2021

Communications Committee

Christine Hoke, Chair

The Communications Committee works to ensure that our members and friends stay up to date on all of the current and future happenings at Myers Park Pres. The real leg work on the communications front is done by our wonderful Communications Department and staff. They have worked tirelessly throughout 2021 and the pandemic to keep us informed and to help facilitate everything from traditional church communications to playing an integral role in producing online worship and Work in Progress. 

The Communication Department supports and touches all ministries, so the committee strives to strike a good balance of differing means of communications, including traditional print materials coupled with online and social media communication. The goal is to have as broad of a reach as possible knowing that everyone responds to communications differently. 

As we look to 2022, the committee and the Communications Department will continue to assist all ministries and will continue to think creatively about ways to keep us informed about all of the wonderful things that are happening at Myers Park Pres.

Endowment Committee

Jim Miller,  Chair

We are thankful not only that the endowment grew in 2021, but was also able to distribute significant funds for mission and ministry. The Council provides oversight on investments, works closely with the Foundation for the Carolinas, and makes judicious distributions.

Leaders of the congregation who wanted to ensure the mission and mission would exist in perpetuity for generations established the Endowment in the 1970s. Gifts to the endowment have provided stability, flexibility, and allowed us to expand our capacity to serve others. The Endowment serves the life of MPPC by providing:

• A permanent source of capital that enriches our program and keeps an eye on the future
• Financial stability in unusual circumstances
• Stimulus for new and innovative ministry efforts in our community and in the wider church

We thank those who have remembered the church and the Endowment Fund in their estate plans, as well as those who have made donations to the fund to further its goals. We are grateful for such generosity. As the general needs of our church and the scope of its ministry continue to grow, we hope the support of the Endowment can grow as well. Please consider becoming a Legacy Partner and joining with scores of other members who are active pillars of our congregation and who have gone on before us. Contact Lauren Mulcahy.

Facilities Committee

Tom Yonchak,  Chair

The Facilities Committee maintains and improves our facilities to support our ministries. Our committee and staff responded to the pandemic by maintaining a safe and clean campus allowing faith formation gatherings to restart, supporting both indoor and outdoor worship, and continuing the Weekday School and Wellness ministries. 

Despite the Pandemic, various maintenance projects were completed throughout 2021. As part of the Cultivate Campaign, the Cornerstone house underwent a much-needed renovation allowing for safer and better use by multiple groups including our CROSS Interns and our Youth. Also as part of the Capital Campaign, the HVAC cooling system for our Sanctuary and the majority of our buildings were replaced. 

Other projects included adding exterior lighting for our back parking lots and around the Sanctuary, renovating the Bride’s Room, and repairing various areas of the roof.

In 2022, we look forward to finishing the columbarium expansion (another part of the Capital Campaign). Other projects include adding a deck to the Cornerstone house to create more outdoor meeting space, refreshing several of the restrooms near the sanctuary, and replacing carpet in certain locations. Significant repairs will be made to our landscape irrigation system, water runoff from downspouts, and the large window in Oxford Hall.

Finance Committee

Henry Fulton,  Chair

In 2021, the Finance Committee continued to safeguard the church’s funds by stewarding the financial resources God has entrusted to MPPC.

We maintained our focus on strong practices, transparency, and financial performance, and ultimately received a clean audit for year-end 2020. Additionally, we continued to support key activities throughout the year, which included: recommending options for the 2020 financial surplus, approving advanced spending of critical facility needs, development of the 2022 budget, approving insurance renewal, approving credit line renewal, and approving the appointment of an assistant treasurer. Importantly, we continued to share financial updates regularly with our congregation as well as how to give and  review giving history online.

As we transition to 2022, we will continue to ensure the church’s strong financial position in support of  our mission to cultivate community, cross divides, and change lives.

Food Service Committee

Ed Baesel,  Chair

The Food Service ministry provides food and beverage needs for the church’s various ministries. During the ongoing pandemic, we have continued to adapt and change. Early in the year, casseroles and meals were prepared for Outreach ministries in support of those in need. Summer CROSS Camp meals and weekly Weekday School lunches were supported, while other campus meals stopped altogether. Mid-year frozen main entrees and side dishes were available for purchase, while warm Tuesdays-to-Go meal options provided families with a welcome home-style menu. We were delighted to host the Youth Pie project again. 

