2006 Rector's Report ____________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           February 5, 2006 

Dear Friends,

A few matters I would like comment on and then spend time on the four issues that will, I believe, determine the future success of Christ Church: parish growth, the sale of part of the Christ Church campus, the building of a new parish house and a capital campaign.

The Every Member Canvass went very well again this year.  Pledging has increased 40% over the past two years and there were 18 new pledges this year.  Special thanks go to Tim Carr and the canvassers for the excellent job they did.

Sunday attendance for the year reached levels last seen at Christ Church in 1999.  In 2003 the average Sunday attendance was 84; in 2004 it was 103 and in 2005 it was 116.  Our Christmas attendance this year was 297; last year it was 246 and in 2003 it was 229.  So we are making slow, but steady progress.

Another standard for comparison is communions for those in hospitals, nursing homes and shut-ins.  In 2005 there were 147 private communions; in 2004 there were 74; in 2003 there were 3 shut-in communions; in 2002 there was one and in 2001 there were 16.

The Sunday School continues to do an excellent job; the music program has been greatly enhanced by the addition of Nancy Ludwig; Lisa Carr put on another excellent pageant—so there is much with which to be pleased.  But we also have along way to go.
 

The Need to “Grow” Christ Church:

It is the mission of the church to bring people to Christ and to minister to the spiritual needs of the congregation and the community.  That mission can never be fully realized.  The church must always struggle to do more.  Beyond that, Christ Church has had the on-going problem of being land rich and current revenue poor.  Although the congregation is generous in its response to the financial needs of Christ Church, reality is that congregational giving makes up a little less than 50% of parish expenses.  Such a relationship between revenue from giving and other revenues to cover core expenses will be difficult to sustain.

Both for the more noble ‘mission of the church’ and Christ Church’s financial future, the church must continue to work actively to grow.  I have written to some of our young families in the church to meet with me to plan for programs to more fully engage other families from the community in Christ Church.  More energy toward this task is crucial.
 

Building a New Parish House:

Which leads to the ‘new’ Parish House:  Peter Andel has headed-up a committee to define what Christ Church needs in a parish house.  John Bernard has rendered a design and Carol Bentel has kindly agreed to advise us on design and engineering.  The Parish Hall design focuses on usable space and flexibility.  The Parish House will be built on the land where the old rectory is located.

 

The Need for a Capital Campaign:

To make all of this come to fruition, we will need to go forward with a capital campaign so the proceeds from the sale of property can be part of long-term endowment and not just a short-term ‘financial-fix.’  Further, it is never healthy to live off an ‘inheritance.’  The sale of property is our current use of what past generations of those at Christ Church have left for us.

I have evaluated a number of proposals from fund-raisers.  I have compared them to my experience with capital campaigns (one for a camp and conference center and the other for a senior housing center) which were far more complex than what we want to do.  Fund raisers are expensive.  In wide-ranging capital campaigns they are necessary.  It is my opinion that within our small community we can do most of what a professional fund raiser can do.

I would foresee a relatively simple campaign.  The first phase is making the case for a campaign, getting Vestry approval for the case and preparing materials to be shared with the congregation and community.  The second phase is made up of meetings (dinners, cocktails) with the congregation and community.  The third phase is focused on calls on potential donors.  It is a good deal of work—but none of it is rocket science.
 

Taking Care of Ourselves and Reaching out to Others:

Almost all that I have written about has to do with our needs within the parish of Christ Church.  Of course we have done numerous outreach projects over the past year.  However, on ‘project’ we have not yet undertaken is to lend a helping hand to the churches in southern Mississippi and in the New Orleans area.  I am in regular contact with the leadership of the Diocese of Louisiana and, at present, more money is flowing in than there are real projects to fund.  With destruction so vast and administration of programs so challenging, the ability to use volunteers and funding becomes problematic.  As part of our capital campaign and the sale of property, I trust we will want to share our abundance with those who have lost so much.  The time, however, for such a targeted campaign for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast has not yet come.  When it does, I know we will be generous with our time and money.

Pulling together all the programs for Christ Church (growth, campus, parish house, a capital campaign and outreach) are the challenges and the potential for the future of Christ Church.

I close with re-iterating my thanks to all for a very good 2005 and to say how much I look forward to working with you in 2006.

 

Faithfully yours,

David B. Lowry