Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ Annual Report 2020

CORAL GABLES CONGREGATIONAL UCC ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Annual Meeting Agenda…………………………………………………….3 Annual Meeting Minutes for 2019………………….…………………….4-5 Report of Church Leadership Committee………………...... 6

FINANCIAL REPORTS Treasurer’s Report for 2020………..……………………………………7-8 Proposed budget for 2021………………………………………………9-11 Legacy Fund ………...... 12-13

STAFF REPORTS Pastoral Team Reports………………………………………………..14-19 Minister for Congregational and Staff Care…………………………….20 Director of Music Ministry……………………………………………….20

COUNCIL AND BOARD REPORTS Moderator’s Report ………………………………………………….. 21-23 The Board of Spiritual Formation ……………………………………….24 The Board of Trustees …………………………………………………….25 The Board of Justice and Witness …………………....……………… 26-27 The Board of Congregational Life ……………………………………27-28

COVENANTED MINISTRIES

German Language Ministry……………………………………………....29 Spanish Language Ministry……………………………………………….30 Early Childhood Center ……………………………...... 30-31 Community Arts Program ………………………………………….....31-32 Fair Trade MarketPlace…………………………………………………...32

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Gables UCC Statement of Commitment to the Work of Anti-Racism………….33 A Pictorial Tribute to 2020………………………………………………34-35

CORAL GABLES CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 2020 ANNUAL MEETING Remembering 2020 – Visioning 2021

January 24, 2021

~ AGENDA ~

INSTRUCTIONS Elena Korallis, Communications Coordinator

CALL TO ORDER Gisela Vega, Moderator

INVOCATION Aaron Lauer, Associate Pastor

SHARING OF OUR STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO THE WORK OF ANTI-RACISM

PRESENTATION OF 2019 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES Gisela Vega

ACCEPTANCE OF 2019 ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES Gisela Vega

REPORT OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE John Graham Church Leadership Committee

ELECTION OF NEW BOARD AND COUNCIL MEMBERS Gisela Vega

FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR 2020 AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE 2021 PROPOSED BUDGET Larry Silvester, Treasurer Dennis Rodrigues, Business Manager

ACCEPTANCE OF THE BUDGET FOR 2021 Gisela Vega

RECOGNITIONS Laurinda Hafner, Senior Pastor

REMARKS BY THE MODERATOR Gisela Vega

INTRODUCTION AND REMARKS OF NEW MODERATOR John Graham

ADJOURNMENT Gisela Vega

BENEDICTION Megan Smith, Associate Pastor

Coral Gables Congregational UCC 2019 Annual Meeting Minutes Remembering 2019-Visioning 2020

Meeting called to order at 12:33 pm. Janet Copeland

Invocation: Pastor Aaron Lauer

Presentation of 2019 Annual Meeting Minutes: Janet Copeland Motion to accept the minutes as presented – Nancy Morgan Seconded – Ingrid Hunter The minutes were adopted as presented.

Report of Church Leadership Committee: John Graham

Election of Board and Council Members: Motion to accept the proposed board and council members - Nancy Morgan Seconded - Dorothy Thorburn The motion passed by consensus.

Financial Reports for 2019 and presentation of the 2020 Proposed Budget: Larry Sylvester & Dennis Rodrigues

Larry remarked that the proposed 2020 budget is fully sustainable, which is a remarkable achievement in one year. The first independent audit of the church’s finances was conducted. The auditors concluded that the church is using best practices for processes and reporting. An audit will be conducted for the next 2 years. Larry thanked the congregation and responded to questions from the floor. Larry was thanked for his inspiration and encouragement.

Acceptance of the Budget for 2020: Motion to accept the 2020 proposed budget - Ann de las Pozas Seconded – Ingrid Hunter The motion passed and the budget approved by consensus.

Recognitions: Pastor Laurie

Laurie thanked the youth for serving the lunch. Various groups were thanked for their contributions including the choir, ushers, Sunday school teachers, scribes, board members, coffee hours servers, special event participants, grounds and landscaping volunteers and many more.

Special recognition – Connor Smith, Eagle Scout was recognized for his contribution a a butterfly garden. Connor designed, recruited help, provided benches and plants all that was needed to construct a beautiful garden.

Staff members were called forward. Alice Fernandez (95 years of age), retired accountant was recognized and thanked for her many years of service. Custodian Guillermo Ordoñez was recognized for his service and bade farewell and best wishes as he leaves his position. Mary Eaton, as recognized for her hard work with the very successful Fair Trade Marketplace. Thanks and

appreciation were offered to the volunteer receptionists. council members and board chairs for jobs well done. Special thanks were offered to Janet Copeland, outgoing moderator. Laurie also thanked Paul Parcell, Elaine Cottle, Raul Hernandez, Hector Zuazo and Bob Medina for all their special efforts. Pastor spoke to difficult task of reducing the budget and praised the generosity of the congregation.

Remarks by the Moderator: Janet Copeland

Janet thanked the pastors and council members. She expressed appreciation for the board leadership, the Executive Committee members, Arden Shank, audit chair, legacy committee chair, Vision 100 chair and Ron Morgan, director of the music ministry.

She commented many of the remarkable events of the past year; the 40th anniversary of Pastor Laurie’s ordination, VBC (Vacation Bible Camp), the Youth trips to France and New Mexico, PACT, the March for Justice, the Homestead Detention Center demonstrations, hosting our sanctuary family, the many new members and confirmands, members’ testimonials and Asset Sunday.

Introduction and Remarks of New Moderator: John Graham read Gisela’s remarks in her absence.

Adjournment: 1:16 p.m. by Janet Copeland

Benediction: Megan Smith

Submitted by Deborah Paris, Secretary January 26, 2020

CHURCH LEADERSHIP REPORT *New nominees are bolded

CHURCH COUNCIL Moderator John Graham (2021) Vice Moderator Ann de las Pozas (2022) Member at Large Deborah Paris (2023) Secretary Linda Spears-Bunton (2023) Treasurer Tim Knoll (2024) Honorary Member Raul Hernandez (2022)

BOARD OF CONGREGATIONAL LIFE BOARD OF JUSTICE & WITNESS Elizabeth Delgado (2021) Harley Soza (2021) Mark Wolfe (2021) Frances Guerrero (2021) Susan Snook (2021) Connie Acosta (2021) Judi Haberkorn (2022) Marilyn Ottenwalder (2022) Lourdes Garcia (2022) Francoise Cham (2022) Marilyn Caputo (2022) Michael Maxwell (2022) Petra Davies (2023) Nick Osterman (2023) JD Heiden (2023) Stephan Eberhagen (2023) Annika Grant (2023) Karen Connolly (2023)

BOARD OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES (John) Paula Orr (2021) Anthony Burns (2021) Amber Thomassen (2021) Parry LaGro (2021) Wendy Long (2021) Kevin Maschke (2021) Edwin Scharlau (2022) Nathan Moe (2022) Natalie Ortega (2022) Tom Carney (2022) Lindsay Bordenkircher (2022) Laura Smith (2022) Danny Ricardo (2023) Ines Calderon (2023) Patrick Macquoid (2023) Robert Platz (2023) Vickie Murphy (2023) Alice Keller (2023)

LEGACY FUND Andrew Hutchinson (chair) Andrea Heuson Sharp, Larry Silvester, John Miller, Laurinda Hafner, John Graham, and the Treasurer Dennis Rodrigues, ex officio

6 2020 TREASURER’S REPORT Larry Silvester, Treasurer

INCOME 2020 2019 2018

Pledged $475,094 $442,603 $380,186

Non-Pledge Giving $82,038 $150,393 $143,661

Total Giving $557,132 $592,996 $523,847

Wedding Income $92,433 $175,291 $214,943

Funeral Income $1,195 $4,002 $14,533

Baptism Income $15,450 $25,334 $28,830

Building Usage Income $20,590 $39,347 $39,103

Memorial Gifts $10,000 $7,625 $37,555

Moye Trust $146,990 $125,743 $145,336

ECC Contribution $125,000 $140,000 $80,000

Fair Trade-Net Profit $12,000 $36,000 $35,000

Misc. Income $755 $7,828 $2,041

Total Other Income $424,413 $561,170 $597,341

TOTAL INCOME $981,545 $1,154,166 $1,121,188

OPERATING EXPENSES $1,637,691 $1,708,382 $1,792,214

LEGACY FUND DRAW $360,700 $535,000 $690,100

Pledged giving rose for the third consecutive year, reversing a previous downward trend. Also, in 2020, for the first time ever, pledged contributions actually received exceeded the amount of the 2020 pledge campaign. These are very good indicators that the congregation remains engaged and committed to the ministry of Gables UCC.