In 2022, Food Service looks forward to assisting with meals and receptions on campus for special events, funerals, committee meetings, outside groups, and Sunday morning coffee once COVID levels subside. Ministry support will continue for the Weekday School, CROSS, casserole purchase, and Tuesday-To-Go alternatives. 

Personnel Committee

Norman Walters,  Chair

2021 was a year filled with challenges and opportunities for the Personnel Committee and our church staff. A Staff Structure Study was commissioned and a team of dedicated church members worked diligently on a visioning process after extensive interviews with staff, lay leaders of our various ministries, and leaders of other comparable church congregations. The staff reorganization was approved by the Session in May and is in the process of being implemented. 

Our staff has adjusted remarkably well to the realities of a pandemic workplace. The Personnel Committee worked closely with staff to create a supportive environment, approving the opportunity for most staff to work remotely one day a week, as well as additional leave time for COVID-related absences.

While making adjustments to new workplace realities, as well as an ever-changing ministry landscape, our staff creatively responded by providing opportunities for our church community to safely and meaningfully  engage in ministry. As was the case last year, a new challenge was continuing to support a hybrid worship/ministry model that required high levels of technical skills in addition to programming and administrative savvy. We are thankful for the people and resources that allowed the church to remain a constant presence in the midst of much uncertainty in the world around us.

Wellness Ministry

James White, Board Chair

The Wellness Ministry seeks to encourage and cultivate a spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy congregation and community by offering facilities and programs to assist individuals and families in strengthening these areas of their lives. COVID has continued to pose challenges, however 2021 saw significant blessings for this ministry. 

Re-opening and reengagement following the temporary closure of all North Carolina fitness facilities in 2020 has been encouraging. Through the dedication of staff and lay membership, the ministry rebounded substantially relative to last year. Ministry leadership is deeply grateful to staff for their ongoing flexibility, perseverance, and commitment to Wellness and Myers Park Presbyterian Church.

Bill Plyler, Council Chair

Our ministry provides a variety of faith formation opportunities that equip our church members to build lasting faith formation habits. The ministry includes Sunday morning traditional Sunday School, Disciple Classes, weekly Bible studies, and small group studies. In 2021, we added the Year in the Bible curriculum and scheduled those scripture readings to track with the Daily Devotions and Morning Prayer, which created continuity throughout the year.

Our ministry has continued to evolve as we have adapted to an ever changing virtual / in-person / hybrid world. We continue to engage with all available models to meet our members in a place where they are comfortable. Our challenge and opportunity moving forward is to help members understand that faith formation is a 24/7/365 journey and does not need to be defined by time and space. We hope to encourage our church members to explore opportunities throughout the week and to take advantage of the flexibility that new realities can afford. 

Matt Efird, Council Chair

Children and Their Families Ministry partners with parents to develop young disciples of Jesus Christ. We believe children learn discipleship as they grow in faith and share in ministry from their earliest years. We seek to provide meaningful, age-appropriate ministry opportunities for the whole family. 

In 2021, Children and Their Families Ministries engaged children of this church in opportunities to learn, worship, serve, and share fellowship as our children and parents alike practiced discipleship while respecting the pandemic’s constraints within and without the walls of the church. 2021 was a year of continued adaptation as we used the lessons learned in 2020 to continue evolving our ministry programming to meet our community’s needs during extraordinary times. 

In 2022, we will continue to explore our faith stories and traditions through Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Faith Milestones program, and providing tools to continue to nurture children’s faith at home. We will seek ways to integrate faith milestones into the church’s life and engage children in worship throughout the year. We will continue to offer fellowship opportunities through our Young Families Ministry and grade-level gatherings in a safe way. We will continue to love our neighbors through our Sprout Outreach and Mission Kids. We will remain dedicated to and guided by the belief that you are never too young to worship and serve God.

