Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 7
The future of Fair Oaks What s Next? A Message from Senior Pastor Kirk
2017 was an amazing year! As you know, this year will be my last as Senior Pastor of our church. I think this is perfect timing for us. I believe the mission God had for me when I came to FOPC has been largely fulfilled: to get the church positioned for the next generation. When I came here nearly 10 years ago, Fair Oaks had a glorious 60-year history and an aging congregation. If this church is going to have a vital future, more than half of our congregation must be young families. Nine years later, we re almost there. Our contemporary service is now half of our worshiping congregation. We also launched a new model for doing small group Bible studies, called Life Groups, which is gathering younger adults into community like Mariners did a generation ago. We have made efforts to seek out and hire younger staff and have made a huge $8 million investment in our Kids and Youth Center which sends the message to any visiting family: Your kids matter here. It is with enthusiasm I anticipate the next pastor, who will be a whole generation younger and who will give leadership and fresh momentum to Fair Oaks as a spiritually vital, Christ-centered, Bible-preaching, multigenerational, future-leading church. We don t know just yet who that next pastor is, but God does! He is already leading us to that person right now! On a more personal note, there is no way I can express the joy and gratitude I feel as I think of my past decade serving this church, the rich friendships I ve experienced in this church family, and the satisfaction of preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus to three generations of faithful believers who call Fair Oaks Presbyterian their home. I typically signed off my weekly blog I love you, church. See you on Sunday! May Sundays continue to find you here at FOPC committed to building a warm gospel-transformed community of faith and love. I love you, Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church. Sincerely, Kirk Bottomly Senior Pastor
Seeking God s Guidance an update regarding the search process to find our next senior pastor THE PROCESS 110+ 10+ 4 1 candidates contacted by Vanderbloemen made it through initial screening were presented to the PNC will be recommended to the congregation Vanderbloemen Search Group is a national recruiting firm specializing in church leadership. Our consultant, Jay Mitchell, has personally conducted over 700 searches nationally. We partnered with Vanderbloemen because they have a national database and presence which has given us the broadest and most efficient search possible. Initially, Vanderbloemen screens and vets candidates, based on criteria provided by FOPC, via phone and in-person interviews. This saves time and money in the search process and results in a curated list of final candidates that fit the needs of FOPC. Additionally, Vanderbloemen provides coaching and advice throughout completion of the process.
Meet the team... John Akins Tal Jones Lynn Brown Dean Bailey Amy Holmes Bob Quadro Krissy Johnson This team was formed based on thoughtful nominations made and affirmed by our congregation. Being a multi-generational church, we intentionally selected team members that best represent the demographic of our church. The team has a great sense of unity and purpose, feeling the Holy Spirit working through each one of us. We have set personal desires aside to focus on God s will in this process. We have listened to the congregation in Town Hall and small group meetings. There is honest and open communication. There is also a high degree of trust within the team in that as the Holy Spirit speaks to each individual, they are 100% comfortable sharing their thoughts. We are confident that with the Holy Spirit working within and through the team, seeking God s will, praying and discerning over each candidate and how they might lead FOPC, we will be able to recommend the new Senior Pastor unanimously. JOHN AKINS
Alive & Thriving Worshipping Jesus together may be the single most important thing we do and it plays an indispensable role in rekindling our spiritual fire, and keeping it burning. Corporate worship brings together God s word, prayer, fellowship, and makes for the greatest means of God s on-going grace in our lives. HOWARD MCMAHON Worship Director
25 Baptisms 9 Re-enactments 14 9 11 kids teens adults Every number has a name. Every name has a story. Every story matters. 898 average weekly attendance for 2016/17 Being baptized gave me the opportunity to show my personal committment to the Lord. Tyler Rehrer 1.3% increase from last year 51 new members joined this past year 58% increase from last year Our online audience FOPC website visits: 1,096 per week FOPC app: 2,004 dowloads Sermons streamed: 3,258 1,300 average per week 378 followers
