1 Annual Report 2017
Dear Team Bayou, What a year 2017 has been! We began the year praying and believing the best is ahead. We had no idea all the wonderful experiences that God would do through us. Your staff team has prepared our first Annual Report for you. This is a document that will help remind you of the fun and impact we had together. It will inspire you. It will humble us. It will leave us all stoked for 2018. Every number you see represents a life, a story, a family. This was truly a Team Bayou effort and victory. It was the result of the synergy of the entire body of Christ. We gave, we served, we prayed and God moved in phenomenal ways. Undoubtedly, it has been a stellar year in terms of numbers, but an exponential year in terms of transformed lives. TABLE OF CONTENTS Worship 4-5 Connect 6-9 Reach 10-11 Stories of Life Change 12-13 Giving & Finances 14-15 Here is a preview: 18% increase in baptisms in 2017 1,397 first-time guests 85 spiritual decisions recorded on Connection Cards 365 people participated in First Steps $82,381 increase in giving year-to-date Thank you for being generous and faithful. You are bearing fruit and sending it ahead to heaven by investing in people going there. Lives have been transformed. Keep praying, giving and believing. 2018 can be even better! Shalom, 2 3
WORSHIP As we know God more, we respond in worship. By participating in corporate worship gatherings, we take steps to know God more and jump into the life He has for us. On a weekly basis, we come together to be reminded about the greatness of God and the power of His grace toward us demonstrated in the life and message of Jesus. In the past year, we ve averaged approximately 1,900 people every weekend in our worship environments. AUDITORIUM 890 CAFE 250 HIGH SCHOOL 50 MIDDLE SCHOOL 95 KIDS 250 PRESCHOOL 195 WEB CAMPUS 90 In 2017, we gathered in January and July to spend focused time in prayer, seeking God for His direction and favor in our lives, families, church and community. 4 4 5 5
CONNECT As we find community, those connections lead to transformed lives. Our lives are transformed as we connect with Christ and others in all sorts of smaller environments, engaging in relationships of mutual encouragement and support. This past year, hundreds of us connected in these environments and many lives were changed. First Steps is an environment where people can move beyond the weekend services to learn about The Bayou, discover more of what it means to follow Jesus and get connected. We had more than 350 people take at least one step and nearly 300 graduates in 2017. Men s Night happened the first Wednesday of every month, where an average of 85 men built relationships and encouraged each other to follow Jesus. Hundreds of women connected at The Bayou through Women s Socials, the Adore Conference and other groups that met throughout the week. Small Groups serve as the foundational Connect environment for all of The Bayou. This year, almost 700 adults were a part of Small Groups. WOW! One hundred forty-five people found out that Celebrate Recovery is a place to experience Jesus and heal from challenges that keep us from living well with others. Our students also connected at the NEXT conference, student summer camps and Life Groups throughout the year. It s amazing that students in middle and high school are taking practical steps to follow Jesus in today s culture! Elementary and preschool kids also built relationships with each other and Jesus each Sunday morning. Additionally, through camps like Together We Grow, K-WOW, WinShape, Kindergarten Camp On the Go, summer play dates and events like Princesses, Pirates and Superheroes, hundreds of kids had tons of fun and learned about Jesus at the same time! 6 6 7 7
When we moved to Acadiana eight years ago, we had no family here. Within weeks of our move, we started attending The Bayou, and shortly thereafter, joined the church. The Bayou Church has become our home. Our small group has become our family. I get the privilege of teaching young children and teenagers about my loving Savior and all that He has done for me. Mindy Portier I was reborn on January 8, 2017, at The Bayou. Now, I m living everyday so grateful to have a Father in Heaven like God to know what He has done for us and what He plans to do in the future. I m smiling until it hurts my cheek bones, but who cares, cause I m doing what God wants and that s to share His story. Louis A. Ganucheau 8 8 9 9
REACH We want to make a difference in the world, so we reach out with the love of Jesus. We believe that rescued people reach people and in 2017, we lived that out over and over again. We created places for people to get a taste of The Bayou, we served those in our community who needed help and we traveled across the world with the message of Jesus. Almost 50 people were a part of a mission team teams went to Haiti, Guatemala, Alaska and Ghana to share the love and message of Jesus in practical ways around the world. At the Spring Picnic and the Chili/Gumbo Cook-off, hundreds of people from our community were introduced to The Bayou for the first time. Over 2,400 people enjoyed our Christmas Concerts in December of 2016 and over 2,600 of us worshiped together on Easter Sunday. Those events serve as easy entry points for people in Acadiana. When our re gion was struck by hurricanes, we partnered with local non-profit organizations to serve over 1,200 evacuees. By coming alongside evacuees who were devastated by these tragedies, we provided practical hope and help in the name of Jesus. 10 10 11 11
STORIES OF LIFE CHANGE The Bayou Church exists to transform lives in Acadiana through Christ-centered relationships. That s our mission. It s who we are. Antoinette Weber s Story Antoinette Weber started at The Bayou when she volunteered the week of the flood in August of 2016. She met a few members of The Bayou staff and was invited to attend Sunday services. Within a few months, she interviewed to be a volunteer in Kids Ministry and began serving with 2nd and 3rd graders in the Diner. Antoinette also recently completed First Steps and is in a small group! She says, I guess my story is... God sent me to a church family where I can serve and be a part of God s mission. We re glad He sent you here, Antoinette! Christianna Spriggins Story I never wanted to give The Bayou a chance. I was stuck in my old ways and didn t think things would change. I started attending in the middle of 2014. We d been through so much and The Bayou Church really helped us in ways that were pretty surprising. On April 17, 2016, my husband and I joined the church as new members. The Bayou is a safe haven for us, and I feel really good when I m there. By the time we leave, my soul is filled with so much joy! I love Brother Mike, Sean, the other teachers and everyone else that makes The Bayou such a wonderful place. It s such a great place to grow in Jesus together. IN 2017, MORE THAN 65 PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED AND THERE WERE MORE THAN 145 SALVATIONS. THAT S WHAT IT S ALL ABOUT! 12 12 13 13
GIVING & FINANCES We want to be courageously generous with the resources God has given us. The generosity of people like you is what makes The Bayou Church possible. Once again in 2017, our legacy of courageous generosity fueled ministry and life change. SPECIAL COURAGEOUS GENEROSITY OFFERING: $175,000 DISASTER RELIEF OFFERING: $35,000 CG Projects Ministry Personnel Facilities 33% 6% 16% 45% Through the Courageous Generosity Offering, we made significant upgrades to our kids and preschool areas. And, we laid the foundation for a multi-camera video broadcast system in the Auditorium. Thanks for your generosity! PRESCHOOL UPDATES FOUR WAYS TO GIVE 14 14 15 15
THANK YOU Thank you to everyone who is a part of The Bayou Church! Your courageous generosity makes it possible for us to continue to see God transform lives in Acadiana. 2234 Kaliste Saloom Road Lafayette, Louisana 70508 www.thebayouchurch.org 16