American Church in Paris Strategic Plan

The American Church in Paris

Strategic Plan 2019-2023

DRAFT

For AFCU May 2019 meeting Currently being deliberated by ACP Council

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American Church in Paris Strategic Plan

Table of Contents The Senior Pastor’s Summary and Prayerful Foundation for this Strategic Plan ...... 3 Why a Strategic Plan? Why NOW? and the Process we have followed...... 5 The Strategic Plan (Draft May 2019) ...... 7 ACP – a brief introduction to our history and ACP today ...... 7 ACP Vision, Mission and Values...... 8 Strategic Pillars ...... 9 A selection of key SWOT items ...... 10 Our Ministries, Missions and Community Groups ...... 11 Operational/Finance/Physical Facility Plan ...... 12 Next Steps ...... 27 Appendices ...... 28 A. DRAFT Goals and Action Plan (Strategic Pillars, Responsibilities. Timeline and measures pending) ...... 28 B. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) ...... 28 C. Strategic Analysis Data ...... 28 D. Five-Year Property Plan Project List ...... 28

1. Strategic Planning Survey

2. Stewardship Survey

3. Congregational meeting material including 2019 Approved Budget E. Mission /Committee Reports, including Pastoral reports ...... 28 from the March 2019 Congregational Meeting...... 28 F. Monitoring and Evaluation of Plan - Pending...... 28 G. Communication Plan - Pending ...... 28

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The Senior Pastor’s Summary and Prayerful Foundation for this Strategic Plan

The Psalmist affirms God’s “steadfast love endures forever” and God’s faithfulness is “to all generations.” We approach the work of preparing for the future through this ACP Strategic Plan with the fundamental trust that God’s love and faithfulness have been manifest in the life of the American Church from the earliest generations of our founding mothers and fathers who were gathering in house church meetings as early as 1814. The Rev. Edward Kirk, D.D., the first pastor after the congregation received official charter from Napoleon III, dedicated the first place of worship in 1857 with words memorialized on a plaque which adorns our current sanctuary: “This national monument erected in the capital of continental Europe demonstrates that as citizens we assign to man’s religious interest a place of supreme importance.” In other words, there has been a deep conviction from the ACP’s earliest beginnings that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness compels us to give bold witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in generous and gracious ways, beginning with worship that rightly honors our supreme savior Jesus Christ. One of the earliest sermons preached in the current place of worship was based on Isaiah 56:7, “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Rev. Joseph Wilson Cochran knew that not only do we trust in God’s providence for generations to come, but also that God’s welcome extends to “all peoples.” Eighty-eight years ago and still today the ACP is the only Protestant sanctuary in the world to display stained glass windows with not only biblical characters, but also Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox saints! I believe also that our ancestors couldn’t have imagined the diversity that we celebrate today, with over 40 nationalities and probably as many Christian denominations represented in our membership. We were the church in Paris to host the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on October 24, 1965 to a standing room only crowd and continue to pursue what the Lord requires, “to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” The beautiful diversity of our congregation and the ways we have shown the grace of God’s welcome to the stranger and pursue God’s global vision of compassion, justice and peace, is an eschatological sign of the Kingdom of God and is delightfully subversive to the nationalistic and xenophobic trends currently emerging both in the United States and in Europe. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ which has shaped and sustained the ministry and mission of the ACP since its genesis, continues to compel us as we look to the future and respond to God’s call to Kingdom work in the City of Light for generations to come. As we contemplate coming transitions, this ACP Strategic Plan is a response to the American and Foreign Christian Union’s (AFCU’s) invitation to engage in a reflective and collaborative anticipation of God’s ongoing love and faithfulness, but also a disciplined preparation for the fruitfulness of coming generations’ ministry and mission. We pray that this work will not remain just a snapshot of some past attentiveness, but rather a dynamic working document which inspires and motivates this kaleidoscopic community’s impact upon the many residents and visitors who join us for worship on a weekly basis, and serve God’s transforming purposes in the city of Paris and around the world. I wish to thank the ACP Council leaders who have contributed to this work, especially Michael Ott (Moderator), Jenn Cavanaugh (Vice Moderator), Pam Bohl (Finance, Stewardship and Development Committee Chair), and Don Farnan (Finance, Stewardship and Development Committee Vice Chair) who provided countless hours researching and interpreting the data of this work. We also thank the whole board of the AFCU who continue to prayerfully support and challenge us, and with whom we hope to pursue support for a more dynamic vision for this ministry into the future.

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We also pray that this strategic plan reflects God’s will through the voice of the wonderfully gifted congregation members, who have taken time through surveys and listening sessions to speak into our process of learning and discernment. As I learned during this project, “hope is not a strategy... and a dream without a plan will always still just be a dream.” And so we have a plan! May God give us the commitment to pursue this plan with energy, intelligence, imagination and much love. Finally, we pray that whatever comes of this work, the Holy Spirit will continue to lead and empower us and that the Lord will be glorified. We trust also that the ACP congregation will be strengthened in love and continue to grow up into him who is the head. We offer this not as a finished, but a working draft, in humility and with deep gratitude, trusting that future leaders will correct our errors and clarify our vision, and with confidence that God will show steadfast love and faithfulness to this unique and vibrant congregation for generations to come. “And now to him who is able to accomplish exceedingly far more than we can ask or imagine, to Him be honor and glory, in the church and in Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen!”

The Rev. Dr. Scott Herr Senior Pastor

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Why a Strategic Plan? Why NOW? and the Process we have followed

The ACP Council, led by the Executive Committee, has, for quite some time, focused on a few specific goals every year. These goals, some of which link closely to the annual theme, are proposed, discussed, and refined at the annual Council Retreat every fall, along with actions to enable Council and the Congregation to work toward these goals. In 2017-2018, for example, the ACP theme was "Making All Things New" (from Revelation 21) and the Council's goals focused on evangelism, on how to approach difficult discussions regarding inclusivity, on enhancing the connectivity of various communities within ACP, and on a review of governance (including an examination of ACP's Constitution).