2020 was a year like no other with a shutdown of the facility in mid-March resulting in lower income for most line items. Total Income was down $172,621 (- 15%). Operating expenses were also down $70,691 (- 4%).

The big news is that we applied for and received a forgivable loan of $312,000 from the SBA under the terms of the Cares Act passed by Congress in March 2020. The purpose of the PPP loans was to encourage organizations to maintain employment, despite the negative effects of the pandemic. The loan amount was set at 2.5 months payroll and is forgivable if we maintained our employment base through the end of 2020, which we did. Therefore, we believe the loan will be forgiven in 2021 and we will be able to book it as income in 2021.

We also received approval for a $42,000+ State of Florida grant for Historical Preservation which will be included in the 2021 budget. The money will fund half of the cost of a survey of the property, including its main components, identifying capital repairs over time, and their cost, to maintain our historic building. The survey began in late 2020 and will be completed in early 2021.

During 2019 and 2020 we raised $100,000+ toward the cost of improving the sound, video and audio- visual systems in our sanctuary. This involves replacing the existing carpeted chancel with a new hardwood floor and installing new microphones, loudspeakers, amplifiers, sound mixing boards, a screen and projector and linking these new devices with the new video cameras installed in 2020. An architect and sound engineer have been hired to plan this project and execute it during 2021. The preliminary budget for this project is $135,000. This will be considered a capital investment in the future growth of the church as we maintain and enhance our virtual platform for continued growth.

So, despite significant decreases in income from most income line items, we were able to manage the Legacy Fund draw to $360,700, which is the amount budgeted for 2020 and is 3.5% of the outstanding balance of the Legacy Fund as of 12/31/2019. This level is a sustainable amount and we met our goal to not distribute more than 5% of the Legacy Fund each year.

In addition to the normal giving, the congregation contributed $47,000+ to a new Compassion Fund. The purpose of this fund was to assist congregation members and others adversely affected by the pandemic. In 2020 we disbursed $25,500 from this fund and will carry over the balance into 2021.

2021 BUDGET PROPOSAL Presented by Larry Silvester, Treasurer, on behalf of the Church Council

Proposed

INCOME Actual 2020 2021 Budget

Pledged $475,094 $480,000 Non-Pledge $82,038 $110,000 Total Giving $557,132 $590,000

Wedding Income $92,433 $140,000 Funeral Income $1,195 $5,000 Baptism Income $15,450 $18,000 Building Usage $20,590 $25,000 Memorial Gifts $10,000 $10,000 Moye Trust $146,990 $161,500 ECC Contribution $125,000 $100,000 Fair Trade - Net $12,000 $10,000 Misc. Income $755 $1,000 Total Other Income $424,413 $470,500

TOTAL INCOME $981,545 $1,060,500

EXPENSES

Board of Justice & Witness $113,433 $117,500 Board of Christian Education $35,035 $60,050 Board of Congregational Life $277,327 $290,060 Board of Trustees $459,236 $443,650 Church Council $752,660 $791,950

OPERATING EXPENSES $1,637,691 $1,703,210

PPP Forgivable Loan $312,000 $300,000

LEGACY FUND DRAW * $360,700 $342,710

Designated Funds

Balance carried 2020 2020 forward to Contributions Disbursements 2021

Compassion Fund $47,000 $25,500 $21,500

Remaining budgeted Sanctuary Audio/ amount to be spent Visual/Video Upgrade $105,000 $16,000 $89,000 is $125,000

Reimbursement due State grant for historical from State of survey - $42,000 $42,000 Florida

Major Maintenance Fund $53,000 - $233,000

Once again, the proposed 2021 budget is a sustainable amount. The big assumption in the budget is obtaining a second PPP loan from the SBA under the second Cares Act approved by Congress in December, 2020. In the event the PPP loan is NOT obtained, spending will be adjusted such that the Legacy Fund draw will be limited to no more than 5% of the Legacy Fund balance as of 12/31/2020 ($9,814,097) or $490,000.

Our budgeting assumption is that we will slowly return toward normal operations and income levels over the course of 2021 due to the increasing availability of a COVID vaccine.

Congregational giving is the largest and most important element of the sustainable ministry solution. Below is a table showing the historical pattern of giving:

PLEDGING PLEDGE NON- TOTAL PLEDGE YEAR UNITS GIVING GIVING GIVING

2015 180 $407,733 $125,221 $532,954 2016 176 $393,804 $116,107 $509,911 2017 177 $384,153 $96,342 $480,495 2018 165 $380,186 $143,661 $523,847 2019 174 $442,603 $150,393 $592,996 2020 212 $475,094 $82,038 $557,132

In summary, the Church Council, the pastors and the staff will continue to manage the fiscal health of the church by seeking additional sources of revenue to support the outstanding, transformative ministries serving all ages at Coral Gables Congregational UCC. Even during a Pandemic, when the church facilities were closed, our programs and ministries INCREASED via virtual tools. The future growth of the church will likely be nurtured by the further expansion of the quantity and quality of our virtual capabilities as people will be able to join and participate from locations well beyond South Florida.

LEGACY FUND COMMITTEE REPORT Andrew Hutchinson, chair

The Legacy Fund Balance as of year-end 2020 was $9,814,097, almost $275k less than the Legacy Fund Balance on 12/31/19 ($10,088,650).

Draws from the Unrestricted Legacy Fund to support Church Operations totaled $360,700, the amount budgeted for 2020. In addition, the Legacy Fund made a $20,000 grant of Restricted Funds, as directed by the Board of Justice and Witness. The returns of the Legacy Fund investments managed by Baird were 1.78% which lagged significantly behind the 60/40 Blended Return Benchmark which reached 14.24%. For the trailing Three-Year period, the Legacy Fund returns were 4.98% versus 10.73% for the 60/40 Blended Return Benchmark.

Returns

16.00% 14.24% 14.00% 12.00% 10.73% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 4.98% 4.00% 1.78% 2.00% 0.00% 2020 Three Year

Legacy Fund 60/40 Benchmark*

*60/40 Blended Return Benchmark is comprised of 60% S&P 500, 40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Intermediate Government/Credit

Due to the disappointing performance of the investment returns recorded in both 2020 and during the prior Three-Year period, in November the Legacy Fund Committee voted unanimously to appoint a new financial advisor to manage the investment of the Legacy Fund. The newly appointed investment manager of the Gables UCC Legacy Fund will be the Vanguard Nonprofit Solution Group. The key expected outcomes of this decision include: • Improved investment performance that will be more closely aligned with returns of the targeted benchmark • Lower investment management fees • Investment advisory team specialized in supporting non-profit institutions, familiarized with the nuances of working with committees who oversee endowments It is expected that Vanguard will assume investment the advisory services in February since the current loan with Tri-state must be refinanced with a new lender prior to transferring the Legacy Fund holdings to Vanguard. It is anticipated that this refi will occur at a lower interest rate, thereby lowering our borrowing costs. Concurrent with the reassignment of the investment management services to Vanguard, the Legacy Fund Committee has also prepared an updated Investment Policy Statement which defines the general investment goals/objectives and describes the strategies that Vanguard should employ to meet these objectives.

