ST. MARGARET S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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1 ST. MARGARET S EPISCOPAL CHURCH a n n u a l r e p o r t

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3 ST. MARGARET S A n n u a l R e p o r t T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s Goals 5 Rector s Report 6 Sr. Warden s Report 7 Jr. Warden s Report 8 Treasurer s Report 9 Deacon s Report 10 Adult Christian Formation 11 Parish Life Team 12 Communication 13 Men s Group 14 Incorporation, Nursery 15 Family Ministry, Parent s Day Out 16 Music & Liturgy 17 Institute for Theological Studies at St. Margaret s 18 ITSSM Interfaith Center 20 Arkansas House of Prayer 22 Youth 23 Children s Christian Formation Page 3

4 St. Margaret s Goals Priority #1: Music Change or improve the music of the church to deepen our worship experience. Priority #2: Outreach Ministries Expand outreach ministries that provide direct services to those living on the margins of society. Priority #3: Meaningful Relationships Create more opportunities for people to form meaningful relationships. Priority #4: Children & Youth Make necessary changes to attract families with children and youth. Priority #5: Reach New People Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of the church. Page 4

5 RECTOR S REPORT The ancient Hebrews passed on to us their belief that God cannot be seen face to face. Our humanity separates us from the divine, and we cannot see God directly, yet we can still know God s presence. The Lord promised Moses that his prayers would be answered, but also warned him that he would not see God directly, saying you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen. (Exodus 33: 23) As we reflect on the year 2014, this annual report allows us to look back at the ministry of St. Margaret s in the past year. We may not have always seen God directly, but when we look back, we can see where God has been. God has been with us as we welcomed the Rev. Cindy Fribourgh back as our deacon. Her presence and leadership are a gift to our community. God has been with our growing and developing youth group. Thanks to the leadership of Jordan Miller, Richard McKay, and Michaelene Miller, as well as the volunteer members of the Youth Support Team, that ministry is thriving more and more. God was with us in our first Annual Parish Retreat a day of great fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth for almost 70 people. God has continued to call new people to St. Margaret s. We welcomed 20 of them as members of our community this year. God was with us as we searched and found our new Director of Music, John Briggs. With his talents, and those of the choir, we are blessed and inspired each week by beautiful music. God has been with us in our efforts to reach out and serve our community. Through St. Francis House, Fox Ridge Assisted Living, the Daughters of the King, Episcopal Relief and Development, and more, we have truly served the poor, the elderly, and those in need. God has brought us together in prayer and study with Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists through the House of Prayer and the Interfaith Center. And God has been with us each Sunday, as we ve offered our lives in thanks and praise. It is good to look back and see that God has been there. In the pages of this annual report, you won t see God face to face. But you can certainly see where God has been. The Rev. Mary Vano+ Page 5

6 SR. WARDEN S REPORT I m happy to report on the significant progress we have made towards completion of our goals. Priority #1: MUSIC: Change or improve the music of the church to deepen our worship experience. We have hired John Briggs as our new Choir Director We have rearranged the sanctuary to better include the choir/musical participants in a more central & integrated relationship with the service. We have received a very generous donation of a grand piano, which has been played so well by John during our Sunday service as well as at other special services. Priority #2: Expand outreach ministries that provide direct services to those living on the margins of society. We will focus on St. Francis House & Camp Mitchell as primary outreach ministries. We held a 1 day parish retreat at Camp Mitchell and are planning an overnight retreat this year (more to come). We have a Camp Mitchell Liaison in Hayden Blair who is a board member. We have and will continue to serve meals to the veterans staying at St. Francis House. We have begun to serve the residents of Fox Ridge by bringing the flowers from the Sanctuary to their facility after church services are completed. Additionally, Sunday shuttles have begun if requested. Priority #3: Create more opportunities for people to form meaningful relationships. We have continued with small study groups during Lent. We held a Parish retreat & plans are underway for another. Susan Sims Smith led a monthly contemplative prayer group. We have hosted & promoted various House of Prayer workshops. Continued support of ITSSM & House of Prayer. Priority #4: Make necessary changes to attract families with Children & Youth. We have implemented a strong & stable staff to support our children & youth. The Middle School & High School classes have been separated. We have implemented new curricula for both Middle & High classes. We have developed & offer a regular children s sermon. We are working toward a Curate to be on site in Priority #5: Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of the church. Vivian Blair & Cindy Minor started a Welcome to St. Margaret s class. We are continuing to use Face Book & Google ads. We remain committed to creating an orientation video for our website. We have a growth team that meets quarterly to explore and implement ways of growing St. Margaret s. In closing I would just like to say thank you to all of the St. Margaret s parish family for the time, energy & money donated in order to have & maintain such an incredibly caring, loving & vibrant church. Rod Toulson Senior Warden Page 6

