ANNUAL REPORT
Our Vision S T. J O H N ’ S I S A C O M M U N I T Y O F C O N T R A S T, GRIPPED BY THE GOSPEL OF GOD'S GRACE, R E A C H I N G O U T T O O T H E R S W I T H T H E G O S P E L O F C H R I S T.
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Table of Contents A
RECTOR’S REPORT
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TRUSTEES’ REPORT
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S U N D AY S E R V I C E L E T T E R S
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OUTREACH
16
PA S S A G E S
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TREASURER’S REPORT
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FINANCIAL REPORT
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LOOKING AHEAD
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A Letter From the Rector I was appointed the Rector of St. John’s 25 years ago last month (and this will be Dan’s 20th year). I had come to take a Master of Theology (ThM) at Regent under Jim Packer and worked part-time at St. John’s. As I was coming to the end of my study, my greatly loved predecessor, Harry Robinson, retired. I was a reluctant applicant and the bishop of the time was understandably unenthusiastic to consider someone who was not a Canadian and had never been tried as a senior minister, yet God opened the door. The congregation was very, very gracious to Bron and I and our boys, who were three and five at the time. I was 35. The first ten years were very happy as God’s work prospered. I discovered the great privilege of teaching God’s word consecutively. We had a growing awareness of the state of the Anglican Church of Canada as I
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became the area Dean and through local Synods. God used the Essentials movement during those years to create bonds of fellowship across the country among Anglicans, which prepared us for what was to come. Near the end of this time, the Artizo Institute was founded, to build and train young people to strengthen gospel ministry in Canada. The second ten years were difficult, with the conflict and disruption in the worldwide Anglican Communion. What began in Vancouver tore the fabric of the Anglican Communion at its deepest level. This had an overwhelming impact on our life together as a church. What had been a place of safety and unity became dominated by external threats and decisions that were extraordinarily difficult and unprecedented. Clergy and lay leaders in congregations across Canada bore the
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
brunt of the crisis, and I remain amazed and thankful for the faithfulness and strength of the leadership at St. John’s. I travelled extensively for eight years at the discretion of the Church Committee, seeking a platform for gospel witness, not just here in Vancouver, but in Canada and the USA. I believe God equipped us and was with us as we tried to make decisions that were faithful and would be fruitful. The Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) was born out of suffering. As a congregation, we lost our church property and two houses in Vancouver. I do not know anyone who was closely involved during these years who does not bear the scars and bruises of that time. I was personally incapacitated for over a year while Dan took on the mantle of leadership. This year ANiC celebrated its tenth anniversary at Synod. ANiC now
comprises of over 70 congregations in Canada and has five very clear priorities: being bold witnesses, biblically grounded, loving children, on mission, and planting and growing churches. I think that is why I now rejoice to see the signs of outward looking-ness in our life together. The Lord has brought to us new families and new Canadians. There is a desire to equip ourselves to better represent Christ in our culture as the response to CCQ demonstrates. We are beginning to see that the “hot button” issues of our day are opportunities and bridges for us as the children of God to bring the grace of God in the gospel to bear in our lives and in the lives of others.
Sincerely, C A N O N D A V I D S H O R T, R E C T O R
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St. John’s Trustees
Trustees' Report As trustees, we are committed to ensuring that St. John’s Vancouver continues to advance our mission of providing God pleasing Sundays, developing a community of contrast, and being gripped by the gospel of grace. This year has been a year of seeing more clearly through Revelation, learning more about our need for God’s eternal wisdom in Proverbs, celebrating the Reformation, and being fed as a congregation. Our leaders continue to serve St. John’s with their continued care for us as a congregation, growing our love for God through robust God-centred and biblical teaching. Our sermon series on the book of Revelation was a time of lifting our eyes to the Lord, revealing his might, his power, his rule, and his love for those who follow him, and the importance of reaching those who do not. We have been nourished deeply by the gospel of Christ Jesus and through this we are learning to spread our wings, getting to know each other, and going into our community to invite people in and to pray for each other.