The ACP theme for 2018-2019 is "No Longer Strangers" (from Ephesians 2). Our goals for this year are:

 Develop a deeper sense of stewardship within the ACP community, both fiscally and in volunteering time and skills o in order to properly staff and fund the programs we undertake to build meaningful worship and community  Expand our programs and ministry to the city and the wider world through developing and deepening local partnerships o because it is our joy and our duty to share the love of God and the gospel of Jesus to the world  Promote personal and community relationships to God and to each other o because we are called to be the body of Christ, to bear one another's burdens, and to build each other up  Improve our facilities o for worship and to better attract community events

As the Executive Committee was preparing the draft goals for the September 2018 Council Retreat in a number of factors led us to realize that a longer-term vision and plan is needed. These factors included a request from AFCU to consider a longer-term vision vis-à vis the upcoming transition of the Senior Pastor, an increased need for space at ACP (for ACP itself as well as for a number of renting organizations), difficulty in meeting the ACP 2018 budget, and a number of maintenance issues within the facility (and, in general, putting off some of the preventive work owing to budget difficulties). In addition, there was a growing realization that a number of the goals from the past several years (e.g., Constitutional review, and building a sense of stewardship) were multi-year projects, interconnected, and could potentially lead to changes in worship, activities, or outreach at ACP.

As a result, Council also initiated a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, which Council spent considerable time on this year, starting at the Council Retreat.

Don Eppert's early discussions with the Chair of the ACP HR Committee and with the ACP Moderator on starting the Senior Pastor transition process was further validation that a more strategic plan was needed; such a transition period is the ideal time for a Congregation to take stock of where it is and what it wants to be in the future.

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As we continued then to link actions we had already taken as described above and as we took action on our ACP Council goals for this year, the ACP Council initiated a Stewardship Survey to understand how the Congregation sees giving and its connection to facilities, programs and ministries of ACP. The results from this survey indicated that congregants were very supportive of ACP ministries and programs (which are many and varied, as outlined in the Ministry and Committee reports from the 2019 Spring Congregational Meeting) but not aware of some of the realities regarding the facility itself.

Anticipating the pastoral transition and the need for stewardship work within ACP, Council examined the Vision, Mission, Values (VMV) statements, strengthened the SWOT analysis, and developed a more in-depth Strategic Planning survey to get feedback on the VMV and SWOT, and to inform this document, a broader Strategic Plan. Council members also visited some of the ACP communities (e.g., the African and Filipino Fellowships) and conducted several "Listening Tables" between worship services on Sundays to get further input.

 These efforts on the VMV and SWOT and the Surveys, Listening Tables and other Congregation outreach efforts have given us direction and focus for the future. As a result of this input, we have drafted Goals and Action plans which we will discuss and continue to pray about among the Council and the Congregation and to prioritize and adopt to the extent these can help us realize the Strategic Plan.  We have produced summarized operational information including personnel matters, mission and outreach activities and other matters involving the operations at ACP.  We have produced a five-year Property Project (or Physical Facility) plan. This process has helped us to identify some key Development projects that build on all we learned in this process and helps ACP to continue to serve as the Beacon on the Seine for generations to come  We have produced information summarizing preliminary income statements for the next five-years that encompass the expenses associated with these Operational plans, expected revenues associated with the operations and the other potential sources of income.  As it relates to these financial plans, we have identified a quantitative gap in the Income and Funding sources and our plans to fill this gap are very much in process. We know some of the possible sources, but look forward to AFCU, Congregational member, Alumni and other ideas to fill this gap. Clearly we must secure our financial resources for the future and a number of our goals and actions are included in the Appendices.

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The Strategic Plan (Draft May 2019)

ACP – a brief introduction to our history and ACP today

ACP HISTORY – a richer, more thorough version can be found on our website Welcome to the American Church in Paris, the first American church established on foreign soil. We are an inter-denominational, Protestant congregation with roots dating back to 1814. Our official charter and first sanctuary were established in 1857. We have been located on the quai d’Orsay since 1931. Our beginnings may be traced to the needs of American Protestants living in France in 1814, who sought a place to worship God in their native English language. The first worship service was held in the apartment of an American merchant, and in 1815 the French Reformed Church opened the doors of its church, the Oratoire du Louvre, to these Americans, providing a place for them to hold regular services. People of all nationalities and denominational backgrounds were welcome to worship In 1839, a new American missionary organization, the American and Foreign Christian Union (AFCU), (http://www.afcubridge.org) was formed when three separate mission agencies merged. Today the AFCU includes ACP alumni who volunteer their time and energy to serve as a board of trustees, to participate in the selection of the senior pastor, and to support the church through efforts to build the endowment.

Today, the US-based nonprofit AFCU is the parent organization of the American Church in Paris, the American Church in Berlin, and the Vienna Community Church. It oversees the selection of ACP’s senior pastor, and finances that position, and owns and oversees ACP’s buildings. It also develops financial support for all three of its affiliated European churches, manages endowment funds for the churches and approves grants from them.