7 JR. WARDEN S REPORT Last year (2014) was mainly a year of on-going maintenance with one major exception. In July, we improved the arrangement of our Sanctuary. By moving our altar and platform forward, our congregation should now feel more involved in the service. Also, by moving our choir, organ, and piano behind the altar platform allows their voices and music to be better projected towards everyone. We then completed the following major projects: Our altar platform was re-stained and strengthened. Our lighting/dimming board was replaced in the Sanctuary. Installed drain/grate at bottom of steps leading from middle parking area. Additional landscaping improvements were made. New Greeters tables were put into use. New Welcome Center sign installed. We replaced four air conditioning units. For 2015, and as funds are available, we plan to: Have new and possibly darker tint applied to the large window behind the altar and new tint applied on the side windows where needed. Have window molding replaced and repainted where necessary. Have banners made and hung in the Welcome Center in order to reduce noise levels. Replace two additional air conditioning units. Thanks to all of you for your donations towards and time spent on various projects during this past year. + Alf Williams Page 7

8 TREASURER S REPORT I am happy to report that in 2014 we had a good year in pledging and by the end of the year we were close to having a balance budget. We made great strides in 2014 to that goal. There has been a significant increase in giving for 2015, and we would like to thank those that have increased their pledge, and those that have pledged for the first time this year. With the increase in pledges we are able to take a step forward to support projects within the goals we set last year: Goal #1 Music Provide one section leader Goal #2 Outreach Provide funding for outreach projects Goal #3 Meaningful Relationships Support the Parish Life retreat Goal #4 Children & Youth Support the mission trip, provide training for catechists, and provide materials for formation classes As well as provide for infrastructure needs such as air conditioners, phones & computers. We have made great strides in our financial picture in the past year. During 2014 we were able to pay down $30,000 on our line of credit! I have enjoyed acting as treasurer of St. Margaret s. I am hopeful for the next year, and look forward to 2015 as a parish, and watching us accomplish many things. Skip Cochran Page 8

9 DEACON S REPORT It was a deep pleasure to return to St. Margaret s March 30 as deacon, helping support and develop our outreach ministries in the community, as well as working with Mary in pastoral care, and serving in our worship together as the body of Christ. In 2014, we began a brand-new ministry in which St. Margaret s members began to reach out and form relationships with the residents of Fox Ridge, the retirement community across the street. Our initial effort involved delivery of our altar flowers after Sunday services, and we look forward to furthering this effort in Other outreach programs included: St. Francis House In addition to our ongoing contributions of food, clothing and household items, St. Margaret s hosted a dinner for the veterans, and the EYC delivered Christmas food baskets. Tornado Relief We contributed $1,363 to the Diocesan Tornado Relief Fund to assist victims of the April 27 tornado that tracked more than 40 miles across Central Arkansas, along with donations for pets of victims of more than 200 pounds of dry food and approximately four cases of canned food, in addition to bedding, bowls, leashes and collars, kitty litter, and a doggie sweater. Simple Gifts Fair November 23 and 30, St. Margaret s hosted a Simple Gifts Fair featuring organizations that provide assistance to our neighbors in need, locally and internationally: Beatitudes sales of $1,557 for colorful handmade items created by women in Haiti, Rice Depot s sales were $1,245 for products including rice, hot chocolate and wassail mix, muscadine jelly. Contribution of $135 to St. Francis House. Gifts for women s literacy and for reforestation to Episcopal Relief and Development. Student Refugees at Hall High School The EYC coordinated a collection that for toiletries and school supplies that brought in: 279 personal product items including toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, shavers, a pedicure set, and other necessary toiletries, and 226 school supply items including notebooks, backpacks, peanut butter snacks, glue sticks, and 108 pencils. All-Saints Day Candy Tithe St. Margaret s children contributed a total of 40 pounds of candy, which was bought back by Suri Othrodontics Candy Program to include in Operation Gratitude s care packages for troops serving overseas. United Thank Offering Organized by the Women s Group, our blue boxes were presented October 19 with $ to be used for domestic and international grants. Undie School Drive We contributed a total of 106 pairs of underwear, 5 packages of wipes, 96 diapers, and 39 pairs of socks for the women and children of Dorcas House. As we move into a new year, it is my prayer that our outreach ministry will continue to grow as we joyfully love and serve the Lord in loving and serving our neighbors. The Rev. Cindy Fribourgh Page 9