Group Life Learning & Growing Together Life Groups are the hub of our community and the primary way to get connected. We believe spiritual growth flows out of a commitment to God and the Bible and a commitment to being in meaningful relationships with those around us. Those relationships not only provide support and encouragement but also challenge us to learn and grow spiritually together. It can be difficult to connect on a Sunday morning, which is why our small groups are so important! We want to see our congregation function as a connected body on Sundays but also on every other day of the week! 41 Life Groups 400 members 10 Marinerships 200 members 22 of these groups started in the last year! 51 TOTAL GROUPS
Through our group, I have experienced a deeper prayer life and greater accountability to spiritual disciplines I m seeing God at work in the lives of myself and the group members. JON PAUL HUDSON
Serving Together Volunteer Teams 130+volunteers serve on Sundays At FOPC we want volunteering to be more than just filling a need, but an exciting opportunity for spiritual growth. We want our congregation to take ownership of their church and this community by actively participating and contributing the gifts they have for the benefit of everyone. We believe that serving together is one of the best ways we can grow as disciples of Jesus and become more like Him. In August we held our first Volunteer Rally, empowering and encouraging everyone to serve and grow our volunteer teams. Erwin Mc- Manus says, the church does not exist for us. We are the church, and we exist for the world. Rallying around this common goal, we hope hearts are moved to serve and actively invite others to serve as well. Campus hosts, tech, worship, parking lot, kids, youth & Deacons When we embrace our role as servants, our church looks more like Jesus and better represents who He is.
57 Deacons 30 Compassion Meals Deacons Fund Distributed: $79,033 FOPC Hosts General Assembly GA is the annual event where the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) leaders, elders, missions workers and guests gather together to worship, retreat, connect, equip each other and address issues for the whole EPC denomination. This year s theme was Generation to Generation and nearly everyone in our church helped us be incredible hosts! We partnered with four of our sister churches CenterPoint, Fremont, Hope and Sierra Pine. While the weather was HOT, it was nothing compared to the warm atmosphere of God s people serving together. WAY TO GO FOPC!
Reaching Out EACH ONE REACH ONE Missions work is not a request by God. It is His call on each of our lives; so we pray, we send, we go-- across the street and around the world. PAULETTE LAMBERTSON Missions Director 124 Mission Team Members Trips to Mexico, Africa, Brazil, China, Richmond and Sacramento, USA Mission Funds 2016/2017 Missions Budget $340,404 Easter Offering $13,276 Malawi Sponsorship $98,000 Auction/Dinner $40,000 Women s Fellowship & Outreach $18,261 TOTAL $505,941
Supported by FOPC Partnering with Missionaries around the world 33 Missionaries 8 National Village Pastors (Eastern Europe) 17 Village Outreach Evangelists (Pakistan) 7 International Organizations/ Orphanages 13 Local Organizations 205 Malawi Hope Center Students (Sponsorship Program/ School) Meet Megan and Brian: While Megan and her family may be missionaries in Mozambique, Megan s roots go back to FOPC. As a church, we watched Megan grow up, go to college, serve in the field, marry Brian, and grow a family of four beautiful daughters. Brian and Megan serve in a country long torn by war, AIDS, and poverty. Megan has a Doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in Missiology Ethnomusicology. She studies the music of the region and, working with local musicians, creates worship music that expresses the culture of the indigenous people. Brian works as a medical doctor at a teaching hospital for national students. Brian found that many of the students were not doing well as they didn t have adequate food or lodging. He created the Pay It Forward program where students receive funding for basic needs and when they finish their education they pay it forward for other students. Brian, with the help of many others, is now building a dorm for the students. He also leads weekly Bible studies and disciples the medical students. We are blessed to support this family and the kingdom work they are doing faithfully.