The American Church today is an important part of life in Paris for many people. Our congregation is an interdenominational and international Christian community whose mission is to bear witness by word and deed to the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, to provide a place of English language worship in the American Protestant tradition, and to engage in ministries and services that enrich the lives of residents and visitors in Paris. Providing spiritual guidance, education, and a strong sense of community and belonging, the ACP serves a diverse population:

 Thousands of people use the church facilities as a community center for various classes and meetings.  More than 35 Christian denominations are represented in the Church.  More than 40 nationalities are represented in the Church membership.  The Church is home to two bilingual pre-schools, a variety of “twelve-step” recovery groups, athletic and dance classes, Bible Study Fellowship, occasional lecture series, a free weekly concert series, and many more community-based services and events.  We desire to grow as a learning and loving community.

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ACP Vision, Mission and Values

ACP’s refreshed statements of vision, mission and values in 2019:

Vision The American Church in Paris community hears God calling us to be the light of the world, a city on a hill that cannot be hidden,1 and more specifically, a beacon on the Seine.

Responding to God’s heart for the healing of the nations,2 we shall be a house of prayer for all peoples3 and seek the shalom of the city into which God has sent us.4

Obeying Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations,5 we seek to equip the people of God for ministry,6 preach the gospel to all creation,7 and grow deeper in freedom, faith and love.8

Keeping in step with the Holy Spirit9 who gives diverse gifts for ministry and builds strangers into the household of God,10 we regard one another as new creations, pursuing the ministry of reconciliation with God and neighbor and amongst ourselves.11

Embracing the biblical charge to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God,12 we joyfully and whole-heartedly commit ourselves to discerning and doing the good work God has graciously prepared for us.13

Mission The mission of the American Church in Paris, an interdenominational and international Christian community, is to bear witness by word and deed to the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, to provide a place of English-language worship in the American Protestant tradition, and to engage in ministries and services that enrich the lives of residents and visitors in Paris and around the world.

Values At ACP we particularly value passionate worship, prayerful practices, celebratory diversity, local and international service, Christ-centered community, Christian devotion, grace-based relationships, radical hospitality, creation care, spiritual and social transformation, generous stewardship, Sabbath restoration, creative ministry, inclusive welcome, and bold faith.

1 Matthew 5:14 2 Revelation 22:1-3 3 Isaiah 56:7 4 Jeremiah 29:7 5 Matthew 28:17-20 6 Ephesians 4:16 7 Mark 16:15 8 Galatians 5:1-6 9 Galatians 5:25 10 Ephesians 2:17-22 11 2 Corinthians 5:16-20 12 Micah 6:8 13 Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10

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Strategic Pillars We are thankful for the rich inheritance that we have received from previous generations. In order to prepare for faithful stewardship of what we have been given and what we are called to share, we see attention to the foundations upon which we build as key to any future success for growth and development. We identify five key areas that are essential for the core strength of the church, and to which we need to invest as we look to the future. We believe these five pillars may change in name over time, but that every healthy church must take care that these pillars are strong to ensure growth and development. They are Worship, Mission, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Administration.

When developing our strategy, goals and actions, we consider the following five Strategic Pillars as essential architecture for our community to realize God’s future plans and purposes for the American Church in Paris. We pray that these pillars, in whatever form they may take in the coming years, will always rest upon the One who is alone our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and Consummator of our faith. Worship of the Triune God is the heartbeat of our life together. We are deeply grateful for the majestic worship space of the sanctuary which reminds us of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us, but more importantly for the inspiration of God’s Word and Spirit which gathers, strengthens and guides our community in one of three regular corporate worship services on Sundays, as well as special services of worship throughout the year. We are thankful for varying traditional and contemporary styles of worship, as we believe that our calling is to pursue dynamic worship that allows all people to experience and give praise for the goodness, beauty and truth of God and enter into transforming relationship with God. It is through weekly corporate worship of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we are spiritually formed and reformed as the Body of Christ, connecting again to Him who is the head and strengthened to continue our worship throughout the rest of the week in glorifying God and enjoying God’s grace and love in all of domains of life and creation.

Mission is God’s purpose for the church in the world. It is God the Father who sends the Son, the Son who sends the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit who sends the Church to be faithful witnesses to the good news of God’s love as revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus reminds us that we are a sent people to make disciples of all nations, and called to fulfill the Law of Christ through deeper love of God and love of our neighbors, even our enemies. This compels us to consider carefully how our lives and life together reflect the values and priorities of the God whom we worship and claim to love. The prophets directly connect our worship with our mission in the world, reminding us that the Lord requires that we “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.”

Discipleship is the intentional engagement of disciplining our lives so that we more faithfully follow the way of Jesus and deepen our love for God and neighbor. It has been said that “everyone is on a journey,” and we hope to provide opportunities for learning and practicing what it means to obey God’s Word and show God’s love in all areas of life and in whatever stage of life we may be. We believe that as an international community we have the unique opportunity to focus on “mere Christianity” that is less encumbered with cultural or denominational assumptions or limitations. We live by the motto, “In essential unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all else, charity!” Coming together from different backgrounds, we can learn from one another what the scriptures teach us about what it means to bear witness in word and deed to the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ in this time and place. We believe that we can develop in helping people identify their unique gifts and better connect them with the missional needs and priorities of our community and the city of Paris and the world. We also hope to grow in “equipping the saints for ministry” so that we all are strengthened in God’s love.

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Fellowship with God and one another is a key purpose of God for the church, and we believe that our community life is to be shaped by the same welcome, grace and love that God has shown to us in Jesus Christ. We believe that Christian community will always produce caring relationships that allow us to “weep with those who are weeping” and “rejoice with those who are rejoicing.” We are thankful that our congregation moves together into that rich “communion of saints” in worship but also moves out to allow for specific fellowship along linguistic and cultural identities that support those who are living away from “home.” Paradoxically, we believe that our diversity and complexity as a multicultural, interdenominational and multi-linguistic congregation better allows us to realize fellowship that is a sign of the Kingdom of God and reflective of that future fellowship when we will gather around the Lamb of God from every nation and tribe to join in adoration and praise. Our prayer is that all who come to join our community will truly feel welcome and because of our fellowship, become “no longer strangers” and “members of the household of God.”