10 ADULT CHRISTIAN FORMATION Christian Adult Formation Team The Mission of St. Margaret s Christian Formation Team is to provide adult programs that replenish the spirit, teach the faith, and equip us to make visible the love of Christ in our lives, our homes, our community, and our world. We expect the Holy Spirit to guide our faith community through study, prayer, and fellowship to seek and serve Christ in all persons. During 2014, the team provided the following learning opportunities: Bible Study: The Gospel of Matthew for Everyone Bible Study: The Book of Revelation Faith Renewal Workshop The History of Christianity Women at the Well Book Study: The Other Jesus: Rejecting a Religion of Fear for the God of Love Compass Group Book Study: The Prodigal: A Ragamuffin Story Current Events Through the Eyes of Faith Christianity's Family Tree: What Other Christians Believe and Why Active Parenting Daughters of Abraham Interfaith Book Group Christianity 101 Bible and Breakfast at Panera Bread Education for Ministry Deb Cooper Page 10

11 PARISH LIFE The mission of the parish life team is to enhance the personal relationships between the members of our community by providing events to help us get to know each other at a deeper level. Although some of these activities may also provide an element of spiritual growth, the focus is on fun, fellowship, and community building. These activities also provide an attractive opportunity to invite guests to enjoy them with us. The events were well attended and only one, the Parish Picnic on Pentecost, had to be canceled for inclement weather. The Independence Day Celebration was held on July the 3 rd. We had a packed house of our members, as well as our guests, and members of other Episcopal Parish s. As they do so well each year, the men prepared and served a great picnic dinner. The youth group helped out this year with an expanded number of creative and traditional games for younger children. The music in the worship service was uplifting as was the sermon by Vic Snyder, retired Congressman. The team s biggest accomplishment was a new event, a Parish Retreat at Camp Mitchell held on Sept. 20 th and 21 st It was very well attended especially for a first time event. The feedback from attendees was very positive and it has been decided that this will become an annual event for St. Margaret s. Another successful event was the Annual Celebration Sunday Fish Fry on Nov.15 th. Thanks to the members of the team, other parish committees and Parish staff, whose tireless effort and creativity, gave us such rewarding and enjoyable events this year. We look forward to even greater participation and enjoyment in Barbara Hoffman Page 11

12 COMMUNICATIONS The Website Want to know what s happening? Check the website calendar. You can also sign up for classes, pay your pledge, request your favorite hymns, and submit prayer requests. The Weekly E-Newsletter It is published and sent by each Thursday morning. Announcements The Connecting, a weekly print edition includes many of the items from the weekly e-newsletter in addition to the weekly Prayer List and calendar for the coming week. It is made available at services on Sunday mornings. Orders of Service John Briggs is responsible for the bulletins for all services at St. Margaret s. This includes: Regular Sunday services Weddings Ordinations Funerals Special services From time to time, bulletins for services held elsewhere Michaelene Miller Page 12

13 MEN S GROUP On behalf of St. Margaret s Church, the Men s Group: Raised $900 for three Robert R. Brown Camp Mitchell scholarships. Raised $1,000 for Camp Mitchell s Operating Budget. Raised $500 for holiday gifts for The Salvation Army and St. Francis House. Fund raising came from our 2 nd Sunday breakfasts, the Pig Roast, and the Rock for Camp fundraiser at Thirst N Howl, and individual donations. Service projects for the church included: Cooking for Independence Day Picnic. Additional landscaping improvements. Mowing the entrance by the House of Prayer. Goals for 2015: Support the Junior Warden in building and grounds upkeep projects. Continue our outreach efforts for Camp Mitchell, The Salvation Army, and St. Francis House through breakfasts and Rock for Camp. Host another Pig Roast for a yet to be determined outreach. We are striving to become more involved with Service, Invitation, Fellowship, Study and Prayer. We have now changed our meetings to quarterly in lieu of monthly. We will be meeting on the 3 rd Monday with our next meeting on March 16, All men of the church are invited to join us. + Alf Williams Page 13

