David Joynt Senior Pastor
2021 was a year of creativity, adjustment, and generosity. Our remodeled Sanctuary and gathering spaces made possible a breathtaking concert series and artistic relationships with the Phoenix Symphony, Phoenix Boys Choir, Valley Vocal Ensemble, Grand Canyon University, and a bevy of talented people. These same spaces allowed our musical leaders to enhance all our weekly worship experiences. At the same time there was lots of adjustment. As I write this the Valley Day School has begun the new semester while the Omicron variant has infected nearly half of the VDS staff. But just as previous periods of the pandemic, Meghan Gottfredson and her teachers rallied and adjusted! In every ministry area we are praying this variant will be the beginning of the end of this dreadful disease, and 2022 will be easier to plan for. As I look at our ministry team I share with them a sense of gratitude for the fantastic encouragement and generosity of our congregation and their many gifts of time, talent, and treasure. As we look forward to 2022, I am excited for the official Awaken Café opening this Spring (Day to be subsequently reveled!) This new café will bring new people onto our campus, bless our mission partners through its proceeds, and provide great daily opportunities for outreach. New connections with Grand Canyon University will emerge this year, in connection with education and urban ministry. GCU has grown to become an institution fifteen times the size of an average Christian college, and has become a major force for renewal in the Valley. The Presbytery Committee has concurred with VPC’s Session decision to move from PCUSA into ECO. Negotiations with them should conclude this spring, allowing a new series of ventures with other ECO congregations. Please take a look through this Annual Report and pray for all the things our Lord has done and is doing in our midst!
2021
SERMON SERIES
2021 YEAR IN REVIEW January Oasis Community Wednesdays returned after a COVID hiatus with opportunities for kids, students, and adults.
May Student Sunday allowed us to see the amazing gifts God has given our students, who led all elements of worship in the Sanctuary.
September Sounds of Autumn featuring violinists Lan Qiu and Joy Pan, launched the VPC Concert Series.
February Ash Wednesday began our journey toward the cross and celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.
June Vacation Bible School was in the Sanctuary, and it was awesome! Kids and volunteers were back in force.
October Feed My Starving Children came to campus for a MobilePack event. Volunteers from all over the Valley came to help the VPC community during this one-day event.
March Bunny Business gave an opportunity to come back on campus and celebrate the Easter holiday.
July Forest Home Camp for Middle & High School students was a lifechanging week of worship, building relationships, and fun. And no VPC students were eaten by a (fake) bear!
November Cooks’ Tour brought their incredible 50-year run to a celebratory end that recognized the contributions of countless women across the generations.
January A pril Easter was more than just a chance to rejoice that Christ is risen, it was the largest gathering of the VPC community for over a year!
August Back to School Blessing gave us the opportunity to pray for students, staff, parents, and teachers at the beginning of another new and challenging school year.
December Christmas Eve brought the generations together to celebrate the birth of our Savior! 891 people joined us on campus and 894 households joined worship virtually.
David Turner
Congregational Care Pastor
Effective ministry is often seen as the product of careful and deliberate planning, but the most effective ministry is done when we live in the moment, responding to God’s call to meet the needs of His people. 2021 forced us to live in the moment. Still living in the shadow of 2020, many were dealing with the continued trauma of isolation. To address these mental health issues, Mental Health Ministry sponsored five workshops that addressed specific issues related to the pandemic. Our Deacon Ministries prepared much-needed meals for those recovering from hospital and rehabilitation stays through Tasty Spoon. We sent care packages to our college students across the country, and hosted two Red Cross Blood Drives that collected much needed blood. We redesigned the Stephen Ministry Training program, shortening the training cycle while keeping the key components that make this ministry successful. We developed two new hospitality ministries. You’ve likely met our First Impression team, welcoming everyone on Sunday morning, connecting them to ministry areas and appropriate staff. We also began to design “Open Door,” a hospitality ministry designed to connect friends and develop new friendships in a casual atmosphere hosted at people’s homes. 2021 saw God work in powerful ways, bringing healing and hope to those who needed it most, and I’m confident God will do even greater things in 2022! Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. -Ephesians 3:20-21
Dove Tree Service
Care Packages
First Impressions Team
85 90 37 8
CONGREGATIONAL CARE
Staff Appreciation Team
units of blood donated through two Blood Drives care packages sent to college students connected to VPC
members of the new First Impressions Team
new babies welcomed by the Baby Welcome Team
Travis Kingma
Next Generation Ministry & Contemporary Worship Pastor