Administration includes the important infrastructure and systems that support all the ministries and missions of the church. It is good administration that allows us to be better stewards of the tremendous human, spiritual, material and financial resources which God regularly gives and endows to the ACP through current and former members and friends of the church. Administration allows for the congregation to better focus on the varying goals and purposes which are identified by the leadership and coordinate so that unity is maintained and that all is done “decently and in order.” In the end, Administration is what allows for the church to identify, coordinate, commit to and celebrate God’s priorities in the different seasons of the congregation’s life. It is Christ-centered community which helps us as disciples of Jesus learn to give up that which we cannot keep so that we may receive that which we cannot lose.

A selection of key SWOT items

The following is but a selected few of the SWOT items. See the Appendices for a complete list: Strengths: Weaknesses (Challenges):  Our Worship Services are very strong  Growing community & maintaining  International & local partnerships communication in commuter church  Strength and variety of programs and  Limitations of space & demands of ministries building maintenance  Gorgeous facility, gifted leadership  Stewardship  Wonderfully diverse, talented & kingdom-  Diversity of congregation minded congregation underrepresented in leadership

Opportunities: Potential Threats:  Building uncommon coalitions  Loss of historical partnerships or next  Improving the facility to capitalize on generation space  Polarization due to contentious issues  New & expanded programs: music  Transitions in leadership and local & (performance & worship), art, serving congregational demographics refugees  Other external factors: terrorism, fiscal  Investment in next generation leadership policy, political climate and strengthen Youth and Young adult engagement

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Our Ministries, Missions and Community Groups

One of the key strengths from the SWOT is the strength and variety of our programs and ministries, a key point validated by the Strategic Planning survey, so we have listed the many Missions, Ministries and Community Groups at ACP

The surveys and focus groups validated what the SWOT indicated is one of the key strengths of ACP: the variety of programs and the various ministries and missions in which our congregation is engaged.

Below is a summary of those Missions, Ministries and Community Groups at ACP. Some of these Ministries and Missions delivered an in-depth report at the March, 2019 Congregational Meeting and for those we hope you will read their passionate, in-depth reviews of 2018 – see Appendix X.

For the following see the March 2019 Congregational meeting Annual Reports in Appendix F which covers these mission focused reports as well as others

Senior Pastor’s Report Associate Pastor’s Report Youth and Young Adult Ministry – Pastor’s and Pastoral Intern’s Report Visiting Pastor Odette Lockwood Stewart’s Report Children’s Ministry Director of Music Ministry Contemporary Worship highlights Christian Education Committee Worship and Music Committee Mission Outreach Committee Finance, Stewardship and Development Committee Human Resources Committee Community Life Committee Property Committee Communications Committee

Additional Ministries The following are also covered to some extent in Appendix F Women’s Ministries – activities are included in Pastor Scott’s report, Odette’s and Christian Education Men’s Ministry – some activities covered in Pastor Scott’s report and Christian Education Wedding Ministry – see Visiting Pastor Odette’s report Many of the following are within the Mission Outreach Committee: Refugee Ministry, Prison Ministry, Homeless Ministry, Friday Mission Lunch, Foyer de Grenelle, Saturday homeless breakfast/lunch ministry, Tiffany Musica, SOS Help, Love-in-a-Box, Kabubu, Legal Support Clinic, Excellence Computer Technology Center - Ghana, The Living Truth Foundation – Ghana, Rafiki Foundation – Uganda, Deep Griha – India, King’s Garden Orphanage - Philippines

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COMMUNITY GROUPS AT ACP Bible Studies & Small Groups Sunday Morning Bible Study (Sun. at 10h00) | contact: sundaybiblestudy Sunday Afternoon Bible Study (Sun. at 15h00) | contact: sundayafternoon Sunday Women’s Bible Study (12h15, once/month) | contact: sundaywomansbible Sunday Kids’ Bible Study (12h15, once/month) | contact: childrensworship Bible Study Fellowship (Mon. at 19h00) | contact: bsf Women’s Tuesday Bible Study (10h30) | contact: womensbiblestudy 4th Arrondissement Group (Tues. at 19h00) | contact: smallgroup4 30 Plus Adult Group (Wed. at 20h00) | contact: thirtyplus Men’s Bible Study at ACP (Thurs. at 7h30) | contact: mensbiblestudy

Fellowship & Discussion Groups Filipino Fellowship (Sundays) | contact: filipinofellowship African Fellowship (Sundays) | contact: africanfellowship Women’s Sunday Fellowship (Sunday, once/month) | contact: women Knitting Group (Monday at 16h00) | contact: knitting Young Adults Group (Tuesday at 19h30) | contact: youngadults Movie Discussion Group (Thursday, once/month) | contact: movies Mothers of Paris MOPS (Friday, once/month) | contact: mops Multicultural Couples (Friday, once/month) | contact: multicultural Adult Fellowship (1st Friday of month) | contact: 30plusfellowship Writers Group (Saturday, once/month) | contact: writers Alpha - Introduction to Christianity | contact: alpha Oneness Meditation (Tuesday at 19h00) | contact: onenessmeditation

Music & Service Groups Adult Choir* | contact: music Bell Choirs* | contact: music Lumina Ensemble* | contact: lumina Contemporary Worship Band* | contact: cmusic Serve the City | contact: servethecity Lay Care | contact: laycaregivers Friday Mission Lunch | contact: fridaymissionlunch Kitchen Ministry | contact: communitylife

Operational/Finance/Physical Facility Plan

The Operational, Finance and Physical Facility plan. To set the foundation for understanding these plans, we include some history of expenses and the major components that drive expenses, including the physical facility. For income and funding we again attempt to lay the foundation with some history on financial Stewardship and historical sources of income/revenues for ACP. Then we turn this into the projected five year income statements and the current estimated gap. Finally in this section we provide some data on the current status of the ACP-160 campaign and our reserves at the end of December 31, 2018.

