2017 B A Y
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C O M M U N I T Y
C H U R C H
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co nte n t s
E A S T O N : T H E
Y E A R
O N E
D E S C E N D A N T S
C H I L D R E N ’ S S T U D E N T E V E R Y
M I N I S T R Y
P R O J E C T
M I N I S T R Y
M I N I S T R Y
O N E
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M I S S I O N A R Y
H I G H L I G H T S
F I N A N C I A L S
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mi s s i on
MAKING PASSIONATE, MATURING FOLLOWERS OF JESUS FROM HERE TO THE NATIONS
D E A R
B A Y
A R E A
F A M I L Y,
2017 has been a momentous year for our church! God continues to bless us with tremendous growth among both adults and children. That’s why, this past year, we cast a faithstretching vision to disciple more and more youth through The Descendants Project. We launched and broke ground on this exciting effort this year, and we’re believing God to do great things in the lives of our children and students through it. There are many milestones we can celebrate from 2017! It was our largest year ever for short-term missions, with 163 from our church family stepping out in faith to go to the nations. In Easton, our first satellite campus grew, welcomed a new student ministry director, and celebrated 50 Ministry Partners coming alongside our mission. Over the last 12 months, many have come to faith in Jesus, over 65 were baptized, and our church family started a unique movement of loving our neighbors through our Grace Bomb series. God is certainly on the move! We’re thanking Him for how He is at work in each of us as He leads us to become more like Him. As we head into a new ministry year expecting God to use us in mighty ways, that’s exactly what I want to encourage us all to do – become more like Jesus. How do we do that? Answer – by seeking the things that are above. Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” The more we think about Jesus, the more we become like Him. I want to offer a familiar challenge for us to pursue in the coming months: Make Sunday morning gatherings a priority. We experience growth when we collectively set our minds on God, worship Him, and sit under His Word. Find a friend with whom you talk about Jesus. Whether it’s with a spouse or someone from your Missional Community, let’s initiate more conversations about Jesus. Read a chapter a day for the rest of your life. All 66 books of the Bible point to Jesus. Not sure where to begin? Start with John. As we seek to take new ground for the Kingdom in 2018, it’s my prayer that each of us would make it our highest priority to cultivate a personal, intimate relationship with God. From here to the nations,
Greg St. Cyr Lead Pastor
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O N E Y E A R E A S T O N :
Bay Ar ea Ea ston During their first full ministry year, Bay Area’s first satellite campus celebrated many milestones as they continued to reach Talbot County with the good news of Jesus. There is a great need on the Eastern Shore for the gospel to be shared and followers of Jesus to be discipled.
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50 110
members of the Bay Area Easton family became Ministry Partners
average attendance during Sunday morning gatherings
37 275 65
average Sunday morning attendance in Easton’s Children’s Ministry
adults and children in attendance on Easter Sunday 2017
grew in their faith through participating in six Missional Communities
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O N E Y E A R E A S T O N :
E A S T O N B A P T I S M S In 2017, six members of the Bay Area family in Easton were baptized; five of them professed their faith through baptism at Easton’s church picnic in August.
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publicly declared their faith in Jesus through baptism
A y e a r of firs ts F I R S T
A N N U A L
C E L E B R A T I O N
F I R S T
S H O R T- T E R M
F I R S T
L E A R N I N G
F I R S T
P A R E N T
F I R S T
C H R I S T M A S
F I R S T
E A S T E R
F I R S T
S T E W A R D S H I P T H R O U G H T H E
F I R S T
F U L L - T I M E
M I S S I O N
T R I P :
C O M M U N I T Y :
E L
S A L V A D O R
S T A R T I N G
P O I N T
D E D I C A T I O N E V E
W I T H
G A T H E R I N G S
T W O
G A T H E R I N G S
C A M P A I G N : $ 7 5 , 0 0 0 C O M M I T T E D D E S C E N D A N T S P R O J E C T
S T A F F
H I R E :
S T U D E N T
D I R E C T O R
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P R O J E C T D E S C E N D A N T S T H E
In Annapolis, we’ve set a goal to raise $7 million to build our new student facility and children’s expansion. As of September 1, 2017, our church family has committed $2,240,962 toward our year-one goal of $3.5 million, and generously given $1,686,281.
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The De sce ndant s Proj e ct Each year, God continues to bless us with tremendous growth at Bay Area. In 2015, we opened our chapel and children’s addition in Annapolis to make room for more people to come encounter Jesus here at Bay Area, but quickly found ourselves in need of additional space for our children and students. We have maxed out our space for the younger members of our church family, but we want to be able to help every child who enters our doors come to know and follow Jesus. In Genesis 12, God told Abraham that he would be blessed in order that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. In Genesis 15, the Lord promised that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. As spiritual descendants of Abraham, we’ve cast a faith-stretching vision to disciple more children and students, our descendants, through building a new 15,000-squarefoot student center and a 10,500-square-foot children’s wing expansion.
