first pres annual report 2012

2011 ANNUAL REPORT

All quotes are from cards pinned to the Mural Wall, October 2011.

Dear Friends at First Pres,It is indeed true that we are now in the last year of my ministry with you. However, what remains in these months is probably some of the most important work we’ve done together.

We started 2011 with a survey and we learned a few things about ourselves. Your answers to the survey questions indicated that our most significant strength as a commu-nity is our local partnerships and the impact we have on our city. That work is supported day-to-day by hundreds of you who are at the Marian House, Ecumenical Social Minis-tries, Springs Rescue Mission, the Dale House, Habitat for Humanity, Mission Medical, Interfaith Hospitality Network among many other places (see www.first-pres.org under “Serve” for a complete list). Our strengths also include worship, including appreciation for all our styles of worship. Our emphasis on small communities as a way to develop rela-tionships, and our ministry and caring to our senior members of our church, are seen as strengths. Our approach to stewardship, finances and facilities as well as our staff are seen as hallmarks of our church.

The survey showed, as both a strength and a challenge, our work to provide opportu-nity for outreach through our satellite locations. In 2011, the work at First Pres North continued and the work at 225 began. Toward the end of 2011, precipitated by our budget development for 2012, First Pres North discerned that its call to northern El Paso County

was not yet fully understood. It also discerned that for the health of the larger body of First Pres it was best to

suspend the call of a pastor and worship leader and take a break from Sunday worship for this season. We cele-brate our north pioneers, the work they have done and the work they are continuing to do. At 225, (located at 225 N. Weber), we continue to develop a missional outpost to the city of Colorado Springs with many ministry activities happening now

on a regular basis. The coffee shop opened January 2012. I encourage you to stop by and see what a unique space this is.

Other key challenges identified in the survey include the difficulty many of us experience in finding our way within this large congregation. For those of you who have found your place, you experience First Pres differently than those who have not. And, when we have brothers and sisters in our

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midst who are struggling to connect, all kinds of communication, understanding of our church, our vision and mission also are not fully understood.

We have increased the visibility of our Small Communities efforts (another oppor-tunity to jump in is coming up in Lent). Also, know our Hospitality Team and Guest Central are there not just for our newest visitors but for any person in our commu-nity who is looking for a doorway into our community. I encourage you to visit Guest Central on a Sunday to re-explore your relationship with your church community.

It the responsibility of all of us to connect with one another. We experienced during Stewardship in October that we are part of something bigger. Our church home is a special place for so many. Reading the cards that were pinned to our mural wall was heartwarming and encouraging, each card a single witness to Jesus. Let us understand and see that our biggest value is our relationship with Jesus and his command to love each other. We traditionally think of the command to love our neighbor as ourselves as only in the book of Matthew, but it is in the books of Mark, Luke, Romans, Galatians and James. Let us recommit this year to making sure that every person in our community sees First Pres as their spiritual home and that every person in our life, our neighbors, work colleagues, school teachers, grocery clerks, everyone we connect with, will experience the love of Christ through us.

Last, the survey clearly identified as a challenge our place within the PC(USA). Much has developed since the survey was administered last January and as we informed you by letter in December of 2011, the Session is recommending that we leave the PC(USA). Ultimately that decision will have to be made by the congrega-tion in conversation with the Presbytery. We will continue to update you in as many ways as we can to keep you fully informed as to decisions that need to be made and your part in them.

Friends, times of change and times of uncertainty are the times that we look back and see with great celebration what God was doing in our midst. Let us not dwell on our insecurities but pray together and look forward into the future with hope and great confidence that our God is in this, he is at work mightily. “I know the plans I have for you . . . to give you a future full of promise and hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. I am looking forward to 2012 with great hope, with a great sense that God is on the move. Let’s follow.

In Christ,

Jim Singleton, Senior PastorFirst Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs

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S ome of my dear friends gave me a mission journal as an ordination gift. The back cover indicates the journal’s purpose saying, “This

handy travel companion allows you to write notes as you prepare, go, and reflect on the jour-ney.” At first I thought, well this is perfect. I am going on a mission trip in March to the Domini-can Republic and can use this journal to record my prayers, thoughts, and notes of how God is at work in the Dominican Republic.

But then it occurred to me, I am already on a journey. We all are.

