2020 Annual Report - Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Atlanta, GA

2020 Annual Report

A Letter from Mark Larson senior pastor of the evangelical Lutheran church of the redeemer What a year it has been!

In January of 2020, we set out a bold vision in our Strategic Plan: that through Redeemer the world will see Jesus. Building on our deepest values and beliefs, we identified five strategic areas of focus and our leaders were on fire to make this vision a reality.

Then the COVID pandemic hit. You might expect that would mean everything gets put on hold. But as you will see as you read this summary of our year, thanks to the creativity of our staff, the boldness of our leaders and volunteers, and the generous support of all of our members, WE NEVER CLOSED. Having a clear vision of whom God is calling us to be while remaining faithful to the central values that form us as the body of Christ, has been vital to our ability to keep growing and serving throughout this tumultuous year.

I hope you will notice this vital relationship between values and mission in the very way this annual report is organized. Everything we do as a congregation is organized around our central call to Love God, Love our Neighbor and Love Each Other. We remain steadfast in the belief that if we hold firm to this call, all the world will see Jesus through the ministry of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.

LOVE OF GOD Word of the year: Creativity

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer has always been known for its beautiful worship and deep commitment to sharing our faith with all ages. Our commitment to worship and faith formation did not waver despite the world changing around us. As we were forced to refrain from meeting in person, we learned that we could worship and learn in new ways. Thinking back over the year, it is amazing to realize how far we have come. From videos shot in back yards and living rooms to our gradual return to the sanctuary, the creativity and dedication of our worship staff and volunteers, supported by the knowledge and expertise of our digital media team, has truly been inspiring. Every week, we sought to reach more and more people with the good news of God's grace.

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The creative leveraging of technology was also embraced by our faith formation staff and volunteers as Sunday School classes, confirmation, youth ministry, adult studies and small groups pivoted to online life at a moment's notice.

While we all look forward to the time when we are able to gather in person safely, what we have learned this year will continue to enhance our ministry in the future. No longer geographically limited, we now are regularly joined by worshipers from all over the world. We have welcomed new members into our fellowship who have never worshiped with us in person!

LOVE OF NEIGHBOR Word of the year: Inclusion

Central to our Strategic Plan is to create a worshiping community that is as wide and welcoming as Christ's love for all the world. We want everyone who walks in our front door, or who visits the front page of our website, to know that they are welcome here.

We love because God loved us. In particular, this means being intentional about loving those whom the world too often ignores.

During this year, we launched our Rejoicing Spirits worship service to create a community of mutuality and support with families with special needs. Like all of our other worship and faith formation programs, during the pandemic we shifted to an online format without missing one gathering.

As our nation struggled to deal with issues of racial injustice, Redeemer made a commitment to address these issues directly. Under the leadership of Pastor Ron Bonner, we launched a Diversity and Justice ministry to educate us all about issues of racism and privilege and to actively work towards the dismantling of racism in every facet of our ministry. We envision a community that embodies and reflects the radical inclusivity of God's grace.

Not everything went online this year. Our Lutheran Community Food Ministry did not close for even one day, and thanks to the support of our people as well as Fulton County, we were able to expand our services to Lutheran Towers and our local colleges and universities. During this past year, over 60,000 meals were served in Midtown. We also reopened our preschool to help working families begin rebuilding their lives. To date, because of the care of the preschool staff and support of the families, we have not had one case of virus exposure that would necessitate us closing down even for a day.

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LOVE OF EACH OTHER Word of the year: Relationship

Relationships are the lifeblood of any church. The physical separation forced upon us by the pandemic could have easily led to isolation from one another and fragmentation of our community. Fortunately, just at the right time, God brought to us Pastor Jenny McLellan. Building on the compassion of her predecessor, Pastor Mary Peters, and blessed with the same passion for loving and caring for people, particularly our senior members, Pastor Jenny has built deep relationships and fostered networks of connections throughout our community. Along with Wellness Coordinator Karen Medford, we launched a Vineyard ministry which already has become a vital way we take care of one another.

Another way we take care of one another is by stewarding the wonderful facilities with which we have been graced. Working remotely, our Property Team has tirelessly labored to address roof and tuckpointing issues, elevator updates, repairs to the Mission House, updating our decor, and improving our IT. When we are able to return, we will all find a building that is primed and ready for many years of making Christ's love known.

As you read this book of reports, I'm sure you'll agree that the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer continues to grow faithfully and serve boldly. Every year brings its own challenges, but this year was unique. Despite the challenges, and because of your faithfulness, prayers and support, we remain strong in the Lord and ready for new opportunities for witness in the future.

Best,

The Rev. Mark H. Larson Senior Pastor

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A Letter from Janet Preston 2020 Congregational President Dear Redeemer Friends and Family, Serving as the 2020 President of Redeemer was an adventure, honor, and privilege.

Over the course of the year, I wrote over 20 letters to the Congregation to provide updates on worship changes and learning opportunities, Church Council decisions, ministry team activities, and to ask you to pray for Pastor Mark, Cindy, and each other.

After 20 letters, what is left to say? Just this…Thank you!

