONNECT features dinner, fellowship, worship, study, and games. WOW: January 24 & 25 WOW is the single largest weekend event for youthage ministries in MO. With passionate worship and faith development sessions, both middle school and high school students find this event serves as a catalyst for their faith journey. Open to all youth 6-12 th grade. Cost is $75. Visit com/trips to register. Confirmation 2015: It s not too late to sign up for Confirmation 2015! Confirmation will meet on Tuesday evenings beginning January 13. Dinner begins at 6:00 pm and class concludes at 7:30 pm.

3 A SNAPSHOT OF SALEM 2014 SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 1200 S. LINDBERGH BLVD. ST. LOUIS, MO (314) AVERAGE WORSHIP ATTENDANCE JAN FEB 5.78% INCREASE IN WORSHIP ATTENDANCE SINCE 2012 MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG Easter Attendance 2014: 1, : 1, SEPT OCT NOV DEC Christmas Eve Attendance 2014: 1, : 1,366 REACHING OUT IN EXTRAVAGANT LOVE TO FULFILL GOD S MISSION IN THE WORLD 2014 Website Stats 55.6% New Visits 3.86 Pages Per Visit 61,902 Page Views SOCIAL MEDIA h Salem Facebook Likes 76.88% increase from Instagram Followers 27 Twitter Followers

4 2014 TOTAL GIVING: $1,890,307 All totals as of December 31, $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50, , , , , , ,738 91, , , , , ,663 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTAL PLEDGES FOR 2015: $ 1,198,560 TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS WITH PLEDGES 2015: MISSION GIVING KINGDOM HOUSE $11,867 COSTA RICA MISSION PROJECTS $59,266 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY $12,766 OTHER MISSION GIVING $225,709 New Members 32 adults 27 kids VBS 154 Salem Kids 66 Kingdom House Kids 60 Connection UMC Kids 22 Kirkwood Back Yard 137 Volunteers 19 BAPTISMS MISSION TRIPS Costa Rica: 18 Adult: 6 Middle School: 11 High School: 28 2 SERVE DAYS 153 Volunteers 700+ Service Hours

5 Welcome to all of Salem s Newest Families In 2014, Salem welcomed many new people to our community. We are so excited to meet and get to know new friends wherever they may be on their faith journey. On December 7, the pastors and other staff members were so pleased to spend time with many who are new to Salem at a special brunch. It was great to fellowship with them and to learn more about how they can use their gifts at Salem New Member Families: Gene, Bethany, & Gavin Buescher Dan & Shirley Casey Jocelyn Claycomb Nick & Elizabeth Conway Zachary Han Dana, Elle, Kami, & Evan Harris Cori Davis Sharon Harvey-Davis Aubrey & Dana Joseph Dana & Sloane Klein Clint, Mendy, Connor, & Jackson Koerkenmeier Teresa, Debra, & Emslee Lewis Dan & Shirley Casey Carrie Ellis Chloe Colbert Estebon & Marissa Garcia Michael & Kelli Lunsford Daniel & Paige Memel Mike & Deborah Moberly Scott, Carrie, & Ella Nelson Mark, Laurie, Ashley, & Cole Newcomb Darcy & Donna Riegel Molly Walsh John Ware Mitch Yahl Shahnjayla Connors Garrett, Heather, Everett, & Miles Gilchrist Nick & Elizabeth Conway Dana, Evan, Ella, Kami Harris

6 Rob, Melinda, Adeline, & Atticus Lamb Scott, Carrie, & Ella Nelson Michael & Kelli Lunsford Sylvia Saddler Trish & Lauren Coco Daniel & Akpedje Memel Theresa Sterans-Walker Zachary Han & Molly Walsh Mike & Deborah Moberly Mitch Yahl & Jocelyn Claycomb

