Lead Pastor's Report Where Grace City is heading and how we'll get there. 04 Discipleship & Church Structure How we make disciples at Grace City. 13 Mission Year report from the Mission Team. 14 CONTENTS Magnification Year report from the Magnification Team. Membership Year report from the Membership Team. Maturity Year report from the Maturity Team. Ministry Year report from the Ministry Team. 18 22 26 30 City Kids Year report from the City Kids Team. 34 Property & Finance Year report from the Property & Finance Team. 38 Mission Giving Our 2017 mission giving goal. 40
4 5 GRACE CITY CHURCH LEAD PASTOR'S REPORT THE NEXT 15 YEARS Grace City was birthed out of a passion to see God s name glorified in Australia. We love this country; we have a heart for Sydney and in particular for the people of Green Square and the City South. But it s a heart that bleeds... 5.2 MILLION * 416,000 REGULARLY ATTEND A CHURCH POPULATION OF SYDNEY Of the 5.2 million people who call Sydney home, very few of them know the love of Jesus and the life that he offers. It drives some people crazy, but I occasionally like to take the scenic route. I will end this piece by telling you our one big goal for Grace City over the next 12 months and how you can be involved in making it happen. Before we get to that, however, I want to paint a picture for you of what we prayerfully expect God to do through our church over the next 15 years, as well as what we need to focus our energies on for the next 5. Strap yourself in and let s go for a drive. Tim Clemens, Lead Pastor Grace City Church WE STARTED GRACE CITY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO CHANGE THAT It was never a vision to see a small group of like-minded individuals get together to share a common interest. It was a big vision. It was a vision: "To see thousands of disciples throughout Sydney and beyond profoundly committed to the cause of Christ. They d worship God passionately, love their church deeply, and serve their city boldly." It s a huge vision. It s a crazy vision. It s the kind of vision you need God to turn up for if it s ever going to become a reality! But that s what excited us! Under God, we truly believe that this vision will become a reality over the next fifteen years. *McCrindle Research, Church Attendance Report, 2014
6 7 SO HOW EXACTLY WILL THIS BE ACHIEVED? 1. LOCAL PROCLAMATION God grows his church through the proclamation of the gospel. But this is not something that only happens on a Sunday. Our building is not just a space for mission, but a base for mission. OUR MISSION While the mission of Grace City begins at home in Green Square; it extends beyond the local community, into more regional areas and even the globe. After all, we want to see thousands of disciples throughout Sydney and beyond! That s why our mission statement is: A BASE FOR MISSION To make disciples of Jesus to the glory of God, by: 1. Proclaiming the gospel (local) 2. Planting churches (regional) With this in mind, we want to facilitate opportunities for all of us to be on mission to the people of Green Square and the City South, and equip each one of us to be on mission to our families, friends, and colleagues. We pray that as the gospel is proclaimed in our city, Grace City will be filled with people who live in Green Square and the wider City South, as well as their family members, friends and colleagues who may live elsewhere. 3. Producing resources (global) Significantly, each point mentioned in our mission statement above has a corresponding location. Now, these are certainly not mutually exclusive, but they do reveal the way in which our prayers have led us to focus our energies over the next fifteen years.