14 INCORPORATION Incorporation ministry includes: Helping to greet visitors and newcomers, preparing and providing information folders Recording attendance Following up with visitors and requesting bread delivery by shepherds Responding to requests for information about St. Margaret s or the Episcopal Church Weekly visitor reports to staff, hospitality team leaders and neighborhood shepherds Following up with missing members and welcoming back returning members Inviting newcomers to newcomer class and membership Newcomer gatherings Quarterly new member welcome rites Supporting greeter team leaders Alan and Leigh Anne Bennett and neighborhood shepherds Coordinating after worship coffee hours Participation in the Growth and Evangelism team, including walking the neighborhoods to distribute door hangers and invite our neighbors to worship Encouraging members and newcomers to participate in ministry, through the Gifts of Life event on Rally Day Facilitating a training event for worship team leaders and members Focus in 2015: Continue to strengthen our hospitality ministry to ensure that everyone who enters St. Margaret s feels comfortable and welcomed. Continue to welcome newcomers to St. Margaret s, especially by strengthening greeter team. Continue to invite members into deeper relationship with God through worship and prayer, formation, fellowship, and service. NURSERY Elizabeth Connery continued as director Abbie Palmer retired from the staff, Taylor Russell continued as a caregiver, and Tara Farris joined our staff. Rachel Walter and Dana Downes served as substitute caregivers Service project led by nursery staff collected items to benefit Dorcas House Staff cared for 34 children, with an average Sunday attendance of 5 children Childcare was offered each Sunday from 9:15-11:45, as well as during the evening parenting class, various adult formation classes, parish retreat, and special worship services Page 14

15 FAMILY MINISTRY Information was distributed during Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week and Easter, Advent and Christmas for families use. Each Sunday, a worship packet was prepared for the youngest children and included an age-appropriate version of that day s readings. The Women at the Well class continued to meet each Sunday during formation time, some Sundays joining the ongoing Adult Formation classes. We studied Lysa TerKeurst s Made to Crave, Jen Hatmaker s Interrupted, and Bryan McClaren s We Make the Road by Walking. Prayer books were presented to those being confirmed, reaffirmed and received Blankets were given to graduating seniors Children returning to school in the fall were given a special blessing and backpack charm A parenting class was offered in cooperation with Sharon Long We hosted an Advent Event, St. Nicholas visit, Christmas tree decorating party and chili supper, and our first annual Parish Retreat The Christ Child Guild ministered to families by: praying for families expecting a child prayers of thanksgiving at the birth of their child coordinating meals with Maggie s Kitchen welcoming the baby during the Sunday service with a cradle cross Personalized prayers, based on original artwork by Jane Holt, were given to each new baby at baptism, each child was given a faith basket, a prayer card, a signed parchment, and a baptism banner. PARENT S DAY OUT 11th year of operation directed by Elizabeth Connery Program offered Tuesdays and Thursday from 9:00-2:00 for two sessions during the spring and the fall Classrooms were staffed by Dana Downes, Tammy Gridley, Tiffany Hadden, Tara Farris, Jordan Miller, and Kris Alexander Taylor Russell, Rebecca Brisbin, Rachel Walter, Kathleen Connery, Kristen Smith, and Michaelene Miller substituted as available Elizabeth Connery Page 15

16 MUSIC & LITURGY Since coming to St. Margaret s six months ago, the most visible change has been the rearrangement of our worship space. This move would not have been successful without the collaboration of others. First, thank you to Bob Joblin and his outstanding coordination and execution of a tight work schedule. Also, thanks go to the Acolytes and Flower Guild who graciously dealt with reworking the ways they handled their respective responsibilities. The end result is a more cohesive and worshipful atmosphere for the entire congregation. Hopefully by now everyone has found a new home seat! We also received a much needed gift: a Yamaha baby grand piano, donated by Judy Trice in memory of Bill, her husband. This gift will benefit our church for many years to come. We have had guest artists on many Sundays, most of them either my students or colleagues from Ouachita Baptist University. We also had the pleasure of Cantate, the women s choral ensemble under the direction of Lynn Payette, joining us for the Independence Day celebration. Also of note, a special thank you to Thomas Alexander who has served as Assisting Organist at many services. Our Children s Choir sang on Christmas Eve. Thank you to Stephen Vano and Mary Waldo for helping make this possible. We have enjoyed an outstanding array of talent! In September we learned a new mass setting, something I hope to do more of so that we can expand our choice of service music. In addition, we added a favorite hymns selection page to the church s website, giving everyone the opportunity to submit hymn requests. We have made subtle changes to the service bulletins, which may not be as noticeable as renovating the worship space, but plays an important role in helping visitors comfortably navigate what might be an unfamiliar service. I want to close by thanking a special group of people, our Parish Choir, who have made my first months at St. Margaret s a joy. The gifts of time and talent from these men and women play a vital role in our corporate worship experience. Thank you to each of you for what you do. I look forward to making a joyful noise together in the coming year. John Alec Briggs Page 16

