3YEAR THREE APRIL 2013 - MARCH 2014 ROCK CITY CHURCH
THE MODEL WORSHIP EXPERIENCE BEYOND OUR WALLS ENGAGING COMMUNITY HELLO Perhaps one of my favorite parts of this journey we are on together are the times we are able to pause, look back and stand in awe of what God has done. In our third year as a church we saw many firsts. I remember walking through our Regal Campus for the very first time and thinking of the many people who would, for the first time in their lives, experience the presence of God. I remember holding our very first Regal worship experience and seeing a wave of committed volunteers greeting people as they walked through the doors. No longer one church with one location, but one church with two locations. What a day! And perhaps my favorite first from this past year are the 818 people who made a first-time decision to get on their mark and follow Christ! Think about that for a moment. We have so many reasons to celebrate and thank God for yet another amazing year of firsts. THE MISSION We exist to reach the unchurched and awaken the spiritually restless to love God and love people This book will walk you through our third year in numbers and in stories. It is a visual testimony; a story of God s faithfulness. If you consider yourself a part of Rock City Church, I hope that as you read through these pages, you ll be not only encouraged by what God has done, but inspired and expectant for the great and unfolding future that God has for us! It is our honor, as your pastors, to serve you and alongside you. 3 years, and the best is still to come! Chad & Katie Fisher Lead Pastors
REACHING THE UNCHURCHED AWAKENING THE SPIRITUALLY RESTLESS 818 1601 818 PEOPLE MADE A PERSONAL DECISION TO FOLLOW CHRIST THIS YEAR... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47 AVERAGE WEEKLY ATTENDANCE APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT 283 575 988 203 537 1070 190 558 1033 224 674 981 204 590 1063 318 721 1141 348 647 1185 279 504 At Rock City, we talk a lot about getting on your mark. To us, it is a beautiful description of what happens when we choose to put our faith and trust in Jesus. It s like putting your feet to the starting line... the moment you decide to trust Jesus as your Savior and trust and follow Him with your life. YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 *Data recorded through March 17. March total is projected. NOV DEC JAN FEB 376 763 1557 393 770 1670 399 920 1422 457 1037 1628 MAR 415 1045 1550* YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 TOTAL APR - YEAR 4 1800-2000+ PROJECTED GROWTH WITH THE ADDITION OF OUR FAWCETT CENTER CAMPUS
130 At Rock City Kids, we want to help every child learn how to love God and love people on his or her level, as we serve them in a way that radiates Christ s passion and love for all of us. 214 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED IN THE PAST YEAR Average Weekly Attendance 447 First-Time Families 196 Rock City Kids Volunteers Train up a child in the way they should go; and when they are old, they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
EVERY NUMBER HAS A NAME EVERY NAME HAS A STORY PEOPLE CONNECTED IN A LIFEGROUP 531 378 208 YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 MATT AND ELIZABETH We were baptized together at Rock City in June of 2013. After that, we really felt God pushing us to do more. We started serving on Sundays and got over all of the hurdles and excuses that had kept us from joining a LifeGroup in the past. We were still a bit reluctant but we quickly made connections and felt great about having a group of friends that we could grow closer to God with and live life with each week. Shortly after joining our group, we received difficult news. My dad was diagnosed with cancer. Immediately, our LifeGroup was there for us. They were the friends God had placed in our lives to give us the support and strength we needed. Our LifeGroup is more than just a weekly meeting. We re so grateful we finally put our excuses aside and discovered this blessing. PEOPLE SERVING ON A MINISTRY TEAM 654 385 230 YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 LEO AND ANDREA The Rock City Regal Campus opened, literally, across the street from our home last fall. When my wife Andrea and I walked through the doors for the first time we were ecstatic to see that God had answered our prayers by bringing a group of people full of grace and uniqueness. We were home. We have a heart to see the Latino community in Columbus come to know Christ. When we invite someone to Rock City we know that they will feel welcomed and that they will experience the presence of God. We are excited to be a part of what God is doing in this city through Rock City and being a part of welcoming the unchurched back home. Gracias Dios pro tu fidelidad! 705 721 232 PEOPLE SERVING BEYOND OUR WALLS YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 MELISSA AND ANNIE After hearing about my mom walking the streets of Columbus, serving the homeless through Rock City, I knew something must be different. I decided to check it out myself and I m so glad I did. In the past two years, I have gotten to serve God alongside my mom - something I never could have imagined. We ve traveled to Honduras and El Salvador and serve each week together in Homeless Ministries. God is continuing to stretch us and grow us here. What an awesome thing it is to see God work through us to make a difference in the lives of others.
