The Gospel of the Annual Report: When Metrics Replace Ministry

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Welcome, welcome to Williamson's Chapel, United Methodist Church.
[00:09:34] I'm Monica Humple, the Associate Pastor of Engagement.
[00:09:38] It is just a joy to be in the house of the Lord this morning, so we're glad you're here.
[00:09:43] If you are newer to our congregation, maybe you're here for your very first time, maybe you've been coming for a while, we're so happy that you've chosen to worship with us this morning.
[00:09:54] And hey, those of you online, we're so glad that you're with us as well.
[00:09:58] If you are newer to our congregation, we invite you to take just a moment to scan that QR code.
[00:10:04] Let us know that you're here.
[00:10:06] Tell us the things you want to know about our church, and I will happily email you back and tell you everything you want to know.
[00:10:13] Or, after worship today, if you have just a couple of minutes, come say hi to me and the rest of my team out at what we call our connection station, which is a cart right out here in the patio area as you exit the sanctuary.
[00:10:27] I have a bag full of cool gifts I want to give you so if anything come get your cool bag but come say hi we want to say hello to you we want to welcome you to our church and we want to make ourselves available to answer any questions you may have being part of the body of Christ is an amazing and a beautiful thing so friends let us continue being part of the body as we continue to worship together

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Good morning church.
[00:10:55] My name is Carrie Wright.
[00:10:56] I am the worship leader here.
[00:10:58] I'm so glad that you are here to worship with us and those of you online are coming together to all of us making up the body of Christ.
[00:11:07] Our theme today is a combination of a couple things.
[00:11:10] We have finished the Got Questions series and today we are going to be celebrating the ways that God has been moving in and among us here at Williamson's Chapel and across the community and across the world.
[00:11:23] We also celebrate Christ the King Sunday, which is a celebration for many Christians around the world.
[00:11:29] You can see by looking at the table in front of us it's a little different than it has been before.
[00:11:35] We have symbols of Christ as the King, the Bible, and the crown of thorns, and this candle that I'll tell you about in just a minute.
[00:11:44] Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of the Christian year.
[00:11:48] The first starts next week with Advent as we prepare for the birth of Jesus, which we know so well but we celebrate it every year to allow Jesus to continue working in our hearts.
[00:12:00] And then we walk ourselves through the death and resurrection and then spend the whole rest of the year in what's called ordinary time, but there's nothing ordinary about it.
[00:12:09] We talk about all the ways that Christ, God, Jesus has been, was living on earth and the things that we have learned and how that implements in our own lives.
[00:12:22] And then we get to this Sunday and we really just do a big celebration of Christ as the King, the leader, the reign over our lives, over this world, and all of creation.
[00:12:33] This candle is, usually we use it more in the traditional service, but I wanted you all to have it in front of you today to be a reminder
[00:12:42] of Christ the King.
[00:12:43] Sometimes it's on big holy days on Easter or Easter season.
[00:12:48] Sometimes we use it at the funerals and put it at the head of a casket.
[00:12:55] It is the paschal candle.
[00:12:57] That's the official name for it.
[00:12:59] It represents the risen Christ.
[00:13:01] It is a reminder that Christ died for our sins and that because of that we no longer have to live in darkness.
[00:13:09] We have the light of Christ.
[00:13:10] So I hope when you look up here and you see these things that you'll be reminded of the light of Christ and it is the risen King that we worship.
[00:13:18] We also are doing a celebration of all that has been happening here in this church and I want to say a little bit about the worship
[00:13:25] area obviously that's my part I get to celebrate what we have been doing those of you that worship here with us all the time know that this team before you has changed a little and is continuing to grow stronger and I give praise for all that they are doing for the ways that they are helping to lead all of us in worship we have grown stronger in our faith in our musical ability
[00:13:51] We have spent the whole year working on detail and those of you that have said, wow, the praise team, great today, that's because we're spending a lot of time on Tuesday nights really just focusing on getting all the pieces right so we can let God flow through us and worship together with you.
[00:14:07] So I give praise for that.
[00:14:09] I give praise for you all in the ways that you have given generously and allowed us to make Carter Ryan full-time now.
[00:14:17] Instead of just doing a full-time job at a part-time pay, now he actually gets paid full-time and we are grateful.
[00:14:24] So let's give a celebration for that.
[00:14:30] And if you worship at 11 o'clock, you'll see too the same things are happening with the chancel choir.
[00:14:35] It's growing bigger.
[00:14:36] The community that's happening in these groups, it's the same thing we're asking of all of us.
[00:14:41] Find a group to be in where there are people who will stand by you, who will walk with you, right team?
[00:14:47] This is what happens.
[00:14:48] They'll walk with you in the hard places of life, who will celebrate the amazing things of life, and for us, get to do what we love to do, and that's to sing and lead worship.
[00:14:58] So, just get us started in worship.
[00:15:00] I'm going to read you a scripture, get us started off, and then we're going to sing.
[00:15:04] Kay's going to lead us in holy forever.
[00:15:06] Will you stand for the scripture reading?
[00:15:09] May you be strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
[00:15:25] He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
[00:15:36] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, and in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created.
[00:15:45] Things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things have been created through Him and for Him.
[00:15:55] He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
[00:15:59] He is the head of the body, the church.
[00:16:04] He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.
[00:16:10] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
[00:16:26] Let us sing together, holy forever.

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
All have gone before us and all who will believe will sing the song of ages to the Lamb.

[00:17:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all Above all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Holy forever If you've been forgiven and if you've been redeemed Sing the song forever to the Lord

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
If you walk in freedom If you bear His name Sing the song forever to the Lamb Sing the song forever and amen And the angels cry Holy, our creation cries
[00:19:19] To the King!
[00:19:42] Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all Above all thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all
[00:20:24] And dominions all powers and positions Your name stands above them all And the angels cry, Holy, our creation cries
[00:21:00] Hear your people sing, Holy to the King
[00:21:34] Amen.

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
You may be seated.

