Calvary Episcopal Church

Transcription

1 Calvary Episcopal Church 2017 Annual Report

2 Calvary Episcopal Church making God s Love Visible in Downtown Memphis Parish Offices Open Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. clergy and staff with initial of first name followed by full last name@calvarymemphis.org. Example: Scott Walters, swalters@calvarymemphis.org Clergy The Rev. J. Scott Walters ( ) Rector The Rev. Amber Carswell ( ) Associate Rector The Rev. Paul McLain ( ) Associate Rector The Rev. Neil Raman ( ) Curate The Venerable Mimsy Jones Vestry Warden s Committee: Margaret Craddock, Sr. Warden Peg Wahl, Jr. Warden Hank Word, At Large Hall Gardner, Treasurer Gail Harrell, Clerk Sarah Ball Chris Bird Madge Deacon Tony Graves Palmer Jones Kim Kitterman Heidi Rupke Les Smith Sarah Squire Edwin Thorpe John Webb Robyn Banks ( ) Kayla Bartosch ( ) Issiah Carroll ( ) Hilary Chipley ( ) Lynda Gayle Deacon ( ) Fred Goldsmith ( ) Melissa Elsholz ( ) Kristin Lensch ( ) Mary O Brien ( ) Katie Owen ( ) John Palmer ( ) Ebet Peeples ( ) Helario Reyna ( ) Gary Thompson ( ) Christine Todd ( ) Cindy Yeager ( ) Parish Staff Dir. of Communications Minister to Youth Kitchen Assistant Dir. of Children and Youth Ministry Music Admin & Event Coordinator Information Officer St. Cecilia Choir Director Organist-Choirmaster Parish Chef Parish Administrator Asst. Organist-Choirmaster Welcome and Community Facilities Manager Sexton Community Ministries Coordinator Bookkeeper 2

3 Table of Contents 04 From the Rector 06 From the Associate Rector: Paul McLain 07 From the Senior Warden 08 From the Curate 10 From the Organist-Choirmaster 12 From the Director of Children and Youth 14 From the Community Ministries Coordinator 16 From the Treasurer 17 Parish Finances 18 Parish Membership 3

4 FROM THE RECTOR To call 2017 an eventful year for the Walters household is like saying Memphis is a place where the music is pretty decent, and the pork is somewhat flavorful. On new year s day a year ago, Ardelle and I decided that I would enter the search for The Rev. Scott Walters Calvary s next rector. I was late to this process because 2017 seemed like a terrible year for us to make such a change. Our youngest child would be graduating from high school in the spring and entering college in the fall. We had already committed to leading a pilgrimage in Spain over the summer. And life in Little Rock was happy and good, with more goodness on the horizon. However, for reasons I still don t fully understand (the Holy Spirit not being fully understandable, I suppose) something kept nagging us to say yes to each next step in discernment. My relationship with the lovely clan of Calvarites who made up your search committee began in a grainy Skype interview one January evening. And it blossomed into what felt like meaningful friendships through the spring. I would come to trust and care for some of Calvary s people well before Hall Gardner called in April to invite me to be your next rector. I was going to miss these folks if he had not called. The summer that followed was a blur of transitions, selling a house and buying another, saying goodbyes in Little Rock and hellos in Memphis, with a walk to Santiago in between. My life at Calvary began in earnest before I d officially started. I d not yet unboxed my books when I found myself with our wardens, Fred Piper and Margaret Craddock, in a lawyer s office down the street. A group from New York had been investigating the feasibility of renovating 100 N. Main, the empty building directly across from Calvary s front doors. The original point of the meeting (the possible purchase of two of our buildings by the developers) was moot. Nothing of Calvary s was for sale. However, I found the conversations that followed throughout the fall about our physical place in downtown Memphis invigorating and inspiring. I was drawn to this parish because Calvary cares deeply about its neighbors and its neighborhood. And, over the years, this congregation has regularly reimagined what new kinds of engagement and ministry might be called for as downtown Memphis evolved. Conversations about our built environment expanded and continued with a Great Hall series in August and a Wednesday night class on the same topic, one which continued under Matt Seltzer s leadership after I began teaching a Discovery Class. People were really talking about what it means to be a church in downtown Memphis. A few months later, we got word that the city of Memphis had accepted the vestry s offer to purchase Columbus Park, the small rundown plot on the northwest corner of our block. And Tim Huebner s research, which established the Calvary block as the site of Nathan Bedford Forrest s slave market for several years, was bearing fruit as Rhodes students researched and composed the text for a new historical marker telling a fuller version of the story of our block which will go up this spring. It seemed that Calvary was attending to our place and witness in the city in new ways at every turn. I mention these early experiences because they come together in a particular way as I look forward to In studying vibrant cities, many experts have noted that the presence of strangers is not to the detriment of a neighborhood. Strangers are essential. The eyes of strangers are what keep public spaces safe. Our conversations about place took on added dimensions for me because I was still a relative stranger here. They suggested that in spite of all I did not yet know, I had value. I had a place here myself. It is true that few strangers have ever been welcomed so extravagantly, with food and drink and parties and an overflowing basket of gifts, guiding us to your favorite places in Memphis. Your hospitality was astonishing, but we were still new. Our new home was still strange to us. So, here we were, being welcomed as strangers, talking with you about the importance of strangers in our lives, and imagining what Calvary might be called to in the days and years to come. 4