805
came out to the planetarium at the Maryland Science Center for the unveiling of The Descendants Project
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10 C H I L D R E N ’ S
M I N I S T R Y
C H I L D R E N ’ S M I N I S T R Y In June 2017, Bay Area kicked up our Vacation Bible School experience from Summer Jam to Blitz! For two nights, we invited our church family and community to bring their children to a high-energy, gospel-centered event packed with fun games where they could hear about Jesus and get a taste of community at Bay Area.
297 432 attended Blitz!
average weekly Children’s Ministry attendance
216
volunteers on Sundays
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12 S T U D E N T
M I N I S T R Y
S T U D E N T
M I N I S T R Y
In 2017, middle and high school students grew in their faith as they met weekly in 21 community groups led by dedicated volunteers. College students were discipled as well through the recently launched college-age Missional Community.
112 60 25 middle schoolers
high schoolers
college students
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T O G E T H E R W O R S H I P M I S S I O N A R Y : A O N E E V E R Y
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1 , 2 1 2
2 0 1 3
1 , 3 5 8
2 0 1 4
1 , 4 9 7
2 0 1 5
1 , 5 1 1 1 , 6 4 3
2 0 1 6 2 0 1 7
Worship Toge t he r We gather on Sundays to celebrate God’s grace through worship, giving, communion and sitting under the authority of His Word to be transformed by Scripture through the power of the Holy Spirit.
1,643 average adult attendance
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T O G E T H E R W O R S H I P M I S S I O N A R Y : A O N E E V E R Y
A Family Christmas Each Christmas season, Bay Area seeks to help our church family not only better grasp the wonder of the Incarnation, but also make fun, lasting memories around the birth of Jesus. This year, Bay Area produced its first-ever daily show in the spirit of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” that centered around a Christmas tradition - the advent calendar - reimagined.
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4,113 Christmas Eve attendance
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18 E V E R Y
O N E
A
M I S S I O N A R Y :
W O R S H I P
T O G E T H E R
Good Friday attendance
1,060
4,206 Easter Sunday attendance
Jesus and the Tangled People During Easter 2017, we focused on the truth that through His death and resurrection, Jesus took on our tangled mess of sin and made us able to stand before God redeemed and untangled.
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20 E V E R Y
O N E
A
M I S S I O N A R Y :
W O R S H I P
T O G E T H E R
68 B A P T I S M
adults, children and students publicly professed their faith in Jesus through water baptism
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22 E V E R Y
O N E
A
M I S S I O N A R Y :
C O N N E C T
I N
C O M M U N I T Y
Missional Com m unit ie s The fruitfulness of our Missional Communities (humanly speaking) lies in the hands of our leaders. This year, we are celebrating both the ongoing equipping of our leaders through our first-ever Leaders’ Workshop and the number of new, godly leaders the Lord brought to start new Missional Communities. We have an amazing core of over 55 leaders - all committed to making passionate, maturing followers of Jesus from here to the nations.
713
people connected across Anne Arundel County in 50 Missional Communities
200
people were newly introduced to Missional Communities
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T R I P M I S S I O N A O N G O M I S S I O N A R Y : A O N E E V E R Y
G lob a l M issions This year, Bay Area sent more short-term missionaries than ever before to serve alongside our partner ministries in seven countries and hosted its first stateside mission trip to Appalachia, where a team of 20 served those in need in Annapolis and Bluefield, West Virginia.
163
short-term missionaries
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short-term mission trips
7
countries served
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global partners
Throughout 2017, Bay Area continued to support our global partners who serve as missionaries and ministy leaders in India, South Sudan, Poland, Brazil, Southeast Asia, Ghana and Russia.
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26 E V E R Y
O N E
A
M I S S I O N A R Y :
S H A R E
T H E
G O S P E L
Share t he Gospe l In July 2017, Bay Area hosted Vince and Jo Vitale from Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Over the course of a weekend that included a training seminar, community forum and Sunday message, the Vitales helped equip the Bay Area church family to be better prepared for sharing the good news of Jesus and answering tough questions about Christianity.
225
attended a Saturday-morning training to be better equipped in initiating gospel conversations and sharing their faith
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28 E V E R Y
O N E
A
M I S S I O N A R Y :
S E R V E
L I K E
J E S U S
Se rve L ike Je sus We serve one another because of the example Jesus gave of loving others through service. It’s part of the vision we have for every person who calls Bay Area their church home. All year long, our ministries both local and global - are made possible because of volunteers who are devoted to serving like Jesus.