The Next Generation We are excited for the growth we have seen in the past year and look forward to it continuing! MEGAN BRADY Kids Ministry Director 156+ kids & youth average mid-week program attendance 170+ kids & youth average Sunday attendance This year Kids Ministry began using the 3-year Gospel Project curriculum on Sunday mornings which helps kids understand the Bible as one, unified story of God s redemption. Our Junior High students continue to benefit from a youth service at 10:30 and our high school students attend the 10:30 contemporary service, sitting together in the student section.
We had 70 members in our choir go on tour during spring break. We raised $10K at our first crab feed fundraiser, enabling us to lower the cost of tour by $200 per student. On tour, 30 students recommitted their lives to Jesus, 10 decided to get baptized and 3 received salvation for the first time. 350 kids summer kids camp (babies 6th grade) 35 youth summer camp (jr. high & high school) We believe in partnering with parents to give our teens a place to belong and an opportunity to become more like Jesus learning how to love God and love our neighbors. CHRIS EATOUGH Youth Director The kids mid-week programs have been growing and we are seeking more volunteers to help! We also launched Life Groups for our youth that meet on various days during the week to accommodate the busy schedules of our teens. We have more than 40 kids involved and have already seen the benefits of digging deeper and learning together in community.
Giving & Generosity 2017/2018 BUDGET Giving has been increasing for the past 3 years! Ministry worship, kids, youth, small groups, spiritual formation, tech, etc. Missions funds specifically to support missions activities Ministry Services operations, publicity, facilities, buildings & grounds Personnel compensation, benefits for full-time/part-time staff $129,420 $360,084 $481,195 $1,939,385 At the end of our 2017 fiscal year, we had a deficit of $181,550 Expenses increased in 2017 primarily because of the need to address items that have been deferred in prior years. Missions giving has increased at a greater rate than General Fund giving. FOPC has graciously given 7% more to missions in 2017 than 2016. Annual Average Giving Per Family: $3,986 TOTAL: $2,910,084
Update How Are We Doing? Progress of Payments Balance June 30, 2017: $3,376,404 Pledged $2,382,177 Given $1,000,775 Non-Pledged $300,594 Giving 62% have completed or are on track to complete their pledge & 81 families are giving that didn t even pledge! Keep it up! 22 months to go $1.3 M given $2 M to go We have already received 42% of our pledges. If this consistent giving continues, our loan can be retired ahead of schedule! Celebrating 40 Years of Faithful Generosity: Stan and Ruby Moore Scholarship Over the years there have been 117 recipients, totalling $134,500. Started in 1977 by the Moore family, this scholarship has helped with the financial burdens of college students, enabling them to complete their education. This year marks the 40th and final year the scholarship will be offered. The recipients for the 2017-2018 Stan and Ruby Moore Scholarships are: Carl Brockmyer, Emily Crosby, Whitney Mabbutt, and Sarah Zumwalt.
What s next for us? SPOILER ALERT: 2017-2018 is going to be thrilling! Our campus is an incredible, beautiful platform for ministry... There s growth all over our church! TIM DAKIN
People all over Fair Oaks see our church as a community center, playing host to all kinds of events that make FOPC the premier place to gather in town. There s a contagious faith in our people, too. It reminds me of the report in Acts 2, when believers met together and shared everything they had. They worshiped together, demonstrated generosity, and lived lives connected to one another, and growing in number by the day. This sounds a lot like Fair Oaks Presbyterian! We re celebrating a decade of dynamic leadership by our senior pastor, Kirk Bottomly. We re grateful for his humor, energy and spiritual leadership. On his watch, we ve seen hundreds of people come to faith in Christ, be baptized, and serve God with enthusiasm! He s excited about his retirement at this year s end. Change is challenging, but we re also anticipating our next senior pastor thanks to a dedicated, prayerful pastor search team. There s growth all over our church! It s no wonder we welcome new guests every week to every service. I find myself saying to so many people I meet, You should come to my church! Tim Dakin Teaching Pastor
11427 FAIR OAKS BLVD. FAIR OAKS CA 95628 916.967.4784 FOPC.ORG