Outline of this section: To set the foundation for understanding our five-year plan, this section first provides information relative to the operational and facility costs at ACP as follows: A. Where do we spend our money? –a look at 2018 actual and 2019 approved budgeted expenses

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B. A slightly deeper dive on the Staff costs and the HR committee goals for the Strategic Plan which address staffing and pastoral transitions C. A summary of the costs of our Church programs and missions (note that these are incremental expenses of the programs only – we do not charge these programs rent, staffing or other overhead costs. Wedding expense does however include the variable costs for organists, music, etc. but NOT the salary and benefits of the wedding coordinator D. Property / Facility Costs – a summary of the costs over the last few years and what the Property Committee has been hard at work accomplishing as part of this Strategic Plan

Then after this section we will cover Income and Funding A. A summary of our Stewardship activities re-invigorated in 2019 to help us achieve a 2019 targeted increase in giving of 55% (an incremental €245K over 2018 giving). B. What are the historical sources of income for the ACP C. Projected Income (Loss) for 2020-2023 plus 2018 unaudited actual and 2019 Budget D. The GAP –and funding sources being explored to fill the GAP E. Finally- we include a bit of information on the finalization of ACP 160 and our existing reserves

A. Where do we spend our Money – what are the expenses of ACP?

The following is intended to provide you an overview based on unaudited 2018 and our 2019 budget. Of course, it does not include certain costs paid by the AFCU including Senior Pastor salary and certain agreed costs as well as, for example, taxes and insurance on the building.

Staff cost Combined Proposed increases reflect audited 2018 Budget 2019 selected diffs one-time costs Staff and social charges, including some ministries and but also pastors 839,969 865,000 25,031 additional hire Building: Repairs & Utilities 224,580 216,000 in finance. Church Program Expenses 123,525 151,840 28,315 Church program Wedding Expenses 74,411 74,000 and Missions is Mission Outreach, inc designated gifts 43,917 52,571 8,654 part of strategy Other Missions 10,545 10,000 Administrative 56,729 57,500 to increase Security 40,764 41,000 mission and Other 66,207 38,000 (28,207) ministries Expenses before property 1,480,646 1,505,911 8% Property expenses 47,367 140,000 Build a property reserve 70,000 Total Expenses 1,528,013 1,715,911 Here how it look graphically – some people like graphs!

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2019 Budget Expenses - 1,715,911€ 6% 2% Pastors, ministers, staff and social charges - 50% €865K Building: Utilities, cleaning, maintenance - 13% €216K 13% Property repairs and 4% improvements - 12% €210K Wedding expenses- 5% €74K 50%

12% Church Programs and Missions- 12% €214K Administrative and Other - 13% 6% €96K Security - 2% €41K

B. Slightly deeper dive on HR costs

Let’s deep dive a bit more on the largest of this is “Pastoral, ministers, staff and related social charges. Benefits and Social charges total an incremental 45% on top of base salary in France! The following is an allocation among the various elements of the ministries only for salary and benefits. Of course, the amounts exclude Senior Pastor costs that are paid for by the AFCU. We’ll cover Property later.

2019 budgeted Salary and Social Charges

[CATEGORY NAME] [PERCENTAGE] Reception 11% Pastoral 25%

Admin/Finance/ Maintenance/ Music Rentals 16% 36%

Wedding 10%

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The current staff and pastoral positions at ACP are in the graph and list below. Our staff are awesome and while we have some turnover periodically, the highest area of turnover was in the finance staff. This took us more than a year to stabilize but we currently have two individuals that are the Finance team. This is an increase over 2018, but in fact much of the work was done by Pam Bohl spending almost full time, supplemented by a contractor and Office Manager Andrea Richard taking on duties that could be better delegated to staff. Now we are in a position to do just that!

• Senior Pastor: Scott Herr • Associate Pastor for Congregational Ministries: Tim Vance (started Feb. 15, 2015) • Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults: Victor Greene (started Feb. 15, 2018) • Visiting Pastor: Dan Michalek • Youth Intern: Julia Metcalf • Executive Assistant: Heather Walter • Business Administrator: Andrea Richard • Wedding Ministry Coordinator- 50%/Business Admin Asst. 50%: Emma Barton • Docent: Anjlo Ajmal • Director of Children’s Ministry: Allison Wheeler • Music Director: Fred Gramann • Children & Youth Music Director: Sara Barton • Contemporary Worship Leader: Nathalie Raynal • Communications Coordinator: John Newman • Accountant: Arnaud Vandamme • Accounting Assistant: Lucy Jamin • Receptionists: Madalina Andrei, Joelle Benoliel, Martha Gachoka, Joerg Kaldewey, Shanna Valcy-Pech • Maintenance Manager: Tom Padden • Nursery Coordinator: Pamela Gonder

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GOALS OF THE HR COMMITTEE for next 3-5 years

The goals over the next five-years for the Human Resources Committee are included in Appendix X, but include

1. Execute flawlessly with the AFCU, as appropriate, any pastoral transitions over the next three to five years 2. Open some functions to volunteers to remain a servant church 3. Prepare (financially and in terms of continuity) the retirements of members of staff 4. Stabilize our staff 5. Train the staff 6. Make sure the activities of the church comply with the French legal framework 7. Continue to set policies that reflect high standards 8. Initiate annual staff goals and evaluations in light of strategic objectives C. Mission and Ministry Revenues and Costs

Some of the ministries are partially self-funded in that they generate some income from ticket sales or other admissions or, in the case of Bloom, for tickets as well as sponsorship and exhibitor tables. The table below presents both the income/revenues as well as the costs for the missions and ministries.