We are thankful for the inspired leadership provided by Lisa Hickman in her first year as the Associate Pastor for our beloved ministry.

Weekday School Board

Steve Adams, Board Chair

In our forever-changing world, the Weekday School continues to provide high quality care and education in a faith-based environment for our children and families. Our ministry at MPPC remains vibrant and in high demand for both the full and half day programs. We look forward to the potential renovations the capital campaign could bring, allowing for additional and revitalized spaces for our children to enjoy. We continue to look for ways to further engage with the congregation and share the joy of our wonderful ministry.

The Full Day school remains in operation at maximum enrollment and maintains an ever-growing waitlist. As of November, we had 189 children confirmed on the waitlist. Our summer camp program is both popular and very successful. The implementation of onsite field trips was a pandemic blessing that we plan to continue moving forward. Although most COVID sanitation guidelines are no longer required, we continue to be diligent and follow all original recommendations. We did splurge and have our first outdoor parent included event: the Halloween parade! We have also joined forces with Youth and their families this year to make our service project efforts align with theirs. We are looking to continue to build a stronger connection between Weekday School and Church efforts. Our steadfast focus on our hands-on curriculum, the children’s health and safety, and our strong faith foundation keeps our children happy and thriving.

Our Half Day Weekday school staff continue to provide the highest quality of early childhood education where our young students develop and grow as children of God. The Half Day program serves 210 students for the school year 2021-22, and reopened two Toddler classes after a pandemic year of limited enrollment. There are 40 teachers and 2 administrators on the Half Day staff. Our primary goal is to create a sense of belonging and support each student’s individual needs, while establishing relationships and a sense of community for parents. The Half Day school encourages parent involvement and has continued this practice with pandemic protocols and use of the many outdoor spaces at MPPC. Service and ministry to others continues to be an important part of our curriculum. For example, our four year olds earned $353.20 for Roof Above and packed 22 shoe boxes to send abroad for Operation Christmas Child.

Residency Program

Bill Warren, Chair

The Pastoral Residency program is a two-year first job in ministry for recent Seminary graduates and prepares participants for their careers  by involving them in all areas of MPPC’s ministry and providing mentors from our excellent staff. The program is one of only three Presbyterian Residency Programs nationally that exposes Residents to all areas of our ministry without requiring full responsibility for any. One Resident is recruited each year, which allows our program to have both a first and second year Resident Pastor on campus at any time. 

Here’s what our Residents have to say about the program:

Savannah Demuynck – Second Year Resident Pastor: “This residency has not only given me an opportunity to gain confidence and experience in ministry, but has taught me practices for sustainable ministry. It is invaluable to have such deep ministry experiences so early in my ministry and to allow those to shape my next call. I never would have considered faith formation to be my passion in ministry, but this residency has allowed me to see my gifts for teaching and leading. I feel more prepared for ministry than I ever imagined and I can’t wait to see where else God is leading me.”

Nick Carson – First Year Resident Pastor: “The first few months of my residency have offered me a wonderful space for exploration. I’ve gotten a chance to observe and lead in lots of ministry areas, try on new roles, be creative, and reflect on what gifts for ministry emerge. It’s been an incredible opportunity to begin building resources and experiences to draw on throughout my ministry. Ultimately, I hope this time of discernment and experience will help me live into my identity as a pastor—in a way that is unique to my own gifts, passions, and personality!”

Ben Brannan – Recent Graduate, now serving as Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at Second Presbyterian in Roanoke, VA: “Looking back, I cannot believe the diverse and rich experience this residency has provided me…. I can say with full confidence that I am a better pastor and a better person for being here and learning alongside the MPPC staff, members, and clergy.”

Allison Hinshaw, Chair

In response to Jesus’s invitation to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, the Outreach Ministry continues to focus on forming and strengthening relationships with our siblings in Christ that transcend economic, racial, social, and cultural differences. This ministry invites us to hear and act on God’s call to grow in faith, to go and make disciples, and to experience God at work in our world. Outreach at MPPC is guided in mission and ministry by Love Builds Up… a family, a home, and the world.