Not because we sign up for a trip and get on a plane, but because as followers of Christ we are on a life-long journey. It’s a life-long journey of joining God as he redeems the world. It’s a life-long journey of participating in God’s kingdom work as our Savior brings light and life to a broken world.

This is what Reggie McNeal is getting at when he says that we are to live our entire lives with the idea that we are on a mission trip. He says, “On mission trips, people focus on the work of God around them, alert to the Spirit’s prompting, usually serving people in very tangible ways, often in ways that involve some sacrifice or even discomfort. Life on mission is more intentional and more integrated. While the concerns of life (family, work, leisure) are

pursued, they are part of a larger story being played out for the missionary.”

Church, we are part of a larger story and we exist to play a role in this larger story. All of life is about aligning our hearts with God’s and being swept up in his redemptive purposes… for the Dominican Republic…and for Colorado Springs…and for your neighborhood…and for your office build-ing…for every inch of this earth.

We are all missionaries and we step into the mission field every single day. This is what it means to live with a missional mindset and lifestyle as we recognize that as God the Father has sent the Son, and God the Father and the Son have sent the Spirit, now the triune God sends us—the Church.

In 2 Corinthians the Apostle Paul is trying to help the Christians in Corinth understand their role in the larger story. He writes, “For Christ’s love compels us…and he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

May Christ’s love compel us to be a church that reaches out and embraces our calling as the sent ones of God. Katie Dayton serves as Associate Pastor of Missional Strategies.

By Katie DaytonREACH OUT


G od has been unfolding his story since before time began, a story of creation and re-creation, beauty and brokenness,

redemption and restoration. We know the origins of this story as recorded in Scripture, but there is sometimes a cognitive disconnect between the God of the Bible and the story told therein, and the God of our lives, the God-with-us, the active God of our present day. Where do we fit in? In God’s grand mission and purpose for the world, do we have a role to play, do we have anything to contribute, do we really matter?

Yes. A thousand times over, yes. As follow-ers of Christ with particular gifts and passions, we are each called with equal inten-sity to further the Kingdom of God. The “priesthood of all believers” is a biblical term that describes how all Christians are priests and that as priests, we are to serve God—no

matter what legitimate vocation we pursue. Thus, there is no vocation that is more “sacred” than any other. There is no longer a sacred-secular distinction because all of life belongs to God, all of life is sacred, all Chris-tians have a role to play in God’s unfolding story in this world.

One of the main purposes of the church is to empower Christians in their calling. Do you feel like you’ve been wired by God to teach young children? As a church, First Pres is then called to develop that passion in you and send you out into the world to make a difference in kids’ lives, whether in the classroom or serving your own family. Have you recently discovered a passion to see human trafficking end in our city, nation, and world? The gathered body of believers functions as an idea incubator and partner in ministry to cultivate that desire and empower you to make a difference in the lives of those shackled by modern-day slavery.

This can feel risky at first, and will most likely be a messy process by virtue of the fact that the world is a broken place and the church itself is a gathering of broken sinners. But as we develop a higher risk tolerance, meaning that as we are strengthened and formed by God to be sent out into the brokenness and messiness, we will over time see the potential for incredible impact.

And this can feel like stepping into unchar-tered territory because of the paradigm shift that we must take in regards to our church. Rather than merely a distributor of religious goods and services, the church becomes a place in which everyone is invited to participate, using our gifts, using our passions, all for the sake of the Gospel. First Pres exists neither for itself nor its congregants, but for the Kingdom and mission of God.

Amber Odvody serves as Associate Pastor of New Congregation Development and oversees the GreenHouse intern development program.

EMPOWERING LAITYBy Amber Odvody

Members of the Women’s Ministries Lay Leadership TeamChristina Harrell, Jeralynn Dix, Kirkie Morrisey and Megan Nilsen


T he yearning to attach and connect, to love and be loved, is the fiercest longing of the soul. Our need for community with

people and the God who made us is to the human spirit what food and air and water are to the human body.

—John OrtbergWhen we were created in God’s

image, we were instilled with the need to be in relationship with others. Chances are good that worship is what drew many of us to this church, or brought us back after an initial visit. What will most likely keep us here over the long run are the relationships we form at First Pres. A sense of belonging is the glue keeping our involvement here meaningful.