Additional funding sources include designate gifts from members and friends of the ACP as well as the 10% “tithe” from prior year congregational giving that goes directly to fund the ACP missions.

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2018 - Line item 2019 budget Preliminary

2 Church programs Income Ateliers concerts, Xmas, CS Revenues 18,924 20,000 Christian Education 12,336 13,775 Youth & Young Adult - Community Life 8,589 6,075 Bloom 16,155 12,000 Total 2 Church programs Income 56,003 51,850

Church programs expenses Community fund raising and awareness 5,913 6,000 Community Life 10,024 14,000 Sanctuary supplies 8,715 8,000 Communication 4,828 9,840 Christian Education 44,968 50,000 Youth & Young Adult 11,128 28,000 Development - This approximately €35K Bloom 10,485 6,000 increase in Church programs Worship & Music 27,465 15,000 and Missions expenses is Contemporary Music - 14,000 directly in line with our Stewardship com 1,000 strategy to increase missions Total 4 Church programs 123,525 151,840 and ministries of ACP. The Mission expenses Survey told us this is one of Missions Outreach 42,064 45,496 the top reasons people give Missions Outreach Designated Gifts 2,757 7,075 and that is one of our Habitat for humanity and other 10,544 10,000 strengths. Total 6 Mission expenses 55,365 62,571

D. Physical Facility/Property Expenses

This is one of our largest expenses at ACP. We are fortunate to be able to pursue our mission from a beautiful, historical facility. Our PROPERTY / facilities are AWESOME – but they require tender loving care and we need to INVEST IN THEM to provide a place of worship, further our mission, and build and serve our community.

Why must we invest in improving the facilities?

Pastor Scott reminded us in the May edition of the Spire magazine – “It is good to remember that the Church is not a building, but rather those of us who are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ. We are an organic “Body,” and Christ is the “head,” when we are rightly connected.”

As we described to our Congregation, this Church – this Community of believers and followers of Jesus Christ touches hundreds of lives each day through the schools, the various Bible studies, French classes, Thurber lectures, Men’s and Women’s ministries and the many other ministries and missions discussed earlier in this plan. All of these rely on our facilities in one way of another. Other examples of ministries that our facilities help support:

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 Through Alpha we have introduced countless people to Christ’s message.  Our worship services, including the integral music connects our community to practical messages for living in today’s world  Musical concerts introduce others to our Christian community  Our 100 nights of welcome provided shelter to refugees during the cold winter months  Our sandwich ministry feeds the homeless  We provide education and guidance for living a Christian life to many, including youth and young adults  We provide refuge for those with dependencies, those grieving, those seeking to reconcile, and those seeking a deeper faith in God.

In addition to being a beautiful, historical treasure, these facilities are a tool that enables Christ, through us, to enrich the lives of visitors and residents of Paris.

This property costs money to maintain

The facilities cost about €450K to operate annually when you include utilities and cleaning, minor and major maintenance, and projects of all types – it’s costly to run a 90-year-old building.

Property costs historical, in Euros 500 000

400 000 These costs don’t 300 000 include any impact 200 000 of Revallement – which if spread out 100 000 over 10 years would increase these costs - 2015 2016 2017 2018 bby €70K per year

Utilities, heat, water, cleaning Repairs and building supplies Maintenance personnel Property projects

Ravelement- Every 10 years we need to clean/refurbish the building at a cost estimated at between €625K and €700K. That’s €70K per year. One-half of the building has exceeded the 10-year mark already and is coming due in the next 2-3 years. While there is no clear time requirement, it will come. The other half of the building will be likely due in the next five years as well. We have NO reserve built for this large expenditure. Of course, the building generates quite substantial revenues – see section on Income and Funding Sources.

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The Property Committee has been hard at work!

 Major projects in recent years: o Cleaning the organ o Restoring the Steinway Piano o Remodeling the courtyard o Installing a lift for Reduced Mobility Persons (RMP) o New flooring in the basement o Permanent maintenance of the building and the apartments.

 In 2018 we tightened our budget to about €40K while we awaited the Building audit funded by our friends at AFCU  The building audit revealed a number of items to be fixed but did not reveal any major matters requiring major modification. Note that there is still one “intrusion” test to be performed that has not been completed at this time  Using the building audit, Property Committee knowledge and experience, fire inspector results and other sources, we compiled a five-year plan. With AFCU help including Jon Voskuil, we prioritized these along the following categories o Safety and/or Regulatory compliance o General Maintenance o Worship Experience Improvement (direct improvement of church services) o Direct Church Community (improved access for churchgoers, improvement to school facilities, etc.) o General Community and Cultural (items to improve cultural events at church, etc.)  These were then prioritized by year to the best of our ability. Of course, the timing of some is flexible.  We estimated the costs, refining as we proceeded from a guess to better estimates to bids where possible. Estimation is still a work in process and unexpected costs of course occur – the latest being €20K to repair one of the two boilers  The entire list of the projects over five years is an Appendix (XX) and totals nearly €2 million. The estimates for years 3-5 include a projected average amount not yet specifically identified.

Using this historical and projected information as a guide, we asked the Congregation to begin funding an average cost of €140K per year for upgrade projects and to help build a property reserve by funding €70K per year. We have specific projects for the €140K.

Other costs

While the HR cost, Missions and Ministries and Property expenses account for more than 85% of our annual costs, it is worth noting that we also spend approximately €41K annually on security.