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with leadership over the years who set our Congregation up for success in 2020. I am thankful for the leadership who engaged our Congregation in the strategic planning process, so Redeemer had a road map for “Growing Faithfully and Serving Boldly” in 2020. The Strategic Plan provided Redeemer focus and foundational stability in a year of turmoil for our country, state, and community. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with leaders who introduced Livestream technology, focused on updating our website and identified Realm to enable us to stay connected as the body of Christ and to serve as His hands and feet.

Thank you, Lord, for those Council members who established clear Constitutional roles for pastors, leadership, and ministry teams which gave us the governance structure to make seamless decisions for the health and safety of our Congregation and to inspire and serve our members and others in our greater community.

Thank you, Lord, for Pastor Mark and Redeemer’s incredible pastors and staff who grew the faithfulness of our Congregation and equipped us to fulfill our mission to be “living testaments of the Lutheran faith in Atlanta and beyond.” Thank you, Lord, for the many sermons, phone calls, and emails from our Pastors and staff that comforted and inspired us with Your Word. Thank you, Lord, for the devoted pastoral care that touched each of us in unique ways through technologies and outreach efforts. Thank you, Lord, for the creation of inspired programming that reached members of all ages to ensure that the Congregation was steeped in Your Word and felt Your love. Through Pastor Mark and his staff, Redeemer seamlessly responded to ongoing crises and issues to pivot to new solutions and opportunities to share the love of Christ.

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Thank you, Lord, for the 2020 Council and Ministry Teams who fulfilled their missions in a virtual world “to love each person and value all as children of a loving God.” Council and Ministry teams leveraged technology skills to share the love of God and address hunger and homelessness, mental health concerns, and justice and inclusion.

Redeemer demonstrated the love of neighbor through the Lutheran Community Food ministry, providing food, friendship, and love by serving over 60,000 meals in 2020.

Redeemer strategically established the Diversity and Justice Task Force, the Special Needs Ministry Team, and the Rejoicing Spirits Worship Service as critical steps to make Redeemer a truly inclusive place for all, regardless of race, ability, mental health, or economic circumstances. Through Council’s leadership, Redeemer demonstrated that diversity strengthens the community.

Thank you, Lord, for the members of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer who grew faithfully through worship, lifting Your name on high from their living rooms and kitchens. Members joined online small groups and adult learning opportunities to study the Word and enjoy fellowship. The Vineyards were created and nurtured through Redeemer volunteers to reach out to members in need, providing love and care. Despite personal challenges of job loss or health concerns, members reached deeper into their pockets and gave faithfully beyond pledged tithes and gifts so that Redeemer could end 2020 with a surplus. Most importantly, we prayed for one another. Every worship service in 2020 included deep and rich prayers for healing, comfort, love, and concern for each other and friends and family in our greater community. Thank you, to each and every member for your generosity with all of your many gifts.

Because of you, Lord, Redeemer is a bolder and better congregation in 2021. We were challenged this year unlike any other time before, and we became stronger and more faithful. Friends, please continue to pray for each other, Pastor Mark, our staff, the Congregation Council, and all of Redeemer as we share God’s love with each other, our families, and our neighbors so “through Redeemer, the world will see Jesus.”

In His service,

Janet Preston 2020 President, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Congregation Council

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Love of God “We love because He loved us first.” --1 John 4:19

It is challenging to think about 2020 without seeing only the obstacles and loss. We may forever cringe when hearing the phrases “in an abundance of caution” or the infamous “you’re on mute.” But in a year full of “unprecedented” everything, Redeemer was a touchstone, connecting us to our faith and each other. In January, we gathered in Rudisill Hall and launched our strategic plan. We rallied behind new statements of our mission, vision, and values. This became one of the first moments in which God’s preparation for the pandemic became evident. The pandemic could have put a big pause button on the plan’s timeline, but we continued to grow faithfully and serve boldly. The Council, ministry teams, and staff worked in groups and organized a Summit to plan for how we would adapt to the new reality and continue the work we had started.

With the world going virtual, the investments we had made in our digital ministry allowed us to pivot and gather quickly, albeit in our own homes, on Sunday mornings to join in worship. Online worship, Lenten study groups, and music programs kept us connected to the Word, to prayer, to music, and our Redeemer community.

Years of advance planning also enabled us to launch REALM, a backbone to support the church with richer information about our congregants and a new website. In a year without bulletins to take home on Sundays, redeemer.org became a lifeline. Last year’s prayer wall on Peachtree became a virtual wall of supplication, thanksgiving, hope, and connection. Our doors may have closed, but our hearts remained open.

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FAITH FORMATION MINISTRY

The Faith Formation Ministry aims to help people of all ages learn, grow in, and apply the Christian faith to their lives. The ministry works closely with the Children & Family, Youth & Family, Young Adults, Small Group Ministry Teams, and the Midtown Lutheran Preschool Ministry Team to unify and focus their activities. The ministry also facilitates and supports spiritual formation and learning events for adults through Sunday School and other classes, retreats, and other special events. This ministry brings other teams together to plan and assess faith formation curriculum and activities for targeted groups and across generations.