5 Early in the fall, I got a call from my friend, Spencer Reece, a priest and poet who was the reason we found ourselves in Spain over the summer. He was coming to the States to promote a book of poems by girls in a Honduras orphanage where he had taught and would love to stop in Memphis. Spencer s visit deepened our sense of home here. We welcomed him into our new house and showed him around our new city. But as he told his story in forums and at a film viewing, in the Calvary pulpit, even at St. Mary s Episcopal School and Rhodes College, people were moved by his vulnerability and compassion. Our new friends were embracing an older friend of ours, and, in retrospect, we felt more deeply embedded in the parish as a result. What was really happening throughout the fall was an accumulation of experiences which continue to integrate us into our new home at Calvary. Week after week in the Eucharist or noonday prayers, at Community Breakfast, in the pulpit, at evensong or Bratfest or bingo, at meetings with vestry or staff, over coffee with newcomers to Calvary and with longtime pillars of the community in all these encounters I was being made a little less a stranger to you, and just beginning to sense how God might stretch and bless my family and me here in the years to come. When the Rev. Eyleen Farmer retired in December, we sent her forth joyfully with our blessing, celebrating that she is being called to new things in this next phase of her life and ministry. But the loss I felt as she left was one more measure of how quickly I have come to love this place. Eyleen had become a trusted colleague and friend in a matter of months. Such are the costs of having good and faithful people in our lives for a time. When strangers become friends, they leave a hole in our lives when they move on. But now I find myself looking with anticipation toward I will be happy if this year holds a little less change and disruption for me. But I see the seeds of all sorts of new life in the Calvary community. We won t be sitting still. The Rev. Amber Carswell will join the Calvary staff in late January. I can t wait to bring her into this community that has already shaped and stretched my own Christian faith in so many ways. And I can t wait to see how she challenges and encourages us to live out the good news of Jesus in our world. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, said Jesus in Matthew 25. Maybe it is unsurprising by now that these words will serve as our guide in the year to come. We will ask them in all sorts of fresh ways. What gets illuminated when look at our outreach ministries, the children at Grizzlies Prep, our music and worship, and even the state of our parking lots and buildings through the lens of Jesus s charge to welcome the stranger in all that we do? How does his charge affect our worship and prayer life? How does it impact the way we approach the formation of children, youth, and adults? Such will be our theme: I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. Lives can be changed in a community that takes such a notion seriously. I should know. The Rev. Ed Wills (pictured with Bishop Don Johnson, and the Revs. Scott Walters, Paul McLain, and Neil Raman) preached at the institution of Scott as Calvary s 22nd rector on August 27. 5

6 FROM THE ASSOCIATE RECTOR It has been an exciting year at Calvary with the arrival of the Rev. Scott Walters as our new rector this summer. Among Scott s many strengths are leading a downtown urban church in discovering its identity in relationship to our The Rev. Paul McLain built environment and in guiding a congregation on a collective walk with Christ in making deeper connections with one another, our city, and our world. Working with Scott, the adult formation committee set out as our theme for , A Sense of Place, A Base for Pilgrimage. The committee arranged for a series of speakers and panels on finding our sense of place at Calvary during the fall and lined up some exciting programs on pilgrimage for the spring. I am very grateful for the dedicated work of outgoing adult formation committee members Jan Elam, Matt Seltzer, Karla Philipp, and Leslie Smith and thankful for the thought and energy of our new committee members, Tim Huebner, Brenda Woemmel, Leslie Norman, and Jessie Wiley. Over the course of this year, I have been preparing to transition into the role of being the clergy point person for pastoral care. The Rev. Eyleen Farmer has provided me with her guidance, wisdom, and graciousness to make this move as smooth as possible. I will miss Eyleen being part of our day-to-day clergy team at Calvary but am excited that her retirement will give her more time with her family, the growing Thistle and Bee ministry, and other pursuits. One of the great gifts she has given Calvary is strengthening our lay pastoral care teams under the very capable leadership of Martin Jellinek and Len Grice. It has already been a delight to work with these two and with so many of you who devote your time and energy to this valuable ministry. who joined us around the table to share insights and illuminate one another. It also was exciting to be part of our outreach to the wider community by joining a group of Calvary parishioners who welcomed students on the first day of school at Berclair Elementary following immigration raids that evoked much fear among schools with large Latino populations. My wife Ruthie and I also worked alongside many of you to participate in the Paint the Block project of creating a mural to bring beauty outside the 100 N. Main building across the street from Calvary. In late September, it was a delight to see the hard work of many volunteers and staff who put together our Blessing of the Animals service in Court Square Park, where we had an opportunity to bless our precious pets, pets departed, therapy dogs, fire department rescue dogs, and carriage horses from throughout our city. And, in October, this year s Trunk-or-Treat was a magical night that brought together children, parents, and friends from Calvary and Calvary Place to see ghosts, goblins, aliens, and princesses in a fun time of joy and celebration. It has been a pleasure to work with Director of Children and Youth Hilary Chipley, Minister to Youth Kayla Bartosch, and the Rev. Neil Raman, curate, in guiding our formation programs for children and youth this year. It is a joy to be one of your priests. You continue to enrich my spiritual journey in countless ways, and it is a privilege to be a part of your lives. We have shared baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and funerals together. We have laughed, cried, learned, empathized, and celebrated together. I look forward to growing deeper as we continue our walk with Christ in Members of the Calvary community gathered at Berclair Elementary to welcome students back to school. Other highlights of 2017 were co-leading book and Bible studies, including a provocative exploration of the spiritual themes in Graham Greene s classic novel The Power and the Glory with Alex Wise, a look at the timeless wisdom of the Book of Proverbs with the Rev. Mimsy Jones, and journeying on The Way of the Lord with Tim Huebner to uncover themes of place and pilgrimage in scripture. Thanks to all the participants 6