PASTOR’S REPORTS

The Rev. Dr. Laurinda Hafner, Senior Pastor It is a joy to offer you, the beloved community of Gables UCC, this annual report and to review our journey together through this past most interesting, challenging, and yet, strangely so, blessed year. As I reflect on 2020, it is clear there was no such thing as “business as usual.” But again, that is typical for us as a church and congregation, as we are always upping, fine-tuning, and changing our ways to be more faithful, giving, and joy-filled. What was atypical is that we did so in the midst of a pandemic, social unrest, economic downturns, political divisiveness, and frankly, much pain, fear, and hurt. What I’m most proud of this year is that, in spite of all those things, we were still the church, a place of community, outreach, worship, spiritual growth, compassionate care, and hospitality.

The year started off well-enough and as it traditionally does with a joyous Three Kings celebration and party, a successful Hunger Vigil where we raised just over 12,000 pounds of food for the hungry of our community, and a meaningful MLK Sunday with the moving words of our own Harold Bunton. We even got through Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, and a powerful weekend with Karen Georgia Thompson, Associate General Minister of the UCC.

In February, I had the privilege of traveling with a wonderful group of church members and friends to the Middle East. We had a glorious and spiritually enriching time as we walked where the historical Jesus may have walked, saw many of the sites and places as found in scripture, celebrated at the baptism of one of our fellow travelers and a re-affirmation of baptism for other members in the River Jordan, and knelt in the place where it is said that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Just a few short weeks later, we heard that because of Covid, Bethlehem was closed, and tour buses were stuck there for several weeks. And, here on our own shores, Covid became a reality, and the “Church of the ‘New Now’” was born.

As a community of faith that honors good science and medicine, and out of love and respect for others, we closed our doors to public worship but never, ever, did the church close. In fact, maybe more than any other time I can remember, we worked harder at being the church. We were constantly creating, envisioning, and providing new opportunities to share the good news in creative, meaningful ways and offering our very best to every age and group. How could we be satisfied with anything less, given that it is God whom we serve?

What I have rediscovered through all this is that we are a beloved community. Not perfect by any means, but beloved in the eyes of God, and through our love and care for each other and those beyond our community. Out of this love, the Compassion Fund was birthed when one of the texted morning prayers I received was from a member who lost her job and had no way to pay her phone bill so she could look for another job. Almost immediately, a member wrote and said, “I’ll pay her bill.” Soon an entire fund was established to help members and friends of the congregation find hope and help as jobs dwindled and resources dried up. The generosity toward this fund has amazed and dazzled me along with what it has accomplished.

Shortly thereafter, as a way to stay connected with everyone and to provide a bit of inspiration and daily hope, Morning Messages were born. With thanks to our primary team, Elena Korallis, Anthony Cabrera, and Brandon Mowry, and all the other participants, we managed to squeeze out 151 morning messages! The Called to Care Team, under the thoughtful leadership of Carol Fifield, made calls, not once but three times (!) over the many months to church members to check in on them. They also gathered each Wednesday over Zoom to pray for those who had requested prayers through our church prayer list.

The energetic and faithful Executive Council, under the remarkable leadership of moderator Gisela Vega, began having weekly meeting over Zoom in order to create an active, safe, and strong church during these challenge days. Not to be outdone, the Board of Congregational Life, with the strong leadership of Marilyn Caputo, also began to meet weekly to think about how to do worship, extend hospitality, care for one another, and re-enter when the time is appropriate. One of their biggest accomplishments was creating a booklet for how we would safely return when the time was right and to appoint a Covid Administrator in the form of our own very capable Mark Wolfe.

Meanwhile, bags of food would appear at the front door or were sent to the church to help our own food pantry care for those in need. Our volunteer social worker Elaine Cottle worked long and hard at providing immediate support and long-term solutions for hurting, in need folks

Every day and every act of ministry—each worship service, each pastoral interaction, each act of service, each class taught, even each committee meeting and every event added to the church calendar—gives new opportunity to see God at work among us.

Gables UCC is a beautiful communion of God’s people. We celebrate a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and opinions. We especially discovered this during our renewed Sacred Conversations on Race and other studies, conversations, and book clubs, as we had some difficult conversations with one another and took a good hard look at ourselves and for many of us, our privilege. I’m so proud of our church’s Statement of Commitment to the Work of Anti-Racism.

This past year, even in the midst of a pandemic I baptized, married, and buried people who God has placed in my life through this community – people who truly matter to me. Through countless Zoom meetings and gatherings, I had the chance to laugh, cry, ponder, and wonder about life with so many of you. I also made commitments to serve beyond these walls, including as president of PACT, as a board member of the Collective Empowerment Group, and as a consultant to our Thursday evening Therapeutic Groups in partnership with UM.

Over the past twelve months, God’s Spirit raised up competent and compassionate leaders to provide a plethora of skills that were needed – at just the right times – in providing wisdom and counsel in the guiding of our work together. I offer a special word of thanks to our 2020 Council and to our boards and committees. I can attest to you that these individuals are remarkable for their capacities to serve without wavering or becoming discouraged.

I am also so grateful to our multitude of volunteers who quietly and without fanfare go about the work of the church, doing what needs to be done within such an alive, vital, and growing church. From our Fair Trade MarketPlace workers and volunteers, to the Garden Warriors, to our Called to Care Team, and our Prayer Shawl knitters and crocheters; the volunteer receptionists, those who share their own professional skills and talents in helping others through our church; and to all who serve in so many ways and places in the life of the church, we are blessed by you who give of your time and talent.

I am deeply grateful for the staff we have here at Gables UCC, for our custodians, and program staff, administrative and help staff, everyone in the business, communications, and events offices, to our covenanted ministries that have the most excellent and devoted leaders, and for the musicians and singers.

I simply cannot say enough about my dedicated and gifted clergy colleagues Pastor Megan and Pastor Aaron. The deep and abiding ways you serve this church never ceases to inspire me. And, this year, special honorary mention to Elena Korallis, our Communications Coordinator, who managed to keep us in communication with all of you and the outside world. 15

There are several things that I will remember fondly about 2020. The first is the amazing drive-by birthday parade. Unbelievable! Another is the very touching Pastor Appreciation Day celebration, when the Church Council and boards honored Megan, Aaron, and me. How they ever kept that a secret is beyond me.

The other thing I will remember and always celebrate was your generosity as a congregation. This past year, you gave, and gave, and gave. Not only of your treasure, but of your time and talents as well.

Generosity, growing faith, increasing love – these are the gifts of God that every pastor welcomes. It is a continuing delight to work among you, and to see how the Gospel takes root in your lives. Even when we have had bumps in the road, there is a pervading joy among the people of this congregation. The sanctuary and church building which usually teems with excitement, busyness, and activity may have been empty during 2020, but my heart has been full because of the love, dedication, and support of so many of you.

My prayer for 2021 is that we will enjoy one another even more, and through that enjoyment, we will enjoy the God who delights in us. I thank God for the wonderful opportunity to serve as your pastor. I thank you as well for your partnership in doing God‘s work through this our beloved community.