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Rector David Short People’s Warden Joanne Sawatzky Rector’s Warden Ewan Wilding Treasurer Christine Klukas Matt Strolz Jeff Spruston Kevin Unger Margaret Dymond
This year we have seen growth in outreach events, both meant for us to get to know each other better (out and about, lecture series, fall retreat), and meant for us to reach out and invite those in our community. The First Noel event at VanDusen Garden, the Christmas services, and the Children’s Bible Camp themed on The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, were very well attended both by our congregational family and others (invited by you). It has been encouraging to see youth helping with Sunday School, led by our Youth Leadership team.
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
We sadly said goodbye to staff and welcomed new staff. Lisa Somerville moved on after a faithful six years of guiding our birth to three year old’s; we are seeing the fruits of her labour as these children grow. In her position, we have welcomed Heather Laroy and are thankful for a smooth transition. Our Communications Specialist, Katherine Stevenson transitioned out, and Brie Tarras has taken on the role. And finally, Jan Hobbis retired after faithfully serving on staff for nearly twenty years in various capacities. Her work as the Women’s Ministry Co-ordinator has been taken over by Kimberley Graham. Although it may sometimes seem that the search for a more permanent home has gone quiet, the building committee has been very busy this year looking at new opportunities and engaging fruitful conversations. We tried unsuccessfully to move our offices closer to St. John’s Vancouver on Baillie, into the vacant RCMP buildings. All of this in the Lord’s hands and we entrust the timing to Him. We continue to ask for prayers in this journey for a permanent home.
As trustees, we are entrusted with overseeing the finances to which you sacrificially give each year. We are grateful to God and to you, that through your giving we continue to see God’s hand in building up the Church and drawing people to our Lord Jesus Christ. With much thanksgiving, this past year we met and exceeded our annual budget. This coming year we will be blessed with the receipt of funds from a bequest from the estate of one of our members who passed away in 2017. As the Trustees prepared to receive this gift, much prayer and consideration went into how we at St. John’s should honour and glorify God through bequests and encourage others to give in this way. Keep an eye out for a brochure on planned giving through bequests. Let us continue to be a united congregation that love one another, grows in our relationship with Jesus, and brings the gospel to Vancouver and beyond.
Sincerely, J O A N N E S A W AT Z K Y, P E O P L E ' S W A R D E N , A N D T H E T R U S T E E S
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7:30 am Service The first service of every Sunday at St. John’s Vancouver is at 7:30 am; too early for most but just right for a few. While small, none the less, quite powerful because as the Apostle Paul wrote, “The gospel … is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” At this service, the gospel is purely preached and sacrament duly administered (weekly) as one the Anglican Articles of Religion prescribes. The 7:30 am worship paves the way for Sundays at St. John’s. The service is followed by a gathering in the chapel made café which leads to fellowship. It is natural that worship causes fellowship. Here, members of both the 7:30 and 9:00 am services converge and converse. Light and love characterize the meeting of one another no matter how long or little members have known one another. Many find the first service of the day also paves the way for Learner’s Exchange. Learner’s Exchange is one of the many forms of adult discipleship in our community. While not following the classical form of catechesis, the teaching given by a variety of St John’s members is formational. The teaching equips learners and stimulates growth in the subjects of biblical theology, history, Anglicanism, and culture. This hour of discipleship continues to see contributions from new members including Artizo interns. Growth in mission was one of the goals for St John’s this past year. This pattern of worship and adult discipleship gives rise to an outwardly focused life. The mission of the church is faith, hope and love in action: practiced with one another and shared with the world. It all starts when we gather for and grow in worship.