7 FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN With a priest-in-charge leaving and a rector arriving, Calvary s vestry provided support and stability for parishioners and staff in Buddy Stallings spiritual depth and administrative acumen gave the vestry the freedom to delve into policy issues without having to deal with day-to-day operations of the parish. In midyear, we welcomed the Rev. Scott Walters as our rector. He came to us with a fresh viewpoint and much experience from a downtown Little Rock parish. The vestry continued to plan for the people of Calvary, and for the Calvary property. One of the issues we faced this year, especially when thinking about the Lenten Preaching Series, Waffle Shop, Room at the Inn, etc., is our safety. The vestry has been working to make sure all of us are as safe as possible as we worship, minister, and interact with our city. Calvary s doors are open more hours each day to allow people to enter our beautiful sanctuary. A locked door at Calvary midday in Memphis is not inviting to those who wish to come to pray or seek refuge. Scott has opened the doors, and he wants to continue to address the entry points of our church to make a visitor s experience less of a hike through a maze. Safety remains a top concern as we navigate this issue. Calvary celebrated the ministry of the Rev. Buddy Stallings, our priest-in-charge, with a festive worship service and the announcement that Calvary s new altar cross will be dedicated to Buddy. Calvary is on the edge of a proposed renovation of the 100 N. Main property. This proposal, along with our desire to better use all of our Calvary block, has started some strategic discussions about the needs of our ministries. The imminent purchase of the former Fred Piper Columbus Park also opens up opportunities for us and our city. This acquisition, the expansion of Grizzlies Academy, and continued development of our own physical structures are issues the vestry continues to address. Our vestry is extremely capable of planning and executing what the people of Calvary want and need. The vestry is poised to work with Scott, the clergy and staff of Calvary to make our light even brighter in downtown Memphis. I give thanks for the people of Calvary and know that our best days are ahead of us. Ginny Strubing, Margaret Craddock, and Fred Piper at an annual giving party this fall. Calvary celebrated our 185 th anniversary on August 6 with flaming Baked Alaska. 7

8 FROM THE CURATE Somehow another year has managed to pass. Over it, I have discovered that the longer that I spend with all of you at Calvary, the more my gratitude for the gift that is each one of you and this community has grown. It has been a pleasure to The Rev. Neil Raman continue to get to know you over the last year at dinners, over coffee, and at parish events. This past year has been a joyful and exciting time for both us as a community and for me personally. Much of my effort in the fall was devoted to designing and implementing a round of daily prayer offerings at Calvary. On Dec. 3 we began opening the red doors each day between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to give the downtown community a place of respite and time for quiet meditation and prayer. Each day at 12:05 p.m. we hold a short service: Noonday Prayer on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and a Healing Eucharist on Wednesdays. In addition to these offerings, a service of Vespers is offered at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays during Koinonia. I am happy to report that attendance at these services has exceeded my expectations. We have averaged three each day for Noonday Prayer, six each Wednesday for the Healing Eucharist, and 14 each Wednesday evening for Vespers. More important than those numbers is the fact that we have already been able to be a healing presence and a place of refreshment for people walking past our block. Our open doors and regular prayers have the potential to affect far more than we can know. We will continue this pattern of prayer until Lent begins at which time we will evaluate the project and determine whether or not to continue in Easter. I have been privileged to spend a significant portion of my time this year with our youth. This fall I spent the Sunday formation hour with an engaged and thoughtful group of youth preparing for confirmation. Over the summer I traveled with our youth to Collide, a program that combines hands-on mission work with theological instruction and reflection. It was amazing to watch our youth throw themselves wholeheartedly into every aspect of the program. A group of us spent an afternoon at Sacred Sparks (sacredsparksministry.wordpress.com), a ministry that provides space and time for people experiencing homelessness to do their laundry. We arrived in time to join them for lunch. It was moving beyond words to see our young people embrace the stranger in their midst without fear and with the love of Christ. One of my responsibilities has been assisting Paul in overseeing formation programs for all ages in the parish. The Rev. Neil Raman offers a blessing to Rockey the Redbird, mascot of the Memphis Redbirds, at the Blessing of the Animals on September 30. 8