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Income and Funding

Before we describe the five-year plan, we think it makes sense to first build a foundation with a discussion of Stewardship, then describe the historical sources of revenue for ACP. This should provide better context for the Projected Five-Year Income statements.

A. Summary of Stewardship Activities In early 2019 we reconstituted the Stewardship committee. This Committee focuses on the financial giving element of Stewardship specifically. Of course, as part of our overall Stewardship efforts, there are many time and talent opportunities and those too are covered in our Goals and Action Plans in the Appendix.

What we have done so far?  Convened a team  Confirmed IMMEDIATELY that we needed to understand why people give and be clearer in our communication of the status of Church finances. We commenced raising awareness!  Surveyed the Congregation as to why people give to ACP and considered results – full results are in an Appendix. The primary reasons they told us they give are: o To support the ministries and missions o Serve the community (and the church needs the money) o God teaches us we need to be givers o For the joy of giving o Part of Christian discipleship

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Communications we are making:  Financial Giving Target of 55% incremental giving increase communicated March 24, along with the case for why. The increase makes total congregational giving €727K. Incremental element summarized: o Missions and Ministries - €35K o Property projects - €140K o Property Reserve - €70K

 In the weekly bulletins, in the Spire, in a monthly distribution of “giving thermometer” – status of giving relative to goal  We have a calendar with currently twice a month “mission moment” – with a mission or ministry talking about how we are changing the lives of thousands of people each day.  We are developing an annual plan for Stewardship – specifically the financial giving element of Stewardship

B. Historical Sources of Revenue at ACP

As mentioned, our 2019 Budget includes a target of a 55% increase in Congregational Giving. The following summary shows graphically, including that €245K increase, the sources of revenue for ACP. Of course this means that in past years the Weddings and Rentals have been an even higher percentage of total sources of revenue for ACP. Our total revenues in 2019 are BUDGETED to be €1,688K.

The breakdown by source is as follows:

[CATEGORY BUDGET 2019 Church Programs NAME] 51,850 1% 3%

Wedding Blessings 381,425 Congregational 23% Giving 727,000 43%

Rentals 506,000 30%

Prior to 2018, our giving has been on a slow decline, with a slight upswing in 2018 coming from giving through the AFCU. At first, we looked at this stable giving as a strength, and perhaps it still is. But as you can see from the previous graphs and discussion, congregational giving has in the past covered less than 35% of the overall costs if the AFCU paid costs were included. We appreciate the stability but need to change the trajectory and the new bar to a higher stable level.

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Trend of Giving Full Year 2015-2018 400 000 350 000 300 000 250 000 200 000 150 000 100 000 50 000 - 2015 2016 2017 Prel 2018

Local identified giving ACP Local open plate Local identified giving via AFCU

Rental revenues have been fairly stable, although there was a slight decline in 2018 and we project slightly lower amounts in 2019 due to some specific contract losses. Wedding revenues have been setting records over the last few years – and in fact the AWESOME increases have made up for the steady decline in giving and have been the source that has enabled us to break even and keep up with the most urgent of property needs! However, as shown in the table, the wedding revenues can be a bit volatile – the dramatic dip reflects the November 2015 Bataclan tragedy.

Total 5 Wedding Blessings Rentals 600 000 500 000 400 000 300 000 200 000 100 000 -

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Here are how the Rentals break down in 2018 and 2019:

2019 2018 - Line item Approved Preliminary budget 3 Rentals Preschools 239,910 262,000 Long term contracts 80,816 82,000 Short term contracts 67,205 35,000 Gym 124,965 127,000 Total 3 Rentals 512,897 506,000

The largest renters projected for 2019 are

Client Classification Thousands of Euros Montessori Preschools 154 Montessori Gym 23 Montessori LT contract – kitchen and Nursery 11 Lennen Preschools 85 Lennen Gym 10 Lennen LT contracts- Theatre 9 AA Long-term contracts 20 Vitamome Gym 27 Kung Fu Gym 12

Karate Gym 11

25 others Various 144 Total €506

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C. Projected Income Statements –

Approved Audited 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023 Budget 2019 In Euros Congregational Giving Local identified giving through AFCU 58,097 55,000 55,000 55,000 55,000 55,000 Local identified giving ACP 293,479 292,000 292,000 292,000 292,000 292,000 Local open plate 106,627 113,000 113,000 113,000 113,000 113,000 Congregational increase to missions and ministries 35,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 Contribution increase to invest in our ACP facilities 140,000 140,000 140,000 140,000 140,000 Contributions for Sound and Lighting 170,000 Contributions to build a property reserve 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 70,000 Identified AFCU, ACP, Open plate 458,203 705,000 875,000 705,000 705,000 705,000 Other gifts 22,438 22,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 Total Congregational Giving 480,641 727,000 897,000 727,000 727,000 727,000 Rentals 512,897 506,000 506,000 506,000 506,000 506,000 Wedding Blessings 416,041 381,425 381,425 381,425 381,425 381,425 Church Programs Income 56,034 51,850 51,850 51,850 51,850 51,850 Other 37,399 22,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 Total Income 1,503,012 1,688,275 1,858,275 1,688,275 1,688,275 1,688,275

Expenses before property 1,480,646 1,505,911 1,536,029 1,566,750 1,598,085 1,630,046 Property Expense cleanings 295,000 325,000 Property Expenses, inc. property reserve adds or uses 47,367 210,000 431,000 163,000 270,000 130,000 Total Expenses 1,528,013 1,715,911 1,967,029 2,024,750 1,868,085 2,085,046 Net income before ACP-160 income (25,001) (27,636) (108,754) (336,475) (179,810) (396,771) ACP-160 income 26,680 0 0 0 0 0 Net income (loss) € 1,679 € (27,636) € (108,754) € (336,475) € (179,810) € (396,771)