Sincerely, R E V JA M E S WAG N E R
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2017 ANNUAL REPORT
9:00 & 11:00 am
Services
In our 9:00 and 11:00 am services, along with all the services at St. John’s, we want to be shaped by the whole counsel of God and help each other worship him in all our lives. God shaped us as we preached through the books of Revelation, the Gospel of John, Malachi, the Psalms, and Proverbs over this past year. We had a number of special services and events at these services through the year as well. Six people were baptised in 2017, and four people were confirmed by Bishop Trevor Walters. Bishop Trevor also ordained Jeremy Graham as a priest in the evening service in June, which was a truly joyful day for our church family. As 2017 was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation we prepared a five-part series on the “Solas” for our summer services. Through them were given a renewed sense of joy in our salvation that we know through Scripture, our highest authority, which comes to us by the grace of God alone, only through faith in Jesus who alone is our Lord and Saviour and King all to the Glory of God alone! Throughout the Advent and Christmas season, our services were designed to encourage our congregations to reach outside of our church with the gospel of Jesus and warmly welcome newcomers into our services. Our regular services were complemented by an Advent Carol service and a Nine Lesson and Carols service, and both were very well attended by visitors. A wonderful addition to our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services this year were beautiful receptions with amazing food. It was great to see many people connect with each other at these gatherings. In all our services of 2017, our aim was to live for the glory of God alone, and it was a privilege to see that happen.
Sincerely, VEN DAN GIFFORD
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6:00 pm
Evening Service In the Evening Service, we dug deep into the scriptures this last year and covered just about every biblical genre – prophets, psalms, the gospels, proverbs, the apocalyptic, and even that rare St. John’s animal – a topical series (celebrating the five great truths to arise out of the Reformation). We are grateful to God for the ways he guided and shaped us last year through his word. We are also grateful for the ways God has provided for us in 2017. We lost our musical maestro Corey, but gained the wonderful Leo and Emma as our evening service music directors (don’t you love a two-for-one deal). And, we are grateful for the ways in which we were brought closer together as a community, through events like our annual camping trip, community dinners, and a women’s weekend retreat. I heard that the women’s retreat was amazing from everyone who attended, with one person lamenting that it was the best retreat of their life, and all others would be a disappointment. Before the Evening Service, some of us gather to pray. I often pray the same thing “Father, give us grateful hearts for the privilege it is to be part of your family.” So, lastly, let me say that I am immensely grateful to be part of the evening service and continue to be amazed at how God’s goodness is worked out in our lives through this community.
Sincerely, REV AARON ROBERTS
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2017 ANNUAL REPORT
2017 Sermon Series
January — March
REVELATION: ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
March — April
JOHN: BELIEVE THAT
May — June
MALACHI: THE DIFFICULTY OF GOD'S LOVE
June — July
PSALMS: THE SONGS OF CHRIST
August
SOLA POWER: ALWAYS REFORMING
September — November PROVERBS: WISE UP
98,598
December
sermons listened to online
GREAT EXPECTATIONS: THE CHARACTERS OF THE NATIVITY STORY
L I S T E N : S TJ O H N S V A N C O U V E R . O R G / S E R M O N S
537
873
33
Average Sunday Attendance
Largest Sunday Attendance
Learners' Exchange Talks
C ov er i n g t op i c s l i ke t h e Lor d's Pr a y er, di v er si t y, a r c h i t ec t u r e, Lu t h er, a n d m u c h m or e! L I S T E N : S J VA N . O R G / L E A R N E R S - E XC H A N G E
EASTER 11
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Children & Family Ministry SUNDAY SCHOOL As a staff and volunteer team, we have the privilege of witnessing the miracle of boys and girls meeting Jesus and being transformed by the gospel! What could be more amazing than seeing a child grow three inches in a year? To watch a living and active faith come alive as we explore scripture through story, song, games, and art. In September 2017, we thanked Lisa Somerville for over six years of faithful service with our little ones and young families, and welcomed Heather LaRoy as our new Early Childhood Coordinator. Sunday School remains the core of what we do in Children's Ministry. Our curriculum, titled "God's Big Story," allows us to lead children from Genesis to Revelation, digging deeper and deeper into specific books of the Bible and core doctrines of our faith as children grow up into maturity in Christ. Pray for our team!
OUTREACH The highlight of 2017 was a renewed emphasis on outreach. In July, more than 60 volunteers of all ages and over 100 children walked through the magic wardrobe into Narnia and the world of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Half of our campers were from outside St. John's and all of them encountered the radical, rescuing love of our Lord Jesus represented in Aslan's death in Edmund's place.