[00:21:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
I love that song.
[00:21:56] It's a beautiful one.
[00:21:59] So, for those of you who might not know me, I'm Pastor Tony Ruth.
[00:22:04] My husband Wes and I are the senior co-pastors here at Williamson's Chapel.
[00:22:08] And as we think about what God has been doing, we are celebrating what our God has done in worship this morning.
[00:22:16] And when we think about that, there is so much to be thankful for.
[00:22:20] We're starting where we sort of started the year, but I want to also hope you're going to be here in all the ways through this whole service.
[00:22:28] What I hope you're really going to hear is all the reasons why God has given us a reason to praise Him and something to be thankful for.
[00:22:39] Late in 2024, late last year, about this time, we found ourselves as a church at what I would call an inflection point.
[00:22:47] God had given us a very clear vision of what God is calling us to in the next three to five years.
[00:22:54] We had a vision team that had met for about a year and a half and this is what we felt like God was laying on our hearts and you all gave us the big thumbs up in it and lots of meetings that we had with you all.
[00:23:07] A vision is to build a community of belonging.
[00:23:09] By connecting people to God's purpose in their life through deeper relationships and meaningful service.
[00:23:17] This vision began to drive everything that we are doing here at Williamson's Chapel.
[00:23:22] How are we helping you to understand God's purpose for you in deeper relationships and meaningful service?
[00:23:29] It was very clear last October that if we wanted to live into that vision then we needed to get on a better financial pathway.
[00:23:37] So after one particularly difficult finance meeting, I came to the altar after that meeting and I prayed because I didn't know what to do.
[00:23:47] You ever been where you just didn't know what to do?
[00:23:50] Let me just recommend you go to the altar and pray when you don't know what to do.
[00:23:54] So I went to the altar and I prayed and God said, you need to ask for help.
[00:24:00] So the finance team made a decision to invest in stewardship and someone to come and help us with two things.
[00:24:08] A generosity initiative to get us moving in the right direction and then a comprehensive look at how we develop a culture of generosity as a matter of Christian discipleship here at our church.
[00:24:22] The first step was what we called the Overflowing Generosity Initiative.
[00:24:27] During Lent, we invited you to think not about why your church needs your giving, but why your soul needs to cultivate generosity.
[00:24:38] We began to reframe giving as a matter of discipleship, one of many, but an important one of many means by which we grow in God's faithfulness,
[00:24:51] and Mature in our walk with the Lord.
[00:24:53] We ask you to figure out where you were on this giving pathway and then to ask very simply, God, where do you want me to be in my giving?
[00:25:08] It is a simple but powerful prayer.
[00:25:12] Lord, where do you want me to be in my giving?
[00:25:16] We prayed and we studied and we worshipped together and you all made new commitments.
[00:25:20] 36% of you decided to take one faithful step growing along the giving path.
[00:25:26] Either you weren't giving consistently and you decided you would give consistently, or you were giving consistently but you weren't giving a percentage and you decided you would increase 1%, 2%, 3%.
[00:25:38] Maybe you decided that you would try to move to a full tithe or to give beyond a tithe, wherever God was calling you to be in your giving.
[00:25:46] 69% of you committed to being open to God's Spirit in your heart and as a result, giving at Williamson's Chapel this year is up 16.8% year-to-date over the same period last year.
[00:26:03] Our consultant said to us that we are in rare air.
[00:26:06] They hope to see that that might be somewhere between 8-10% and we're up at 16.8%.
[00:26:11] That's because of y'all's response to what God is doing.
[00:26:16] In October, the whole finance team came back and came to the altar.
[00:26:21] And we knelt at the altar again giving thanks to God for what has happened because it is only God's work.
[00:26:30] In every one of us, leading us to deeper faithfulness and to lives that seek after Him in every part of our life, including in our bank accounts.
[00:26:40] So let's see what that has meant for our church.
[00:26:43] This bar chart, you can't see those numbers, but the green, the big green bar, that is our general fund income.
[00:26:49] So that's just giving to the general funds of the church.
[00:26:53] This year, $1,378,651, that's as of the end of October.
[00:26:59] 94% of that comes from your offerings.
[00:27:02] 94% of that 1.3 million is you all.
[00:27:07] The other 6% of our general fund income comes from sharing space with Williamson Chapel Preschool, from sharing space with Lessons on the Lake, and by, as well as interest from our investment in things, in the monies that we have to keep, reserves that we keep on hand,
[00:27:22] We have a capital improvement fund that we keep on hand.
[00:27:26] And then we have lots of designated funds where people have given for specific reasons.
[00:27:30] And all of that has been invested so that the money can make money for ministry.
[00:27:35] Your finance and leadership teams have worked very hard to be faithful stewards by making good use of all of our assets.
[00:27:43] Not just your offerings but also our buildings and our reserve funds.
[00:27:48] And we hope that what we're teaching you all there is good and faithful stewardship does all of that.
[00:27:54] The blue bar is our expenses year-to-date, $1,292,951.
[00:28:02] And last year, those bars would have been reversed significantly.
[00:28:08] The staff has worked hard this year to be wise and careful in spending to maximize our impact.
[00:28:14] And you all have helped by doing one little thing.
[00:28:18] When you give, there is this little box that says, I will cover the fees.
[00:28:22] And I hope that you all have done that this year.
[00:28:25] If you have, here's what I want to tell you.
[00:28:27] Just people in this church, check in that little box, has saved the church $7,000 this year, today.
[00:28:35] $7,000, friends, is more than our annual budget for outreach, for communications.
[00:28:43] It is more than our annual budget for adult Sunday school and education materials.
[00:28:52] That's significant, and that's because of you all, so thank you.
[00:28:56] Another area where our generosity team has been working all year long is how we can equip you to manage your finances more faithfully, because if we're honest, what holds lots of us back from giving is the other commitments in our life, debts that we're carrying or lack of knowledge, and we want to help you.
[00:29:12] So Kerry Collins is going to come up and share, but first I want you to turn your attention to a video on the screen.