8 9 2. REGIONAL PLANTING 'The continuous, rigorous planting of new churches is the single most effective strategy to see the numerical growth of the body of Christ and the renewal of established churches. 1 In other words, church planting is an excellent way to make disciples of Jesus to the glory of God. THE NEXT 5 YEARS With this in mind, we believe that planting churches both within and beyond Green Square and the City South is an urgent and strategic work for us to be involved in. We pray that in time, these new churches will be a combination of affiliate, family and campus plants (i.e. some might remain connected to Grace City, but we suspect some will not). 3. GLOBAL RESOURCES Thanks to modern technology, it is now possible for a relatively small group of people to have a disproportionately large impact on the rest of the world. With this in mind, we want to utilise modern technology to produce gospel centred resources that impact the lives of thousands of people all over the world. This may include books, CDs, DVDs, training courses, and other things that haven t been invented yet. We pray that these will be used by God to make and mature disciples of Jesus on every continent. A mentor of mine once said, you don t get million-dollar outcomes from ten-dollar visions. We have a God sized vision. That s why we are prayerfully expecting God sized outcomes. The way forward may feel intimidating. It may seem impossible. And without God it is! But we worship a God who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine (Eph 3:20). That ought to give us boldness! Remember the big picture? Thousands of disciples throughout Sydney and beyond! How will we do it? By proclaiming the gospel, planting churches and producing resources! But when will we do it? Not all at once! Let me introduce you to the beachhead strategy. In 1944, during the D-Day invasion at Normandy, the Allied Forces used a beachhead strategy to turn the tide of WWII and liberate northwestern Europe from Nazi control. Nearly 150,000 soldiers landed along an 8km stretch of the Normandy coastline. Despite heavy casualties, the brilliance of the strategy was that it secured the Allies a foothold from which to launch further attacks and win the war. While Normandy is undoubtedly the most famous example, the beachhead is still a commonly used strategy in both war and business. It is quite simple. If you want to invade enemy territory, you first need to establish a secure base of operations from which to launch further expeditions and take additional territory. Failure to secure a beachhead will result in an inability to launch further attacks. The inevitable result will be defeat, retreat and significant casualties. Ephesians tells us that we are engaged in a spiritual war (Eph 6:12). Men and women outside of Christ are held captive by the devil and in danger of the judgment of God (Eph 2:2-3). But through the prayerful proclamation of the gospel (Eph 6:17-18), we can change that. Under God, we can be involved in a rescue mission. Under God, we can see thousands of people throughout Sydney and beyond set free from the devil s snares and enjoying the new life that Jesus offers. But to do that we need to build a beachhead. 1 Tim Keller, 'Why Plant Churches?' 2009, Redeemer City to City
10 11 We need to establish a secure base of operations from which to launch further expeditions and take additional territory. This is our focus for the next 5 years. Of course, we are not alone in this work. There are faithful men and women in other churches fighting the good fight along side us. We even want to financially support one local church in that work (more on that later). But under God, our focus for the next five years will be: THE NEXT 12 MONTHS "To so make and mature disciples of Jesus that we build a vibrant and passionate mission beachhead that is the go-to evangelical church for people in Green Square and the City South." Remember, Rome wasn t built in a day and neither will our vision be. These things take time. The first step in the Allied Forces taking back northwestern Europe was their landing at Normandy. Our first step in reaching thousands of men and women throughout Sydney and beyond will be establishing Grace City as a mission beachhead in Waterloo. This will be our primary focus for the next five years. It will take time, hard work, & sacrifice. Central to it all will be the prayerful proclamation of the gospel, the planting of new congregations on site, and the production of gospel centered resources (in that order). Will you join us in the work for the next five years? Will you help us build a beachhead? Will you do whatever it takes? Clarity is found in simplicity. Fifteen years might feel like a lifetime away for you. Five years might feel like a distant horizon. So what about the next 12 months? What is the one thing that we need to do in the next 12 months to help build a mission beachhead in Waterloo? Under God, the one big goal that we want to give ourselves to over the next 12 months is: "To plant a second congregation on site in October 2017 with a launch team of at least 40 adults focused on reaching 20-40 year olds living, working or studying in and around Green Square and the City South." Why this goal? Because we are a church on mission. We cannot and must not be content to live comfortable lives that are satisfied with the status quo. There is a spiritual war going on and people s eternities are at stake. We must press onwards and upwards. But a second congregation will require sacrifices. For example, some of us will need to join the launch team. This will require gospel-hearted decisions to let go of some of our most treasured relationships for the sake of our passion to win the lost. Both those who start the second gathering, as well as those who let them go will feel this pain. We will also need twice as many servants. While we expect to grow quickly enough over the next twelve months to sufficiently resource a second gathering (we would not start a second gathering unless this was the case), many of us can and should give ourselves to serving much more than we presently are.