Life is so busy nowadays, and community building can feel like something we just don’t have time for; perhaps it’s all we can do just to get to worship. Yet without this relational rootedness, it’s easy to feel discon-nected from or uncared for by the larger congregation. Without inten-tionality on our parts to develop community, we may conclude at some point that our presence and involvement here really don’t matter to others. But it does!

We desire for each participant in our congregation to experience community in at least one place. After all, the more relationally connected we are with each other, the health-ier we’ll be as a family of faith. In other words, your efforts to build community in this church have bigger implications than just your life!

First Pres is a large church, but there are a multitude of opportunities to experience community within this congregation. This past year, hundreds of people participated in

sermon-based small communities. Our Sunday morning communities have provided relational connections for years. Many share their lives together weekly through Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, or Men’s and Women’s Ministry communities.

Luke offers a wonderful description of early Christians in Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship.” May we be no less devoted to relational connections with each other within this wonderful congregation!

John Goodale is Associate Pastor of Community Life and encourages every person in our congregation to find a relational home.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES

By John Goodale


I n September of 2007, a glorious gift was given to our church; one that would set the stage for ministry into the future. The gift

was given by our congregation to people they had yet to meet: people in the form of young families; folks searching for worship expres-sions different than we offered in 2007; youth looking for fresh opportunity to join an emerging community.

The gift was in the form of an enormous decision to change 11:00 worship from a “blended” to a “contemporary” service. At the

time, the 11:00 service was full to the brim. Why would we consider

changing some-thing so success-

ful? The answer was

in reso-lutely

addressing our church’s need to reach out to a younger generation that was largely missing from our community.

Today, we are seeing the fruit of this impactful decision. Young families are form-ing the heart of new community at First Pres. At the 11:10 service, kids are overflowing the chancel steps during children’s sermons! The impact is branching out and touching every-thing from our nursery to expanding involve-ment in missional outreach. Though we are yet in the early stages, it is clearly evident—the right gift was given!

How did this gift come about? As with all special gifts, there were people of great heart, asking the right questions back in 2006; seek-ing God’s guidance as they strove to set the foundation for future generations at our church. They knew the status quo would not be sufficient to sustain ministry into the future. They also knew sacrifice would be necessary to

bring about needed change—giving up even successful worship schedules and

approaches for the sake of high priori-ties down the road. The highest of those

priorities being to see future generations proclaiming Christ as Lord!

Psalm 78 virtually moves us to tears, when placing ourselves within the text:

We will tell the next generation the praisewor-thy deeds of the Lord…so the next generation will know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn will tell their children.

Perhaps the greatest aspect of this unfold-ing story is the realization we are following

in the footsteps of those who have gone before us – we are not the first to give

such forward-looking gifts! In fact, we were once the “children yet to be

born!” Our ability to act in faith today is, in accordance with God’s

plan, bolstered by the faith of past generations.

Jim DeJarnette serves as First Pres Minister of Music.

WORSHIPING LORDOUR

By Jim DeJarnette


I know the plans I have for you . . . to give you a future full of promise and hope. Jeremiah 29:11Most of the time, the primary person to

whom I preach is me. The sermon series on children that I preached last May 2011, was one of the most impactful sermon series on me personally in a long time. As you know, I really love to preach through the books of the Bible. But, I was convinced by my colleagues that we should intentionally look at the impact of children in the Kingdom of God. I am still struck by what I found in the Word of God about God’s heart for children. As I looked at children, their role in the Bible, their role as our future and their role in current society, I began to more fully understand not just their role as kids, but how God celebrates children in the Bible, how he uses a child to teach us, to lead us, and to love us. It is a child that is the focus of the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:9). Jesus encouraged children to come to him (Matt. 19:14, Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16) to the chagrin of the Disciples. Children were ignored in Jesus’ own day, and yet Jesus said that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must be like a child (Matt. 18:3).

What do we learn from this? It is almost a cliché to say that children are our future. The single most important fact I learned in my study for this series was that 85% of all deci-sions for Christ happen in the window of a child—between 4 years and 14 years old. As we consider all the decisions in front of us as a congregation, as we consider where to align ourselves denominationally, as we consider budget numbers, finances, worship styles, which

Bible study to join, who’s home in which we meet for small community study, it is the lives of our children that must be first and fore-most in our planning. Whether it’s investing in a family with young children, supporting Hope and Home, volunteering in our nursery, sponsoring a Compassion Child, conducting a children’s choir, teaching Sunday School, volunteering with our youth, reading to kids in our preschools, volunteering at First Pres summer camps, volunteering at your local school, it is the children who need our full and devoted attention. Most of you know that I especially love to see children in worship because I believe that attaching them to worship is the singularly most helpful experi-ence to knit them to the people of God for the long run. Yes, they make noise and they squirm. But when they do squirm, let’s all rejoice that they are present in worship.

