Atlanta, Georgia 2014 Annual Report Letter from Our Senior Pastor
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- Evangelism Ministries Leslie Prince, Chair
- Congregational Nurture Ministries Hillery McNeill and Lisa Jern, Co-chairs
- Worship and the Arts Ministries Jennye Guy, Chair
- Committee Descriptions Sanctuary and Sacraments Committee
- Ushers
- Handbell Choir
- Highlights Baptism
Mission Ministries Eleanor Attwood, Chair At Morningside, we believe we are called upon by Jesus Christ to strengthen, support and develop opportunities to engage in God’s mission by reaching out to others in our local and worldwide communities, by caring for God’s creation and by advocating for justice and compassion. In 2014, the Mission Ministry engaged in the following areas: Community Outreach (Shepherd: Jack Klotz)
Global Concerns Morningside continues to support the New Church Development Commission of the Greater Atlanta Presbytery through monthly donations. A number of the NCDC churches that we have worked with before serve immigrant populations, including Shalom in Clarkston. In honor of Rev. Drew Stockstill’s trip to Ethiopia this year, a donation was made to Hope House, an organization in Ethiopia that helps young women escape the trafficking trade Mission Trips (Shepherd: Roland Behm) Morningside members traveled to New Orleans to work with Rebuilding Hope in New Orleans (RHINO) for a Lenten service project in the spring of 2014. RHINO is an outreach ministry of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church dedicated to helping residents restore their lives both physically and spiritually after the 2005 hurricanes. Advocacy and the Environment (Shepherds: Amy Jensen and Shelley Senterfitt) Morningside continued providing support to Covenant Network of Presbyterians of which Rev. Baron Mullis is on the board. We hosted the Regional Conference for Covenant Network in the spring. Our group has partnered with attorney and advocate for Presbyterians for a Better Georgia, Elizabeth Appley, and which is currently focusing on issues including gun violence, youth victims of sex trafficking in our community, and legislation that impacts healthcare and education. A number of MPC members and staff attended the Presbyterians for a Better Georgia Forum held in November. Special Offerings (Shepherd: Lynsley Tyler) MPC supported four special offerings: Souper Bowl (this nationwide offering raises funds for a local organization fighting hunger and MPC donated to Atlanta Community Food Bank), One Great Hour of Sharing (to support Presbyterian Disaster Assistance), Thornwell Home for Children, and Peacemaking (the 1/4 that is to be given locally was given to Lost and Found). In 2014 Elder Jeff Peters produced a concert featuring the music of Jerome Kern. A collection was received for mission work and the following organizations were beneficiaries of the generous audience:
Respectfully submitted, Eleanor Attwood Jack Klotz
Additionally, each event had more than 15 congregational volunteers. We saw record attendance for each of these events in 2014 and we are eternally grateful for the great organization and execution of the events made possible by our fabulous volunteers. A new evangelism event that MPC hosted in 2014 that we anticipate becoming an annual event was our “Morningside Sings…….Jerome Kern” in May to benefit our mission ministry. A group of six soloists and 12 chorus members performed 20 musical arrangements of songs all written by Jerome Kern. It was a delightful evening and attended by approximately 150 members and visitors. MPC’s community outreach ministry also benefited to the tune (catch the pun) of $4000. MPC members Jeff Peters and Derek Matthews arranged and directed the evening. This year’s gala, to be held May 9, will prove to be another outstanding evening. Lastly, we are so excited to formally have MPC’s college ministry program land under the auspices of evangelism. In 2014, we welcomed the college students, mostly from Emory University, to MPC; we delivered meals to their Wednesday night meetings, and provided care packs for them to entertain and sustain them through fall semester finals week. We are excited about increasing our activities with Presbyterian Campus Ministry in 2015. Congregational Nurture Ministries Hillery McNeill and Lisa Jern, Co-chairs In 2014 Congregational Nurture Ministries at Morningside Presbyterian Church broadened its base by retaining existing volunteers and recruiting new members to lead various ministries. Team leaders Hillery McNeill and Lisa Jern have outlined volunteer opportunities for access on our website and continue to update instructions for various activities. Care Initiatives Meals for Moms This program provides dinner for parents who have just arrived home from the hospital with a newborn. Carrie Branon has continued to coordinate the Meals for Moms program, which had been coordinated for more than a decade by Tara Parrish. This was no small task—especially with five babies born within weeks of each other at the end of the summer. Carrie’s email link is included in the electronic announcements of a child’s arrival and we also include the link in the newsletter so that more volunteers easily can offer their assistance. Reaching Out to Those in Need Sarah Brownlee continues to see that cards, meals, and personal visits reach members who are in distress or are recovering from illness or surgery. She also provides transportation to doctors’ appointments as needed. Delivery of Flowers Georgia Marshall leads the Flower Ministry within the Worship and Arts Ministries, whose members break down the arrangements in the sanctuary after Sunday services and rearrange them for delivery to members who deserve special attention. Georgia and Sarah coordinate delivery of flowers. Georgia hopes to see more members volunteer for this ministry in the coming year. Prayer Initiative A meeting with representatives of the deacons and staff about requests for a more active prayer initiative, led to