We continued to experience an abundance of resources poured out by our faith family through contributions to the COVID-19 Fund, which was established at the beginning of the pandemic and remained open until April 2021. 

We realized that having a flexible spending fund at our disposal to support our ministry partners when they need it most continues to be critically important. Therefore, the Love Builds Up Fund was formed in May and functions in the same manner as the COVID-19 Fund, however it is funded by the dedicated offering when Outreach is the designation. 

While volunteer opportunities continued to be limited in 2021, there were many ways in which church members supported our local ministry partners through food donations, meal delivery, clothing and diaper donations, and financial support. We also learned how to safely navigate volunteer opportunities such as building homes with Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Charlotte Region in Grier Heights, providing tutor help for elementary school students, and hosting Room in The Inn for neighbors at risk in our community.

Global mission travel was again restricted, but we continued to find meaningful ways to support and connect with our partners electronically. We also held our 1st annual Global Team Summit for lay leaders to share ideas, challenges, and joys during this unique time. There was a lot to celebrate with the renovation of Immanuel Home in Hungary, the expansion of Casa de Salud in El Salvador, the completion of the Sanctuary in Cuba, the completion of UPRECO dormitory in Congo, and food delivery for children and families under lockdown in Uganda. We are humbled by the tremendous imagination and creativity of all our ministry partners who continue to find new and different ways to serve those in need.

As we prepare and look to 2022, we will continue to faithfully support our partners in their efforts to eradicate hunger, homelessness, advocate and create affordable housing in our community, and ensure that all God’s children have equitable education. Globally, we will continue to walk alongside our partners and support their vision and mission through virtual meetings, advocacy, and financial pledges that are consistent with the values of this church. The Cultivate Campaign will allow Outreach to ensure and deepen our commitment to all our partners for years to come. We are beyond grateful for this congregation’s faithfulness and willingness to engage with the work that God is doing in our community and around the world.

CROSS

Pender Hollmeyer

As a ministry of MPPC for over 20 years, CROSS continues its three pronged mission: to cross over boundaries that divide us, cross out stereotypes that judge us and keep the love of Christ at the center of all we do. COVID presented so many challenges as it seemed everything CROSS is about is relational and proximate – things we avoided during much of 2020 and through 2021! In 2020 we pivoted. In 2021, we took the new ways we created to keep doing CROSS and returned to in-person programming as well. (see the graphic) To our delight, CROSS will be in a solid, positive position at the end of the year, having hosted 450 people this summer! We are grateful for the ways MPPC assisted CROSS through grants and special gifts. 

Mac McBryde, Chair

Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, our faith family continued to show incredible generosity with their time, talent, and treasures. Each fall, the Stewardship Committee challenges the congregation to consider their financial commitment to further God’s work and ministries of MPPC. 

Mac McBryde led the Stewardship Council and CT Anderson and Michelle Collins were the 2021 Annual Giving Campaign chairs. The number of pledges and the dollar amount decreased for 2021, but the average pledge amount increased. In fact, 47% of members who pledged increased their pledge from 2020! While we had less members pledging, overall contributions to the church were strong and allowed God to do amazing things at MPPC! Reading the rest of the annual report will give you a glimpse of how your gifts were put into action to impact our community and beyond. 

As we look to 2022, the Stewardship Committee hopes to continue engaging the congregation in conversations about stewardship and the connection between discipleship and giving. The 2022 Annual Giving Campaign has been chaired by Stephen and Luci Heeseman and Dan and Teresa Wohlbruck. The pledge responses to date have been positive, however, we have not yet met our pledge goal. We are hopeful that we will be able to fully fund our mission and ministry in 2022 and your participation is needed. By sharing our resources, we are able to maintain a robust presence in our community—being the hands and feet of Christ. Thanks be to God for moving through the generosity of our members!

Cultivate Capital Campaign

Betsy Fleming and Ernie Reigel, Co-Chairs

For nearly 100 years, our buildings have served as a place to grow disciples. To continue our legacy as a teaching church and to serve the next generations with the same commitment of those that have gone before us, some of our spaces need to be renovated.