[00:29:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Like I did, not rich.
[00:29:24] Don't be so happy about it.

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]:
We borrowed for everything.
[00:29:30] Want a new couch?
[00:29:30] Go finance it.
[00:29:31] Want a new TV?
[00:29:32] Go finance it.

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
We had personal loans, student loans.
[00:29:37] We were just doing what was normal.

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
It's called staying in debt.
[00:29:45] What a great idea for a bank!
[00:29:48] I was so sick and tired of being where we were at.
[00:29:51] I was living paycheck to paycheck.
[00:29:53] You just stayed right in the lane where they wanted you.
[00:29:59] People change their lives when they get sick and tired of being sick and tired.
[00:30:02] And they finally say, that's it!
[00:30:06] I've had it!
[00:30:06] What I love about this plan is it gives you a clear path.
[00:30:11] This is a wealth building plan.
[00:30:13] It's not just a get out of debt plan.

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Morning.

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
One of the ways to get out of debt is we found through Financial Peace University.
[00:30:51] So this morning I'm actually here to talk to you about a couple of different courses we're going to be offering next year in terms of financial education here at the church.
[00:30:58] The first is Financial Peace University.
[00:31:00] You just heard Dave talk about that.
[00:31:02] It's a nine-week program that we're going to offer here that helps with financial literacy, helping participants gain skills in budgeting, saving.
[00:31:09] And one of the big tenets is getting out of debt and staying out of debt.
[00:31:12] And all of this is underpinned
[00:31:14] with biblical principles.
[00:31:16] And so we've run this actually three times here in the past at Williamson Chapel, and I've seen some really amazing results as coming out of that program.
[00:31:23] So we've run this class three times in the past.
[00:31:26] We've had 46 students from 28 households, typically spouses taking the class, but not always.
[00:31:32] Coming into the program, those classes had up to $1.2 million of non-mortgage debt.
[00:31:38] So think about car payments, student loans, and credit card debt.
[00:31:42] During the course of just that nine weeks, those families were able to retire almost 10%, so $4,400 per household of that debt.
[00:31:50] In addition, they were able to save up $1,000 for an emergency fund, which is one of the tenets of the program as well.
[00:31:55] So really big changes as a result of people going through that program.
[00:31:58] And we're excited to be offering that again in February of next year.
[00:32:02] In addition, this is a new program for us.
[00:32:04] We wanted to target youth, so people in high school and in college.
[00:32:08] to try and give them a better sense of financial preparation, starting it before they get into bad habits.
[00:32:14] So this class is gonna be a 13-week class.
[00:32:16] It's gonna teach budgeting, saving, insurance, what to have, when to buy it, housing, renting versus buying, and for students who are still in high school, teaching them about saving for college.
[00:32:27] It's my deep feeling that we should be teaching these things in school and getting kids off on the right foot financially in school.
[00:32:33] Since we're not doing that, your church is stepping up and offering this program.
[00:32:37] So if you go to the last slide here,
[00:32:39] Financial Peace University, again, the one targeted for adults, is going to run February 1st through March 29th, which is the week before Easter, a nine-week class.
[00:32:48] We're going to meet here at the church Sundays at 5.30.
[00:32:50] The cost is going to be $99 per family, but again, due to the generosity of the church, if the families are here each week, we're actually going to be able to refund that through a scholarship.
[00:33:00] We're going to limit the class to 20 total people, 10 couples, 20 people, whatever the mix is there, so if you're interested in it, in the past, this has gone pretty quickly, so please sign up.
[00:33:08] The other class, the Foundations of Personal Finance for High School Students, that's a little bit longer.
[00:33:13] It's a 13-week class.
[00:33:14] We're going to start that one February 1st.
[00:33:16] It'll run through May 3rd.
[00:33:18] Still, it'll get done in time for students to focus on their studies for finals.
[00:33:22] The cost for this one is $30 per student.
[00:33:24] Class size is going to be limited to 20 students, and this one will be potentially in person but probably virtually because we've got students kind of all over the U.S.
[00:33:31] If you're interested in either of these classes or you know somebody in your family or friends who might be interested,
[00:33:35] Please contact Denise at the phone number on the screen or at the email that you see there.
[00:33:39] Thank you.
[00:33:39] Looking forward to it.