These efforts have been well received and continue to be a strong part of our church’s outreach. Weekly Events Coffee and Conversation Each Sunday an individual or a couple provides refreshments for members and visitors in the Welcome Center from 9:30 a.m. until the beginning of the 11 o’clock service. Gail Kitchens has continued to coordinate Coffee and Conversation this year, recruiting new members to join those members who regularly provide refreshments. Fellowship Hour In 2013, Jennifer James assumed the role of overall leader of Fellowship Hour, and we are pleased that she will continue in this capacity. Jennifer sets up the yearly calendar and recruits hosts from various groups within the congregation. The Deacons continue to serve once a month (one deacon with newer members and/or newer volunteers to be recruited on their Sunday). Other groups that hosted during 2014 include Session, Worship and the Arts Ministries, Theology on Tap, Women’s Roundtable, Couples Group, LGBT & Friends, Young Adults, Lydia Circle, RHO Readers, Wonderful Wednesdays, the Handbell Choir, One Gray Hair, Habitat for Humanity, Mission Camp Attendees and Youth Group. Each quarter two volunteer coordinators take responsibility for
Quarterly hosts this year included Ann Watson, Ian Irwin, Temple Elliott, Monirah Womack, Daniel Easton, David and Emilee Terry, Bob Wells, Doug Selph and Heather Regnault. Jennifer James also took over the duties of stocking kitchen supplies. Special Events – scheduled Congregational Lunches For each of the four congregational lunches this year, Vickie Hunter coordinated the lunches, including finding volunteers to set up, serve and clean up, as well as supervising presentation (including table decoration) on the day of the meals. Sandy Jones handled catering aspects of the lunches. Under their leadership, both attendance and the percentage of people who RSVP have reached all-time highs. Vickie will continue to handle congregational lunches going forward. Easter Week In 2014, Congregational Nurture worked with Session to appropriately assign and transition “food events” that related to another team to that team. For example, during Holy Week, Melinda Sandkam, under the auspices of the Worship Team, coordinated the Maundy Thursday dinner, and Jenny Guy coordinated the Easter “breakfast” between our two Easter services. Outings Various groups organized outings in 2014, including Jack Klotz’ organizing a Braves outing in the spring. Special Events – unscheduled In late September, Hillery McNeill and Lisa Jern coordinated food for the reception following the installation of Drew Stockstill as our full-time Associate Pastor. In January, Sarah Brownlee coordinated food for the reception following the memorial service for Ruth Wells. Retreat The retreat, planned by Jack and Jill Klotz with much assistance from Betsy Holland, was attended by 50 adults and 10 children, plus staff and the guest speaker….one of our most successful retreats yet. Featured speaker Peter Hobby, a good friend of the MPC congregation, returned for another inspiring year; and Jack and Jill invited back a popular storyteller from an earlier retreat and coordinated outings on Saturday afternoon, in addition to planning and participating in the Sunday worship service. Betsy Holland was in charge of coordinating meals. One of the two assistants helping with our kids during the retreat was Sam Tomaka, who came over from Asheville to be with us. And finally, Lloyd Prince was the photographer for the weekend. Meeting Support Philip Hawkins provided food as needed for meetings throughout the year, including lunch for office training this fall and the joint supper meeting of deacons and elders in December. As mentioned earlier, this is another example of Session transitioning certain food/meeting functions to our deacons. Respectfully submitted, Hillery McNeill Lisa Jern
Provides a worship-enhancing environment in the sanctuary, including special season décor and paraments appropriate to the church calendar. On designated Sundays, the committee ensures that all is ready for the sacraments of communion and baptism. A subcommittee, led by Sarah Chatel, recruits, trains and supplies lay readers. Flower Ministry -- led by Georgia Marshall Cares for the arrangement and nurture of fresh floral items in the sanctuary for Sunday services, and arrangements in the Fellowship Hall for special events and memorial services. They also break down the arrangements for home delivery to those in need. Pew Crew -- led by Faye McKay-Clegg Monitors the condition of the sanctuary's seating space, including the availability and orderliness of hymnals, Bibles, and other worship materials. They also arrange for the proper disposition of items left in the pews after worship services. Ushers -- led by Jack Klotz and Shari Tant Attend to the doors of the sanctuary, assist people in finding seats, and collect the offering. Wedding Guild -- led by Leslie Prince and Ann Benson, Wedding Coordinator Consults with the wedding party and coordinates with the church's staff to provide appropriate resources and create a smooth flow for these sacred occasions. Handbell Choir -- led by Jeff Peters Provides music for selected worship services and significant occasions. Music -- led by Interim Choirmaster Robert Bolyard for the first part of the year. Robert was assisted by Sarah Martin on organ. In May, Mason Copeland became Morningside's first full-time Organist/Choirmaster. The Chancel Choir provides music for Sunday services and special music during the Advent, Lent and Easter seasons. The Organist/Choirmaster also works with the Children's Choir to help prepare them for those occasions when they sing during the 11 a.m. Sunday service. Highlights Baptism Eleven baptisms of children were conducted. Communion The Lord's Supper was celebrated 14 times during the year, once each month with special observances on Maundy Thursday and during the church's fall retreat in Montreat, NC. Worship Services Three new services were added in 2014:
Each new service has now become an integral part of Morningside's worship life. Respectfully submitted, Jennye Guy Operations Ministries Facilities Committee – Duncan Spears, Chair Randy Young, Facilities Manager Richard Brownlee John Watson This has been a year of significant improvements as well as a number of unforeseen and deferred repairs to our church facilities. Significantly, we saw our sexton move into a full-time role that has allowed us to more effectively respond to increased program activities at the church. We have continued to encounter deferred maintenance repairs, this year having more than anticipated. Our aging building continues to have drainage, mechanical and electrical issues that need to be resolved for the long term. The church’s upcoming capital campaign should allow for some permanent solutions to recurring maintenance costs that continue to impact the contingency line within our facilities annual budget. Despite unexpected tree removals and electronic damage from lighting, Facilities came in only slightly over budget this year. We offset some of these surprises with savings in our utility costs due to milder temperatures in 2014. Below are some of the most significant accomplishments for the year. Our church’s “technology” was improved substantially with the extension of our internet Wi-Fi service to the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall and Preschool areas, providing Wi-Fi to most all areas of the church. This was accomplished in part from the generous donations of church members. Computer hardware and software capabilities were also improved for the church offices and staff. We completed steps toward improving our internet speed, as well as having a secondary service for any occasional primary internet outages. We also completed implementation of services for online contributions and member access to the church directory, and have had a successful year with their use. Our Security Access system unexpectedly failed and we put a new and improved software in place. Our multi-talented Sexton has continued to respond to increased activities and responsibilities. His special projects this year included exterior and interior painting, outside lighting wiring repairs, as well as numerous lesser but necessary repairs. His activities in these areas have helped us to hold down what would have otherwise been higher facility expenses by having to hire more outside service companies. Likewise, his response to emergencies was prompt, including cleanup of leaks in the Preschool lower level and Session Room. Implementation of our expanded youth and adult programs, plus additional outside organization use of our space, resulted in an increase in time required by our Sexton for space setups and cleanup. The installation of a washer and dryer, through the generosity of an anonymous gift, added to staff time and duties. We have responded well to the increased in activities; however, we have often approached the capacity our space and the staff’s time available to implement space use. We addressed major roofing concerns a few years ago, however we continue to experience roofing concerns that were considered “phase 2” in various locations around the building. The most critical experienced late in the year was a build-up of moisture at the north organ chamber. Plans are underway to protect our organ with reroofing early in 2015. Although we lost another large tree this year, our grounds were well maintained. As well, we continue to benefit from a donor’s upkeep of the large planters at entrances filled with seasonal color and greenery, reflecting well on the church’s neighborhood image. Our storage needs continue to grow despite our reorganization, donation and disposal of unneeded items. Our offsite rental storage space has provided the much needed breathing room for all of our storage needs. Much planning has been done in anticipation of an upcoming capital campaign. Many proposals have been taken for areas of deferred maintenance and for improvement of our mechanical/electrical systems. As a result we have developed a multi-phase plan and budget to achieve solutions and improvements that will reduce the occurrence of major unforeseen repairs and sustain our church facilities for many years to come. Your facilities staff continues to be dedicated to maintaining and improving the beauty of our church property and building in order that Morningside Presbyterian Church can continue its mission to its community for many years to come. Respectfully submitted, Duncan Spears Directory: 2687 2687 -> For immediate release puma® Encourages Fans to Make Pink Their Project in 2011 2687 -> Bion c. Ostrander 2687 -> Ocr level 3 Cambridge Technical in it 2687 -> Satellite Launch Date 2687 -> Former executive of california aftermarket auto lights distributor agrees to plead guilty in price-fixing conspiracy Download 102.35 Kb. Share with your friends:
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