The Rev. Megan Smith, Associate Pastor Oh 2020 is a year that we will not quickly forget! We were challenged as a country, state, and local church to respond, with justice and love, to the many societal issues that plague us. It was also a year, we realized, whether we are gathered or scattered, in the church building or in our own home, WE, the people are Gables UCC.

Some highlights of the year: • Rev. Dr. Karen-Georgia Thompson’s sermon and talk-back early in March while we were still in- person. • Embracing Zoom, video-making and new technologies, like Flip-Grid to engage with our families. • Developing a flexible on-line Sunday School program for our children and youth. Each week, I made a video that was emailed out to our families, along with a Music Time video created by our own wonderful and gifted, Ms. Alex Woods. Reading story books and scripture on video for our youngest children. • Creating Sunday School supply-kits that were handed out after our drive-in worship each month. These bags contained curriculum, crafts, supplies and a few surprises. • Teaching Sunday School on Zoom each week with our Adults, PreK-3/4, Kindergarten/First Grade, Second/Third Grades, Fourth/Fifth Grades. • Leading both Middle School and High Sunday School along with Pastor Aaron. • Writing postcards and letters regularly to our children and receiving them too! • Creating an adult pen-pal group, that sends snail mail to each other • Inviting parents to join with me each month for a new online program, The Parent and Pastor Connection. Continuing Lunch and the Bible, but moving it online. Enjoying Happy Hour, Tea Time and Dance nights via Zoom to have fun and connect. • Although we did not have Vacation Bible Camp in 2020, our children joined me in an online weekly Compassion Camp, where we addressed many of the issues that are affecting society today. Core programs such as The Bible and Me, and Touch the Water Taste the Bread, also moved to Zoom. • The continued generosity of our membership as they supported our Food Pantry and Lotus House. • Adult Zoom book studies, led by Laura Smith and another by Debbie Paris following the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. I am so grateful for their leadership. • Participating in the development of health and safety protocol for Sunday School under the leadership of the Board of Spiritual Formation. Thank you, Board members! • Imagining, creating and celebrating Easter and Christmas on-line worship services for our children and youth. These are but a few of the joys, experienced in 2020.

As the supervisor to our wedding and baptism ministry, we adapted and developed safety protocols. The first thing we did was remove half of the pews from the sanctuary, so every family would be six feet apart. We purchased a disinfecting machine to spray the sanctuary. We designated microphones for clergy and for vocalist, so no one shared a mic. We purchased multiple hand sanitizer stations to place in the sanctuary and around the church. We posted mandatory mask signs around the church. We limited the number of guests at both baptisms and weddings.

We made the change from group baptisms to small, private baptisms. We baptized seventy-seven children during 2020. Ten additional baptisms from 2020 are rescheduled for 2021 and two baptisms were canceled in 2020.

In our wedding ministry, eighty-three weddings were booked in 2020. Fifty-Three weddings took place in 2020. The remaining thirty weddings were rescheduled to 2021 due to Covid and three weddings were canceled.

Challenging year, yes! But also, a year of revelation and the deepening of our faith and hope in the Divine One. As I begin my twenty-sixth year serving this congregation, first as your Director of Children’s Ministry and then as your Associate Minister, I continue to be humbled by your faith, devotion and dedication to God. It is my honor to serve you.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in God, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

------The Rev. Aaron Lauer, Associate Pastor for Emerging Generations When 2020 began, I had big plans for our ministries here at Gables UCC! I was looking toward the spring and summer, and was so excited about mission trips with the youth and the Nehemiah Action with PACT, not to mention a new confirmation class in the fall and creative work with our young adults and Board of Justice and Witness.

As is often said, “If you want to make God laugh, make a plan!” With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew that we couldn’t go on as planned. We needed to continue our ministries here at the church, with the safety of our members and their health being our top priority.

In January and February, we were able to host our annual PACT Network Meeting and Rally, take both our youth groups on Surprise Trips, and gather with our Young Adults for brunches and faith conversation.

Because of the strong leadership in this congregation, we adapted quickly to ministry in this new context. Without their work and dedication, none of our work and ministry would have ever been possible.

A few highlights I want to lift up are:

Anti-Racist Book Club we hosted for our High Schoolers under the leadership of Nikki Knoll and in partnership with Plymouth UCC

Faith and Anxiety class for our High School youth, with Lisa LeSueur and Mark Smith leading the class

Sunday School classes on prayer with the Middle School youth, led by Sandy Nojaim and Arnold Elguezabal

Thanksgiving Volunteer Extravaganza, where we made 2,000 hygiene kits and 250 meals, under the leadership of our High School youth

Weekly gatherings of our Young Adults on Zoom, under the leadership of Harley Soza

We met our PACT Investment Drive Goal and hosted a Car Rally and an online Annual Meeting. All of this was possible through the leadership of our PACT Team: Janet Copeland, Tom Carney, Linda Spears- Bunton, Noel Cleland, Louise Davidson-Schmich, Lisa LeSueur, Ken Clark

The completion of our Young Adult Service Community with Jiajin Zheng and Marcus Frye. Thanks to Toni Macon for her leadership and guidance as part of this program.

Monthly gatherings of our High School and Middle School youth, where Drew Sandbulte and Lisa LeSueur have done amazing ministry

These are only a few ways that this congregation adapted and responded to ministry in this unprecedented time. I am so grateful for this leadership, so grateful for your prayers and voices, and so grateful for the dedication of so many to keep this congregation committed to our work of justice and love in the world.

Lisa LeSueur, Minister for Congregational and Staff Care

The WISE team presented Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old; a series that explored the natural physical and psychological aspects of aging. Pastor Laurie began the series with a discussion of the book On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, & Getting Old, by Parker Palmer. Our own Dr. Steve Weirich led an in-person discussion on The Aging Body. After a brief pause due to the pandemic, the series continued in October on Zoom with sessions led by various experts on aging. Topics included Gerontology 101, What to do with all this Stuff, Mental Health and Aging, The Brain and Aging, and the Five Wishes. The series concluded with a Women’s Book Study on Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age, by Mary Pipher. Since the pandemic began, there has been a weekly Zoom, Wise Support Group meeting led by Lisa LeSueur. Monthly grief support has also continued during this time, led by Pat Berman.

MUSIC MINISTRY Dr. Ronald Morgan, Director of Music Ministry

Last March, our Chancel Choir sang for live worship for the last time in 2020. By Easter Sunday, we had adapted to our emerging world with pre-recorded brass music and with our talented soloists providing festive music in the choir’s absence. Wearing their “Ringing is My Therapy” masks, our socially-distanced Bell Choir had a weekend retreat to rehearse and record bell choir anthems, which we imported into worship throughout 2020. Chancel Choir members took the daunting step to individually record their singing for virtual choir anthems. A group of our soloists was honored to offer a virtual anthem in memory of our beloved choir member Eunice O’Rourke, who passed away in November. Music time for our Sunday School children with children’s choir director Alex Woods also took on a virtual format. Music Time videos, which are emailed to our families weekly, include vocal warm ups (Mommy made me mash my m & m’s), the teaching and learning of new lyrics and melodies, as well as singing Sunday School favorites. We are very grateful for Alex’s teaching ability, her technological know-how, and her musical expertise. Never did the connection between music and media ministries become so vital to our worship experience; we offer heart-felt thanks to Director of Communications Elena Korallis for her tireless and cheerful efforts on our behalf. We are also grateful to our soloists and Dr. Greg Taylor who have provided music for weekly worship, morning devotionals, and for all the musical needs of the church over the past months when all things were made new. We look forward to safely coming together to make music in the ways we fondly remember. Meanwhile, we will continue to fine-tune our music ministry through virtual choral singing and bell ringing. Watch for new musical offerings from our virtual-for-now ensembles in the months to come! 20

MODERATOR’S REPORT Gisela P. Vega, Church Moderator

It has been an honor to serve Gables UCC as its Church Moderator during this most challenging and unpredictable year. First of all, I would like to thank our church boards and their leadership, the executive council, the staff, our pastors, and our countless volunteers for their tireless dedication and commitment during this unforgettable year. The work that has been done by our boards has been exceptional, which I have outlined below.