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
Thank you, Kerry.
[00:33:48] Daniel, go ahead and buckle up because you're signed up already.
[00:33:53] Mariana, too.
[00:33:54] I'm just saying.
[00:33:58] Alright, so how does your giving support ministry at Williamson Chapel?
[00:34:03] This pie chart is our budget breakdown for 2025.
[00:34:06] And you can't see all those numbers, I realize they're too small.
[00:34:10] We're going to send you this in this week's E-News.
[00:34:13] But those two biggest pieces, everything that is not in the two biggest pieces at the bottom,
[00:34:18] All the sort of multicolor there, that is 57% of the budget.
[00:34:22] 57 cents of every single dollar that you give to Williamson's Chapel supports directly local and global mission, all age level ministry, worship, fellowship, and outreach.
[00:34:33] All the things that make ministry, that are ministry that you think of as ministry, 57% of your giving goes directly to that.
[00:34:41] 25% or 25 cents of every one dollar goes to facility upkeep which sounds like a lot and doesn't sound like ministry until you think friends about the good that we do at this church supporting recovery ministries, scouting ministries, preschool, all our studies, all our worship, all our fellowships that happen in this facility.
[00:35:02] The remaining portion, 18%, or about 18 cents for every dollar, supports the day-to-day running of the church through the office.
[00:35:10] Things like shut-in mailings and financial accountability and staff building and paper.
[00:35:17] And if you think paper doesn't matter, if you have ever appreciated your spring or fall book, that came out of that money.
[00:35:25] I could go on, but some of you all are bored and your eyes are starting to cross because we're talking about money.
[00:35:29] So here's what I'm going to do.
[00:35:30] I want to invite you to, if you want to know a little bit more, if you're that person that's like, I'm really interested in this and I'd love to know, how do you come up with the budget?
[00:35:38] What kind of reserve funds do we have?
[00:35:40] Why do we keep what we do?
[00:35:41] Where is money invested?
[00:35:43] What does our budget for 2026 look like?
[00:35:46] If you're that person and you want to know more, we are committed to full, complete transparency and accountability here at this church.
[00:35:54] We pay every year for a full gap audit of the finances of this church.
[00:35:59] There is nothing here that is hidden.
[00:36:01] and we are faithful and wise stewards so if you want to know more come next Sunday we're having an advent event that you can come and have pizza first and then join us at five o'clock in room B201 and we will dig into the nuts and bolts some of you like my husband are going no way man I would never go and some of you are like that sounds cool I'd like to do that that second group were the math nerds so I was also a math nerd so come on we'd love to have you next week if you want to know more
[00:36:31] So let me tell you this.
[00:36:32] I've told you a lot about money, but what difference does that make?
[00:36:36] What difference does an increase in 16.8% in giving this year mean?
[00:36:42] The increased giving gives us margin to dream about how we're going to live into the vision.
[00:36:47] Because of that increasing giving, we are moving to a full-time director of missions and a full-time director of youth.
[00:36:55] That's because of your generosity.
[00:36:57] And it's part of how we're seeking to live into that vision that God gave us.
[00:37:01] We are providing more spiritual growth events for women and senior adults and singles.
[00:37:06] More things like the Christmas brunch that we do for women.
[00:37:08] We want to do more of that.
[00:37:10] More things like adult VBS in the summertime for our senior adults.
[00:37:15] We're increasing a commitment to growing in excellent worship and expanding our outreach and welcoming ministries both inside and outside of the church.
[00:37:23] We want you to keep asking that question in your life.
[00:37:26] God, where do you want me to be in my giving?
[00:37:30] Not, friends, because the church needs your money, but because you need the way it will change your soul.
[00:37:37] The way it will help you walk more faithfully.
[00:37:40] What an exciting time to be in ministry together.
[00:37:42] Generosity is but one pathway by which we grow in faith.
[00:37:47] We started our year reading Philippians 1, chapter 1, verses 3 through 11.
[00:37:51] So let's hear that text again as we continue to give thanks for what God is doing in our midst.

[00:38:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every one of my prayers for all of you.
[00:38:10] Praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
[00:38:16] I'm confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
[00:38:28] It is right for me to think this way about all of you because I hold you in my heart for all of you are my partners in God's grace.
[00:38:37] Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
[00:38:44] For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the tender affection of Christ Jesus.
[00:38:51] And this is my prayer.
[00:38:52] That your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you determine what really matters.
[00:39:03] So that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless.
[00:39:08] Having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
[00:39:15] The Word of God for all the people.
[00:39:18] Thanks be to God.

[00:39:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
I always thank my God for your partnership in the Gospel.
[00:39:30] Friends, ministry is not just the work of the clergy and the staff.
[00:39:34] We are partners with you all in that ministry, and together we bring great joy, Paul says, to the heart of God.
[00:39:42] One of the best partnerships in ministry right now at Williamson's Chapel happens on Sunday nights with something that we do in the fall and the spring called Feel Your Family.
[00:39:51] This ministry began in 2023 as a dream to bring children and youth and adults on Sunday nights so that we might equip the whole family, nourishing soul and body, and build relationships.
[00:40:06] Each year, we've been able to watch relationships grow through singing and study and sharing of meals around tables with the church family.
[00:40:14] Every Sunday night, the fellowship hall echoes with joy.
[00:40:19] What fun it has been to watch our youth becoming mentors to our children, building connections that give confidence and help them grow.
[00:40:27] What a delight to see a very solid youth group that is growing in the love of God and each other.
[00:40:33] And if you're here on Sunday nights, you know this group doesn't love anything like they love singing and worshiping together.
[00:40:41] At Fuel Your Family, Wes and I lead a small group of young adults called QT with the Smiths.
[00:40:46] QT just means quality time.
[00:40:49] And our prayer for that time when we began it was that we would be able to equip parents for their most important role.
[00:40:56] We tell parents, the first thing we said is, here's the scariest thing you're going to learn about being a parent.
[00:41:00] You are your child's primary evangelist.
[00:41:05] They will learn more about Jesus from you than they will from anybody else.
[00:41:10] And so how can we equip them for that role?
[00:41:13] We ask those, the folks that have been part of our group now for the last couple years, to share what the time means to them, and these are some of their witnesses.
[00:41:22] QT, one of them writes, is playing a huge role in my family's journey with Christ, our relationships with other families on that journey, and my own personal journey.
[00:41:33] In the year plus that we have been attending, I have grown a deeper understanding of what it means to raise your kids in faith.
[00:41:41] We've been able to put simple but impactful daily routines into practice that have grown us all closer to Jesus and to each other.
[00:41:50] Praying with our kids, reading the Jesus Storybook Bible, pointing out the things that Jesus created to bring us joy.
[00:41:58] Communication and grace are the two words that come to mind the most.
[00:42:02] I feel like I've learned how to better communicate with Jesus myself, talk with my kids about Jesus and help them to pray.
[00:42:09] I've learned how to better engage with my kids on topics about Jesus that I previously had no clue how to start.
[00:42:16] Last Christmas season specifically, we were able to talk to the kids more effectively about it being a celebration of Jesus in a way they understood.
[00:42:26] They found Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning and made sure to sing Happy Birthday to Him.
[00:42:31] I also feel the discussions at QT have shown me how God's grace played a part.
[00:42:36] I'm giving myself more grace, my husband more grace, my kids more grace.
[00:42:42] Life is crazy busy and we may not always be doing what we think the best thing is, but we're doing our best to raise good humans in faith and learn as we go.
[00:42:52] We're also meeting good people on their own Christ journey who are going through a similar stage of life.
[00:42:57] Families we met since joining have played a big part in our journey.
[00:43:00] We can relate to them.
[00:43:02] We can appreciate their experiences.
[00:43:03] We learn from them, vent with them, laugh with them.
[00:43:06] It gives us a sense of community, belonging, and comfort.
[00:43:11] Other parents said these things.
[00:43:13] It's helped us to know how to share the gospel with our kids in everyday life to build up their faith and ours.
[00:43:19] Building a village, one said, that is rooted in faith.
[00:43:22] Watching those connections blossom into deep meaning relationships, both for our kids and us, has been incredible.
[00:43:28] And watching our child come out of his shell is a great bonus.
[00:43:32] Another one said it's made us think daily about gratitude and where we see God as a family.
[00:43:40] and one said it has given us community as parents it's been a blessing to build connection to others who understand the challenges of parenting faithfully but staying committed to the journey for our kids it has created such a strong foundation and routine to be an active part of a church family they will continue to grow into I feel that my family is closer to God look what God is doing
[00:44:05] Look what God is doing.
[00:44:07] And it's not just at Fuel Your Family.
[00:44:09] We are changing lives and building community through adult Bible studies that happen in this church six days a week.
[00:44:16] I've invited Tisa Jones to come and share a little bit about how God has been shaping her and her family through Bible studies.
[00:44:23] So I'm going to invite Tisa to come on up.
[00:44:27] Wow, she thinks you're really short.
[00:44:37] Hey, Tisa!