Achievements: Clarified our mission and created an effective team of people Began assessing the current faith formation efforts and shared ideas for what we can do in the years to come Helped teachers, small group leaders, and participants switch from in-person classes to online Zoom gatherings Provided daily Lenten devotions that continued through the summer and resumed during Advent, all while organizing the online Fall Kick-Off of Adult Sunday School Classes and activities scheduled by each team

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DIGITAL MEDIA MINISTRY TEAM The Digital Media Ministry Team (DMT) proclaims God's Word and tells Redeemer's story in innovative ways that invite all people into a discipleship journey with Redeemer through its ministries.

We connect our congregation, the community, and our online audience through training resources, forward-leaning collaboration tools, audio-visual technology, and a comprehensive communications strategy. The Team handles any content a member or guest would access via their computer or smartphone. This ministry covers a wide range of things, from online worship bulletins available on the website to view worship on your computer or device from anywhere in the world.

Achievements: Completed redesign of the church website with an online calendar function to RSVP and launch on July 1, 2020 Enabled online giving as a replacement for plate giving Curated online pledging for a stewardship campaign Facilitated the ability of the Congregation Council and the congregation to conduct essential church business by enabling churchwide Introduced webinars to vote on constitutional changes and to conduct the annual election of new council members Hosted semiweekly worship services live-streamed from pastors' homes and the sanctuary with a combination of prerecorded and live elements (plus Holy Week and Christmas Eve) Enhanced on-screen graphics for live-streamed worship and concerts Digital bulletins for all worship services and concerts

The DMT and AV personnel were thrust into prominence almost overnight, allowing the congregation to stay connected and informed while not being able to meet in person. The DMT has enabled Redeemer to continue worshiping, learning, and serving together during the pandemic by leveraging technology.

Once the pandemic ends, the DMT anticipates continuing to support Redeemer similarly as events are offered in a hybrid manner with some participants at the church and some attending remotely.

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FRIENDS OF MUSIC

The Friends of Music present Redeemer's Concert Series to enrich lives and to share our faith and the love of Christ through memorable musical experiences for the community.

During 2020, the Friends of Music Board presented and hosted four concerts and its first Zoom webinar: January 31, 2020: Organ Anniversary Concert. Featured Alcee Chriss, First Prize and Bach Winner at the 2017 Canadian Organ Competition.

February 23, 2020: National Lutheran Choir. On a rare tour of the South, Redeemer hosted this world-acclaimed choir. The Friends of Music Board sold approximately 330 tickets, which covered bringing his 64-voice ensemble to Atlanta. Special guest Bishop Kevin Strickland was in attendance to greet the choir. A team of 20 volunteers assisted that day as greeters, ushers, serving lunch, and logistics for the choir's rehearsal before the concert.

September 27, 2020: Meet the Artist Zoom Webinar. The ministry conducted a Zoom webinar featuring Dexter Kennedy, winner of the 24th Grand Prix International Organ Competition at Chartres Cathedral, to garner interest in the first concert of the calendar year 2021.

October 30, 2020: PipeScreams Concert. This was a hybrid event of a "spooky" live organ performance and prerecorded video of Redeemer's children in their Halloween costumes.

November 2, 2020: Harvest Home Concert. Due to COVID-19, Director of Adult Choral Activities David Hansen and the Redeemer Choir produced our first-ever "virtual" choir performance. The concert featured three pieces recorded at individual choir members' homes and pre-recorded videos from previous Harvest Home Concerts. The concert was a great success and showcased the Redeemer Technical Team's creativity in this meaningful, poignant production.

The sponsorship of concerts for our members and the general public is an important avenue for outreach, evangelism and supports Redeemer's vision statement.

Zooming through 2020

WORSHIP MINISTRY The Worship Ministry is responsible for ensuring that the Word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered in a faithful, appropriate, and effective manner. This includes related activities and personnel such as acolytes, crucifers, lectors, ushers, vocal and bell choirs, instrumental music, communion assistants, altar, heritage, and wedding guilds.

In collaboration with pastors, staff, and other ministry teams, the Worship Team ensures that the Word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered in a faithful, appropriate, and effective manner. The Team strives to maximize lay leadership and service participation through acolytes, crucifers, Gospel processional participants, lectors, ushers, adult and children's vocal choirs, bell choirs, instrumental music, communion assistants, and the altar, heritage, and wedding guilds. The staff also consults with the Worship Team regarding times, styles, and worship content, and any changes in the worship space and appointments.

Built out our strategic plan, which included many collaborations with other ministry teams and goals to expand our volunteer base Held our third Worship Retreat in early March 2020 (the last weekend before the COVID-19 shutdown) with the keynote topic of better understanding our liturgy Adapted all of our live-streamed worship service except communion to be recorded at various people's homes, including the pastors Rolled out our new service for special needs, Rejoicing Spirits, and were excited to continue that service on Zoom during COVID-19 time and recently celebrated our first anniversary Began Open Air Communion services in the fall, serving groups of 10 people in various members' outdoor spaces; collaborated with the new Vineyard program.