For several years, a group of diligent and thoughtful lay leaders and staff met to explore, discern, and prepare for the future of MPPC. Their vision to repair our campus and to think strategically about the impact we can make through sharing God’s love in the community was unanimously approved by the Session in December 2019. It was only a few weeks after the campaign leadership team was selected that COVID-19 halted our plans to move forward.

In the summer of 2020, the committee reevaluated the plans, discovered that the needs were greater than ever, and stepped out in faith to move forward with the Cultivate Capital Campaign. 

The scope of the campaign includes:

• Renovate the Cornerstone house for the CROSS ministry and MPPC youth
• Address long-standing renovations and repair needs to the children’s space (buildings B, C, and D)
• Expand the columbarium
• Invest 1/3 of the campaign in our outreach partners both locally and globally
• Create a housing fund to address the critical need for affordable housing in Charlotte

The campaign team officially launched the Cultivate Capital Campaign in 2021. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the response has been overwhelming and we surpassed $20.7 million in pledges from 393 members. We are 83% of the way to our discerned need of $25 million. 

With your help, our church will have an indelible imprint on the community for generations to come! A heartfelt thank you to our campaign leadership team for the endless hours and dedication over the last two years (most thought this would be a six-month commitment!): Betsy Fleming, Ernie Reigel, Jamie McLawhorn, Johnny Belk, Rob and Katie Willingham, Rachel and Matt Efird, and Katie Brigulio.

Susan Tome, Chair

Worship is the core of our identity as a congregation. Through scripture, prayer, and music, we gather as a community of faith to glorify God, seek forgiveness, and discern God’s will. 

In 2021, Worship Council continued to support our staff in providing worship experiences to meet the unprecedented circumstances of living in a pandemic. Thanks to the creativity and flexibility of pastors, staff, and worship task force, our worship offerings took on many forms over the course of the year to include indoor sanctuary worship, outdoor celebrate worship, live streaming options, outdoor Easter and Christmas Eve services, the introduction of The Circle, and an all new virtual worship experience called Work In Progress. 

Early worship at 8:45 a.m. was eliminated and we adopted concurrent sanctuary and Celebrate services at 10:30 a.m. Many worship traditions also shifted, such as text to give offering, online bulletins, and individual communion packets. Needless to say, adaptability and grace were of paramount importance as we strived to engage our congregation and nurture faith in uncertain times. 

We recognize that the pandemic has changed habits, while also shaping priorities and lifestyles. That challenge will continue, but we have the assurance that God is at work and is doing great things! The joy of returning to in-person worship starting in mid 2021 gave us hope and comfort. Gathering brought peace and a glimpse of normalcy to our lives of faith. We embark on 2022 with anticipation for God’s renewing strength and with expectancy for the ways that God is working among the community of faith that we call MPPC! 

“ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” – (Matthew 18:20)

Mike Lenhart, Chair

The mission of MPPC Youth and Their Families is to bring our youth into Christian community, grow in faith, and discover how to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This year brought the slow and safe emergence from last year’s global pandemic. And our Youth couldn’t wait to be the leaders in our attempts to return to normal!

Fundamentally, what matters most is that we nurture and form the faith of our young people through education, mission, activities, fellowship, community building, and leadership opportunities. We believe that they come to know God in meaningful, challenging, and joy-filled ways. In the process, they learn faith practices that help them be resilient and able to face the changing tide of life.

Youth Accomplishments in 2021 include:

Youth Ministry focused on a relational model of ministry to both youth and families. We adapted by meeting youth where they were with visits, food deliveries, pastoral care calls, and COVID care packages. We added a few big family events, offered workshops for parents, and learning opportunities that were both online and in person.

Listening to our young people who were hurting and broken, we responded with faith practices and events that strengthened their mental health and talked about the hard issues they were facing.

Through food drives, Cross Missions, confirmation mission days, Rise Against Hunger, Operation Sandwich, and other service projects, we empowered the Youth to not only reach beyond themselves but see beyond themselves. Friendship Academy, Faith and Sexuality, and Mental Health check-ins taught practical skills our Youth needed during this pandemic.