7 7 The Crossroads - January 7, 2015 January Serve Focus: Out of Our Bounty Seeking Volunteers Salem s Out of Our Bounty ministry serves the poor of the world out of the great abundance that God has given to us. New and gently used items are donated, screened, sorted, and delivered to agencies such as Kingdom House, Epworth Children & Family Services, Rainbow Network, and Employee Connection. Volunteers are needed to help sort and deliver donations on a regular basis. For more information on how you can get involved please contact the church office at info@salemstlouis.com or (314) First things first A big thank you for all of your efforts with the many agencies and organizations that Salem supports across our city, across our country, and across the world. Without you, none of this would be remotely possible. You have given of your time, your resources, and your many talents to accomplish our mission of Reaching Out in Extravagant Love to Fulfill God s Mission in the World. THANK YOU! Over the course of the past three years the Missions Team at Salem Church has been working on streamlining and enhancing our service and missions efforts by making several organizational changes. These organizational changes are driven by Jesus words found in Acts 1:8. He says, you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (CEB). St. Louis = Jerusalem The majority of our missions and service work is done right in our own backyard. The agencies we partner with act as our eyes and ears on the ground. They are keenly aware of the needs of their clients/community and we are happy to partner with them to aid in accomplishing their specific mission. Our six primary agencies in St Louis are: Bridge Bread Epworth Children s Home Habitat for Humanity Kingdom House Shalom House St. Louis Public Schools For more information on how you can be directly involved with these agencies please visit Salem s website or contact Pastor Adam. Weekend Mission Trips = Judea/Samaria At the end of May we sent a small team of folks to Memphis. Over a long weekend, the team served in the oldest soup kitchen in Memphis, repaired a wheel chair accessible ramp for a local resident, and built an entirely new wheel chair ramp for another local resident - not to mention the fellowship time What an incredible year of Missions at Salem in 2014! Rev. Adam Caldwell - adam@salemstlouis.com and relationships built with fellow believers doing God s work! You may be thinking, I ve never been on a mission trip before. These short-term weekend trips are great for two purposes: 1. They are a great introduction to the overall experience of doing mission trips. 2. If you have a busy work schedule, and you don t feel you can commit to an entire week away, this opportunity is a great way to stay involved. Be on the look out for more opportunities in the near future! Costa Rica Missions Projects = End of the Earth Salem has been partnering with Costa Rica Missions Projects for over 10 years. In those ten years we ve sent countless teams to participate in building parsonages/ Sunday school rooms/sanctuaries/ etc. These trips are huge blessing for both the people of Salem and the people of Costa Rica. In September of this year we had the distinct honor of hosting a team of Costa Ricans who flew to St. Louis to experience Kingdom Houses Urban Forum program. This program provides a space for service learning and is designed for the participants to walk away with action plans to provide both justice and mercy ministries in their local churches marks the first year that Salem has committed to providing two opportunities a year for you to visit Costa Rica. Our first team, led by Tim Jarvis, is gearing up for their trip in February. In fact, they are organizing several fundraising efforts as I type this sentence. Keep your eyes pealed for ways to support them! If you are interested in joining the team, led by Pastor Adam, for the week of June 20-27, then send an to adam@salemstlouis.com for more details.

8 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Louis, MO Permit No Return Service Requested Dated material mailed January 7, 2015 The Crossroads is published by Salem United Methodist Church Salem United Methodist Church 1200 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO Phone (314) Fax (314) Web: Sunday Worship: 8:30 & 10:45 am (traditional), 9:30 & 10:45 am (modern) MARK YOUR CALENDAR January 13 Salem Night: Join us Tuesday nights for dinner, classes, and fellowship. January 18, 9:00-11:00 am Costa Rica Mission Trip Breakfast Fundraiser January 24 & 25 WOW: Youth will enjoy live music, worship, fellowship, and fun. January 25, 9:00-11:00 am Costa Rica Mission Trip Breakfast Fundraiser January 25, 5:00 pm Chili Cook Off February 1, 9:00-11:00 am Costa Rica Mission Trip Breakfast Fundraiser February 18, 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Service: Begin the season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday worship. The service features imposition of ashes, Holy Communion, prayer, and message. February 21, 9:00 am SERVE Day: Don t miss out on your chance to serve in the St. Louis community featuring a variety of family-friendly projects both at Salem and in the community.