Participated in the online/virtual fall kick-off Sunday in August Resumed other services such as baptismal services, funerals, and weddings on a limited basis

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SMALL GROUP MINISTRY TEAM The Small Group Ministry Team promotes and supports small group gatherings that meet to foster Christian fellowship and faith formation, evangelism, outreach, and member care by offering study resources, logistical support, leadership training, and assistance in starting new groups. Small groups may be ongoing, short-term, or seasonal.

In 2020 small group ministry had 21 groups formed for Lent, with 224 people participating. Then COVID-19 hit just a couple of weeks into the Lent study, calling for a quick transition of these groups onto an online platform. Despite this interruption, 12 groups continued.

Fall groups were offered a choice between two books.

Advent groups were offered that ran the four weeks.

Leader training was accomplished this year.

Evaluations were compiled for the spring and fall groups.

Some small group ministry members believe the group is dedicated to good leadership through deeper communication about the Lord's word. Since the pandemic, the Digital Media Ministry has helped with technology efforts that allowed the ministry to offer three church-wide studies in 2020. DMT also reached those who might not have been able to join groups due to social distancing.

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YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRY Youth & Family Ministry's mission is to help families and the congregation fulfill their baptismal promises. We create a missional environment that empowers youth grades 6-12 and beyond until they transition to Young Adult Ministry, to name the faith they profess, claim their power to make a difference, act in service towards others and celebrate the gifts that God has given them. While growing in our faith together, we build close relational bonds through fellowship, retreats, and service. We strive to launch youth into young adulthood well-equipped with discipleship marks and confidence in the secure faith base they have at Redeemer.

Even though we separated physically, we: Gathered in spirit to continue growing our servant's hearts Wrote letters throughout the year sending well wishes to Goshen Valley Boys Ranch at the start of the school year Easter cards to Lutheran Towers residents, and thank you notes to our local Fire Department, Lutheran Community Food Ministry volunteers, and Midtown Assistance Center volunteers Served in many of our streaming worship services, sharing their many gifts in music and beyond.

The youth were affected by the unprecedented circumstances and our Middle, High, and College youth families. At the start of the pandemic, we began weekly parent virtual check-ins, which over time became monthly. As the weeks turned into months of continued isolation, the toll on our youth was visible. We jumped into online Confirmation Classes with Large Group time with our pastors and Small Group breakout sessions for our Middle School Youth and online High School Sunday School sessions for our High School Youth. We continued our Youth Events Calendar by shifting to an online platform which allowed us to add weekly Middle School and High School Activity Nights. At the beginning of the pandemic, we noticed our youth needed more time to "see" their peers and mentors. As a result, this online platform gave them more opportunities to share how they were doing as their mental health was of utmost importance.

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YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY The Young Adult Ministry brings together individuals in their 20s - 30s (and even some 40s) to build a supportive community that equips people through faith formation, service, and relationships. Through the mission to reflect the love of Christ and encourages young adults to participate in other ministry teams and leadership opportunities in the congregation.

Young Adult participation and leadership are vital to sustaining growth in the congregation and engaging the community. The ministry explicitly targets people in their 20s and 30s connecting their passions and gifts to the church's mission. With two Lenten Groups and a Fall Small Group, this ministry continuously met in the spring on Zoom, and some continued to meet together for fellowship on Zoom.

Young Adults are serving on many of Redeemer's Ministry Teams, in 2020 including Council, Lutheran Community Food Ministry, Community Engagement, and Children and Family Ministry.

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Love of Neighbor “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with

all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great first commandment. And the

second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” --Matthew 22:36-40

This year, Redeemer showed our love of neighbor with a focus on inclusion. How do we create environments in which all who want a relationship with God find a home at Redeemer? There is perhaps no better example of this than Rejoicing Spirits, a worship service dedicated to children and adults who may have felt unwelcome in traditional church settings due to a developmental disability or delay. We are all beloved children of God, and this service says, “you are not only welcome, but you are important to us.” Its inaugural service exceeded expectations with the number of people who joined, the diversity of ages and abilities, and the abundance of joy. Complete with a conga line, the service brought people together to worship God and celebrate communion with joyful believers.

To be more inclusive, we also have to understand the impact of racial injustice on our ability to create a loving and just world.

In addition to being welcoming and inclusive, we reached out and shared meals with our neighbors. While the number of people facing food insecurity escalated, the Food Ministry served more than 60,000 meals and 92,000 pounds of rescued perishable foods. With the commitment of Redeemer and new partnerships, like Hope Thru Soap, Partners for Home, Second Helpings, Intown Collaborative Ministries, Georgia Tech STAR Program, and Lutheran Towers, we were able to provide a greater variety of nutritious meals. As we nourished people’s bodies, we also worked to nourish their minds. We established a “little free library” in a reception area of Lutheran Towers. The world changed, but our ability to share God’s love never faltered.

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DIVERSITY & JUSTICE MINISTRY The Diversity & Justice Ministry seeks to build an inclusive community that embodies and shares Christ’s love for all people by deconstructing divisive narratives through critical engagement, fellowship, and advocacy for the purpose of humbly building God’s beloved community on Earth.

The goal is to fulfill Redeemer's commitment as stated in the strategic plan, to build a community that embodies Christ's love for all people, especially as it relates to racial justice and inclusion, and in so doing serve as a visible witness of grace, justice, and inclusion to the wider world.