Friends, keep our children and the families in which they are raised in your prayers. Keep the full attention of the church on the needs of children and families. Our future, the one that is full of promise and hope, depends on it.

Jim Singleton serves as Senior Pastor at First Pres.

FORWARD FUTUREINTOTHE

By Jim Singleton


STUDENTS $515,345

ADULTS $505,629

CHILDREN $826,180

COMMUNITY LIFE $700,956

MISSIONS $1,597,393

WORSHIP $2,178,075

STUDENTS $465,826

CHILDREN $670,845

ADULTS $543,874


MISSIONS $1,451,336

WORSHIP $2,347,364

STUDENTS $515,345

ADULTS $505,629

CHILDREN $826,180


MISSIONS $1,597,393

WORSHIP $2,178,075

STUDENTS $465,826

CHILDREN $670,845

ADULTS $543,874


MISSIONS $1,451,336

WORSHIP $2,347,364

FINANCES

First Presbyterian Church Statement of Financial PositionDecember 31, 2011

Assets $26,663,147Liabilities $ 156,044

NetAssets $26,507,103TotalLiabilities&NetAssets $26,663,147

Statement of Activities 2012Budget 2011Actual Variance

Contribution & Ministry Income $6,887,227 100% $6,617,993 100% $269,234 3.91%

Expenses $6,999,227 100% $6,256,431 100% $742,796 10.61%

ChangeinNetAssets $(112,000) $361,562 $473,562


MEMBERS RECEIVED IN 2011: CONFESSION OF FAITH - 28

RESTORED - 4 REAFFIRMATION - 59 TRANSFER IN - 49

REMOVED FROM ROLL - 361

TRANSFER OUT - 16 DEATH - 45

0-25

26-45

46-55

-

-

-

369

654

600

56-64

65+

Unknown

-

-

-

775

1367

59

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE: 2,530

TOTAL MEMBERS: 3,824

26-4

5

46-55 56-64

0-25

ages 65+

FINANCES

MEMBERSHIPNUMBERS


First Presbyterian Church Foundation Statement of Financial Position • December 31, 2011

Cash $ 27,897 Investments $ 1,181,212 Donated Land $ 748,448 TotalAssets $1,957,557

Liabilities $ 0 Net Assets $ 1,957,557

TotalLiabilities&NetAssets $1,957,557

First Presbyterian Church Foundation Statement of Activities • December 31, 2011

Contributions $231,996 100% Gain/Loss on Investments $ (698) Total $231,298 100%

Grant Payouts $ (42,109) -18% Administrative Expenses $ ($3,500) -2%

Change in Net Assets $185,689 80%

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES• Live our vision statement, Alive to God’s Desire, in every aspect of our

life together

• Increase the number of small communities

• Support and engage young adults and families

• Expand multi-site worship opportunities to further God’s Kingdom

• Celebrate God’s successes in our midst

• Continue building staff infrastructure to empower and support lay led ministry

• Align budget and ministry planning to support community priorities

FOUN

DATI

ON


Dorothy Alvarez2009 – 2012

Craig Engelage*2011 – 2014

Lindy Keffer2009 – 2012

Dick Schultz*2010 – 2013

Meredith Yorkston2011 – 2014

*Trustee

Tracy Elpers2009 – 2012

David Jenkins*2010 – 2013

Annie Moore2010 – 2013

James Warmack2011 – 2014

Randy Case*2011 – 2014

Ralph Gates2009 – 2012

George Lenz2011 – 2012

Mike Trapp*2009 – 2012

Howard Brooks2011 – 2014

Carol Galambos2010 – 2013

Stuart Lark2011 – 2013

Peter Teets*2011 – 2014

Paul Batura2010 – 2013

Jeff Freyschlag2010 – 2013

Leah Landolfi2011 – 2014

Cindy Sparks*2009 – 2012

ELDERS First Presbyterian Church Foundation Statement of Financial Position • December 31, 2011