Beyond Our Walls A big piece of our Beyond Our Walls strategy is partnering with existing organizations, both local and global, making the most impact on those in need. In our 3rd year, Rock City partnered with and served over 17 organizations impacting the city of Columbus, working globally to share God s love, and responding quickly to global disaster. Below are some of the organizations we partnered with by giving and serving this year. INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS Samaritan s Purse International Relief Compassion International Great Commission Latin America Association of Related Churches Mission of Hope Global Ventures LOCAL PARTNERS The Homeless Families Foundation Weinland Park Elementary The Garden Church Better Way Ministries Eakin Elementary Lower Lights Ministries Rachel s House Columbus Loves OKC West High School YOU CAN T OUTGIVE GOD 800 Pairs of shoes given during the Christmas Give 400 Loaded backpacks given to children in need 175 Winter coats given to children in need 300 Loads of laundry washed during Laundry Love $540,267 Amount given beyond our walls for local and global outreach and ministry projects $29,134 Amount given to planting churches 8,505 Volunteer hours served beyond our walls What a friend we have in Rock City Church. Over the last two years, the relationship we have developed with your leaders and missionaries has made a tremendous impact on the work we are doing in San Salvador, El Salvador. What were once just dreams, have become reality because of your generosity. Last summer, your generosity allowed us to build the facilities of the Children s Development Center, incorporate close to 100 more children into our program and open a medical clinic. But I want you to know that we have received far more than just financial help from you. Over the last year, we have gotten to know many of you through your missions trips. We have walked with you as you have shared the gospel in our community, built buildings and served people who don t know God. You are a true partner. You are our friends. From our team in San Salvador we thank you. Together, we will continue to do more for God s glory and His kingdom. As the Bible teaches us in Ecclesiastes 4:9, two are better than one. Every week, for every person that walks through our doors, we give one dollar to meet a local or global need. ONE ONE FOR $60,000 ONE FOR ONE DOLLARS GIVEN IN YEAR THREE
STANDING ON A FOUNDATION On March 5, 2013, a small group of leaders from Rock City Church stood on the foundation of what would be a children s development center. Though, at the time, only gravel and a few cement blocks, a vision was cast to bring hope and healing to a community in desperate need. It was on this day a pledge of commitment was made to provide the financial resources necessary to make this vision a reality. BUILDING A DEVELOPMENT CENTER Through the generosity of the people of Rock City Church, $50,000 was given to fund the completion of this project. On November 18, 2013, Pastor Victor and his team formally dedicated the center as a permanent gift of hope to the Guayabo community. The center, built to support as many as 200 children, offers medical care, daily nutrition, academic support, and spiritual guidance to children in greatest need; a holistic approach to healing a child in extreme poverty and oppression. OPENING A MEDICAL CLINIC On February 17, 2014, we celebrated the grand opening of the medical clinic and pledged additional, long-term support, to fully fund and staff the clinic. Through a portion of One for One, Rock City is now able to provide a full-time doctor and medical assistant as well as medication to support the needs of a community of more than 5,000 families. Beyond Our Walls SPONSORING A CHILD On Sunday, March 2, 2014, 106 children were individually sponsored by the generous people of Rock City Church. Through continued financial support, each of these children will now have permanent access to the full offerings of the development center, as well as continued free medical and dental care.