[00:44:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]:
Okay.
[00:44:45] Thank you for inviting me to do this today.
[00:44:48] I will begin by telling you a little bit about myself.
[00:44:52] And I come from a family of really strong believers.
[00:44:57] I was christened when I was an infant.
[00:44:59] And I was confirmed when I was 13.
[00:45:02] And I went to Sunday school every single week.
[00:45:06] Unless I was too sick to get out of bed.
[00:45:09] And I attended Elon College in a time when the Old and the New Testament were mandatory courses in order to graduate.
[00:45:20] All of that being said, when I became an adult, I firmly believed I had a strong faith foundation.
[00:45:29] And I thought, I thought I knew all about the Bible.
[00:45:35] I was a little bit wrong.
[00:45:38] Until I moved to Mooresville and found this church, I had never been to an adult Bible study class.
[00:45:49] About a decade ago, where are you, Monica?
[00:45:55] Reverend Monica invited my husband and me to go to an adult Bible study class at night for couples, and we did.
[00:46:06] and that took us to married couples dinner which was amazing and after that we got invited to go to a married couples retreat surrounded by other couples who believe in our Savior.
[00:46:25] It was really special because we went to that retreat on our 40th anniversary.
[00:46:33] It was a gift my husband and I gave ourselves
[00:46:36] And we didn't realize how powerful it would be.
[00:46:40] We not only learned more about our Savior, but we discovered the importance of fellowship, being with people who think like us, who believe like us, and it made us stronger, not just as individuals, but as a couple.
[00:47:00] We grew.
[00:47:00] Thank you.
[00:47:06] About a year later, a friend of mine, a neighbor who lives in my community, invited me verbally, why don't you come to a WWW class?
[00:47:18] And I think you all know that's Williamson's Women, Wednesdays for Women.
[00:47:24] And I thought, whoa, that sounds fun.
[00:47:26] Sorry.
[00:47:26] I think I'll do that.
[00:47:28] And I did.
[00:47:34] Those two invitations, verbal invitations for me to come, they are probably the most spiritually beneficial invitations I have ever received in my lifetime.
[00:47:50] And I thank those women for that.
[00:47:54] I never realized that I could learn so much by studying the Bible in increments.
[00:48:01] and doing it with people, sharing our stories, sharing our beliefs.
[00:48:08] It made me a better person.
[00:48:12] It gave me an internal peace that I could move forward and share with others.
[00:48:22] I'm sorry, it's a little overwhelming.
[00:48:27] Not only are Bible classes insightful and inspiring, the fellowship that we get from this church is so awesome.
[00:48:38] It makes me connected in a crazy, busy, hectic world and it gives me peace and makes me a better person.
[00:48:50] Although I've gone through life, some of the times I've had bumpy roads and some of the times things have been smooth.
[00:48:58] But Sundays and Wednesdays have always given me the opportunity to spiritually refuel so I can move forward during the week.
[00:49:09] And sometimes people who know me know that I say, Sunday gets me to Wednesday and Wednesday gets me back to Sunday.
[00:49:17] And no matter what's happening in my life, I know
[00:49:21] I know that God is with me because of these classes and these people.
[00:49:29] Monica and my neighbor Linda gave me a fabulous gift.
[00:49:36] A verbal invitation to Bible study class and it changed my life.
[00:49:43] I want to give you and everyone you know the same invitation.
[00:49:51] Come to Bible study.
[00:49:53] I don't care if you've been every time or you've never come.
[00:49:58] Come.
[00:49:59] Come to Williamson's Chapel.
[00:50:01] There are so many different opportunities for men and women
[00:50:06] in the day and in the evening, several times during the week.
[00:50:11] Come.
[00:50:11] Bring a friend.
[00:50:14] Come alone, but come.
[00:50:17] Because Bible study class, I promise you, are an amazing way to rejuvenate your soul and to enhance your life.
[00:50:29] Thank you.

[00:50:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Thank you.

[00:50:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
If you don't know Linda Morris, you should.
[00:50:51] Linda, come on up.
[00:50:51] Linda has been our lay leader, your lay leader.
[00:50:54] And what that means is that we have picked one person among all the laity that's going to be at all the things that Wes and I have to go to and is going to help.
[00:51:02] And Linda has been a great one.
[00:51:04] And she is here to present our Laity Service Award.
[00:51:07] So I'm going to invite Keilah to come on up.