12 13 Remember, starting a second gathering may cause some initial pain. But we must remember why we are doing it. We love the lost. Some pain is worth enduring for the sake of seeing increasing numbers of men and women saved from the judgment of God, set free from the devil's snares, and grown into passionate, loving and servant hearted followers of Jesus Christ. For that kind of result, I will endure all kinds of pain. So will you join me? Please pray for this new gathering, both for its success and for how you might be involved. There is still much to be decided, but we are excited to take this next big step as a church towards establishing a mission beachhead in Waterloo over the next five years. I told you we d get there in the end. I hope you enjoyed the drive. DISCIPLESHIP & CHURCH STRUCTURE So the big picture for church is about huge growth and lots of people. But it s not just about numbers. We do not simply want to gather a big group of people, we also want to grow those people into profoundly committed followers of Christ. Remember, it is a vision to see thousands of disciples. That means every individual and his or her own personal growth is hugely important. At Grace City, we want to make disciples of Jesus. But what exactly is a disciple? And what does a made disciple actually look like? We believe there are five key things that characterise a made disciple. To help you remember them, they all start with the letter M. MAGNIFICATION MEMBERSHIP MATURITY MINISTRY MISSION Disciples of Jesus Disciples of Jesus Disciples of Jesus Disciples of Jesus Disciples of Jesus are growing in are members are seeking to are gifted for the are on mission their love for God of the body of grow in Christ-like common good for Jesus and and seeking to Christ who seek maturity as they and seeking to prayerfully seeking magnify Him in to connect with, devote themselves sacrificially use to proclaim the everything that care for, and to the Word of those gifts to gospel as they they do. participate in the God in community minister to others. lovingly serve a community of the with others. lost world. church. Our heart is that every member of Grace City will be growing in each of these 5 purposes. To that end, we also structure church around these 5 M s so as to ensure that all of us are growing in every area of our Christian discipleship. In the pages that follow, you will read of some of the initiatives that each area has undertaken to achieve these purposes this year, together with a few highlights and challenges from each. Please commit to thanking God for all that he has done over the last year, and please continue to ask him to bless each of these important ministry areas at Grace City in the year to come.
14 15 MISSION Purpose and priorities in 2016 We pray that Grace City (both corporately and individually) will actively seek to reach out to the lost by connecting with, caring for, inviting and proclaiming the gospel to those around us with the result that an ever increasing number of people come to faith in Jesus Christ. Un-Churched 10% Areas and initiatives: Community Awareness One of our major aims in the last 12 months has been to let the Green Square community know about Grace City Church. To do this we ran the first Grace City Carols in the Park event as well as a number of big days like our building launch and first birthday celebrations. These have been a huge success with lots of new people from the community joining us. Markets Each month we run a stall at the local markets as a way to engage with people and invite them to church. Several people we have met at the markets have come along to church and some have even joined us. GRACE CITY ATTENDEES De-Churched 11% Churched 10% EXPLORE and Christianity Explored Both EXPLORE and Christianity Explored have run this year for people exploring or reexploring Jesus. These have been a great place for people to hear a talk, ask questions in a non-threatening environment & explore the faith while getting to know some people from church. Members 69% This graph represents the % breakup of those who regularly attend Grace City (i.e. have attended a Sunday gathering at least 3 times in the last 3 months). While 69% of these are members, this does not show that many of our members were previously un-churched or de-churched. We praise God for this! HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR 1. The Explore Group The group doing EXPLORE have been keen to continue exploring Jesus. We have just finished working through the Gospel of Mark. Now we are moving onto Acts. 2. Trusting in Jesus The biggest highlight has been seeing 4 people in the last year come to faith in Jesus. There has been a large number of people who have been out of church for years come back and grow in their faith. There is also a growing number of people in our midst who wouldn t call themselves Christians yet who are regularly coming along to church and/or EXPLORE.
16 17 MISSION 2017 TOP PRIORITIES 1 2 3 To pursue profile-raising To train at least 10% of our To raise up a team of people activities that increase the members in a personal to support Matt Varcoe who community s awareness of mission framework, so as to can meet up and read the Grace City. These include bolster their confidence and Bible with those at church things like Carols in the Park, 4 ability to engage in gospel who are either new Christians, servant evangelism Saturdays, conversations with those who Christians who have been out leafleting for key big days and do not share their faith in of church for a while, or are improved signage. Jesus. interested in exploring the faith. 1. Heart for the lost 2. One to one 3. Mission teams Our challenge will always be As more and more people are Building teams around to keep looking outwards to keen to investigate Jesus, we mission has been difficult. We OUR CHALLENGES the thousands of people in our area who don t know Jesus. We need to ask God for a heart for the lost and seek to reach need additional people who can meet up each week and read the bible with them. What a great problem to have! are seeking to raise up and develop more mission team members who can effectively help people to grow in their people far from God with the love and knowledge of God. saving gospel of Jesus Christ. 'EXPLORE has been a great opportunity to find out more about who Jesus is and the CARRIE'S STORY amazing sacrifice he made for us. I was able to ask all the questions I had and all the new ones I got along the way. The community vibe made it very comfortable. I felt safe to share ideas and ask questions. Since EXPLORE, we have been reading through the Gospel of Mark. Reading Mark has shown me so much about Jesus and God s power and has helped me be able to read the bible for myself.'