GETTING THE WORD OUT 11,596,545 - Population of Ohio 1.9 Million - Population of greater Columbus 81.6% of Ohio doesn t attend church 83.3% of our city is unchurched REGAL CAMPUS One thing we know for sure is that God loves this city so much more than any one of us ever can. And we love this city a lot! The heart of God is to see His church engaged in His mission. It s a mission to reach the unchurched and to awaken the spiritually restless. It s a mission to serve the poor and care for the needy, to go and to do whatever it takes, whatever it costs to reach the lost and to reveal the heart of God, the love of God, to a city in desperate need of God. It s the reason we launched our very first multisite campus, our Regal Campus, on the southwest side of Columbus on November 3rd, 2013. Since the launch of the Regal Campus, we are seeing more people experience the hope and love of Jesus at Rock City than ever before hundreds of people getting on their mark, being baptized and living out their God-given purpose. And this is still just the beginning 177,741+ Website views 2,083+ Facebook fans 5,974+ Blog views 35,000 Homes that received a door hanger invite 14,075+ Sermon views online 1,225+ Twitter followers 39,693+ Times our videos have been viewed on Vimeo 382,000 Homes that received an invitation in the mail MIKE PETERS A few years back, I found myself drowning in depression. Every attempt to escape seemed to drive me further away from the solution. I knew that God had never left me but I was struggling. I asked Him to lead me to a church where I could be involved and not just as an attendee. I wanted to volunteer, to make a difference and help people who were struggling like I was. Two years ago I was hired on at the Postal Service as a temporary employee assigned to letter sorting machines. Literally, as I was praying one night about my search for a church home, a run of Rock City mailers came down the sorting machine I was working on. They caught my eye. The front read: Because Normal Isn t Working. I grabbed one and took a look. Rock City? I asked out loud. Really? I assumed God was trying to get my attention. I visited the next Sunday and I knew from the moment I walked in that it was where God wanted me. His message couldn t have been clearer!
OPERATIONAL BUDGET $1,596,268.49 84% Amount giving increased from Year Two to Year Three MINISTRY OPERATIONS 22% Ministry Operations Includes: Future Fund + Savings, Administration, Financial Services, Student Ministry, Children s Ministry, Church Life (Hospitality, T & E, Print Materials), People Development (Materials, Resources, LifeGroups), Creative Arts (Audio/Video Equipment & Resources, Copyrights, Graphic Design, Staging, Tech Equipment & Services) $352,958.78 STAFFING 33% Staffing Includes: PT & FT Salaries + Benefits for Pastoral Staff and Office administration $521,827.86 FACILITIES 10% Facilities Includes: Worship Space Rental (AMC, Regal), Office Space (TOL), Other Facilities (Trailer Storage, etc.), Facility Upkeep, Utilities BEYOND OUR WALLS 35% Beyond Our Walls Includes: Local and Global Missions, Local Outreach, Global Outreach, Local Marketing, Church Plant Funding (ARC), Campus Launch - Rock City Regal, Missionary Support, and Benevolence (Rock City Love Fund) GIVING BY MONTH INCLUDES BIG GIVE $203,274.13 INCLUDES BIG GIVE $187,399.37 INCLUDES CHRISTMAS GIVE $185,045.10 $162,040.32 $559,441.53 CONNECT facebook.com/rockcitychurch twitter @RockCityOnline Vimeo.com/RockCityChurch Email info@rockcitychurch.tv phone 614-859-9064 $97,727.71 $105,254.23 $88,287.55 $126,993.09 $116,910.66 $136,361.21 $134,129.44 $132,430.70 DATA THROUGH MAR 17 $82,455.00+ APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 Rock City Church operates with an Open Book Policy of financial integrity and works with an outside CPA, The Church Law Group, and the Financial Advisory Team to ensure all funds are being used for maximum efficiency and utmost integrity. A Board of Directors, comprised of pastors of respected congregations, including CedarCreek Church in Perrysburg, meets annually to discuss and approve the projected annual budget. The Financial Advisory Team is tasked with bringing financial accountability and leadership in an advisory role to the pastoral staff and with establishing and approving the Lead Pastor s salary.
As year three comes to an end, we can t help but believe that even still, today, we stand together on the foundation of what God is building in this city through each one of us. As big as we can dream, as far as we can see, as audacious as we can wonder and imagine, this is only the beginning. And God can do immeasurably more. That is why we celebrate His faithfulness, both in our past and in our present. That is why we look forward with great anticipation, knowing that God is always good, knowing that God is always faithful, and confident that the best is yet to come!