Cash $ 27,897 Investments $ 1,181,212 Donated Land $ 748,448 TotalAssets $1,957,557

Liabilities $ 0 Net Assets $ 1,957,557

TotalLiabilities&NetAssets $1,957,557

First Presbyterian Church Foundation Statement of Activities • December 31, 2011

Contributions $231,996 100% Gain/Loss on Investments $ (698) Total $231,298 100%

Grant Payouts $ (42,109) -18% Administrative Expenses $ ($3,500) -2%

Change in Net Assets $185,689 80%


JimSingleton, who has served First Pres as Senior Pastor since 2005, loves the teaching ministry of the church. His vision is to help transform us into a missional congregation,

one which continues to look for ways to serve beyond our walls.

AlisonMurray currently serves as Leader of Staff, having served on staff since 2008 in various other capacities including Direc-tor of Communications, Interim Director of Chil-dren’s Ministries, and in Women’s Minis-tries. Alison believes this season is God’s intentional call for First Pres to step into its future in a bold new way.

CliffAnderson has served First Pres for 10 years as Parish Associate pastor. Cliff currently oversees the ministries of Children, Youth, and GreenHouse. He loves the missional

commitments of First Pres and is espe-cially called to ministries with children and youth and their families, as well as creative ministries with young adults. Cliff thanks First Pres for all the encour-agement he receives.

KatieDayton, serving on staff since November 2008 as a Steven’s Fellow and then as Director of College Ministries, was recently

ordained as Associate Pastor of Missional Strategies. Katie says as followers of Christ we are all missionar-ies called to our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, family, friends, to our city and world. Her calling is to build up the body and equip God’s people to join God in his redemptive purposes.

JimDeJarnette celebrates his 30th year on the First Pres staff. He serves as the Minister of Music and in Congregational Care which includes overseeing the music ministry, directing Big Blue, planning and leading worship, leading memorial services and weddings, visiting in hospitals and care facilities. Jim loves living out our lives for Christ together as a worshiping community.

JoeFarrell, on staff since 2009, works with other staff and lay leaders to shepherd college age people, young adults, and young families, as well as to support our Marriage

Ministry. Joe leads the development of 225, our ministry space and coffee shop, as an outpost for all of First Pres to reach all of downtown Colorado Springs. Joe says it is such an honor to serve in this church, and he is inspired by the people God has brings here and the things God is doing though them.

FIRST PRES LEADERSHIP STAFF

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JohnGoodale, on the First Pres staff for 17 years, currently serves as Associ-ate Pastor of Community Life which includes over-seeing Caring Ministries, Hospitality and Ministry

Involvement teams, Prime Time, and the new member classes. John feels his most meaningful ministry activities within this congregation are caring for its members and teaching God’s word.

MattHoltzman has served as worship leader for First Pres since 2008. He leads music at the 9:45am Fellowship Hall, 11:10am Sanctuary, and 5:00pm contemplative services. Matt considers his greatest privilege week after week is to usher us into the worship of the Almighty and to discover together how God’s truth and presence transforms our very lives.

AmberOdvody was ordained in August of 2011 as Associate Pastor for New Congregation Devel-opment and oversees the GreenHouse ministry. Amber previously served

for two years in College Ministry and three years in Children's Ministry before moving to California to finish a Master of Divinity at Fuller Seminary. Amber first felt called to vocational ministry here at First Pres and thanks God for the ways the people of First Pres have drawn her deeper into the heart of God.

FIRST PRES LEADERSHIP STAFFDannyShaw, currently serving as Director of Chil-dren’s Ministries, has served First Pres in various capacities since 2008. Danny is passionate about helping children and fami-

lies learn more about Jesus. He says there is nothing like seeing kids grow up in the church and make a decision to follow Christ!

BrendaSmith has been a member of First Pres for more than 20 years, serv-ing as an Elder Trustee and on many committees throughout the Church. In January of 2008, she became Leader of Staff and then in January of 2011 went to half time, continuing to serve as Treasurer. Brenda believes she has been called to First Pres for this season and sees the Lord’s hand on the Church.

NateStratman came to call First Pres home four years ago and serves as the Director of Student Minis-tries. Nate, currently on leave to complete his Master of Divinity at Fuller

Seminary, says he’s as excited as he’s ever been serving young people along-side the entire church family. He finds great joy watching students live out their faith within First Pres.


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first pres annual report 2012

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