17 ITSSM The Institute for Theological Studies at St. Margaret s is a ministry of St. Margaret s Episcopal Church, established for the benefit of the community and the wider church. Our overarching aim is to promote faith with understanding. The ITSSM is in the midst of a season of transition. Last year, the Rev. Dr. Chris Keller, Director, resigned from these duties in order to take on the role of Interim Dean at Trinity Cathedral. I took over the role of Director, but given my duties as rector of St. Margaret s, I cannot quite devote the attention that Dr. Keller gave to it. Also, the initial start-up grant that provided the bulk of the funds for the ITSSM will end at the conclusion of This past year, a Guild Transition Team including Skip Cochran, Deb Vattimo, Diane Hobson, Donnal Walter, Jan Thames, Deb Cooper, and myself worked toward envisioning the future for the ITSSM. First, we prayed, discussed, and agreed that we have an interest and desire to continue the ITSSM beyond Historically, the constituencies identified for the ITSSM were: A theologically curious public Clergy Youth A spiritually maturing congregation Feeling that we need to narrow the scope of the ITSSM, we removed clergy and youth, and chose to focus on the theologically curious public and a spiritually maturing congregation. The SUMMA Theological Debate Society for Youth was started by the ITSSM, and was so successful that the University of the South in Sewanee is now making it a program of the University. With a more narrow focus, we can now shift our attention to goals for our congregation and for the public. For our spiritually maturing congregation, our plan is to: Continue to offer the Guild Seminar as an entrance course to build our community of leaders: the Guild of the ITSSM. To offer continuing education classes for those who have taken the introductory seminar. To encourage and support guild members to share their knowledge and passion with others by offering classes, groups, and programs. For the theologically curious public, we want to build on the success of the Near Death Experiences in Christian Perspective Symposium (2013), and offer annual or bi-annual symposia or lecture series, beginning 2016 or later. We are considering the possibility of creating an endowment to support this endeavor. In 2014, we had a successful Gathering of the Guild, a full Guild Seminar with 15 students, and we will soon induct 12 new members into the Guild of the ITSSM. The Rev. Cindy Fribourgh continues to work as the administrator for this ministry, and additionally has been hired to work for the University of the South (from Little Rock) to continue her role with SUMMA. We ll continue to work toward all of these goals in The Rev. Mary Vano+ Page 17

18 ITSSM INTERFAITH CENTER The Interfaith Center of We are excited to report our work from As you know, our first year was one of listening and experimenting with new programs and events, our second year was an anchoring year to build up the programs we wanted to continue on a regular basis, and our third year is best described as spreading our wings. We embarked on our most exciting work this year with the Muslim/Christian dialogue program and expanding interfaith work into Russellville. Here is a recap of our activities in 2014: Let s Pray Retreat: On January 25, we co-hosted our second Let s Pray retreat with the Arkansas House of Prayer at St. Margaret s with 73 in attendance. Ret. Rabbi Levy, Sophia Said, Anna Cox and Rev. Susan Sims Smith led small workshops to teach people techniques in preparing to pray and engaging in silent, meditative prayer from our respective faiths. We charged $35 per person for the workshop and were able to cover the administrative and material costs of the retreat with the fee. We intend to offer this retreat every other year in January. Interfaith Leaders Mini Retreat and Luncheon: On Wednesday, May 14 from 11 a.m. 2 p.m. at St. Margaret s we hosted our third annual mini-retreat and luncheon for leaders in the interfaith community. Each representative reported on their interfaith efforts in the prior year and brainstormed unmet interfaith needs in the community. Given the events unfolding with ISIS, it seemed that the Muslim/Christian dialogue was the greatest need for programming. From our understanding, we are the only ones hosting such a gathering of state-wide interfaith leaders. We are excited to report that out of this gathering, Rabbi Barry Block decided to host a series of talks on silence for his Jewish community at Temple B Nai Israel in the St. Margaret s classroom and use the House of Prayer to practice. In addition, it inspired people in Russellville and Ft. Smith to start interfaith programming in their community similar to our efforts in Little Rock. Compassion in Action: On September 11, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. the Arkansas House of Prayer and the Interfaith Center teamed up for the 3nd Annual Compassion in Action service. The theme for this year was Love Thy Neighbor: Letting Go of Fear. I have included pictures from the event, and it was the best yet. The service was held in the sanctuary of St. Margaret s and featured special musical performances by John Willis, the Psalm 150 choir and chanters and musicians representing Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu and B ahai faiths. In addition, youth representatives offered a dialogue of a friendship that emerged despite one being an evangelical Christian and the other a Muslim. The cornerstone piece of the event was a religious reconciliation of ways that respective Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths had perpetuated fear, hatred and violence against those of other faiths. The Rev. Susan Sims Smith addressed the crowd and gave concrete ways people could reduce their own fears of people different from them. The event was an extraordinary gathering of participants from all the major religions. The crowd outnumbered the chairs in the sanctuary and a live feed was offered to folks not able to get into the room. We hosted an interfaith Page 18