18 19 MAGNIFICATION Purpose and priorities in 2016 We pray that Grace City would be a church that not only knows and beholds the glory of God with their minds, but feels and relishes it with their hearts. The purpose of Magnification is to stir people s affections for the glory of God, by giving emotional expression to gospel truth, through gathering God s people for prayer, praise and proclamation. Areas and initiatives: Sunday Gatherings At Grace City, we recognize that the three most effective ways to stir people s affections for the glory of God are praise, prayer and proclamation. And the best way to do those three things is in the context of God s people gathered together. That s why, at Grace City, we love, look forward to, and prioritise getting together for Sunday gatherings. Most of what happens in Magnification is done to that end. Song Writing Team Since Easter Monday of 2016, a new team have met fortnightly with the aim of seeing people love Jesus more, by writing new songs that serve our church. So far, we ve begun singing two of those in Sunday services, with warm reception, and there s more on the way! 1. Growing Teams 2. Building and Facilities 3. New songs HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR We are full of thankfulness to God for our growing teams that joyfully and sacrificially serve each Sunday. Our band has grown from having an average of 3 members serving each Sunday in 2015, to an average of 6 members serving each Sunday in 2016. We have also had 7 new team members join our support team (A/V). All of this On 2nd February 2016, we held the Grand Opening of our new building. Our new building and facilities have made it possible for us to devote more time to ministry, to more effectively utilise our teams with their various gifts, and to do and try new and exciting things all in an effort to stir people s affections for the glory of God. At Grace City, two of the songs we regularly sing were written by our church, for our church. Many have enjoyed these songs, mentioning they have been stuck in their heads, and that they would be happy to sing it every week! Excitingly, there are more great songs on the way. means that Magnification has grown to be a healthier, and more sustainable area of ministry.
20 21 MAGNIFICATION 2017 TOP PRIORITIES 1 2 3 Prayerfully and pro-actively seek to grow and equip the teams that make Sunday gatherings happen, so that we maintain and continue to refine Sunday gatherings, and prepare for the increased resources needed for starting a second gathering. Developing concrete and effective systems and processes that support the ministry in a sustainable and scalable way. Increase our capacity and ability to write new songs for the church, that see people love Jesus more. 1. Necessary growth 2. Losing focus and drive OUR CHALLENGES One of the challenges that Magnification faces is the need to prayerfully and proactively grow our teams. This will mean sacrificial service, training and hard work. However, this is all done for the sake of starting a second gathering in October 2017 - which will ultimately help us to continue to make disciples of Jesus to the glory of God. While we have much to rejoice in and celebrate, it has not been without the hard work and service of our teams. A constant threat to ministry is the potential for losing focus, drive and motivation. The solution to this is to constantly encourage one another to remember why we do what we do, and why it makes a difference. 'A few Sundays ago, we sang the lyrics, Silent as he stood accused (Man of Sorrows). GREG'S STORY As we sang that, it really dawned on me that it was far from easy for Jesus to remain silent as he was being accused, and then again when he was on the cross. I related that to trusting in God, even when the stakes seem high for us. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.'