Areas of Focus: To educate and sensitize our community to the history, dynamics, and systems that undergird the evils of bigotry and racism and the systems of White Privilege and White Supremacy To evaluate all areas of Redeemer's ministry and programs to identify ways that racial stereotypes and barriers to inclusion are unknowingly perpetuated To develop and strengthen partnerships through relationship building and joint ministry projects To guide The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer to act in word and deed reflecting its commitment to be an agent of good, reflecting Christ's love and grace

Our goal for 2021 is to implement our curriculum offerings, including film and other expressions of learning. We are researching viable anti-racism pieces of training for our Council, Congregational leadership, and staff. In 2022, the team plans to host a travel series to complement our other forms of learning.

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LIBRARY MINISTRY

The Library Ministry supports the larger mission of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer by providing Christian resources for all ages and Redeemer's ministries and special initiatives to help people grow in Lutheran faith knowledge.

Identified ways to share information and resources with the congregation without having access to the physical library. We accomplished this through numerous contributions to Redeemer Newsletters and postings on the church's Facebook page Continued to collect books for the prison ministry to donate to an organization that delivers Christian books to prisons throughout the United States. To date, we have collected approximately 200 books which will be provided after COVID-19 lockdowns, when prisons are again able to receive donations Discovered a gap in our mental health and suicide resources in our existing collection. After consulting with a mental health professional (a Redeemer member), we purchased recommended books on mental health, some of which had a specific Christian approach.

The Library Ministry provided an annotated list of book titles we named "Lutheranism 101" (available in both our library and through online commercial resources) introduced to the New Member Classes and are used by them subsequently.

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MIDTOWN LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL Midtown Lutheran Preschool (MTLPS) nurtures and educates children in a Christian setting to be wholehearted, compassionate, principled individuals who contribute positively to the world community.

ELCA schools and centers are an integral part of evangelism ministry and nationally the most diverse ministry area of the ELCA. Midtown Lutheran Preschool, Redeemer's weekday ministry, has often reflected this within Redeemer's congregational ministries. MTLPS allows for a direct connection to the neighborhood and intown families (who live within a 5-mile radius of Redeemer). Our families are our church neighbors in a congregation that essentially pulls from all over the metro area. The majority of our preschool families do not have a church home, and we are the church's face to them. And, if they do have a church home, we offer additional faith support.

In 2020 the gap we filled in our congregation was having programming in the building Monday through Friday. When COVID-19 hit, we offered connections through digital preschool learning. In August, we returned to onsite education, supporting families who want and need their child in a preschool program. MTLPS offers a supportive, Christian workplace for our staff. This has shown to be incredibly impactful as it can provide teachers with a safe place to work amid life's hardships. We have a collaborative team that supports and loves one another in the classroom and out.

Families that returned are grateful to have a trusting place to bring their children and didn't have to find alternative care. They are happy with our protocols and size this year. With Redeemer's support, we have remained open, and it seems to be the wise choice as we have had new enrollments through fall and early winter.

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MIDTOWN LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL

While Redeemer has made efforts to enhance accessibility in the past, there are more barriers to break in this community. This ministry seeks to walk alongside people with disabilities and their caregivers as they navigate the many gaps left by health care systems, schools, employers, the legal system, and other ways they experience discrimination or neglect.

In early 2020 MTLPS had its 2nd Open House event for current and prospective families. The purpose of this event was to showcase what we do each day for families to experience and create opportunities for relationship-building between families and the teachers.

In February 2020, we held our first significant fundraising silent auction event, which raised money to maintain our enrichment fund, including activities like weekly movement/dance, special music events, etc. We plan to carry those over to 2021 or 2022 and replenish them with future fundraisers.

In March, MTLPS had to pivot preschool online due to the outbreak of COVID-19-19 and global pandemic, contacted families by sending ideas for activities home but quickly realized that we would be out for much longer than two weeks after the initial closure.

After the spring closure, the focus was shifted to a reopening plan for fall (August). Through the summer, plans were made based on progressing science information about COVID-19, state and national guidelines for safety, and looking qualitatively at what other programs around the country were doing to remain open successfully and safely.

In August, we reopened, and the first semester (August-December) of the academic year successfully maintained health and safety around COVID-19 and offered a place for children to return to school to have a social outlet.

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SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY The purpose of the Special Needs Ministry is to accompany and support individuals with disabilities and their caregivers in their journeys of discipleship, lift the contributions and gifts of this community as an essential part of Redeemer's ministry, and work for justice and equality for all in our community who live with disabilities.

In 2020 the Special Needs ministry: Was officially approved by the Church Council in November, so we have just started building our team and working towards our goals. However, the Rejoicing Spirits worship service (a collaboration between the Special Needs Team and the Worship Team) has been meeting for a little over a year.

Rejoicing Spirits has provided much-needed fellowship and worship (and fun!) for our worshiping community.

Individuals with disabilities and their caregivers are often unchurched or unable to participate in church activities because of unnecessary barriers to participation. These barriers can be physical or cultural. The Special Needs Ministry seeks to honor the role each of us was designed to play in the body of Christ under our common baptism, not because of standard abilities.