9 In addition to that work, I co-taught the Discovery Class for both newcomers and longtime Calvary members. Each Thursday at 10:30 a.m. I lead a women s Bible Study which has quickly become both a constant in my week and a continual source of joy. Over the last year, our group has grown in numbers, and our conversations have increased in their depth. We have spent time delving into the mysteries of the Gospel of John, exploring the ramifications of Paul s First Letter to the Thessalonians, the earliest piece of New Testament writing, and are currently working our way through the simultaneously challenging and uplifting writings of the Prophet Isaiah. In May I took on a new role among the downtown churches when I was elected president of the Downtown Clergy Association. This new role has allowed me to understand more fully the landscape of our downtown neighborhood, both religious and otherwise. We gather monthly for a time of fellowship, mutual support, information exchange, and occasionally plan an event together. The meetings are an important reminder that the work that we do is not done in isolation and that all we need to do is walk across the street or down the block to find a new partner in ministry. On a more personal note, I express my sincere gratitude to all of you for the love and support you have shown Elizabeth and me as we embarked on our married life together last January. Your love, gifts, and enduring support have been and continue to be nothing short of astonishing. Though you were not physically with us when we made our vows you have indeed, as the Prayer Book says, done all in your power to support these two persons in their marriage (BCP, 425). And for this I am thankful. I look forward with great expectation to see what is in store for us in these last few months we have together before my curacy comes to an end. If past experience is any indication, it will be something beautiful! The Calvary staff celebrated with Information Officer Fred Goldsmith as he marked his 25 th year of being the welcoming face of Calvary at our front desk. 9

10 FROM THE ORGANIST-CHOIRMAS Calvary s music program continues to be a vital, multifaceted program that provides community, inspiration, and opportunities to serve and be served. It demands and fosters a high skill level in each choir. We continue Kristin Lensch to lead the music at the 8 a.m. service with a cantor; the 10 a.m. service is choralled. The Friends of Music Committee was able to set an ambitious schedule of concerts and musical offerings. More evening services Evensong and Advent Lessons & Carols were offered. Currently, there are 35 singers in the semi-professional Calvary Choir ranging in age from high school students to senior citizens, eight in the Boys and Girls Choir, and seven in the St. Cecilia Choir. Weekly, our singers provide inspired musical leadership, requiring a significant commitment of time up to five hours a week! The Calvary Choir added several services and events to their calendar, enabling Calvary to open its doors for something special the first Sunday of every month. The summer is a time of relaxed commitment, with the Community Choir providing musical leadership, ranging from singers each Sunday. We increased the number of Evensong services offered at Calvary this past year. It is a privilege to preserve and uphold the beautiful Anglican tradition of Evensong, and certainly, a downtown parish is one of the best places to offer it. We have the choir capable of doing it, and additionally, I receive inquiries from non- Calvary, experienced singers around town who want to participate in such a service. Our evening service congregations have drawn equal or more numbers of non-calvary members. It is a distinct privilege to be able to offer such an opportunity to these fine singers and to allow people to consider Calvary their second parish. Singing Evensong more frequently also is helping us to prepare for a week-long Choir Residency at Bristol Cathedral, England, coming up in July For over 800 years, Bristol Cathedral has had choral-led services; there 10 has been a choir singing on-site since the twelfth century. The Calvary choirs have the privilege of leading the daily sung services for a week while the cathedral s choir is on summer leave. A residency shapes and refines a choir, spiritually and musically, in a way that nothing else can. Currently, 31 Calvary singers have signed up to go; in total, more than 60 people will be heading from Calvary to Bristol next summer. The Boys and Girls Choir continues to mature and grow musically. Unable to collaborate with Grace-St. Luke s Canterbury Choir, the Boys and Girls Choir led a service of Evensong on their own in May. Many choristers wear either a pin or medal acknowledging their skills gained through the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) curriculum. The St. Cecilia Choir is directed by Melissa Elsholz, a member of Calvary and a music educator at Grahamwood Elementary School. Melissa has well surpassed what I had envisioned for the St. Cecilia Choir. In just 45 minutes of weekly rehearsal, she is giving our youngest singers the musical skills they need to sing their entire lives. More than that, however, she does this in a way that fosters joy, the love of singing, and unlocks some of the mysteries of the liturgy. I wish I could sing in her choir, and I hope that even more of our young people at Calvary (SrK second grade) will be able to benefit from her fantastic leadership. Brad Kroeker continues to lead and inspire the Calvary Ringers, and their attention and commitment to detail are apparent. It is time to consider purchasing the fifth octave of handbells an exciting endeavor! One of the highlights this year was ringing the favorite Carol of the Bells in Advent. Calvary has always been a church that shares its resources with the Memphis community. The Friends of Music ministry seeks to enhance the sacred music of Calvary s liturgies, while also opening Calvary s doors to the mid- South by offering excellent concerts at little or no cost. Friends of Music sponsored five events this calendar year: Boar s Head Feaste in January an organ recital by Rice University professor Ken Cowan in February a May concert by the incredible students of Stax