19 ITSSM INTERFAITH CENTER potluck reception after the event, which was very well contributed to and almost entirely consumed. It saved on cost, and we hope to expand the potluck into more congregations next year. We have already begun meetings to plan next year s event. Common Table: An effort by the Interfaith Center volunteer and participant, Dora Jane Flesher, Common Table was beta tested in 2013 and expanded into two more groups in Couples from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist faiths gather every two months at each other s homes for fellowship and discussion of their respective faiths. Dora Jane Flesher continues to lead this effort and offers support for all three common tables. Muslim Christian Dialogue: During the Let s Pray retreat, Susan and Sophia engaged in an interfaith dialogue that allowed participants to ask questions about the Muslim faith. It really provided the grounding for the expansion of the Muslim Christian Dialogue that was in the works. Susan and Sophia chose the four most common topics where questions arise, including the two faiths perspectives on Jesus, Women, Prayer and Violence. They sent out a brochure to various places of worship and ended up hosting presentations and dialogues for St. Margaret s Episcopal Church, two groups in Russellville, Trinity Cathedral and the Daughters of the King statewide gathering. Each of those dialogues has resulted in requests to do more, and we believe this program will expand tremendously in Multi-Faith Youth Group: This is a core program for the Interfaith Center led by Sophia Said that brings together youth from various religions to engage in healthy conversations, build relationships, and serve their community in a demonstration of their shared faiths. We are excited about the possibility of expanding the leadership of this program to a group of enthusiastic members of the Islamic Center who have expressed an interest in helping the program. They will be important ambassadors to parents of teens at the Islamic Center who might have uncertainty about religious programming outside the mosque. This year was nothing short of thrilling to see the work starting to spread into the community beyond people who were already doing such work or might have had a propensity for it. We can see that through the Let s Pray retreat, the 9/11 program and the Muslim Christian dialogues that people s hearts and minds are changing toward love and away from fear. Thank you for being a part of this effort. Sincerely, The Rev. Susan Sims Smith Sophia Said Sarah Catherine Gutierrez Page 19