[00:51:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]:
I'd like to give you a little background on this.
[00:51:19] It's an honor every year for us to recognize someone in our congregation who has, as the award says, been an excellent example of a commitment to a Christian way of life and that their contributions exist both within the church and out in the community.
[00:51:41] So it was very easy to recognize Keila for her 24 years of experience.
[00:51:47] And in the church, she's done things such as being a Stephen minister, helping with the care team in nursing homes, hospitals, and hospice patients.
[00:51:57] She's been a worship design team member, a communion server, and a bereavement meal team counselor, and helped out the other teams.
[00:52:06] I know I called on her several times.
[00:52:08] Keila, have you got any flowers?
[00:52:10] We need an arrangement.
[00:52:12] And she'd always jump in.
[00:52:13] Out in the community, I know you've seen her helping at Feed NC.
[00:52:17] She helped with Helene Relief Meal Support.
[00:52:21] She's been a delegate to the Annual Conference, which is a great commitment.
[00:52:26] And she's done weekly craft meetings at nursing homes.
[00:52:32] She's done six years of youth missions and service projects, and even gone to
[00:52:38] Acres of Hope.
[00:52:39] So it was extremely wonderful to be able to recognize you, dear heart, and to acknowledge all your contributions both within and out of the church.

[00:52:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]:
Thank you all.
[00:52:58] Appreciate the church that recognizes all of our gifts that we have and ability to share them within ourselves and the community.
[00:53:07] So I'm grateful.
[00:53:08] Thank you, Keela.

[00:53:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_16]:
This ministry has been a blessing not only to those we serve, but to my own family as well.
[00:53:20] Our children grew up helping with First Food Sunday alongside Chris and me, sorting cans, carrying boxes, and learning what it means to serve others with a joyful heart.
[00:53:29] Now they are in high school, college, and beyond, but I know this mission taught them lessons about compassion and community that will stay with them for life.
[00:53:37] For that, I am forever grateful.
[00:53:40] As I step away from my role as coordinator, I do so with a full heart.
[00:53:44] Thank you for letting me be a part of something so meaningful, for your partnership, your encouragement, and your dedication to this mission.
[00:53:52] I have no doubt First Food Sunday will continue to grow and bless others, because it's built on love, and love always endures.
[00:54:00] Thank you for serving with me for 12 wonderful years and donating over 182,000 pounds of food.
[00:54:06] May we continue feeding both bodies and souls one first Sunday at a time.

[00:54:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
I've been tasked with kind of...
[00:54:28] Sharing a little bit of what we've done missionally as a church over this last year, and I've been given about two minutes to do that, so I've been given an impossible task.
[00:54:38] But I just want to share some of the things we have done and some things we will be able to continue to do over the next year.
[00:54:45] First off, in January, we packed 40,000 meals with Rise Against Hunger.
[00:54:50] Up through March, we sent hundreds of volunteer hours up to Avery County to help feed
[00:54:58] The people up there that were impacted by Hurricane Helene.
[00:55:02] We were able to share Easter with over 100 kids.
[00:55:06] Our youth participated in a trip up to Asheville doing relief work up there, partnered with two other churches.
[00:55:14] We sent several teams up to Pine Grove to help fix flooding issues both from Helene and also just flooding issues that they had as a church that they weren't able to address, but we have the gifts and the graces and the talents to do so.
[00:55:29] Fixed two meals for the teachers at Parkview Elementary.
[00:55:32] We sent 11 folks to Acres of Hope in Uganda.
[00:55:35] We had a couple spent their anniversary trip down in Jamaica visiting the Deaf Village to look at what it might be, what it might look like for us to rekindle our relationship with the Jamaican Deaf Village.
[00:55:48] Our children have participated in missional activities and they packed over 300 goodie bags that went to Feed and See so kids whose parents are working on
[00:55:59] Halloween night and those kids aren't able to go trick-or-treating.
[00:56:03] They were able to have a little treat for themselves.
[00:56:05] And those kids also packed our hygiene kits with Kindness Closet that will be used for Share Christmas.
[00:56:12] And that's just a few things we've done.
[00:56:14] We started our meaningful service days in June.
[00:56:19] And what I define kind of as a meaningful service day is those times when we go together out in the community to serve as part of that community of belonging.
[00:56:29] and just part of those days we had 47 folks involved with over 230 hours of volunteer time and I expect next year that number will look really really small compared to what we're going to be able to do moving forward that doesn't include times that our circles have gone to serve together it doesn't include the church members I'll talk to they're like hey do you know that I
[00:56:53] A group of my neighbors and I go and we serve together.
[00:56:56] It doesn't include the Tuesday men's group that's going and serving at Feed and See and cooking at the Donahue's Open Door Cafe.
[00:57:05] I could go on and on and on about all the things that we have done.
[00:57:09] But the thing is, it isn't what we have done.
[00:57:14] It is an act of worship in response to what God has done for us.
[00:57:19] And when we go and serve, that's ultimately what we're doing.
[00:57:22] It's an act of worship.
[00:57:23] It's a way for us to show gratitude for the things that God has done in our life.
[00:57:28] And personally, and this would make sense as to why I'm moving into full-time missions, I don't think mission and service is an optional activity for our faith.
[00:57:38] It is a necessary activity for our faith.
[00:57:41] And much like giving, do all of these agencies that we go and serve with need volunteers?
[00:57:48] Absolutely.
[00:57:49] But we need to volunteer.
[00:57:50] Our souls need to volunteer far more than they need volunteers.
[00:57:54] So here's some, just a couple of the ways that you can still get involved.
[00:57:58] Share Christmas is right around the corner.
[00:58:00] You guys have responded great so far, and thank you.
[00:58:04] 160 of our 216 volunteer slots are already full for that week.
[00:58:09] The bulk of the slots that we still need filled are on December 13th, the day of the event.
[00:58:17] The biggest way you can still respond, we have 253 of our tags that are still left.
[00:58:22] And this is what I love about mission.
[00:58:24] If everybody in this room picked up one tag, we'd be done.
[00:58:29] Our store would be fully stocked.
[00:58:33] There will be a sign up that will come out the week after Thanksgiving for the contents that will go into the blessing bags that we give out along with the hams.
[00:58:40] So look out for that.
[00:58:42] Because you have already responded so well,
[00:58:45] to our share Christmas volunteer opportunities.
[00:58:47] We're able to also put out, it'll be in the Tuesday email, Parkview Elementary's PTO does a store that the kids can come and shop and get something for their parents.
[00:58:59] So every kid at Parkview will be able to have a gift for their parents on Christmas morning.
[00:59:04] And they need volunteers the week of December 5th through the 12th.
[00:59:08] So if you're able to help during the week, look for that coming out as well.
[00:59:13] We have a trip.
[00:59:15] To Asheville, or not, it actually will be Ashe, Watauga County area, to do Helene repair work, both in January and April.
[00:59:24] We need both folks that can swing a hammer, as well as folks that can cook and help support the team in that way.
[00:59:31] There will be more meaningful service days coming out in January, and like I said, so far it's been staff and pastors that have hosted those days for us to go to the community, and what I really, really hope is that
[00:59:43] Over half of those next year are hosted by you guys.
[00:59:47] If you're interested in taking a group out to serve, just come and talk to me and I'll help you set that up, help you recruit, and get people volunteering.
[00:59:56] We also have a group that will go back to Acres of Hope.
[00:59:59] Carrie Wright is going to lead a team to Acres of Hope in June, June 22nd through July 2nd.
[01:00:06] And if you haven't been, it is absolutely worth the time.
[01:00:10] Is it a long flight?
[01:00:12] Some of our folks.