22 23 Church Membership Growth MEMBERSHIP Purpose and priorities in 2016 We pray that we might see ever increasing numbers of people steadfastly connected into a vibrant community that cares for one another. Areas and initiatives (connection): Host teams Lead all church members in being open and warm on a Sunday, and ushering new people towards being members. This is and will continue to be an incredibly important responsibility for all of us to play. This year we had 287 people make at least a first time visit. Q&A Is for Christians who are new to Grace City and want to know more about the Church. We ran this 4 times with 15 people in attendance over 2016. Areas and initiatives (community & care): Cafe teams Seek to foster an environment on a Sunday that helps the community spend time with one another and grow relationally. Having come from Hoyts in 2015, this is a significant blessing. People are regularly staying back after church for several hours. Weekend Away Grows our community by having us live together for a weekend and growing together in God s word. This year we had 65 adults and 7 kids join us for all or part of the weekend. Onboard Is for Christians who are close to becoming members. Onboard helps people make that decision, as well as explaining the Vision, Mission and the Ms of church. In 2016 we had 46 people complete onboard, 42 of whom became members. Refresh Helps grow the marriages in church, keeping them strong as a picture of Christ and the Church. It also functioned as a great first contact point for several non-churched families. Refresh was attended by 24 couples this year. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR 1. 42 new members in the last year, it s been amazing to see God add to our number with people from all sorts of church (and non-church) backgrounds. 2. Deepening relationships There is lots of evidence of many friendships beginning and deepening through formal and informal church activity. Generally, people have a greater sense of belonging than last year. 3. Sunday Teams The cafe teams and host teams have both undergone changes and growth and are pulling off an increasingly warm and friendly result by their efforts.
24 25 MEMBERSHIP 2017 TOP PRIORITIES 1 2 3 Improve Onboard from good to great such that we have 80 new members join us by August 2017, meaning a community of approximately 140 members. Create a structure that assists the member who feels socially disconnected to connect more easily into the community of church. Have Weekend Away 2017 be an excellent and well attended event that is unmissable. OUR CHALLENGES 1. An Ever Growing Community Having so many new people join us has meant there are challenges in effectively connecting everybody into the community at church, as well as the community forming solidly. This is a great problem to have in some ways, but it does present real challenges. 2. Transient Area Green Square and the City South is a very transient part of Sydney. While this means we often get to meet lots of new people, it also means that we often have to farewell people if they are moved by work, or simply choose to live elsewhere. This is a challenge for building deep relationships. 'Having just moved to Australia, I was looking for a community, a group of people where MIKAELA'S STORY I felt included. That's exactly what I found here at Grace City. The frill-free, Bible-based teaching stood out to me in the current flashing lights of many churches today. Shortly after visiting on a Sunday, I went along to the Weekend Away which helped me feel even more a part of the community and also see the way the Bible was taught. I ve since gone along to Q&A which was enjoyable and helpful.'
26 27 MATURITY Purpose and priorities in 2016 We pray that each individual and our church corporately would grow to full maturity in Christ by coming to a deeper knowledge of God expressed in obedience to him. We pray that this would result from a culture of deep devotion to the word of God and prayer, both personally and in community. Areas and initiatives: Community Groups Community groups are the primary levers used by Maturity to deepen us in our love and 12 10 ZETLAND MAROUBRA 7 GROUPS knowledge of God and his word. They are member only groups, designed to facilitate prayer and the study of God s Word, in community, over time. In 2016 we have had 7 groups with 66 members in groups. Daily Reading Guides The DRGs are designed to complement both the sermon and Community Groups. These help facilitate disciplines of the Word and prayer on an individual level. In 2016, about 60 printed copies of the DRGs were distributed for each series. There are presently 45 people 12 ZETLAND 9 7 SURRY HILLS NEWTOWN 66 MEMBERS IN GROUPS 14 LEADERS receiving these via e-mail. Leadership Development Community Group leaders meet at the beginning of each team for leader training. In 2016 the topics included: how to begin a group, mental health, how to talk with low attenders, and an overview of the themes in Ephesians. Leaders are also provided with pre-written studies and video tutorials to help them lead more effectively. 7 9 NORTH SHORE WATERLOO 8 LEADERS IN TRAINING 1. Improved Resourcing 2. Unity in Diversity 3. Multiplication & Training Matt Varcoe has worked hard this year to improve Many of our Community Groups have a We began 2016 with six fairly empty groups. In HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR the quality of the resources provided to group leaders. In addition to studies, leaders this year have been provided with a video tutorial that walks through the logic of the passage, the key words, and gives background information on combination of singles, young married couples, older married couples, and families with young kids. While this dynamic is not without its challenges, it has been wonderful to see the intergenerational benefits that come from addition to nearly filling all of our groups this year we also had to start a new one. This has forced us to think intentionally about leadership development and training. In 2016, we have had 8 leaders in training across church. Many of these tricky questions. Many leaders have commented expressing our unity in Christ and working hard will go on to lead groups in 2017. that they have appreciated this additional to love those who are different to us. support.