20 ARKANSAS HOUSE OF PRAYER Administrator s Annual Report 2014 Emphasizing key areas of Visitors, Volunteers, Communications and Programming, and Building and Grounds. BOARD OF DIRECTORS REV. SUSAN SIMS SMITH President PATTI BAILEY DR. CHRISTIE BECK DAN BLAIR CHARLOTTE BROWN SARAH CATHERINE GUTIERREZ DIANE HOBSON WARD LILE PATRICIA MATTHEWS SOPHIA SAID LESLIE SINGER REV. CAREY STONE REV. MARY VANO STAFF JOHN WILLIS Administrator MISSION Arkansas House of Prayer is an interfaith haven, set apart in Nature, dedicated to contemplative prayer, meditation, and quiet, where all are welcome. VISITORS We have welcomed approximately 1,300 visitors in our eighth year of ministry, an 18% increase from 2013, including more walk-ins than previous years and increasingly more diverse populations. This was helped by the coordinated interfaith programming efforts of Arkansas House of Prayer with The Interfaith Center. The House of Prayer also offered new programs in spiritual development and meditation. Workshops or programs are usually held at St. Margaret s with periods of silence in the House of Prayer. We are grateful to St. Margaret s for providing the space for these events. We have welcomed many new groups to the House of Prayer in These have ranged from church groups to a meditation class from Temple B Nai Israel to two peace vigils on the grounds of the House of Prayer that allowed people in Central Arkansas affected by global tragedies a safe space to pray, grieve, and support one another. As a result of conscious planning and outreach, the September 11 event this year saw increased participation of people from Muslim and Hindu backgrounds. Visitors are tracked via our guest book, from sign-up and registration from various events, and our electronic access system. Key fobs are available for persons interested in making a regular commitment to spending time in the House of Prayer. Please contact administrator John Willis <arkansashouseofprayer@gmail.com> if you are interested. VOLUNTEERS Our organization is supported almost completely by volunteers, from our volunteer board to our volunteer weekend greeters. We currently have a team of 8 greeters who give a portion of their weekend once a month or as needed to welcome visitors to the House of Prayer, but we can always use additional weekend support. We see more first-time visitors on Saturdays and Sundays, so having someone to welcome them to the House of Prayer is vital to our mission to be an interfaith haven where all are welcome. Recruiting efforts rely on the Arkansas House of Prayer list and one-on-one recruiting pursued by the administrator and members of our board. Page 20

21 ARKANSAS HOUSE OF PRAYER COMMUNICATION AND PROGRAMMING We keep current with our community via arkansashouseofprayer.org, MailChimp.com and through Facebook and Twitter Though we continue to hold no official programming within the House of Prayer, we have hosted and sponsored several events over the last year, often in conjunction with the Interfaith Center at the Institute for Theological Studies at St. Margaret s. These events were as follows: Let s Pray, interfaith retreat on silent prayer and meditation, January Spring Meditation Workshop, April 2014, based on centering prayer techniques. Spiritual Immobility Workshop, August 2014, offering prayer and meditation techniques for dealing with stress, relationship struggles, and personal growth issues. Love Thy Neighbor: Letting Go of Fear interfaith event on September 11, included speakers from various traditions, music from Psalm 150 gospel ensemble, Stephanie Smittle, John Willis, and members of River City Unitarian Universalist Church, and a post-event reception featuring foods from around the world. There were upwards of 300 people in attendance at this event, and around sixty people visited the House of Prayer for the first time that evening. BUILDING AND GROUNDS As of the writing of this report, we have a roof that is both visually appealing and free of leaks. Two major storms in previous years threatened the integrity of the seal on our roof, requiring several repairs to restore it. So far, it has weathered the early winter rains well. We are grateful for the volunteer leadership of Dan Blair in this area. ENDOWMENT We are in the middle of a campaign to increase our endowment. We have doubled the endowment in the last year and we are very, very grateful. It is our hope to have the campaign completed by Jan of Our final goal is $1,300,000 and to date we have $750,000 including some pledges, that is an increase from $275,000 last year. The Administrator wishes to thank members of the Board of Directors, the Rev. Susan Sims Smith, board president, the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas and the Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield, and the generous volunteers and donors who support this ministry with gifts of resources, service, and, of course, prayers. Respectfully Submitted, John Willis, Arkansas House of Prayer Administrator Page 21

22 YOUTH The formation of a high school Sunday School class, led by Michaelene Miller and Chad Cumming, Jr, following the Re:Form curriculum and a separate middle school Sunday School class, led by Richard McKay and Millie Lockwood, following Living the Good News curriculum was the largest development and success of Splitting the classes allowed each curriculum to explore issues of faith and life unique to each age group. Our focuses for the youth community have been: Strengthening our community in relationship and in number Deepening relationships with God through the study of unique, monthly themes and Compline Using our resources to give health and life to others Developing the leadership model of the Youth Support Team Keeping parents informed of the youth community opportunities Our focuses in Sunday school have been: Exploring weekly lessons determined by Re:Form and Living the Good News in age appropriate groups Providing spiritual and educational lessons to facilitate Christian formation Our focuses for the youth community in 2015 are: Strengthening our community by continuing to grow in number Showing Christ by helping others through community service Supporting one another Having fun while benefitting from Christian formation Preparing to travel to and grow in faith through service and community experiences on the St. Louis Mission Trip in July Developing an additional supportive time and space specifically for high school EYC once a month Continuing efforts to keep parents informed about formation Our focuses for Sunday school in 2015 are: Continuing to develop two separate curriculums for middle and high school Studying God s acts in the Bible Understanding the fullness of God s love Showing God s love in our daily activities Highlights of 2014: Hosting Youth Sunday in May Hosting a Cheese Dip Competition in September Attending Arkansas Youth Event at Camp Mitchell in October Holding a toiletry and school supply drive for student refugees at Hall High in November Hosting the Drop-n-Shop Fundraiser in December Delivering St. Francis House Christmas boxes in December Hosting two Holiday Bake Sales in December to fundraise for the Mission Trip in July Anticipated highlights of 2015: Participating in youth retreats (Winterstar, Happening, AYE) Hosting a Pancake Supper in February Participating in a work day on the Camp Mitchell Farm in April Hosting Youth Sunday in May Traveling on a Mission Trip to St. Louis in July Delivering St. Francis House Christmas boxes Michaelene Miller Richard McKay Page 22