11 TER Music Academy and Soulsville Charter School a jazz night in September featuring the Tony Thomas Trio and Scott Moore, trumpeter a considerable choral work, Requiem by Maurice Duruflé, in November with a guest organist Audiences included equal numbers of nonmembers as members. All programs were thoroughly enjoyed and those who attended experienced Calvary s great hospitality in beautiful receptions afterward. Financial support has come from members of Calvary as well as nonmembers. We are reaching out, and the community is responding. Both John Palmer and I were active colleagues in a larger professional capacity. John presented an organ recital in Virginia and began serving as the agent for professional organist, Wilma Jensen. I was invited to be a guest musical conductor for a summer choir camp in Tyler, Texas. In addition, I continue to serve on the committee to plan and coordinate the RSCM St. Louis course in the summer, and I also am serving on the Internship Committee for the Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM). It is inspiring to work with the talented and creative staff and musicians of Calvary: including John Palmer, associate organist-choirmaster; Lynda Gayle Deacon, administrative assistant; directors Brad Kroeker and Melissa Elsholz; and staff singers Zeynep Miles, Sarah Squire, Karen Crow, Tressa Tiner, Jackson Hearn, Chris Thomas, Isaac Noel, Joey Miller, and John-Travis Bussell. It is truly a privilege to serve this parish as its organistchoirmaster. May God continually bless the shaping of this ministry to be a vital element of Calvary s life and mission. The Calvary Choir is all-smiles on Easter Day after a lovely Holy Week. Calvary s Boys and Girls Choir and St. Cecilia Choirs following the Evensong they led in May. 11

12 FROM THE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN & YOUTH Bible study, formation, fellowship, and service are the four cornerstones of Calvary s Children and Youth Program. Calvary offers an excellent nursery, solid Sunday class curriculua, and many opportunities for Hilary Chipley service to others, as well as opportunities for students to form lasting relationships with each other and with the Episcopal Church. We began January 2017, with youth confirmation and continuation of the fall 2016 formation curriculua, Godly Play, Bible 101, re:form, and The Living Compass. Wednesday night EpiscoPals (K through fifth grade) and Episcopal Youth Community (sixth through 12th grades) continued in the spring. Children and youth volunteered at Room In The Inn on several Sundays in January and March. The EYC Fat Tuesday waffle supper was again a great success. Youth decorated the Mural Room and served Calvary s famous waffles and other delicious food. The youth offered an exceptional and compelling Good Friday service for Calvary s children this year. Room 203 became the backdrop for the city of Jerusalem as the youth performed live Stations of the Cross. Our Easter Egg Hunt was once again an outreach event. Children of the Emmanuel Center, Calvary Place Child Care, and Calvary parishioners and friends hunted over three thousand eggs on Easter eve at the Metal Museum grounds. Calvary s children and youth department coordinated the Emmanuel Center s annual spring carnival this year. Many volunteers worked hard at the celebration to lead games, pass out prizes, serve food, and work on crafts with students of the Emmanuel Center. We ended the spring 2017 semester with Calvary Place Child Care Center pre-k graduation ceremony, Youth Sunday, and an appreciation brunch for the Sunday formation leaders. The summer children and youth program during the formation hour was The Summer of Service. Children and 12 youth explored the theme of service for others as written in the Bible. Rising Kindergarteners through rising fifthgrade students learned that we are called to serve others through Bible study, fun activities, service projects, and craft projects. Middle and high school students learned how they could serve others in Calvary s neighborhood through hands-on projects as well as in problem-solving classes. Class topics included lessons on food deserts, homelessness, Calvary s physical neighborhood, and Memphis environment and ecosystem. Our goal was for Calvary s children and youth to learn how they can help fill the needs of others in our community and spread love in downtown Memphis and beyond. For the second year in a row, Calvary Kid s Art Camp was offered last summer. Our theme was Christian Holidays in a Week and the camp was led by Calvary parishioner and artist, Eric Milner, along with Kayla Bartosh, Carter Webster, and me. Calvary Kids Art Camp is different from a traditional Vacation Bible School. We began each day in the sanctuary for worship and then spent the day working on arts and craft projects. And of course, there was time for snacks, lunch, games, and yoga. We learned about, celebrated, and crafted our way through All Saints Day, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost. We made Christmas ornaments, painted eggs and day-ofthe-dead skulls, and planted resurrection gardens to name just a few of the activities. This summer, our youth once again participated in Collide, a service-work-fellowship-theology camp in Nashville, with youth groups from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. The theme was Grace. We worked various volunteer jobs, listened to theology talks, participated in small-group study, and played Gaga Ball. Here is what we learned: Grace is a gift from God; it cannot be earned or bought or bargained for. Unexpected means of grace can show up anywhere, so practice awareness. It is not up to us whether it is worth entering into a relationship. Share the grace of God. We are not called to do this alone; God calls us to join together. Prayer, community worship, and service for others are the means to grace. Godly Play continued for grades pre-k through second grade this fall. We began new curriculums for grades