[01:00:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_17]:
Yes.

[01:00:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Is it worth every minute of that flight?

[01:00:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_17]:
Yes.

[01:00:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Yes.
[01:00:19] If you're interested in going to Acres of Hope, you want to explore what that looks like.
[01:00:23] Next Sunday after worship, I'll be in the fellowship hall just to kind of help give information and talk about what that may look like.
[01:00:30] And with that, we're so thankful for Pastor Jeffrey.
[01:00:33] Jim was able to go over there.
[01:00:35] We have this idea for a mission, we have to have all the details figured out, and then we'll move.
[01:00:59] And Jeffrey's just like, I have a vision, God called me to it, we're just gonna go.
[01:01:05] Hope people join.
[01:01:06] And it's worked out for him every single time.
[01:01:08] So if you're interested in that, let me know.
[01:01:11] And I believe we have a video of Jeffrey that is going to be shared.

[01:01:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Good morning.
[01:01:18] Church, we have some shuffle.
[01:01:19] You may come in for this.
[01:01:20] Thank you so much for the birthday song and wishes.
[01:01:29] I invite you to join the team that is coming next summer, Big Daddy and Pastor Cary.
[01:01:41] So please, I would love to see you all here next year.
[01:01:46] Thank you for the birthday wishes.

[01:01:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
Friends, our church council chair, Chris Cassell, couldn't be with us today, but he has a message for you as well.

[01:01:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Hello, church family.
[01:01:59] This is Chris Cassell.
[01:02:00] For those of you that don't know me, I serve as the chair of the church council here at Williamson's Chapel.
[01:02:06] I apologize for not being able to join you here today, but my family and I are traveling for Thanksgiving break to be with family.
[01:02:13] But I wanted to spend a few minutes just talking to you about how grateful I am
[01:02:18] For the generosity that the church family has shown this year, for the impact that we are having on the lives of those around us and in our community and on each other, and for the amazing community that we've built here at Williamson's Chapel, I also want to share excitement about what lies ahead.
[01:02:37] The generosity that we've seen of this church, the amazing staff that we have, and the laity have really come together to help us lean into the vision of the church
[01:02:46] We have some amazing things planned for 2026 and I cannot wait to be a part of them.
[01:02:51] I look forward to working with all of you in the year ahead and I welcome any suggestions or ideas that you may have as to how we grow the impact and help spread the word of Jesus to all of those around us.
[01:03:02] Have a blessed holiday and thank you again for all that you have done.

[01:03:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]:
The Word that keeps going through my mind as we've listened to all these things about our church in the past year is grateful.
[01:03:34] And that's very appropriate for the season as well.
[01:03:36] But I'm just so grateful to be part of a church that is so committed, so passionate about missions, so passionate about study and growing, so passionate about worship.
[01:03:48] It is a blessing to be part of this church family.
[01:03:51] And God is so good to us.
[01:03:53] Amen?
[01:03:54] We serve an amazingly grateful and generous God, and for that we are grateful.
[01:04:00] So as we sing about the goodness of God in worship together, and as the ushers are passing the plates, we ask and pray that you give out of a deep sense of gratitude and joy for all that God is doing, has done in our church, and will do for us in the future.

[01:04:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Will you stand and sing with us, goodness of God?

[01:04:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
For your mercy never fails me All my days I've been held in your hands From the moment when I wake up Until I lay my head I will sing of the goodness
[01:05:16] All my life you have been faithful And all my life you have been so, so good With every breath that I have made
[01:05:48] You have led me through the fire In darkest nights You are close like no other I've known you as a father I've known you as a friend And I have lived
[01:06:17] All my life you have been faithful And all my life you have been so, so good With every breath that I am able I will sing
[01:06:48] Your goodness is running after, it's running after me Your goodness is running after, it's running after me With my life laid down, I surrender now, I give you everything Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
[01:07:18] Your goodness is running after, is running after me Your goodness is running after, is running after me
[01:07:34] I surrender now, I give you everything Your goodness is running after, is running after me All my life you have been faithful
[01:08:04] All of you have been so, so good With every breath that I am able All I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God

[01:08:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
All my life you have been so, so good With every breath that I am in I will sing of the goodness of God I will sing of the goodness of God

[01:09:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Sing of the goodness of God