The Board of Justice and Witness: During this racially charged and eye-opening year the board helped us to continue moving forward in becoming an open and affirming church. Through efforts such as our anti-racism statement, providing MUJER with a $20K scholarship fund, hosting our 1st ever PACT drive- in rally with 100 cars in attendance, offering a transgender & non-binary session, hosting the Habitat Blitz in February and hosting the Thanksgiving Day Service project with 80 volunteers where 200 meals were distributed and 2,000 shower kits were prepared for the homeless ministry of First United Methodist of Miami. Thank you, Harley Soza, for your leadership and all the board members for their hard work.

The Board of Congregational Life: Thank you to Marilyn Caputo for your efforts and support in leading our congregational life team. Your tireless work in discovering new ways to worship has been phenomenal. With efforts such as our drive-in services, outdoor lentil vespers, Christmas services, and planning the all-church online trivia night was appreciated. Your teams hard work with our COVID administrator to develop our re-opening plans and the extra efforts and hard to keep us safe were exceptional.

The Board of Spiritual Formation: Amber Thomassen worked with the board, Pastors Meagan and Aaron to provide regular meetings for our children, high schooler, and young adults. In the fall they co- facilitated an antiracist book club with Plymouth UCC. The W.I.S.E. group met regularly. Thank you to Lisa LaSuer, our Minister for Congregational and Staff Care for all your help. Our young adults group met and discuss different topic after service on Sundays regularly. During Advent bags where prepared and given to the children weekly. Videos for the children were developed and posted online by Pastor Megan. During Christmas 200 Angel tree gifts were collected. Spanish and German Language Ministries: A special thank you to Pastor Yoli Izquierdo-Yglesias and Yvonne Visser-Guerrero for their leadership. Both groups offered on-line services for Christmas and continue to grow. The Spanish Language Ministry provided outreach to members on a weekly basis via phone calls and mailings. Pastor Yoli also provided pastoral care and made personal visits throughout the year. The German Ministry sent weekly emails to members and friends with links to CG services and services in Germany & Mexico. They held monthly online services and revitalized their website and social media. Through the German Consulate they secured funds to purchase cameras for the Chapel and to provide virtual services. They reach out to other German speaking congregations in FL and increased their online social media presence and membership. I also want to give thanks to Krister Martinez for his service as or our Board of Trustees representative overseeing many of our renovations and preventative maintenance projects; Mark Hart for his amazing work with CAPS this year which included moving the program virtually on line and developing a curriculum for special needs children; Brooke who has worked tirelessly to ensured our school was safe and healthy for the students re-entry and reported zero cases of COVID among student and staff, Mary

Eaton who despite the challenges has worked diligently to keep our Fair Trade market going; Andrew Hutchinson who’s work with the Legacy Fund committee to ensure the health and wellbeing of our Legacy Fund by moving us to Vangaurd, a company which offers more services at a lower rate. Thank you to Ron Morgan and all our singers and musicians that kept or Music Ministries strong and very active throughout these difficult times. With innovation and the use of technology we continued to enjoy the beautiful music made at GABLES UCC. Gables UCC familia so much has happened this year, and while there is way too much to include in this report I will share my top highlights and accomplishments. Our response to COVID- 19 and ensuring the health and safety of our congregation: Our commitments to good science and good medicine has helped us create an intentional and responsible response to the pandemic this year. Our COVID-19 preparedness response included: 1) The Appointment of our COVID Administrator Mark Wolfe, 2) the development of our COVID- response plan. 3) The purchasing of the necessary supplies and resources to insure everyone’s safety. A very special thank you to Steve Weirich for serving as our physician in residence and Mark Wolfe as our Covid Administrator. Our response to the social injustices witnessed in our country and effort to create awareness, educate and help our congregation become change agents: In the face of injustice and racism in our nation, we showed our commitment to creating a more socially just world through: 1) the creation of our anti-racism statement, 2) engaging our congregation in our in sacred conversations on race series, 3) and through the numerous PACT and justice and witness initiatives throughout the year. Our response to the financial hardships the pandemic brought upon our congregation and community: While this year has been financial hard on all of us, the church has strived to make sure we supported and assisted our congregation, community and staff through our initiatives which included: 1) The Compassion Fund, 2) securing the PPP loan, 3) Completing our second successful audit, 3) the Food Pantry and Hunger Vigil that raise more than 12,000 pounds of food, and 4) the hard work of our Treasurer Larry Sylvester who despite these difficult time has been tenacious in helping GABLESS UCC remain a healthy and financially strong church. Larry you have been an incredible financial treasure for this church, not only helping us create sustainable measures but also for helping us understand that the church can only be as strong as its financial backing and planning. I would also like to give a very special thank you to Dennis Rodrigues, our Business Manager, for your leadership this year and for all you do. Our commitment to keeping our doors open through innovation and technology: We may have had our doors physically closed but that did not stop us from being a fully active and engaged church. We accomplished this by: 1) Developing, recruiting, and hiring a full-time Communications Coordinator. 2) revamping the church website and our online platforms, 3) adding our online APP and payment options. 4) Having daily Morning Moments, 5) offering on-line meetings, series and events and 6) developing small scale safely social gathering options. Thank you to Elena Korallis and Kris Coney for all their time and efforts for bring all our services and events online and developing our virtual foot print which now has a global reach.

Pastors Megan and Pastor Aaron, we are so blessed to have you two. Your tireless efforts and commitment are reflected in all our boards and the work we have done this year. It has been a pleasure to work with you two. I also wanted to say thank you to Rene and the rest of the custodial staff who have worked behind the scenes to help us all be successful making our surrounding look amazing and maintaining our beautiful Church. Rene y Rosario, gracias por todo tu su apollo. Les agradesemos todo lo que hacen por nosotros y por nuestra iglesia.

This year has been extremely rewarding it has also been very challenging. Given the myriad of issues and challenges our nation, community and I have personally faced, thanks for the support, I couldn’t have done it alone. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work, learn, and share this amazing journey with all the individuals mention above and specifically with our amazing Executive Council and Pastor Laurie. In a year like no other your Executive Council work tirelessly meeting weekly to ensure that every issue we faced, was addressed swiftly and intentionally to not interrupt the quality of care and services provided to our community and the congregation. I was truly blessed to work with such an amazing group of people this year, full of compassion, love, and commitment. Debbie, Linda, Ann, Larry, John and Pastor Laurie thank you for being our dream team!

In closing I leave you with these final thoughts. The church is not just a physical location as this year has shown us. I believe Pastor Laurie said it best when she shared, “our church is not a building but a community of believers. We are doing the work we are called to do and making a difference.”

Thank you for the opportunity to join you on this unforgettable journey. I encourage you all to get involved and help us make a difference. In the words of Margret Meade, “never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world, in fact it is the only thing that ever has.” Thank you for the opportunity to service as your moderator. I wish John all the best as our new Moderator, as he continues our great work. Congratulations to our new leadership team members. I wish all of my Gables UCC familia a happy and healthy new year and thank you for allowing me to serve you.

BOARD OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION Amber Thomassen, Chair

The Board of SF ushered in 2020 with the same enthusiasm as everyone. We were looking forward to planning events to enhance spirituality/learning for our adults, youth and children. We were looking forward to planning Easter celebrations with egg hunts, family friendly events, Christmas Eve Children’s mass, Sunday School, Confirmation, Theologian in Residence, Vacation Bible Camp and much more.