13 three through 12: Bible 101, the Old Testament (third and fourth grades), The Story (fifth and sixth grades), and Discipleship: What s Your Story? (middle and high school). In the Discipleship class, students were encouraged to take ownership of their own Christian journey and began this fall with the stories of their parents and guardians Christian journeys. The fall 2017 Confirmation curriculum was I will, with God s Help by Mary Lee Wile and was led by the Rev. Neil Raman and Brie Wallace. Students volunteered at Community Breakfast as well as participated in a Confirmation retreat where they canoed down the Wolf River. Fall Koinonia resumed in September with EpiscoPals, led by Eric Milner, Emily Smith, and me, and EYC, led by Tom Chipley and Kayla Bartosch. Wednesday night is a time for service projects, discussion, games, and arts and crafts. In October, a lock-in for middle school students, hosted by the ninth-grade students, was held, and children and youth went to Billy Hardwicks for our annual bowling night. We began the Advent season with the Advent Wreath Festival. Over 40 beautiful Advent wreaths were made during this intergenerational event. Many thanks to St. Columba for allowing us to cut and collect greenery for use on our Advent wreaths. In December, children, youth, and parents participated in the third annual Emmanuel Meal present packing project. We packed 500 individually bagged Christmas gifts for Emmanuel Meal guests. Children and youth volunteered at the Emmanuel Meal. We ended the year with an adorable and eventful Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve. Neither Sunday classes nor any of these activities listed above could happen without the dedication, time, and talent of our parents, volunteers, Children and Youth Council members, formation leaders, and every person who takes an interest in Calvary s Children and Youth Ministries. I dearly thank you all for continued support, prayers, and making this ministry thrive at Calvary. I am grateful to serve with you. Calvary s Trunk-or-Treat event on October 25 was another fabulous success for Calvary s and Calvary Place s children and families. Calvary youth Maddie Hitching, Ella Peeples, and Ella Chipley enjoyed spending time together during Calvary s Bratfest on September 6. 13

14 FROM THE COMMUNITY MINISTR 14 My part-time position at Calvary is twofold. Outreach is my heart, and in that area 2017 was a year of growth. Also, I help with some of Calvary s administrative needs. We celebrated as Work Local, a program birthed at Christine Todd Calvary in 2016, started at the Hospitality Hub and went from picking up panhandling and homeless individuals two days a week to owning a van and providing services for blight removal five days a week. The program, with the support of generous donors, our city, and Public Works, provides workers with a place to spend the night, a warm lunch, and $10/hour for five hours of work. The best part is the connection the workers make with social services to get a new lease on life. Many parishioners like Mary O Brien and Marjorie Webster prepared lunch for 12 workers each month. When people have jobs, they have hope. Calvary helped to make this happen. Since Work Local is now thriving, we have turned our attention to a much-needed emergency shelter for women. We met with Memphis Union Mission, the Salvation Army, Constance Abbey, and other agencies to help unsheltered women find a safe place to stay. For example, Evelyn came to the locked glass doors at Calvary with seven plastic grocery bags filled to the brim with everything she owns. She carried all of her necessary documents, her clothing for each season, whatever toiletries she has, a small towel, and whatever bedding she has accumulated. Evelyn strived to be clean, but she was weary. She came to the door at Calvary because she soiled her pants. She was embarrassed, but had nowhere to go. When people come to Calvary to ask for help, our resource is The Memphis Survival Guide. After calling all of the possible places for women, at least 14 times, every single place was always full. Often the only option was a hotel which is unsustainable as an ongoing practice. Memphis has two other reasonable options The Salvation Army, with only six emergency beds and a waiting list of 30 women, and Missionaries of Charity which has 16 (always full) beds. After investigating these resources for the past six months, we believe that Memphis needs 30 emergency shelter opportunities for women. This need for emergency shelter for women is something I hope Calvary will continue to work on in Many thanks to Terri Purvis Dulaney, Bill Craddock, Scott Crosby and others who are helping to consider this need. Room in the Inn with Betty Jo Dulaney, Chris Donovan, Todd Goforth, Mary Jane Viar, Paige Whittle, and Terri Dulaney, helps every Sunday from Nov. 1 through March 31 to serve our unsheltered guests. Over 200 Calvary parishioners and friends volunteered this year to bring part of a meal, help set up or clean up, pick guests up, or stay overnight. Martin Jellinek is coordinating volunteers for the most difficult shift to cover sleeping overnight. We gratefully served, with your help, hundreds of homeless guests in all kinds of weather. Mary Nease, David Balling, and Bob Carlisle with many other volunteers served over 7,000 delicious Community Breakfasts this year. They worked every Sunday morning with the help of the Breakfast prep team, headed by Greg Smith-Landwehr. Susanne Darnell and Linda Bennett, with Linda Nelson, Bobbie Alward, Suzanne Henley, and Margaret Craddock, came to Calvary Tuesday afternoons with parishioners from other churches to serve as Friends of the Mental Health Court. They supported more than 50 Memphians who struggled with addiction or mental health issues and who needed help to turn their lives around. Lives Worth Saving continued to serve Memphis the second Thursdays of each month. Our parishioners and other professionals worked with women who have been arrested for commercial sex work. By showing God s love here at Calvary, we invited them to consider another path while avoiding jail. Many Calvary parishioners volunteered with Thistle & Bee. In June 2017, Thistle & Bee began serving five survivors of prostitution and sex trafficking through its program and social enterprise. The five survivors were employed at a living wage of $13.25/hour for 765 total hours between June and Oct. 31, Thistle & Bee employment offered them a safe and stable working environment. At the end of 2017, Thistle & Bee also employed 14 colonies of bees. They look forward to more than doubling the number of bee colonies in Product sales increased in 2017, with a year-to-date total of more than $25,000 in sales of honey, granola, and other items. With the addition of Jordan Boss as executive director, great things are happening. Soup Sunday, with David Balling and his crew, and Waffle Shop, with Doug Franklin and his amazing group, contributed so much to our outreach endeavors this year.