[01:09:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
So, friends, on the way in, hopefully you got one of these.
[01:09:24] If you didn't, we'll have one for you on the way out.
[01:09:27] Did you know that your church gets 21% of our annual giving in the month of December?
[01:09:32] 21%, a fifth of giving.
[01:09:35] And that's not just Williamson Chapel.
[01:09:36] That's almost every church I know.
[01:09:38] Getz about a fifth of their giving in the last month of the year.
[01:09:42] That's equivalent this year to our budget of a budget number that that would be equivalent to is $363,000.
[01:09:48] In 2023 we received about $272,000 and last year because of the generosity tree and y'all's generosity we received about $403,000 to help us meet an anticipated budget shortfall.
[01:10:04] In 2025, we're bringing back the generosity tree, not because we are experiencing a shortfall, but as a celebration of God's faithfulness and amazing work through Williamson Chapel.
[01:10:17] So this year, we're inviting you to offer a gift of gratitude to the church through the generosity tree, and we want to hear your whys.
[01:10:27] We want to know your why.
[01:10:29] So you can scan on here.
[01:10:32] It'll be on the screen, hopefully, as well.
[01:10:35] You can give.
[01:10:36] And you choose what you want to give.
[01:10:38] $25, $50, just above and beyond giving.
[01:10:40] You just want to give a gift of gratitude of whatever you want to do.
[01:10:44] And even up to and including a whole string of lights.
[01:10:48] If you give $1,000, we'll put another string of lights.
[01:10:51] on the tree so we can shine the light of Christ a little bit brighter.
[01:10:54] And when you do that, you're going to tell us your why.
[01:10:57] Why are you giving?
[01:10:58] Is it because of children's ministry or because God's been so good to you or because someone invited you to Bible study or because you believe in what we do as a church or because you are grown in the Scripture this year?
[01:11:09] Whatever your why is, we want to know what it is.
[01:11:12] And so then we will then attach that to each of these balls when we hang them on the Christmas tree.
[01:11:18] and every week you'll be able to come in and see everybody else's wise and hear all the ways that God has been at work in our church and in our community.
[01:11:28] We hope that we will understand and that our love might abound more and more with knowledge and full insight so that we may be overflowing
[01:11:38] With righteousness to the praise and the glory of God.
[01:11:42] That is our hope and prayer for us at Williamson's Chapel.
[01:11:44] That we will continue to help shape people's lives.
[01:11:49] To help people know God's purpose for their life through deeper relationships and meaningful worship.
[01:11:54] We hope it for you.
[01:11:55] We hope it for your neighbors and all your friends.
[01:11:58] And we hope that you all will be part of that celebration.
[01:12:00] So share with us your why.
[01:12:02] Give an extra gift this year.
[01:12:03] We'll encourage you to do that.
[01:12:04] And I hope what you know is that we will steward all of it.
[01:12:07] We will invest all of it into kingdom work for the building up of God's goodness.

[01:12:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
This afternoon we have another opportunity to just be together and to celebrate all that God is doing through our children.
[01:12:22] It's the Fuel Your Family end of the season service where the kids and youth will lead us in worship.
[01:12:29] It's all kid and youth led and so much fun.
[01:12:32] You're going to want to come and be a part of that.
[01:12:34] Dinner's at 5 o'clock.
[01:12:35] I think it's Covered Dish.
[01:12:37] Is that right?
[01:12:37] Covered Dish, Potluck, depending on what side of the country you're from.
[01:12:41] And then at 5.45 in here
[01:12:44] Come and just be and celebrate the goodness of God through our children.

[01:12:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_18]:
Next Sunday, we have one worship service at 10 a.m. What time is worship next week?
[01:12:56] If you show up at 9.30, you're going to be early, and that's okay.
[01:13:01] But one worship service at 10 a.m. We're baptizing and celebrating and giving thanks.
[01:13:06] It's the first Sunday of Advent.
[01:13:07] We are going to the movies this Advent, friends.
[01:13:10] And next week, we're talking about a Christmas story.
[01:13:13] So y'all come and we're going to have some good time together the first Sunday of Advent.
[01:13:19] And then next Sunday evening we have our annual Advent event for families.
[01:13:25] You can sign up for that online.
[01:13:27] I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to be part of all these things that are part of your church.
[01:13:32] and now friends may the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and if you have seen God at work this year let's say amen amen

[01:13:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Hi and welcome back after an amazing worship experience.
[01:14:02] Congratulations to Keila Dyer on receiving our Lay Member Award.
[01:14:08] We are so honored really to have Keila as part of our church.
[01:14:12] It's really a gift.
[01:14:14] And speaking of being thankful, it's Thanksgiving week.
[01:14:18] So I am thankful for you.
[01:14:21] I'm thankful that you are tuning in with us on a weekly basis, or maybe you're tuning in because you're out of town.
[01:14:26] Either way, we're so glad that you're here.
[01:14:28] And we're very thankful for this amazing church.
[01:14:31] We're thankful for the people in it.
[01:14:32] We're thankful for all of the ministries and missions that we're able to be involved in so that we can continue to serve God's kingdom.
[01:14:40] So let's have thankful hearts this week.
[01:14:42] I invite you to do that.
[01:14:43] But one other thing I need to make sure I tell you, and I make sure you keep in mind,
[01:14:47] Next Sunday is a fifth Sunday, meaning that next Sunday we have one worship service at 10 a.m.
[01:14:58] Okay?
[01:15:00] And I'll say it one more time just to be triple sure.
[01:15:03] Next Sunday we have one worship service at 10 a.m.
[01:15:09] So tune in here next Sunday if you watch us online.
[01:15:14] And if you come in person, don't forget 10 a.m. Hey, if you're a little early, that's okay.
[01:15:17] You can hang out with us.
[01:15:18] That's all cool.
[01:15:19] But we have a fifth Sunday and we hope that you'll come and join us for worship next Sunday.
[01:15:25] And hey, I just wish you all a really beautiful time this week, hopefully with family and loved ones as we spend time not only eating turkey and watching football, which is all great, but to really be thankful for God for all of His many blessings.
[01:15:42] Amen and amen.
[01:15:43] We'll see you next time.