28 29 MATURITY 2017 TOP PRIORITIES 1 2 3 To build sufficient leadership capacity that we can have 15 groups by the end of 2017. To implement a middle tier of Community Group leadership to support our leaders and enable them to provide more effective pastoral care. To develop and make available a resource that helps people intentionally engage in purposeful 1-1 or 1-2 relationships around the Word and prayer. OUR CHALLENGES 1. Insufficient Leadership As church grows we need to raise up new leaders to start new groups. While we seek to resource our leaders as effectively as possible, leading a community group still requires between 2-4 hours a week in preparation and pastoral care. While many people are competent to lead, we have had difficulty finding those who are willing and able. If this continues, we will be unable to start new groups to accommodate and grow new members. 2. Irregular Attendance While overall attendance at Community Groups has slightly declined over the course of 2016, most groups enjoyed strong attendance each week. Nevertheless, a few groups have found irregular attendance a challenge in enabling them to connect with one another and build momentum over the year. 'Over the past year I have been meeting with Jackson every fortnight to read through the Bible and talk about the highs and lows of our weeks. These meetings have grown OLLIE'S STORY my confidence in my biblical knowledge, as well as prompted me to start exploring what other gifts Imogen and I may be called to share with Grace City as we continue to mature. As a result of my training, Imogen and I have started to support our Community Group through occasional leading throughout the year and we look forward to seeing where these new skills will take us as the Church continues to grow.'
30 31 MINISTRY Purpose and priorities in 2016 We pray that God might help us to create and develop ever-increasing numbers of joyful servants. We believe that because Jesus came not to be served but to serve (ultimately by giving his life on the cross), his followers are naturally people who serve (Mark 10:45). Areas and initiatives (integrate): Ministry interviews To gain a better understanding of the gifts and passions of new members and to match them with the needs of our growing church. A member of the Ministry team is also now available to meet with new members. Ministry surveys To help new members explore the variety of available opportunities at church, each new member is sent an online survey to help us match them with the best area of service for both them and church. Areas and initiatives (celebrate): Red Carpet A new event designed to help us celebrate the impact that our service is having. Videos The new Ministry overview video gives a bird s eye view of all service at Grace City, and the theological basis for all members playing their part. Leader of Leaders 13% Team Leader 31% MINISTRY ROLES BREAKDOWN Team Member 56% 1. Sharing the load 2. Stepping up HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR In 2015, approximately 50% of the people attending on any given Sunday were involved in some form of service on the day (teaching kids, serving food, hosting, playing in the band, running AV etc.). As we have grown, new members have stepped into ministry and shared the load such that now only about 30% of people are serving each Sunday. Almost half (44%) of those serving at church have been willing and able to step into some form of leadership role. We praise God for this. The ongoing willingness of members to take on leadership responsibilities at church will be vital if we are to continue making disciples of Jesus in the years to come.
32 33 MINISTRY 2017 TOP PRIORITIES 1 2 3 To help all new members find a formal serving opportunity at church within 6 weeks of joining a Community Group, unless requested not to. To identify the core competencies required by team members, team leaders and leader of leaders, and to develop some simple training resources that help equip servants as they step into new roles. To enable Grace City to start a second service in October 2017 by creating the necessary ministry teams to do so. OUR CHALLENGES 1. Expanding Needs All members are needed as we continue to expand most of our teams to keep up with the growth God is giving us. 2. Second Service As we move towards a new service in 2017, this will create a whole new set of needs. We will need new teams and new leaders. 'I quite enjoy working - so working hard and giving money to church was never very difficult for me. But the treasure I stored up for myself was time. Time is precious. This AMY'S STORY year at Grace City, God has reminded me that it is not my time, but His. Jesus has given me a thirst to use all my time for His glory and the growth of His kingdom. So I am very excited to step out in faith and obedience in 2017, to serve Jesus at Grace City by doing a Ministry Apprenticeship (MTS). Quick side note - I also think Grace City Church has worked really hard to put systems in place to ensure regular church servants do not burn out from their service - this is rare and admirable!