While Redeemer has made efforts to enhance accessibility in the past, there are more barriers to break in this community. This ministry seeks to walk alongside people with disabilities and their caregivers as they navigate the many gaps left by health care systems, schools, employers, the legal system, and other ways they experience discrimination or neglect.

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LUTHERAN COMMUNITY FOOD MINISTRY The Lutheran Community Food Ministry (LCFM) is committed to addressing food insecurity in Atlanta. Powered by volunteers, we share nutritious meals with people in need. Through our partnerships, we redistribute fresh groceries to our neighbors. The ministry advocates for policies and practices that will reduce hunger and homelessness. When the pandemic began in 2020, many support and food programs closed down for an indefinite period. It became evident that LCFM's continued food distribution was more critical than ever.

The ministry: Served 60,010 meals and 92,000 pounds of "rescued" perishable food either served or shared with other food insecure populations like college students or seniors Shifted gears to provide a "to-go" model and saw our daily number of guests increase from 100 to nearly 300 in the first few months Initiated partnerships with multiple agencies who work in this space, like Hope Thru Soap, Partners for Home, Second Helpings, Intown Collaborative Ministries, Georgia Tech STAR Program & Lutheran Towers, all while increasing the variety of food served as well as the nutritional value Received support from Redeemer members, ELCA grants, and grants through Fulton County Government

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LCFM

This ministry provides a nutritious lunch each weekday and shares fresh produce, baked goods, and prepared foods with food-deprived individuals. The ministry offers non-food service as well, including but not limited to personal prayers, hygiene kits, Bibles, greeting cards, reading glasses, undergarments, socks, gloves, and hats. The food ministry works with several support agencies to address healthcare, justice, housing, and the restoration of individual dignity.

When the shelter-in-place order came from the Mayor, the LCFM could no longer serve and accommodate the 100 plus people in the indoor dining room for lunch. The team appointed a core set of volunteers for each weekday to minimize any infected volunteers' potential cross-over and required volunteers to wear masks, thoroughly wash hands, wear gloves, and maintain a 6-foot social distancing.

The team found alternative ways for individuals to continue to volunteer and/or support the ministry remotely and established two Amazon wish lists so that individuals could donate new clothing items and non-perishable food items for the to-go bags. Others volunteered their time by creating hygiene kits, organizing clothing shelves, picking up and delivering food donations, and ministering the word of God safely with our guests.

The LCFM wishes to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Chef Steve Miles and our Security Team led by Stacey Williams.

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Love of Each Other “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.”

--1 John 4:7

Before 2020, we might never have imagined online youth lock-ins. And although they may be missing rousing late-night rounds of Capture the Flag, through Zoom our youth played scavenger hunts, shared mementos of their baptism, watched movies, and built bonds. As a congregation, we worshiped, prayed, enjoyed concerts, conducted church business, and shared our faith online. We rejoiced when the pastors went back into the sanctuary on Sundays, giving a glimpse into our church home.

As a congregation, we cared for each other. Stephen Ministers remained active, providing 168 hours of care and investing nearly 300 hours in education and mutual support. Redeemer youth and families sent notes of encouragement to Goshen Valley Boys Ranch at the start of the school year, Easter cards to Lutheran Towers residents, and thank you notes to our local Fire Department, Lutheran Community Food Ministry Volunteers, and Midtown Assistance Center Volunteers. We welcomed Pastor Jenny McLellan as the new Associate Pastor of Congregational Care, who helped with the creation of the Vineyards. Vineyard leaders strengthened communication throughout the congregation, facilitated new connections to the church's resources, and worked to minimize isolation. They also became the conduit for outdoor, small group communion.

Outside, physically distanced, but in real life, Redeemer neighbors came together for the sacrament of Holy Communion. In the midst of a year of uncertainty and isolation, this was an incredible welcome visible, tangible reminder of God’s love for us. This year was undoubtedly unprecedented and despite all of the challenges, through Redeemer, the world could see Jesus.

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FINANCE TEAM

The Finance Team works to manage Redeemer's financial resources now and in the future to further the Church's mission, including funding our ministry teams, programs, and community outreach so the world can see Jesus.

The highlights of this unusual year are listed below: Recommended and supported the Paycheck Protection Loan/Grant application to allow the Church to avoid laying off employees.

The PPP Loan was forgiven and recognized as income in November of 2020 Supported the application fr COVID-19 Grants and provided oversight of this spending Recommended an accounting audit for the Fiscal Year 2019 financial statements with bi-annual audits in the future. Selected the accounting firm to complete this task Developed the 2021 Annual Budget working with the staff, teams, and boards to anticipate the year's income to come and match them with the appropriate expenses and manage through the approved process with the Church Council.

In 2020, with the Finance Team's support, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer received $522,370 in grants and PPP loans to support the Church's mission.

The Finance Team had a busy year despite the pandemic. The team began the year with the Congregational approval of the 2020 Budget. As the income and expenses changed in 2020, the team provided financial oversight monitoring the income and expenses.