Assumptions 2019 includes 55% increase in Congregational Giving approved. Other years assumed stable to 2019 - Property expenditures reflect the five-year property plan Building cleaning expense reflect bid for 2021 (€295K less 2 years of €70K reserve build. 2023 reflects est of €325K, less 2 years of €70K reserve build. Dates are not committed, but cleaning is generally "required" every ten years Assumed rate of inflation on all costs 2% 0%

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D. How to fill the GAP from the five-year plan

Approved 2020 2021 2022 2023 Budget 2019

Income GAP from five-year plan € (27,636) € (108,754) € (336,475) € (179,810) € (396,771)

Potential sources of Funding ACP-160 income (immediate use) 150,000

Increased Congregational Giving Heritage Giving? Capital campaigns Grants Planned giving Property Development Projects Build acoustic partition in 2020 and increase wedding and classroom revenues (125,000) 32,000 42,000 42,000

Change 1st floor and pastor spaces to make 6 new classrooms TBD

NOTE - The amounts for Development projects need substantial refinement in terms of costs, impact on existing revenues while the "build" happens, refinement of the resulting revenues including market rates. For example currently the Acoustic Partition assumes build in January, a low disruptive month, with revenues not starting until following year while we build up the marketing of additional space available. Revenue reflects only increased weddding revenues, whereas Theatre room class rental would likely be positively impacted

INCOME and FUNDING - What we have done in preparation for this point in time

 Set up the ACP and FACCP organizations to prepare for the future  Finalized audits of 2016, 2017 and 2018 in the last 15 months  Stabilized finance team and put some uncertainty behind us in staffing  Implemented processes to obtain monthly financial information  Reinvigorated the Stewardship Committee – see prior discussion  “Finalized” ACP-160  Provided for liabilities such as retirements to add transparency to our position  Set in place provisioning for known items like the property reserve, retirements, etc.  Did our best to estimate project costs for the future

Some Current and Future Steps (From Goals and Action Plans) 1. Finalize this Strategic Plan 2. Maintain and Monitor the Strategic Plan to support the ministries/missions of the Church 3. Continue clearer communication with the Congregation and AFCU on church finances, where we spend, status of giving, potential projects, ways to give 4. Expand ways of giving including mobile, credit card, app, etc. 5. Develop longer term sources of giving such as Charitable remainder trusts, Minimum Required Distributions, etc. Finalize Endowment fund 6. Determine timing/appetite for capital campaign, and other financial resources such as low interest financing in France 7. Explore income diversification (assess rates on rentals and weddings, explore Bloom opportunities), including sources not yet tapped such as Grants 8. Develop and deepen alumni relationships

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E. ACP-160

ACP-160 Results by Fund

450,000

425,000 Program Costs 400,000 16,322

375,000 Project Costs

350,000 Remaining at ACP 325,000 139,421 300,000 Remaining at AFCU

275,000

250,000

225,000 EUROS 200,000 394,132

175,000 141,518

150,000

125,000

100,000 5,242

75,000 111,296 50,000 75,939 27,288

25,000 31,814 12,519 0 00 00 Undesignated Accessibility Building Endowment Ministry Endowment Separate ACP-160 Funds

F. Reserves

After the reserve allocations, we have around €200K in general reserve at the end of 2018 when we should have around €400K. We have no remaining Property Reserve.

Dec 31, Dec 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2018 2016 after before Allocation of after before Allocation of after allocation of 2017 Operating allocation of 2017 Net allocation of allocation of 2018 Net allocation of Euros Net Results Transfers/Uses Net Results Results Net Results Net Results Results Net Results General Reserve 341,755 (13,418) 328,337 (140,623) 187,714 187,714 19,118 206,832 Property Reserve - - - - - Women's outreach/Bloom 14,022 14,022 14,022 14,022 14,022 Music 8,414 8,414 8,414 8,414 8,414 Mission Outreach 25,593 25,593 1,937 27,530 27,530 2,082 29,612 Youth Music Program 9,664 9,664 9,664 9,664 9,664 Youth Ministry 9,479 9,479 753 10,232 10,232 10,232 Other individually small reserves 4,172 4,172 4,172 4,172 4,172 ACP-160 128,488 (5,108) 123,380 46,953 170,333 170,333 1,675 172,008 HR Retirement Reserve 31,942 31,942 31,942 31,942 31,942 573,529 (18,526) 555,003 (90,980) 464,022 464,022 22,875 486,897 General Reserve Goal is a minimum of 3 months of current expenses which would be about €400K

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Next Steps

During this effort we have learned a great deal but our Strategic Plan is still very much a working draft. We look forward to AFCU feedback on this Strategic Plan, which we will hope to take to the June 2019 Congregational Meeting for information and further input. We anticipate that the Strategic Plan will be a living document, updated to reflect the needs of our Congregation and the realities of our social, political, and membership environment, guiding ACP in its ministry in Paris and the broader world. Next steps also include the development of monitoring mechanism for our goals and activities as well as communication plans. We will have further dialogue on next steps at the Friday, May 17, 2019 session.

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Appendices Note: Appendices can be viewed using the following link: acparis.org/strategicplan

A. DRAFT Goals and Action Plan (Strategic Pillars, Responsibilities. Timeline and measures pending) B. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) C. Strategic Analysis Data

1. Strategic Planning Survey

2. Stewardship Survey

3. Congregational meeting material including 2019 Approved Budget D. Five-Year Property Plan Project List E. Mission /Committee Reports, including Pastoral reports from the March 2019 Congregational Meeting F. Monitoring and Evaluation of Plan - Pending G. Communication Plan - Pending

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