15 IES COORDINATOR Jenny Madden and Jerry Bradfield co-chaired our 31st annual Emmanuel Meal, a fantastic Christmas meal for our unsheltered and poor neighbors, with a group of over 100 volunteers. Ed Crenshaw cooked all the turkeys and Mary O Brien, who always makes things delicious, directed a kitchen full of volunteers. Debbie Kinard and Mary Jane Viar s team made the best homemade dressing with cornbread from your kitchens. As guests entered, volunteers like Tamara Teilens warmly greeted each person with steaming hot chocolate. The sounds of Calvin Turley s jazz group welcomed guests as they were seated in the Mural Room, beautifully decorated by volunteers. Hilary Chipley and our children and youth wrapped hats, gloves, and the toiletries that were collected by Brooks Terry. The holiday turkey and all the trimmings brought us together where both stomachs and spirits were filled. Idlewild Elementary School with Principal Randy Thompson collected over 500 pairs of warm winter socks for guests of the Community Breakfast and the Emmanuel Meal. For the first time in more than 20 years of clothing our neighbors at Calvary, the Rev. Scott Walters invited the vestry to tour the Clothes Closet. Since, Calvary s vestry has played a large part in providing many sweaters and coats. So many of you brought your belts, hats, gloves, blankets, shoes, socks, underwear, and shopping bags. Because we can never have enough to meet the needs of those who are cold in the winter, Clothes Closet Coordinator Debbie Balling established a relationship with House of Grace in Mississippi. They helped with extra blankets and special needs. She also worked with West TN system to provide clothing for those getting out of prison. Calvary started a tiny food pantry in the credenza at the entrance under the awning. We stocked it with vienna sausages, peanut butter crackers, applesauce and adult diapers for those who come to Calvary hungry or in need. We help when the Hospitality Hub is closed, so if you have any easyopen, ready-to-go items, you can put them in the credenza. Grace-St. Luke s has no clothes closet, so GSL parishioner Juan Fuentes spearheaded the collection of warm clothes for Calvary. And since we have no real food pantry, we collected canned goods for GSL. It is these partnerships in ministry that make God s love visible everywhere in Memphis and beyond. We provided Arts Access cards to those in need. Arts Memphis strives to make the arts available to everyone, including vets, EBT holders, TNcare patients, Church Health Center patients, military personnel, seniors on a fixed income, and individuals with a disability who would not otherwise be able to take advantage of Memphis diverse arts opportunities. Because of these art cards, Grizzlies Prep, parishioners, Community Breakfast guests, and neighbors enjoyed all Memphis has to offer. Calvary hired Thomas Anderson who has come every Sunday morning from 8 a.m. until noon to be a welcoming presence and point of knowledge for our homeless guests. Thomas works at the Hospitality Hub during the week, so he knows about employment, housing, and addiction options. Thank you for helping to make him feel an integral part of Calvary. We collected Boxtops for Education for Grizzlies Prep. You brought thousands of them, and each one was worth 10 cents toward their much-needed school supplies. AA met daily at noon in the Bethlehem Chapel at Calvary. When the Rev. Spencer Reece visited us, he talked about the strength of the AA and Al-anon programs here and the dedication of those involved. They have served hundreds of people struggling with addiction issues. Thank you for all you do for Calvary s outreach. With your gifts of time and talent, you have shown neighbors, God loves you, no exceptions. On the administrative side, I worked on training the choir and ushers in emergency preparedness. Calvary has emergency/medical supplies in two places: under the stairs in a plastic cupboard and at the end of the bride s walk in a wooden chest. I invited Walgreens to give flu shots at church and held an in-service with Molly Crenshaw who informed us about ACE, the effect of early adverse childhood experiences. I worked on saving money through contracts, sharing trash collection with Grizzlies Prep, and keeping the attic straight. Leslie Atwood Smith documented all our treasures for insurance purposes, a job that required many woman-hours. David Armbruster, Vincent Astor, Bill Branch, Bob Carlisle, and Demetrius Boyland trained and prepared an interesting and educational tour of our nave. They served as docents twice each month on the second Friday and second Sunday of each month. If you would like to learn more about any ministry at Calvary, call me. We want to be the hands, and feet of God and with your continued help, we are. 15