This past summer, on a cool late July evening at Forest Home Camp in California, a speaker invited those who were ready to take their first step in following Jesus to stand. In a crowd of a thousand students, several of ours leapt up, making clear their willingness to become disciples of the Creator of all things. When the wayward come to know the living God made known in Jesus, heaven erupts with joy (Luke 15:7). On that night, I felt the force of God’s grace pour out. Joy was the song of the night, and we could not help but sing along. This 2021, we saw weariness turn into wonder. There were countless Holy Spirit moments where the Lord made it clear He has been with us, doing incredible things in all seasons, including this one. As we look ahead, we are thrilled to discover our identity, sense of belonging, and purpose in the promises of God. As a church we will continue to cultivate a place for us all to worship, journey through life together, and seek to be a Jesus people for the sake of the world. We will ask big questions, care for our neighbors, and tell stories of what God is doing through us. We will do all this in response to the truth that we serve an awesome God. He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen. -Deuteronomy 10:21
Youth New Member Baptisms
STUDENTS
Student Sunday
Forest Home
43 20 7 13
Middle School Mission Trip
students spent a week at Forest Home Camp traveled on mission trips across Arizona students took the Youth New Member Class
committed & caring people on the Volunteer Leader Team
Chris Woodard
Mission & Engagement Pastor
My son, Max, is 22 months old. It is a joy to watch him grow, learn, and have fun in his surroundings. Brianna and I love engaging with him; there is something new for him to discover every day. As I spend time with Max, I also think about our future‑Brianna is 19 weeks pregnant‑and we are excited for another baby to arrive in June! I feel as though I have a foot in two worlds; one foot in the present with Max and one foot in the future as we anticipate the arrival of the new baby. 2021 was a year of two feet in two worlds. God was wholly present in VPC’s community. It was thrilling to watch our church lead the way by reopening our campus to Family Promise, giving families a safe place to call home. I rejoiced for Bible studies where people grew in their faith and love of Jesus. I was humbled see people reach out to our community to invite their friends and family to worship our great God. And I sense a great hope and adventure in which God is calling us. The impact of the pandemic has been felt throughout the Valley; the need for shelter and food is on the rise, communities are struggling relationally, and people are lost and directionless. But God is on the move! We experienced it in 2021 and I believe we will experience it in again 2022. I am excited to see how God will use you and VPC as we share God’s goodness and grace throughout the Valley and across the world.
MentorKids USA Christmas Party
MISSION
Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event
MentorKids USA Soccer Camp
525 475 1,800 1,200
Family Promise
bed nights hosted through Family Promise people attended the MentorKids USA Christmas Party
weekend meals provided through Healthy Packs
hours volunteered during Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event
MUSIC
Keeping Christmas
600+ 300+ 200+ 42
From Opera to Broadway
Sounds of Autumn
Keeping Christmas
attended Keeping Christmas, VPC’s Christmas Concert attended VPC’s Concert Series: From Opera to Broadway attended VPC’s Concert Series: Sounds of Autumn members in the VPC Chancel Choir
Trunk or Treat
CHILDREN
Vacation Bible School
Oasis Kids!
Sunday School
+27% 170 50 67
increase in Sunday School roster from August 2019 kids attended Vacation Bible School 2021
kids & volunteers registered for Oasis Kids! & Oasis Minis kids participated in the Nativity Pageant, the second-most ever
MEN & WOMEN
MOPS
Cooks’ Tour
Men’s Retreat
Men at the Lake
36 5 20+ 50
men attended the Men’s Retreat Bible Studies & Small Groups offered previous Co-Chairs gathered to celebrate the final Cooks’ Tour women involved in Presbyterian Women Circles Bible Studies
Book Club
DISCIPLESHIP
Boomer Community Group
Awaken Café
3rd Grade Bibles
20 1,000 1,350 10
classes offered in-person or virtually
hours of people in classes meals served at Oasis Community Wednesdays weekly meetings of Bible Studies & Community Groups
Kiva Elementary’s Dad’s & Donuts
ONLINE
Nativity Pageant
Boomer Community Group
84K 10.6K 134 23K
Oasis Kids!
people reached through Facebook (a 266% increase over 2020) people reached through Instagram (a 2,000% increase over 2020) mobile app downloads during first month available (November) guests visited vpc.church (a 14% increase over 2020)
Day School Sunday
WORSHIP
Before Worship
Sunday Morning
Julia Tucker plays Widor’s Toccata
483 352 14 18
households watched VPC’s livestream weekly
attended worship VPC in person weekly baptisms in 2021
Third Grade Bibles given to kids this year
VDS Class
VALLEY DAY SCHOOL
Thanksgiving Feast
On the slide!
20 years teaching together!
128 49 20 28
kids enrolled at the Valley Day School students sang during Valley Day School Sunday years Julie & Michelle have been teaching together times each class attended Chapel time at Valley Day School
YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT We, the Pastors and Staff at VPC, feel blessed to share this time, this place, and this ministry with you. Your encouragement and energy are a beautiful and powerful response to our gracious God!
Christian Education
14%
Mission, Outreach, Congregational Care
4%
Pastoral Ministry
21%
Worship & Music
13%
Administration & Facility
48%
2021 Expenses Administration & Facility Pastoral Ministry Christian Education Mission, Outreach, Congregational Care Worship & Music Total expenses in 2021
$1,062,800 $468,800 $320,200 $91,600 $286,700 $2,230,100
Facebook: facebook.com/valleypresbyterian
Instagram: ‘vpc.church’
YouTube: youtube.com/c/vpcchurch
Valley Presbyterian Church 6947 E. McDonald Drive Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
vpc.church