AGM Reports
June 2023
Introduction by Pastor Chris Wilson
It was over 5 years ago that Church on Five took a chance on a married couple living in Upstate New York and allowed them to serve as lead pastors for a church undergoing change. Last year you at Cedar Park exhibited a similar level of trust in allowing Rachel and I to step into the life of your church and the change you were undergoing from the previous year. It has been an honor to serve you all as your pastors.
Our goal over the past year was to bring leadership, stability, and pastoral care to the structure of Cedar Park while at the same time, explore partnership possibilities with Church on Five. As we did, it became evident that God was leading our two churches into new territory, and as such felt led to step out in faith to form a network of church’s that function under the headship of a single leadership team.
There is still a great deal of work to be done as we integrate systems and bring on new staff, but it has also been exciting to watch Cedar Park church heal from the difficulties of the past couple of years and catch fresh vision for the future.
This past summer, the church was still in the process of navigating a difficult pastoral transition. Weekly attendance had fallen significantly, and the church was operating at its most basic capacity. However, once interim pastoral leadership was identified, families started to attend more consistently.
Perhaps the most telling sign of health has been the fact the growth in attendance has come not just from old congregants coming back, but from new individuals and families as well. Giving has grown each month, and a quarter of the Sunday morning attendance is made up of children.
We have introduced 14 new members into the church’s voting structure, held child dedications and baptisms for the first time in years at the church. All these factors point to church getting healthier by the day. There is a sense of optimism and excitement about the days ahead as well as a confidence in the new reality our two churches are birthing.
The year ahead of us will focus on bringing on additional staff, merging ministries, systems, and certain budget items, as well as launching new ministries to reach those who live in Delta. Particular attention will be given to Next Gen Ministries (Children and Youth) and discipleship groups as we see these as pivotal for future growth in our region.
On a personal note, I have to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who took up the mantle to serve in our church’s ministry this past year. I’m special grateful to our wonderful staff and coordinators, Russel and Carla Der, Sophia Chiu and Kristina Schierbecker as well as our elders Hans Krueger, Jonas Schierbecker, Paul Coleman, Santos Baiza and Barbara Armstrong. We are trusting in what God has in store for our network in the future and ask that you would pray with us to that end.
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2023 AGM Report
This report includes highlights and ministry reports for Aug 2022 to June 2023. Click to download the PDF. |