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight!
In December, nearly 200 adults and children joined us at VanDusen Garden for First Noel, a Christmas celebration sharing the good news of Jesus' birth through song, story, treats and crafts. Our great joy in hosting First Noel was seeing so many from the congregation get behind the event with their prayers and support. One person who attended pointed out how remarkable it was to be at a Christmas event without anyone buying or selling anything! We are a community with good news to share and we pray that God will open new doors in 2018. 12
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
Student Ministries
We have loved the opportunities our new format has given our groups. It’s given us space to deeply engage with God’s Word, intentionally grow closer and have a lot of fun together, and gain a sense of looking outside our own church walls. We will continue in these rhythms this year and we are asking God to help us grow in maturity and Christ-likeness. Thank you for your love and support of this ministry! We are so thankful to be a part of a community that values and disciples young people!
The St. John’s Student Ministry is focused on following Jesus in all areas of life. Looking at Jesus’ life and ministry we see that he lived a three-fold pattern of:
• spending time in prayer and connecting with the Father • focusing on his disciples around him (the first small group!) • ministering and healing those around him
We wanted to make sure that not only our lives reflected those rhythms, but also our small groups. As a result, this past year we changed the shape of all youth and Ekklesia small groups to follow the three rhythms of Jesus:
Upward
Evenings where we study God’s Word, focusing on our relationship with God. Example: Many of our groups use the Bible studies that follow along with the sermon series of the wider church.
Inward
Evenings where we spend time intentionally connecting with members of our small group. A few examples: Games night, sharing testimonies, making slime!
Outward
Evenings where we commit to serving others outside of our community. For example: One group visited their grandparents’ care home, visiting and singing with the residents.
105 average youth & young adults involved/week
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2,300
Youth & Ekklesia Leaders
pieces of pizza eaten
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Women's Ministry 2017 saw a significant transition within women’s ministry as Jan Hobbis retired as Director of Women’s Ministry after nearly 20 years. Her faithful service has done much to build up the body in the knowledge and love of God. We are grateful for her ministry amongst us and so glad she continues to be an active member of our congregation!
WO ME N ’ S LE AD E R S H I P T E AM
A group of women have begun to meet, think, and pray through a wider vision for Women’s ministry at St. John’s. Please keep this team in your prayers. E VE N I N G B I B LE ST U DY
We’re starting an evening Bible study for women to complement the long-running Women @ 10. This will provide an opportunity for women who aren’t available during the day to gather for fellowship, prayer, and knowing God through his word.
This year also saw our very first First Noel for adults! In partnership with other ministries in the church, this afternoon outreach was a very effective way to welcome friends and neighbours into our community, and to share with them why we get so excited about Christmas! It was a great time, and we’re looking forward to doing it again next year.
WO ME N @ 10
This Bible study continues to be a blessing to many! This year we are seeking to grow in how we worship together, developing a prayer ministry alongside our Bible studies, and joining in outreach projects and leadership training with the wider church.
Moving into 2018 our prayer is to continue to expand and enrich the ministry by and for women at St. John’s. Here are a few ways this is happening:
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Community Groups at St. John's
Community Groups In 2017, we continued our shift to make Community Groups the primary place for care, fellowship, hospitality, and mission at St. John's. Many groups participated in the Easter Project, where they intentionally reached out into their communities with the love of Christ.
James Wagner has led a monthly study for Community Group leaders, to help them grow in their care for the people in their groups. Finally, we are grateful that two new Community Groups were formed this past year. We look forward with anticipation to see what the Lord will do in 2018.