Unfortunately, 2020 had other plans… rather than engaging in our typical annual event planning, 2020 appeared to instead be ripped from the pages of the Book of Revelations and we had to quickly shift and focus on safety and social distancing. Although the year began amidst confusion and uncertainty, this church and its leaders kept us grounded, informed, and focused; and rather than “calling it quits” we charged onward. We all became experts in “zooming” and maintained our structure in a socially distant and responsible manner.

First, we would like to sincerely thank all involved in each of the events we still managed to plan as without their assistance such events would not have been possible.

Despite the challenges, we have focused largely this year on the safe reopening of Sunday School if…no, WHEN it is feasible. We spent a great deal of time discussing various measures to be put in place for the safe return of our children to the church in a post-COVID era. Additionally, we have ensured that Sunday School was not forgotten and different online methods were utilized throughout the year; including one by Spark House followed by Compassion Camp, and a look at The Beatitudes lead by Pastor Megan and her team. Pastor Megan continues to meet with the children weekly via zoom and she provides check ins and spiritual guidance through these trying times. Several times this year, Pastor Megan put together goodie bags with all of the necessary supplies for families to continue to enjoy Sunday School at home. She included other special items for the children at each “give away” and these thoughtful gifts were really well received. Miss Alex continues to provide online choral practice for the children as well; another wonderful gift! Bibles were still presented in October to 3rd graders during a special drive by ceremony.

Pastor Aaron continued to lead the middle and high school youth in their meetings and provided educational sessions for them. He took the time to plan specific readings that would encourage the youth to be thoughtful during some of these really difficult times. Topics included Think, Believe, Do and Faith in an Anxious World. Confirmation class enrolled 20 youth and will continue using zoom.

Adult education was not abandoned during the pandemic! Adult ed courses were lead via zoom and included a variety of topics such as Paul and the Bible, “TheoTalks,” Homosexuality and the Bible, and the Sermon on the Mount by Amy Jill Levine just to include a few. All in all, for a year which began apocalyptic, we did not allow that to bring us down, we persevered and provided a number of excellent programs for all ages and continue to do so. Again, a very sincere thank you to all who have kept us down to earth, supported, and focused so we could continue to do what we could to enjoy some normalcy in our lives. May we look back next year and remember 2021 as a year taken from the Book of Philippians!

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Krister Martinez, Chair

Thank you to members of the Board for your faithful service this year: Tom Carney, Parry LaGro, Nancy Lewis, Kevin Maschke, Anthony Burns, Rosa Royo, Nathan Moe and Laura Smith. Thanks also to our staff liaisons, Dennis Rodrigues and Lisa Le Sueur. All have worked effectively within our budget to maintain, improve and secure our facilities. Special thanks to our secretary Nancy Lewis for keeping us accountable as well as for her leadership in applying for outside funding.

Summary of Projects 2020 • Retained a prominent local architectural firm to perform a comprehensive architectural survey of the church building, including mechanical, structural, electrical engineering assessments. Half of the cost of the survey will be covered by a State of Florida historical preservation grant which the BOT applied for in 2019 and was funded by the state legislature in 2020. • Retained a local architect and audio consultant to develop plans to enhance the church sanctuary’s chancel and audio, video and audio-visual capabilities, for both live and live-streamed services. • Oversaw the installation of a wireless security system in the Early Childhood Center (ECC). We will eventually expand coverage of the same system to all church owned properties. • The adult bathrooms at ECC were fully refurbished. • A brick entry way to the ECC building was installed. Bricks will be replaced over time with individually inscribed bricks as a fundraising project. • Board of Trustees members teamed up during the lockdown to re-touch all sanctuary pews • Approved a bid to replace the Catalonia House roof, with work expected to be performed in the first half of 2021 • Approved a bid to repair certain roof leaks in the Arts & Education Wing, Office Wing and Church sanctuary. Work was completed in December 2020. • Approved the purchase of a new Dell server to run an updated version of the church management database system. • Approved a bid to repaint the interior of Pastor Laurie’s parsonage • Approved the contribution of approximately $53,000 to the Church’s separately invested Major Maintenance Fund. The $53,000 consists of a combination of Board of Trustees’ budgeted moneys, 2020 rent received from Verizon for cell antennas installed in the church tower and the Capital Improvement Fee assessed each year on ECC families.

THE BOARD OF JUSTICE AND WITNESS Harley Sosa, Chair This year, our Board of Justice and Witness heard the call to do God’s work in the world loud and clear. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuation of racist violence, and the ongoing crisis of unemployment and food scarcity in our country, our congregation, under the Board’s leadership, responded to all of these issues in power ways. Here are the major ways we acted for justice in 2020:

PACT

We had a record-breaking year in our work for justice with PACT! In the months before the pandemic broke, our PACT Team hosted our largest Network Member Meeting ever, with 54 Gables UCC members and friends in attendance. And though our Nehemiah Action was cancelled, our congregation hosted the first ever PACT Car Rally in our parking lot, gathering over 100 cars, and getting a commitment from our Director of Police Alfredo Ramirez to support Community IDs in our county. We also raised over $11,000 (the most ever for our congregation) in our annual PACT Investment Drive. In the fall, we recruited 77 Network Members from our church, another record breaking number. And this fall, we selected policing as our new focus issue for 2021 with PACT. Big thanks to our PACT Team for all of their leadership!

Housing and Homelessness

Before the pandemic, we continued our church’s commitment to monthly meals served at Chapman Partnership. Thank you to Elaine Cottle for your leadership on this project. We also had a good group of volunteers at our annual Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build in February. And finally, we had over 80 volunteers show up on Thanksgiving Day to help make meals for Branches South Florida and over 2,000 hygiene kits for the homelessness ministry of First United Methodist of Miami.

Young Adult Service Community (YASC)

In August, we concluded our first year of YASC program with the national setting of the United Church of Christ. Our two interns, Marcus Frye and Jiajin Zheng completed their year of service. Both have moved on to further their education, with Marcus enrolling at Chicago Theological Seminary in their M.Div. program, and Jiajin moving the Germany as part of the University of Munich’s Masters of International Relations program. We also want to thank Toni Macon for all of her work on this project, as she led the two interns through their discernment process each month. And to Branches South Florida and Miami Rescue Mission for being our placements sites this year.

Education

This fall, we hosted a conversation led by the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ, on becoming a more welcoming congregation for transgender and non-binary people.

At the beginning of the pandemic, our Board led a conversation on the social justice aspects of the pandemic and what our response can be. Also, our Board helped lead a summer book discussion and the September Adult Education classes.

Community Relations Grant Program

Finally, because of the generosity of this congregation, we are able to give a small number of community relations grants each year. In 2020, we gave $2,500 to both Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center and Refugee Assistance Alliance, for their work with children and youth in Miami-Dade County. We also gave a $20,000 grant to MUJER for their work in supporting migrant families during the pandemic, especially around food insecurity and rental assistance. Let justice roll!

THE BOARD FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE Marilyn Caputo, chair

The year 2020 was a busy year for the Board of Congregational Life as we continued the important work of supporting the areas under our responsibility such as: worship, hospitality, groups and gatherings, and evangelism. We were faced with an added challenge beginning in the month of March due to the emergence of COVID-19. In order to focus on hospitality and an extravagant welcome to both our church members and visitors, we spent many hours attempting to come up with safe and innovative ways to continue serving both. As the year progressed, it was evident that the church would not be the same for some time and we gradually moved into a virtual way of doing things.