34 35 CITY KIDS Purpose and priorities in 2016 We pray that children at Grace City will develop a personal relationship with Jesus. We pray that the children will know biblical truths, be confident in their salvation, prayerful to God and Christ-like in character. We pray that the children s programs will be fun to attend, deep in theology, professional in approach and have a bright and fresh vibe. We pray that children s ministry at Grace City will help to build healthy families that bless and grow the whole church. Areas and initiatives: Teaching Our desire is to lead children into a personal relationship with Jesus by teaching theological truths through biblical stories. The theme for this year has been God s Promises. Our teaching includes singing, lesson time, memory verse and discussion group for older children. School 34% Baby 13% Parent Partnership Our aim is that City Kids will help build healthy families that bless and grow the whole church. Some initiatives in this area include family question sheets on the lesson, series CITY KIDS ATTENDANCE Toddler 40% overview on the City Kids webpage and including the bible verse or big idea of the lesson on the craft each week. Atmosphere and Vibe We hope to establish one of the leading children s programs in Sydney City that is fun, deep, professional and bright. The atmosphere and vibe at City Kids is warm, fresh and colourful. Pre-School 13% We foster a welcoming tone where children and parents are valued and care for. 1. Deepened Faith 2. Growth 3. Leader Faithfulness HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR We often hear from parents that the children in City Kids have recalled or discussed at home the key ideas taught on a Sunday. For example, after Weekend Away where children learnt about the Holy Spirit, Ava Grice told her mum that The Holy Spirit lives in my heart and The Holy Spirit makes me friends with Jesus. Emma Shaw also recently told her mum I know about the resurrection At the end of 2015 we had three children attending City Kids. We now have fourteen children at Grace City who are a part of City Kids or City Tots. This growth has necessitated an increase in programs. Therefore, at the beginning of Term 4 we will split to three programs; City Kids for ages 4+, City Tots for ages 1-3 and City Bubs for ages 0-1. It has been a joy seeing existing families at Grace City The leaders at Grace City are incredibly gifted and skilled in the area of children s ministry. They are also very faithful and committed to their role. The leaders have formed deep and meaningful connections with the children and families and genuinely understand the value and importance of children s ministry. Mummy, it was when Jesus died and came back welcoming and developing relationships with to life. I think it was a miracle that he came back new families who have joined us this year. to life Mummy.
36 37 CITY KIDS 2017 TOP PRIORITIES 1 2 3 To consolidate three programs - City Kids, City Tots and City Bubs in order to deliver age appropriate curriculum. To implement additional leadership structures to manage the growth in children s ministry. In 2017 we will need to move to having three leaders of leaders, each of whom takes oversight for one of the three programs. To develop further connections with the local community such that by the end of 2017 we have 30 kids at church. 1. Diversity of Ages 2. Enough Leaders 3. Appropriate Space As the children s program has In order to grow the children s With the addition of a toddlers grown, we have had to cater programs we have also had to program, we have had to move OUR CHALLENGES for a very broad age range. It has been difficult delivering age appropriate curriculum when there has been a sevenyear age span. This has driven recruit a number of additional leaders. Given the fact that kids leaders have to miss out on church, and there are plenty of other needs at church, this has families with babies into the café space. Some creativity and flexibility will be required for this space to adequately accommodate families with the need for an additional occasionally been a challenge. babies. However, this change is toddler program. necessary for the overall health and growth of our kids. THE GRICE'S STORY 'Our daughter Ava has been attending Grace City Kids for six months. In this short time we have seen her learn many Bible stories and her understanding of God and Jesus develop quickly. This has been much to do with the great teachers who serve and the thoughtful structured program. Each week Ava will run to the kids room as she is so excited to be there to play and learn.'