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CONGREGATIONAL CARE MINISTRY TEAM The Congregational Care Ministry Team shares the compassion of Christ by facilitating multigenerational care among the Redeemer community. The ministry provides ongoing opportunities to deepen relationships and support individuals and families who experience life changes by giving oneon-one accompaniment, visitation, prayer, grief support, and other spiritual and practical resources to cultivate a Christ-centered community.

The Congregational Care Ministry accomplished the following: Welcomed Pastor Jenny McLellan as the new Associate Pastor for Congregational Care.

Greatly expanded prayer ministry by 21 people between verbal intercessory prayer, written words of encouragement, and privately praying weekly prayer list Increased prayer request reception by 40% and introduced a new online prayer wall on Redeemer's website.

Trained one lay leader and Pastor McLellan to become Stephen Ministry Leaders.

Welcomed 37 new members Organized meal delivery for six households and delivered 33 meals Stephen Ministers offered 168 hours of care to 17 care receivers and engaged in 295 hours of continued education and mutual support Creatively utilized technology to provide healing through worship, including an online memorial service through Zoom and an Advent Service of Hope and Healing over Zoom with topical devotions

In 2020, the pandemic's most enormous gap was Redeemer's members and staff's separation and isolation from one another. Congregational Care initiated Redeemer's Vineyard Ministry, a network of geographically clustered members. The Vineyard leaders strengthened communication throughout the congregation, facilitated new connections to the church's resources, and worked to minimize isolation.

In the coming year, Congregational Care plans to focus on the missing gap of senior-specific ministry.

Collaborating with other robust age-specific ministries, Congregational Care intends to initiate a spiritually meaningful and impactful ministry with adults over 65.

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PROPERTY TEAM

The Property Team strives to enhance Redeemer's overall mission capability by working with churchwide ministry teams to identify and prioritize immediate and future property care, improvements, and repairs and develop strategies for their implementation, including financing considerations.

Property Team Highlights: Converted Redeemer campus lighting from incandescent/fluorescent to LED, resulting in long-term cost savings to the church. A Georgia Power rebate offsets a portion of the cost.

Completed repairs to the Redeemer roof/wall flashing system to eliminate long-standing leaks/water intrusion problems Repointed and repaired the northwest stairwell leading from 4th Street to the Peachtree entrance of the church and repaired handrail Improved lighting in the northeast stairwell leading from 4th Street up to the red canopy entrance to the sanctuary Repointed patio stones outside the Zittrouer Food Ministry and stage entrance doors Restored the cross in the Columbarium and completed replacement of all Columbarium name plaques In cooperation with the worship team and altar guild, the altar cross was repainted and re-gilded, completing the restoration of the gold-gilded altar fixtures In collaboration with the Lutheran Community Food Ministry, provided input and oversight in the replacement and installation of appliances in the Zittrouer kitchen, including, ice maker, washer/dryer, dishwasher, hand washing sink, and tankless water heater

The team accepted a proposal from Bagby Elevator Co. to overhaul and modernize the two facility elevators. Work on the #1 West elevator was completed and returned to service late in 2020. Plans for 2021 are to complete the #2 East Elevator's modernization, complete restoration of Schroeter Building portico, complete wall and counter repairs in Zittrouer kitchen and serving areas, and pursue roof repairs/replacement identified in a survey.

The Property Ministry wishes to acknowledge the long service of Team member Jean Mori, who passed away in late 2020.

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STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY The Stewardship Ministry coordinates an ongoing philanthropic education program to encourage members to make their financial commitments to the church and give their time and talent for Christian service. The ministry plans and carries out the annual stewardship campaign culminating on Commitment Sunday when members make their yearly financial pledges.

During the 2020 fiscal year: Conducted several financial literacy programs for all ages Launched the Redeemer Legacy Board Achieved the first-ever online Stewardship Appeal via small groups on Zoom

This year's appeal involved more leaders and volunteers than years prior. The appeal materials were professionally produced. The congregational video produced for the annual appeal was genuinely inspiring.

All congregation members are involved in this ministry; members are invited to respond with their gifts of time, talent, and treasure. These gifts enable every other ministry and ensure its future.

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WELLNESS MINISTRY

The Wellness Ministry strives to build a healthy faith community by offering activities and facilitating partnerships that equip people to have and share physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness while building relationships.

During May, the team saw a need for mental health resources and ran a social media campaign utilizing tips on anxiety and stress and ways to deal with it during a pandemic. The ministry provided learning opportunities for the congregation through Zoom, including: “A Better Marriage” forum for those struggling with the new reality of working from home together and other stresses from the closures due to the pandemic Hosted a Back-to-School Anxiety in August, followed by articles in the newsletter outlining ways to promote physical and mental health Hosted the Women’s Retreat, led by Pastor Jenny and held on Zoom with 39 participants

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2020 Reports

2020 YEAR-END FINANCIAL REPORT

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ELCA REPORT

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ELCA REPORT

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2019 AUDIT REPORT A financial audit is an important periodic tool to ensure the accuracy of Redeemer’s financial statements and accounting methods as well as to inspect our accounting methods and procedures.

In late 2019, the Congregation Council asked the Finance Team to review the process to conduct a Financial Audit for Fiscal Year 2019.