Highlights · Morning Moments began, and we used social media platforms to spread the word. · Mark Wolfe, newly appointed COVID Administrator, created a document entitled “Transformation of the Church,” which included the steps and criteria needed to move ahead in the reopening of the physical church. It was reviewed and revised frequently by members of the board to keep up with the local and federal restrictions · Drive in services being held on second Sunday of each month began in the Fall-distributed goody bags with bulletin, treat and communion kit. .-Changed the format of Sunday morning. Announcements are shown on screen prior to service and actual service is shorter in duration. Favorable reviews. . Implemented the reading of the Anti-Racism Statement at the beginning of all church meetings. .Fair Trade reopened on a limited basis for holiday shopping and will open again mid-January and social distancing will be practiced.

Below is a listing of the many worship services and programs that were held in 2020: · Spanish language services-not meeting most of the year but staying in close contact with Pastor Yoli. · German language services-virtual 27

· World Communion Sunday-virtual .Prepackaged communion cup and wafers now being used · All Saints Sunday-virtual .Get in the Spirit-family game night prior to Spirit Sunday-ZOOM · Commitment Sunday-drive in service .Spirit Sunday-virtual · Thanksgiving Sunday-virtual · Advent Vespers-pre-Christmas in the courtyard with reservations and distancing · Sunday Services-virtual or drive in . Connection Cafe -virtual .Gospel According to Elton John-online · Longest Night Service-in sanctuary by reservation-distanced · Christmas Eve Services-Family, Spanish, German and 8:00 pm all virtual-may also be viewed after the 24th for a limited time . Outdoor Christmas Eve Service at 6:30 pm in the parking lot - . Sanctuary Christmas tree moved outside for Christmas Eve with photo ops on Christmas · MLK Sunday-in sanctuary prior to shut down · Annual Meeting Sunday-in sanctuary and Fellowship Hall · Mardi Gras-in sanctuary · Ash Wednesday-virtual · Blessing of the Animals-virtual · Palm Sunday-virtual with Dolly the donkey still in attendance · Maundy Thursday-virtual · Good Friday-virtual · Easter Services-virtual ·· Elephant in the Pew Sermon Series-virtual

Programs · Gay PRIDE · Non-member Baptisms · Inquirer’s Gatherings- · Three Kings-in Fellowship Hall · Sisters on Sojourn- · Young Adult Gatherings each Sunday online · German Language Ministry-virtual · LGBTQ gatherings-online · Prayer Shawl Ministry-virtual · WISE gatherings · Cancer Support Group-virtual · Grief Support Group · Weddings · Interfaith Thanksgiving Service- online - Called to Care-phone calls to members to check in/prayers every Wednesday at noon

Finally, our thanks to the Executive Council for their assistance, specifically during drive-in services, to Mark Wolfe, for his hard work as COVID Administer, to all of the pastors for their endless dedication and all members and friends, for their continued support and attendance.

GERMAN LANGUAGE MINISTRY Louise Davidson-Schmich, member

In 2020, without its own German-speaking pastor in Miami, the German Ministry continued to enjoy the much-needed support of the clergy and staff of Gables UCC. While the pandemic has presented many challenges, it also allowed our ministry unique opportunities to flourish.

Our year began as scheduled, with an in-person New Year’s service led by our former pastor, the Reverend Frank Kopania, who was visiting from Germany. He also led our first Bible study on the Psalms in January. In February the UCC hosted a baptism of German Pastor Hans Henning Krull, who is stationed in Mexico City. He held a German-language service while he was here.

When the pandemic hit, Pastor Kopania made us aware of the German Lutheran Church’s COVID-19 Emergency Aid program. We applied for and received nearly $5000 from Germany to build up an online ministry. The monies allowed us to compensate Elena Korallis for her invaluable assistance in recording and producing our online worship services, developing our website, professionalizing our email communications using the Mail Chimp program, and introducing us to social media with new Instagram and Facebook accounts. The monies also allowed us to purchase cameras for the chapel to record our services. We are extremely grateful to Elena for her help.

Our on-line services from this year are able to be viewed here: https://gablesucc.org/category/german- ministry/ Our first on-line service was a Pentecost service in May with a sermon by the Rev. Kopania. Our second was an August back-to-school service conducted by the German-speaking confirmation class members and Pastor Aaron; they teamed up again to put on a St. Martin’s service in November. The monies allowed us to coordinate with other German congregations and pastors across the state and our third on-line service was a joint Thanksgiving (World Communion) service in October. We also made a join Christmas Eve service. We are grateful to Ron, Brandon, and Greg for their help with musical accompaniment. These services have been watched by viewers across the state and across the world. They contained contributions by pastors and congregants in Naples, North Port, Clearwater, and Sarasota. We also introduced German Consul General Andreas Siegel to Pastor Laurie who gave him a tour of the church; we then disseminated the video via social media channels.

Over the course of the year, the German Ministry committee also moved our German-language Bible studies on-line. Two focused on the psalms (April and May) and three on women in the Bible (September, October, and November with Pastor Megan). We assisted with German readings in several English speaking UCC services as well.

While we could not hold our annual St. Martin’s Day lantern Parade in person, we held a virtual parade on social media and sold traditional breadman in a drive-by fundraiser. While we could not hold our traditional Christmas Market in person, we did sell advent wreathes for pick up as our annual fundraiser. As a result of these efforts we were able to make several donations to the UCC this year including $400 to the confirmation class, $1000 to the UCC’s general fund, and we also supported the Refugee Assistance Alliance in their efforts to help community members.

In 2021 we look forward to working with the Board of Justice and Witness to help fund additional local projects, to having several German-speaking youth in the confirmation class, and to continuing working with Elena to produce virtual services as long as we cannot hold in person ones. Thanks very much to all pastors and staff of the church for helping us in our endeavors!

SPANISH LANGUAGE CHURCH AND MINISTRY The Rev. Yosladis Izquierdo-Yglesias, minister The Spanish Language Church, in Coral Gables has been weaving God’s message of love and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that create change and bring hope to the community in Miami. The Church is committed to hearing God’s ancient story anew and afresh. We listen for God’s voice in scripture, music, science, reason, prayer, and rigorous debate. We care for each other as well as a committed community of faith where all are welcome and loved. Unfortunately, we stopped worshipping together in March of 2020 when the church building was closed due to the pandemic. However, the beautiful community we have built has stayed in touch weekly through phone calls, Facebook and Whatsapp. For Thanksgiving Sunday and once during Advent, we held small, socially distanced services in the church courtyard. It was wonderful to see everyone even behind masks. For Christmas Eve, we offered a Spanish-language service online. While we don’t know what the future will hold, we will continue our prophetic witness, and stand with those seeking justice and peace that comes through Christ’s love. ------EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER Brooke Bagnall-Koger, Director

The Early Childhood Center has had a very challenging year due to the pandemic. Our school closed on March 13th and did not reopen until September 8, 2020. Although the teachers did their best to pivot to online learning for the end of the year, we had more than half the families withdraw in the spring which greatly impacted our budget. Summer camp was also canceled and it was decided to push back the reopening to give the school time to have the best protocols in place. We have been fortunate that we have had zero Covid cases among the students and we have been able to keep the school open. Strict protocols were implemented which include no parents on campus and a car drop-off and pick-up system, in addition to health and temperature screenings. The teachers have done an amazing job in and out of their classrooms. As a result of the pandemic, we saw a mass exodus of students in July and August for the 2020-2021 school year, as well as several teachers who chose to resign. In September we started with 48 students whereas our enrollment the previous year was 118. Since our reopening has been so successful, we have steadily increased our enrollment to 82 in January. Although that number is much lower than we are used to, we are proud of how quickly families felt safe to send their children back to us. Due to new regulations, our class sizes are required to be smaller. We are also not permitted to mix groups of children, so our aftercare program decreased dramatically, and we cut our enrichment program. We hope next school year all these things will return. In May we were thrilled to have a new walkway installed in the front with engraved bricks. We were able to recoup the cost and the money going forward will be used for a scholarship fund which has been a goal for ECC. Over the summer and fall, the teacher bathrooms were renovated. We switched from a men's and women’s bathroom to a women's and unisex bathroom since all but one staff member is female. 30