318
expressed new interest in serving
998
serving roles were filled across more than 15 t eams and ministries
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H I G H L I G H T S M I N I S T R Y
W O M E N ’ S M I N I S T R Y Summer social activities were introduced this year, drawing 72 women out to unique opportunities to form new friendships while kayaking, decorating cakes and more.
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363 130 women attended The Well’s fall and spring semesters, and summer Bible studies
participated in the second-annual women’s conference, themed Kingdom Come
L O C A L
O U T R E A C H
In 2017, we continued to partner with and support 20 local partners ranging from the Pregnancy Clinic to campus ministries at the Naval Academy and sought to bless our community with Grace Bombs.
540 693 550 children started the 20172018 school year with new backpacks full of supplies
temporary tattoos and 2,520 water bottles were distributed by the Grace Bomb team at Nitro Circus
kids received Christmas presents through Gifts for Children
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H I G H L I G H T S
M E N ’ S
F E L L O W S H I P
In November 2016, Bay Area launched a men’s ministry that facilitates discipleship and spiritual growth through breakfasts, Bible studies, Learning Communities and special events.
M I N I S T R Y
100
men gathered on average for a monthly time of breakfast, study and fellowship
120 attended Bay Area’s first father-daughter dance
C H U R C H
P L A N T I N G
Launched in 2012, Bay Area continues to support the SENT Network church planting organization’s mission to plant gospel-centered churches throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond.
12 8
active church plants
additional church planters were trained and equipped in 2017 to launch new churches
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C A R E N E T W O R K It’s our desire that no one at Bay Area would ever have to face a difficult experience alone, which is why the Care Network serves as a bridge to hope and healing. This year, the GriefShare Support Group was added as a new resource. Additionally, the Network’s Marriage Ministry serves as a resource for couples.
120 175 individuals, couples and families were ministered to in a variety of ways through the Care Network
couples participarted in the Marriage Ministry’s Learning Communities, events and counseling
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F I N A N C I A L S
G i v i n g in 2017
$4,792,000 F I S C A L
Y E A R
2 0 1 7
G I V I N G
G O A L
2017 budget allocations by percent 1 5 . 3
2 . 5
G A T H E R I N G S
7 . 3
M I S S I O N A L
C O M M U N I T I E S
6 . 7
C H I L D R E N ’ S
M I N I S T R Y
6 . 1
S T U D E N T
O T H E R
M I N I S T R I E S
8 . 3 5 4 . 5
G L O B A L
C H U R C H L O C A L 1 0 . 1
5 . 3
M I N I S T R Y
D E B T
M I S S I O N S
P L A N T I N G
O U T R E A C H
+
B E N E V O L E N C E
L E A D E R S H I P S E R V I C E 2 8 . 9
G I V I N G
I N
F Y 1 7
$4,734,439
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O P E R A T I O N S
2 0 1 7
W A S
A N
A W E S O M E
Y E A R !
When I think about all that went on this year, I am truly amazed. We launched The Descendants Project. We designed new additions for children and students. We added several staff members including a new worship leader, Jonathan Madrid. We prepared for multi-site expansion. I could go on about the ministry the Lord had us do this year. Awesome is the only thing that comes to mind. If you didn’t already know this, Bay Area is a generous place. That said, on behalf of Bay Area, I’d like to say a huge thank-you to every person in our church family for your sacrificial giving and generous hearts. When I think of our 2016 ministry year’s budget being $4,116,000 and 2017’s budget being $4,792,000, I am stunned by the growth. When I arrived here in 2012 our budget was $2.7 million. God continues to expand Bay Area’s influence because of your generosity! This year, your generosity enabled us to give a record number of gifts to our missions partners around the globe. We doubled our residency program, which equips future church planters and vocational missionaries. We have never given so much to local missions and community outreaches as we did this year. We’ve expanded both our Children’s and Student Ministry staff. Young families are flocking to Bay Area. Folks, at Bay Area, we recognize that God is the owner and provider of every gift we receive. Without Him, nothing is possible. All that we do is for His glory, which is why we prayerfully consider how to steward our every resource in ways that honor Him. It’s also why we encourage people who call Bay Area home to prayerfully seek the Lord’s guidance regarding giving to the church. We all know that we are to give, and to get into a regular rhythm of giving; the question is how much and in what way. If you’re a person who has not experienced the joy of giving to the local church, I encourage you to start. Start with something small and see what happens. If you’re a person who gives once in a while depending on circumstances, I would encourage you toward consistency. The Bible is clear about this and we want you to enjoy the fruits of worship through consistent giving. If you’re a person who gives a set percentage and have for years, Greg often encourages us to stretch and grow in our giving. We want you to listen to the Lord and see where He might be leading. 2017 was an awesome year. It really was. Here’s to looking forward to what He will do in Fiscal Year 2018 through Bay Area Community Church.
Yours,
Ed Kelley Executive Pastor
B A Y A R E A C C . O R G
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