38 39 PROPERTY & FINANCE At Grace City we think about property and finance through two complimentary lenses. On the one hand, we need to view our church s giving patterns through a spiritual lens. Jesus says, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt 6:21). On the other hand, we also need to view our church s financial standing from an operational lens. After all, it takes property and finance to make disciples! The spiritual lens As lead pastor, Tim Clemens is ultimately responsible for providing spiritual oversight for the members of Grace City Church. While he has significant help from the rest of the leadership team in the different elements of this important work, one of his key areas of responsibility outside of preaching and leadership is to encourage us as a church to cultivate generous hearts. Finance In 2016 our operating budget is $270k. Of this, $90K has been fundraised externally. That leaves $180K to be raised internally through congregational giving. We praise God that our latest estimates* suggest that we are on track to meet budget by the end of the year. $182,203 To that end, 2016 saw the introduction of several new initiatives in the realm of financial communication. These included quarterly updates, monthly e-mail updates, and an improved explanation of giving at Onboard. We will also introduce a new Giving at Grace City handbook as part of the Passionate Church series. ACTUAL / LE $130,703 $51,500 YTD YTG While there is always room for continued growth, we have seen encouraging signs of spiritual growth this year as many of our members have started giving for the first time. This suggests that God is increasingly helping us to find our joy and satisfaction in him, rather than our earthly treasures. We praise God for this! From January to August, we saw 25 individuals or couples (giving units) make a first time donation to church. This is in addition to those who already gave to church in 2015. While some of these were one off donations, others have continued to give regularly. As of August 2016, about 25 individuals or couples donate to church each month, from an overall total of 45 different giving units. In 2016, our operating budget was broken up in the following way. Kingdom refers to money put aside for things like MTS, church planting, and the development of a school of ministry program for the training of future staff and church planters. While we are thankful to God to be receiving some larger donations from a few members, it is encouraging to see that in general, the financial burden of church is distributed across a wide range of generous givers. The operational lens 75%: Staffing 31%: $500-$3,000 22%: $3,001-$6,000 The property and finances of Grace City are managed by a committee called the Office Holders. In 2016 this group included Tim Clemens (Chairman), Matt Young (Treasurer) and Tony Clemens (member). There is presently a vacant seat on this committee, which we look forward to filling with a godly and competent man or woman in 2017. Property The building at 937 Bourke St, Waterloo is owned by a gospel patron who generously allows us to rent at a reduced rate. We will need to start paying rent at a fairer rate in a few years time. To that end, the Office Holders have started building this expense into our financial forecasts and plans so as to ensure that we can BUDGET BREAKDOWN 11%: Building & Maintenance 8%: Ministry 3%: Kingdom % GIVING UNITS 11%: $6,001- $10,000 7%: $10,001- $15,000 afford these costs when the time comes. 3%: Property 2%: $15,000+ * As of end of August 2016 27%: $0-$500
40 41 MISSION GIVING We see Grace City as a missionary church. We began as 30 missionaries who moved to Green Square and the City South to start a new gospel work in this part of the city. With that in mind, we see every dollar given to Grace City as mission giving already. For that reason, we seek to use it for the purposes of advancing our mission in the local community. That being said, we also want to encourage all of us to give generously over and above our regular giving, to the many worthy causes around Australia and the world. In due time, we want to build deep gospel partnerships with churches in one or two strategic locations around the world. We want to be able to support overseas mission work there, invest in Bible colleges there, support Compassion children there, and send teams there on short-term mission trips. Ultimately, we want to build deep and holistic gospel partnerships. But we cannot do everything all at once. With that in mind, for 2017 we want to put before the members of Grace City just one additional church and encourage us to support them financially. Living Waters is an indigenous church that was planted by Matt Paterson and his wife Sarinah in 2014. The nature of this ministry is very different to our own, despite the fact that they gather just down the road. Living Waters is reaching a demographic and people group that we simply are not equipped to reach and so we want to support them in that work. Even though our plan for the next five years is to so make and mature disciples of Jesus that we build a vibrant and passionate mission beachhead that is the go-to evangelical church for people in Green Square and the City South, we also want to support other churches in our area like Living Waters who are not as financially well off as we are. OUR 2017 MISSION GIVING GOAL: $9,000 Our prayer is that in 2017 the members of Grace City might generously donate $9000 to Living Waters. This is our goal, but the actual amount we will be able to give will be determined by our willingness as a church to give over and above our regular giving. To give to Living Waters, simply make a donation to Grace City and include Living Waters in the description. We will then distribute all of our financial gifts to them in one lump sum at the end of 2017.
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