16 FROM THE TREASURER Calvary s Budget and Finance Committee continually assesses where money is coming from, how it is being spent and whether or not there is a better use, all while working toward three financial goals: maintaining sufficient Hall Gardner working capital; paying back our debt; and growing our maintenance reserve account. Our balance sheet continues to be in very good shape. By maintaining sufficient working capital, we have avoided using our line of credit for operations since 2013 and have been able to take on some exciting capital projects. In 2016, we were able to buy the Nachos restaurant building at 155 N. Jefferson with cash, and in 2017 used our line of credit to remodel both the Nachos building and the contiguous old Hub building to create four fifth-grade classrooms for approximately 100 Grizzlies Prep students. This partnership both allowed Grizzlies Prep to expand its reach to younger students and provided Calvary purpose and half the funding to renovate two of our buildings that were in terrible disrepair. Once the construction was completed, the line of credit was transitioned to longer-term debt that is currently being serviced through lease payments made by Grizzlies Prep. Other projects currently in the works include the purchase of Columbus Park (at the northeast corner of our block) and the creation of a new Calvary website, both of which we expect to fund with a budget surplus from the 2017 year. The charts accompanying this report show how conservative budgeting and strong expense management throughout the year can result in a budget surplus, which Calvary has achieved in each of the last four years. The majority of each year s surplus has been used to reduce Calvary s debt, money borrowed from the endowment in 2013 to complete deferred maintenance on the church s sprawling HVAC network. We expect to have the endowment paid back at the end of next year, two years ahead of schedule. The Budget and Finance committee also has a longterm eye on our beautiful and historic building, which is not easily maintained. We know that when large sums must be spent on mortar, plumbing, HVAC, and the roof, programming and outreach can suffer. As such, we continue to build a maintenance reserve fund with an end goal of $400,000 to offset some of these longterm building expenses and ensure that the church s yearly operating budget is not hijacked by an unforeseen building problem. Several members of our Budget and Finance committee also sit on the Calvary Endowment Board. Calvary s endowment is currently valued at roughly $9 million and, through investment income, funds approximately 17 percent of Calvary s budget. Because our pledge income is not enough to support Calvary s current mission and ministry, the endowment income fills a critical gap. As Calvary grows, growing the endowment will be necessary to continue to expand and live into our mission. The endowment received two major gifts during 2017: The Coors Community Breakfast Fund when fully funded will produce income to offset the cost of the weekly community breakfast. The Lee and Nancy Wakeman Estate gift The Borg Lenten Series Speakers Fund established in 2014 will begin to distribute earnings this year to offset the cost of the Lenten Preaching Series. Two long-serving members of the endowment board roll off this year: Neely Malloy and John Webb. We thank them for their service. If you have questions about how you can contribute to the endowment now or as a legacy gift, please contact Katie Owen or me and we can answer your questions. 16

17 PARISH FINANCES 2017 Estimated Revenues 2017 Es(mated Revenues: $2,290,662 Pledge Receipts...$1,405,991 Endowment Income... $379,080 Parish Events, Waffle Shop, Other...$207,198 Parking Lot, Daycare Rent 8% Parish Events, Waffle Shop, Other 9% Parking Lot, Child Care Rent... $189,520 Non-Pledged Gifts/ Plate Receipts... $108,872 Endowment Income 17% Pledge Receipts 61% Non- Pledged Gi5s/Plate Receipts 5% 2017 Estimated Expenses Personnel...$1,006,542 Building...$400,714 Diocesan Support...$179,647 Events, Waffle Shop, Kitchen, Other... $166,866 Administra;on 6% 2017 Es(mated Expenses: $2,142,208 Building 19% Misc 4% Diocesan Support 8% Outreach, LPS 5% Music & Forma;on 3% Events, Waffle Shop, Kitchen, Other 8% Administration... $124,556 Outreach, Lenten Preaching Series... $114,949 Personnel 47% Miscellaneous...$74,930 Music & Formation... $73,802 17

18 PARISH MEMBERSHIP New Members Meredith Aden Chambliss Ivens Aycock Emmeline Leila Aycock Turner Chambliss Aycock Sally Farrimond Chandler Nancy Wertz Cox Casey Booth Desnoyers Thomas Edward Felder Jeffrey T. Gross Mary Jeanes Gruber Richard Carl Gruber Lewis Joseph Koelsch Lisa Lichterman Deaths Charles Steven Arendall David L. Armbruster Charles Wayne Billings Vinks Harwood Blocker Mimi Semmes Dann Campbell Mason Lowe Mason Ernest Lowe Malcolm McGinnis Mathis Alexandra G. McMillan Linda Robinson Ann Fuller Roy Bradford Thomas Schneider Cooper Whitley Schneider Crady Bobo Schneider Katherine Cobb Schneider Semmes Schneider Kathryn Ann Schurch Theodore Schurch Patricia Shillings Davidson Robert Clayton Ford Charles Eugene Frankum Posey Grant Hedges Demetria Crump McLaughlin James Anthony Shubert Herbert Henry Simanson Sarah Hunter Simanson Sandra Stubbs Simpson Elizabeth Ann MacArthur Souder Jack Harding Thomas Stephen Reed Waldrop Sandy K. West R. Milton Winter Ashley Jacks Young Harper Mathis Young Millicent Majure Van Dyke Luke Eldridge Wright Ann Phillips Wyckoff Calvary s January confirmation class and their sponsors, pictured with the the Rev. Buddy Stallings, and Bishop Don Johnson. 18

19 2017 MEMORIES Just a few of the many volunteers at the annual Emmanuel Meal on Dec The Rev. Scott Walters and Annual Giving Co-Chair, Jill Piper, at one of the many annual giving parties. 3. Docent David Armbruster gave a tour to lawyers who stopped in on their way back from court on a Friday afternoon. 4. Calvary welcomed thousands of people into our buildings for our annual Lenten Preaching Series and Waffle Shop. 5. Jane Slatery, Claudia Haltom, Lucia Crenshaw, and Cash & Rick Shields, pictured with mentors Martin Jellinek and Betty Jo Dulaney, graduated from the four-year Education for Ministry program designed by the School of Theology at Sewanee. 6. Shannon Tucker and Eric Milner enjoyed this year s Bratfest to kick off our Wednesday evening programs in the fall. 7. Workers from the Metal Museum came not once, but twice, to repair the iron fence in front of Calvary. 7 19

20 Calvary Episcopal Church 102 N. Second St. Memphis, TN Fax