The parent association has continued to find creative ways to fundraise through t-shirt sales and mini photo sessions. Despite the challenges, I am very proud of the way ECC has weathered these difficult times. These were uncharted territories, but the teachers and the staff rose to the occasion. We know this will continue to help build our reputation in the coming years. . COMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAM (CAP) Mark Hart, Executive and Artistic Director

The mission of our award-winning Community Arts Program (CAP) is to serve a diverse community with educational and culturally-enriching experiences through the transforming power of the arts. CAP’s various offerings include the CAP Summer Concert Series, CAP Summer Master Classes, CAP Records®, and the CAP Conservatory for the Arts and Miami Jazz Institute. With these, CAP provides South Florida children and youth, the community, and the world with outstanding learning and culture. CAP 2020 Summer Concert Series Due to COVID-19 global pandemic (and previously scheduled out-of-town artists unable to travel and logistically produce their concerts from afar), the Community Arts Program (CAP) presented the 2020 VIRTUAL Summer Concert Series every Thursday evening, July 9 through August 13 with renowned local artists: Shelly Berg, jazz pianist / Misty Bermudez, mezzo-soprano; Alvaro Bermudez, guitar in Classic Latin Love Songs & Melodies / The Zach Bartholomew Trio with Vocalist, Linda Alvarado in Oscar (Peterson) Meets Ella (Fitzgerald) / The 5 String Swing Trio in The Great American Songbook / Scott Flavin, classical violinist in One Voice / Mark Small, saxophone; Martin Bejerano, piano; John Hart, guitar in A Jazz Finale for a Dave Brubeck 100th Shout-Out! All concerts were streamed on the Community Arts Program website CAPcast page and social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram TV (IGTV), and YouTube. Music and technical artists (video, sound, lighting, editing) were provided safe (PPE and social distancing) space within the Moye Chapel, transformed into a recording studio. In lieu of set ticket pricing, concerts were offered free of charge, with the ability for viewers to make online donations to help production costs and fees to musicians. Collectively, there were over 7,500 views from throughout the United States, Americas, and Europe. The CAP 2020 VIRTUAL Summer Concert Series brought Community Arts Program top-of-mind, worldwide awareness; new audiences; and goodwill during an unprecedented and difficult time. CAP Conservatory for the Arts & Miami Jazz Institute At the onset of March 2020 COVID-19 on-ground restrictions, the CAP Conservatory for the Arts and Miami Jazz Institute immediately migrated to an online digital (Zoom) portal. Music classes and performing ensembles (i.e., CAP Creative Strings I, II, and III; CAP Jazz PREP Band; and CAP ALL-STAR Jazz Ensemble) continued with one-on-one weekly online instrument studies, music theory and harmony classes, and rehearsals. With participants, one on-ground full-hour radio broadcast and three on-ground public performances were completed prior to COVID-19. Two other performance opportunities were broadcast online – an April 2020 Zoom recital from students' homes and a May 2020 CAP website (CAPcast) broadcast of students’ individual submissions edited together to produce performances by each CAP ensemble.

Currently, with a faculty of 30 instructors and students from over 50 Miami-Dade County schools, CAP continues its programming virtually, with a CAP Advisory Board COVID 19: CAP Care Response Plan for when on-ground is again deemed safest. CAP continues to weigh research on distance and on-ground learning and its role for CAP children and youth with special abilities/disabilities. This, as CAP has opened its doors wider to engage more students with teachers and therapists as needed, so all children and youth— no matter what their circumstances—receive an appropriate, engaging, and impact-filled CAP learning experience. The Community Arts Program (CAP) is a proud part of Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ and a vital force in South Florida culture - with far reaching needs-based music education and concerts. Each brings an indelible and noted presence locally and throughout the world. See more at CommuityArtsProgram.org.

FAIR TRADE MARKETPLACE Mary Eaton, Volunteer Director The shop was open in the early Spring until approximately March 1st.We were already experiencing Covid concerns and no customers. We remained closed until November 7th. The reopening was difficult as we had to reset the 400 square ft space to comply with all CDC Protocol and additional suggestions covering retail shops. We started the personal shopper service with Marilyn Smit who donated her time to handling all the requests all these months. We are very grateful to her for going above and beyond. She was later assisted by Donna Lyons and wonderful new volunteer Marilyn Caputo. Mary Walsh and Marilyn Caputo posted on social media and created wonderful ads to keep our shop on the minds of homebound Fair Trade followers. In total, the shop was only open four months this past year with no extra events and extremely limited hours. We are so proud to have produced almost $50,000 in sales and posted an $11.700 profit for delivery back to the church. As many others here at church, it was a hard but worthy effort. I could not be more proud of my team. I can’t wait for a post mask era to treat this group to a wonderful luncheon. Most of the time they don’t even stop for a bite!

THE CORAL GABLES CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO THE WORK OF ANTI-RACISM

Black Lives Matter. This is a truth we speak to ourselves, to the Church, and to the world as we witness racism continue to take the lives of Black people in America. With grieving hearts, we speak their names: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Corey Jones, Atatiana Jefferson, Trayvon Martin and countless other victims of racist violence, both known and unknown, listened to and ignored. The voice of their blood cries out from the ground, and we join this cry for justice.

Again, and again, we are reminded that racism is more than individual thoughts and actions. It is an immoral system that structurally discriminates against and oppresses people of color - especially Black people - through underfunded schools, lack of access to healthcare, food insecurity, discriminatory housing policies, polluted neighborhoods and undrinkable water, and an unjust criminal justice system.

As Christians, we believe that all people are children of God and deserve the same dignity, compassion, and access to a full life no matter their skin color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, immigration status, socio-economic status, ability, education, or faith tradition.

The book of Genesis affirms that, “God created humankind in God ’ s own image;” that all people are beloved, blessed image-bearers of the Divine. Likewise, the Apostle Paul preaches in Galatians that “there is no longer Jew nor Greek...for all are one in Christ Jesus;” that we are united as a human race, and that in God nothing divides us. In this oneness, we must unite and resist the racism that permeates every institution in this country -- including the Church -- and deprives us of fully experiencing the wholeness and equality promised by God and exemplified in the life of Jesus.

Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ continues its commitment to the work of anti-racism, to dismantling the system of White supremacy, and to the co-creation with the Holy Spirit of God’s reign of peace and justice on earth. This is the work that Jesus calls us to, in courage and hope, for a transformed world where all God’s children are equal, free, and loved.

As a congregation, we will embody this commitment in our life and culture together through awareness, education, skills, application of anti-racist education, policies, and practices, as we continue to do our work of dismantling racism. This includes:

-Anti-racist educational programming for children, youth, and adults -Building relationships with diverse congregations -Partnership with and purchases from Black-owned businesses and Black-led community organizations -Justice work with PACT on issues of housing, gun violence, and unnecessary arrests -Hiring practices that prioritize racial diversity -Prophetic preaching and worship -Prayer without ceasing for racial justice

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, we re-affirm our commitment to dismantling racism in our nation and to the work of justice and witness for all people. Amen.

GABLES UCC: A PICTORIAL TRIBUTE TO 2020