23 CHILDREN S CHRISTIAN FORMATION The offering of the Children s Sermon was a continued development and success of Initiated by Jordan Miller in October 2013 and continued by Michaelene Miller. This program is positive for the St. Margaret s community. On the first Sunday of every month, a Gospel reading and sermon designed for children age 3 through early elementary are offered. This program encourages children to come together to form a space of their own in which they may learn, listen, pray, sing, and engage with Scripture. Focuses have been: Providing support for Christian formation leaders Keeping parents informed of the opportunities for children s Christian education Acquiring more tools and developing more programs to facilitate the Christian education of children Children s Worship Bulletins distributed each Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. worship service Children s Sermon offered the first Sunday of each month at the 10:30 a.m. worship service Episcopal Kids Community - offered the second Sunday of each month at 5:00 p.m. Children s Choir and Pageant performed on Christmas Eve; will perform again! Focuses for 2015 are: Continuing the support of Christian formation leaders Identifying and training additional Christian formation leaders Continuing efforts to keep parents informed about formation opportunities Developing more tools and programs for formation A Solemn Communion class will be offered on Holy Saturday, April 4 Michaelene Miller Page 23

24 St. Margaret s Mission Statement Our Mission is to build God s Kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit in body and soul. We will grow our congregation, seeking a broad diversity of people. We will provide programs to replenish the spirit, teach the faith, and equip our people to make visible the love of Christ in their homes and communities. We will be an energetic contributor to the welfare of our city and all of its people. We will build a place of hospitality on the growing western edge of Little Rock, welcoming others to share our facilities and grounds. And we will reach out and build bridges to other churches, communities and groups throughout the city. We will not wait for people to discover us. We will extend ourselves to invite people who do not know, believe, or trust in God, to find Him with us. To that end, we will contact the people of western areas of Little Rock, to tell them about our church and its programs, and invite those who are not active in church to join us. We will strive to be a leading congregation of the Diocese of Arkansas. We will remember that it was the vision of the Diocese to build St. Margaret's; through the generosity of others, land was provided for this church, as well as the financial support to launch us well. We will do our part to carry the mission of the church to other places. We will make our church warm, friendly, and accessible to strangers. As visitors arrive, they will be welcomed. As they return, they will be personally visited and invited to explore the many ways they can become involved in church. We will make the classic substance, depth, and beauty of Anglican spirituality and worship warm, and easily accessible to persons who are not familiar with the church. We will provide classes, groups and programs through which people may grow in their understanding and personal awareness of God as God is known in Christ, and enjoy the fellowship, support, and care of others. Through all this, we invite others to explore and experience with us the truth that the love of God in Jesus Christ pervades all of life, and prevails through all suffering, sin, and death, into the life to come. Page 24

25 ST. MARGARET S The Rev. Mary Vano, rector mvano@stmargaretschurch.org The Rev. Cindy Fribourgh, deacon cfribourgh@stmargaretschurch.org Katherine Strother, administrator admin@stmargaretschurch.org Elizabeth Connery, family ministries and incorporation, director of parents day out econnery@stmargaretschurch.org John Alec Briggs, director of music ministries jbriggs@stmargaretschurch.org Michaelene Miller, youth & children s ministries mmiller@stmargaretschurch.org Richard McKay, youth minister youth@stmargaretschurch.org Ann Berg, bookkeeper aberg@stmargaretschurch.org Page 25

26 ST. MARGARET S a n n u a l r e p o r t St. Margaret s Episcopal Church Chenal Pkwy. Little Rock, AR