Redeemer last had a full Audit in 2013, although in 2016 our then accounting firm of Brooks, McGinnis conducted a review of Financial Policies and Procedures. Following the 2016 review, Redeemer’s staff, Finance Team and Congregation Council implemented the recommendations.

In its discussion, the Finance Team concluded we should consider changing auditors as we had used the same accounting firm since the early 2000s. After sending an RFP (Request For Proposal) to several suitable accounting firms, the Finance Team recommended Marshall Jones.

The uncertainty of the pandemic caused the Audit to be delayed until Fall 2020. Our Financial Information Director, Jennifer Isaacson, did an amazing job working with the outside auditors and provided Marshall Jones with the information requested. This audit was a little different from prior audits as the “Field Work” conducted by the accounting firm had to be online. This further complicated the process but, in the end, Redeemer staff provided Marshall Jones with all required data.

Conclusion: Marshall Jones found that the Church’s financial statements represent fairly the financial position of Redeemer for 2019 and 2018.

It is important to note that Marshall Jones found no material weaknesses in internal accounting controls, no material uncorrected misstatements, and no disagreements with management.

The audit did identify one significant deficiency related to the accounting system/methods of netting, instead of grossing, certain types of transactions. Importantly, as noted by Marshall Jones, this did not affect the validity of our financials, nor has it affected the recording of transactions in a materially correct way. We are instituting new system changes to ensure this deficiency is corrected in the future.

In February 2021, the Executive Team and members of the Finance Team met with a representative of Marshall Jones to review the audit document fully. Following this meeting, the group voted unanimously to accept the 2019 Audit. A copy of the Audit is available in the Redeemer Library.

For more information concerning the 2019 Audit, please contact Bob Boyd (bboyd@redeemer.org).

Redeemer is already working with Marshall Jones on the 2021 Audit.

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MEMORIAL FUND

The Memorial Funds Treasurer together with the Trustee Committee is charged with directing and overseeing the investment of certain memorial funds with the guidance of financial advisors, currently Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. The Committee balances risk and returns to provide earnings for Redeemer to fund its mission and ministries.

INVESTMENT POLICY The Committee adheres to the following investment guidelines: Moderate risk (currently 65/35 ratio of stocks to bonds/cash in traded accounts) Conservative growth with income Preservation of capital INVESTMENT STRATEGY Crawford Investment Counsel uses a dividend growth strategy. They invest in high-quality value stocks with above-average dividend growth and dividend yield over time.

STRUCTURE OF MEMORIAL FUND ACCOUNTS Redeemer’s memorial funds are divided into three accounts with Charles Schwab:

Main Account (LCR #1) Largest & Actively Managed by Crawford $ 3,438,949.00

Liquidity Account (LCR #2) Actively Managed by Crawford $ 410,057.00 TOTAL $ 3,999,007.60

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Operating Reserve Account $ 150,001.60

(as of 12/31/20)

MEMORIAL FUND

Between the smaller two accounts and the safer investments within the largest account, our investments are structured so that approximately $ 1.2 million is safe and liquid.

2020 PERFORMANCE After a sensational year of returns in 2019, the reality of the global COVID-19 pandemic and oil and gas prices sent the market tumbling early in 2020. Fortunately, the U.S. economy rebounded more strongly than expected. Its basic resilience has been enhanced by the aggressive monetary and fiscal response.

Returns for Redeemer’s actively managed funds totaled $ 269,556 or 6.92 percent.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR 2021 Crawford Investment Counsel, Inc. offers the following outlook for 2021: Two things making the market happy: vaccine roll-out and anticipation of additional fiscal stimulus.

Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was negative in 2020. It is expected to be strongly positive in 2021 in the range of 4-5 percent.

In the early stages of a new recovery/expansion cycle that began in the spring of 2020. It is reasonable to expect the cycle to be an extended one, as severe structural damage was not done to a healthy economy prior to the pandemic.

A continuation of low inflation and interest rates for the next few years.

Stocks, as measured by the popular averages, are trading as though COVID-19 never existed. There are reasons to justify enthusiasm: The economy is recovering Investors are looking forward in anticipation of a return to normal Low long-term interest rates support higher valuations There is a high level of optimism among stock investors. This may set the stage for a short-term correction in the new bull market.

Valuations are not cheap. Investors should be prepared for the possibility that 2020 returns have borrowed from future returns. Expect reasonable returns.

Bond yields remain at historically low levels. Economic fundamentals and monetary policy are exerting downward pressure on yields. Bond yields could rise somewhat, but we expect increases to be moderate until inflation becomes a threat.

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MEMORIAL FUND

In future years, management of the U.S./China relationship will be among the more important global challenges affecting financial markets.

A corporate earnings tax rate change to 28 percent would prompt a market correction as this has not yet been factored into the market.

CONCLUSION The Committee, and the Treasurer, in particular, are grateful for the continued dedication and work of Dewey Ingham during 2020. His departure from the Committee in 2021 plus an existing vacancy leaves two spaces for committee members that we need to fill.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer 731 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, Georgia 30308 404.874.8664 www.redeemer.org