The American Church in Paris 2020 Ministry Reports Annual Congregational Meeting 11 April 2021 “For surely, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11 Tel: +33 1 40 62 05 00 • Fax: +33 1 40 62 05 00 • Web: www.acparis.org • Email [email protected] 1 The American Church in Paris –Ministry Reports The American Church in Paris Annual Congregational Meeting Draft Agenda 11 April 2021, 13h00 1. Welcome Marleigh White, Council Moderator 2. Opening Prayer Jodi Fondell, Interim Co-Associate Pastor 3. Establishing a Quorum Kerry Lieury, Council Secretary 4. Call to Order Marleigh White 5. Approval of Draft Agenda Marleigh White 6. Presentation of 2020 Ministry Reports Marleigh White 7. Introduction to Financial Presentation Pam Bohl, Treasurer and Chair Finance, Stewardship and Development 8. Presentation of 2020 Preliminary Financial Results Juliàn Acosta, Vice-Chair Finance, Stewardship, and Development 9. Looking Forward Marleigh White 10. Approval of 2021 Budget Juliàn Acosta 11. Other Business Marleigh White 12. A Word from our Pastor Odette Lockwood-Stewart, Interim Senior Pastor 13. Closing Prayer and Benediction Odette Lockwood-Stewart 2 The American Church in Paris –Ministry Reports The American Church in Paris 2020 Ministry Reports Table of Contents Moderator’s Report ................................................................................................... 4 A Message from AFCU ............................................................................................... 6 Senior Pastor’s Report .............................................................................................. 8 Associate Pastor’s Report ........................................................................................ 10 Youth and Young Adults Pastor Report ................................................................... 12 Director of Children’s Ministry Report .................................................................... 14 Director of Music’s Report ...................................................................................... 15 The Business Administrator’s Report ...................................................................... 16 The Communications Coordinator’s Report ............................................................ 17 Contemporary Music Director’s Report................................................................... 18 Christian Education Committee Report .................................................................. 19 Worship and Music Committee Report ................................................................... 21 Mission Outreach Committee Report ...................................................................... 22 Finance, Stewardship & Development Committee (FS&D) Report ........................... 24 Human Resources Committee Report ..................................................................... 27 Community Life Committee Report ......................................................................... 29 Property Committee Report .................................................................................... 32 Communications Committee Report ....................................................................... 33 3 The American Church in Paris –Ministry Reports Moderator’s Report 2020 Dear ACP Members, Friends, Brothers and Sisters, Last year at this time, we were in the middle of the first Covid-19 lockdown; the streets of Paris were empty, as was our church sanctuary. Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude for God’s provision and protection of our church during this pandemic time. With God’s help, and the leadership and hard work of our Pastors, ACP staff, lay leaders on Council, and a tremendous number of you who have volunteered in a myriad of ways, ACP weathered storms of change and transition. We prioritized the safety and welfare of our members and employees and reached out to bring Christ’s love and care to those in our congregation and community particularly affected by illness, isolation and grief. And we devised new methods and means to allow our Congregation to continue to worship God, connect, learn and grow together. But this has not just been a year of “weathering storms.” It has also been a year of critical transition in the life of our church. Following Pastor Scott’s July departure after 12 years at ACP, we were tremendously blessed to welcome Pastor Odette as our Interim Senior Pastor. In her transitional role, Pastor Odette has steered ACP through some rough waters. She has journeyed with us through the challenges of the pandemic; and lent her expertise and patience in assisting lay leadership to understand and address the important and sometimes complex tasks of this interim period. With her guidance we have engaged in a year of measured evaluation and discernment, reviewing procedures, processes, organizational structure, staffing needs and issues, and even our governing documents, with the goal of making us more current and effective. Naturally this shed light on some challenges and even weaknesses. But ultimately, all of this this led to the implementation of necessary changes and issue resolution through collaborative and creative means. ACP is becoming healthier, stronger and ready for the arrival of our next Senior Pastor. This process began with our Council retreat, we had a brain-storming session focusing on the goals and priorities of this transition and pandemic year, and the ways in which each different Council Committee could specifically address them. Following creative cross-committee discussions dealing with transitional year issues, Council decided upon the following goals: To equip our congregation with hope in Jesus Christ for the plans God has for our future; to care and minister to those in and beyond ACP who are hurting and vulnerable; to provide multiple ways for connecting with each other and with those outside of ACP; and to get our organizational and missional house in order for a healthy transition to a new Senior Pastor. I urge all of you to review the Council Committee Annual Reports to see the many ways they have implemented these goals. These reports reflect thousands of hours of Committee Members’ volunteer work. Our Council Program Committees (Community Life, Worship, Christian Education, MOC) worked to support our in-person worship services, as well as providing numerous opportunities for virtual connection. And they instituted ways to care for those who were isolated, grieving, homeless or hungry. Meanwhile, our Council Administrative Committees (Finance/Stewardship, Property, Communications, and HR) have been heroically engaged in managing our financial health as well as the complexity of staffing and labor laws, GDPR laws, and maintaining our church property --- all significantly impacted by the uncertainties and income loss due to Covid. Through this interim review process, it became clear that ACP’s future as a relevant church depended on obtaining improved sound and light and live-streaming equipment. I am thrilled to say that through the determination of a team of eleven people, we made significant progress toward a new era of Audio Visual Ministry! Miraculously, we are acquiring audio-visual and sound equipment, and improving internet connectivity, and will be live-streaming services for our growing online audience very soon! In addition, the Council mandated Welcome and Inclusion Task force (WIT), which is made up of several ACP members, Council representatives and Pastor Odette, guided the entire Council through deeply spiritual conversations related to ACP’s mission and the issues of welcome and inclusivity. Council reflected on how, by following the example of Christ, we could eliminate all potential barriers to those who 4 The American Church in Paris –Ministry Reports might wish to join our ACP community. We look forward to sharing those discussions with you soon. Council also has recognized the need for greater knowledge and understanding of systemic racism, and how that might be part of the work we need to do together at ACP. Earlier this year, Pastors Doug and Jodi introduced us to some excellent Thurber speakers on these subjects, and later this spring Executive Committee has committed that Council, our lay leadership, staff and congregation will participate in spiritually based diversity and racial equality training. Finally, a word about Worship this year. I would like to thank to the pastoral staff, worship leaders and musicians who make up ACP’s Worship Team for their hard work and ingenuity in immediately pivoting to online worship at the beginning of the first confinement, and continuing to provide us with lovely opportunities to worship in our homes thereafter. This continued with Pastor Odette, when she marshalled the help of new volunteers, some with professional level videography skills, and led the Worship Team to build on our prior services with new, creative worship ideas specifically oriented to online visual and worship experiences. Our online worship is now truly expert and professional, with gorgeous, visually arresting moments, and inspiring music. The Worship Team also added a more modern in-person 2:00 service, equally as beautiful and respectful of Sunday Covid limitations. On behalf of the entire Council, I want to express our gratitude to Pastor Odette for her wise, calm and inspired leadership in the midst of these challenging times, and her generous