Not invo lv e d in a co m m u n ity gr o u p, y e t? J oi n on e! V I S I T S J V A N . O R G / C O M M U N I T Y- G R O U P S
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2017 ANNUAL REPORT
Men's Ministry Men meet for Bible study and prayer at three points each week. On Tuesday nights a group meets at 7:30 pm for refreshments and then breaks up into three small groups to study the Bible together. These Tuesday Men have been greatly blessed by their ministry partnership with Lighthouse Ministries, a mission to the sailors on the many ships that come into Vancouver. Paul Ratsoy who attends Tuesday Men is a missionary with Lighthouse and our liaison with this ministry. On Wednesday mornings at 7:20 am a group of around 20 men study the Bible over breakfast that they take turns providing. This has been a time of wonderful fellowship, support, and learning together from God’s word. A third group meets on Friday at 5:45 pm in a home nearby the church to read the Bible, share, and pray with one another. This group began with Dads who dropped off their kids at the church for youth ministry and now includes men in any situation in life.
Seniors' Ministry Our Seniors' Ministry, under the direction of Margaret Wilson, continued to rock and roll in 2017. While going by the name Seniors', this ministry is open to members and visitors of all adult ages. The main event is a monthly tea and coffee with different speakers each month. The ministry grew not only in discipleship but increased in building awareness about cross-cultural communication of the gospel both nationally and globally. Those who attended learned about the impact of the gospel in Vancouver, China, and Malawi from members who visited those parts of the world and at the same time learned how lives were changed through not only meeting Jesus but getting to know him.
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Outreach & Missions M A L AW I M I S S I O N
Ten members of our congregation went on a two-week visit to our Malawi Partnership in the Diocese of the Upper Shire this past summer. They supported the children’s ministry and hosted a Bible day camp for the children. Training of basic medical procedures was also done at the local hospital, as well as biblical teaching for the clergy of the Diocese. It was a fantastic trip that continued to strengthen our relationships with this mission. We praise God for His grace and love for Malawian people and we’re honoured to be walking alongside them in prayer. MISSION TO CAMBODIA
This year we supported Jan Hobbis and Kevin Unger on a short-term mission to visit our one of our main partners Ratanak in Cambodia. Kevin joined the Board of Ratanak in 2017 and went with Jan to observe the work being done on the ground and build relations with the staff. Both Kevin and Jan were moved by how Ratanak is reaching out to the victims of the sex trade and could see how God’s redeeming power is bring healing to those afflicted. MISSIONS RETURNED HOME
David Lewis ended his time with YWAM this year after serving with them since 2014. Olivia Smith and Katy Der returned to Vancouver after God changed their plans for working India. Although this was an unexpected result, both ladies reflect upon their time in India with praise and are thankful for God’s abounding love for His people in India. We thank God for how He used these three missionaries and will pray for guidance as they enter this next chapter of their lives. MISSIONS LUNCHES
We were amazed this year at how God continues to faithfully work through His people and use them around the world to spread the Gospel. From the ships dockved in Vancouver, to the rural villages of Burkina-Faso our missionaries worked to spread the Good News to anyone willing to hear. Our missions lunches are a great way for the congregation to get first-hand updates from our missionaries, and we are grateful to everyone who came this year to hear their stories. 16
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
REFUGEE OUTREACH
In January 2016, St. John's made a refugee sponsorship application to bring a Christian Afghan family of four to Vancouver under our care. They have been living in New Delhi in difficult circumstances since 2013. In May 2017, we received the good news that St. John’s Vancouver Church was accepted by the government as a sponsor. The process then shifted to the evaluation of our sponsorship family by the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. In September 2017, the family was interviewed by Canadian immigration in New Delhi, which went very well and they were notified that they would be accepted. We await further news about the continuation of the process and the timetable of their arrival in Vancouver. We are grateful for the prayers of St. John's throughout this process and ask for your continued prayer support.
Over the past few years, St. John's has prayerfully taken action to love and serve our refugee neighbours. Out of this, the Refugee Committee and the Refugee Welcome Team were formed. The Refugee Committee, a small, seven-member group chaired by Owen Underhill, oversaw all parish outreach to displaced people by directing the sponsoring of refugees not yet in Canada as well as the welcoming, befriending, and assisting of refugee claimants already here in Vancouver. The Refugee Welcome Team, currently a sixty-member group and open to anyone interested in joining, continues to actively "walk alongside" those who are displaced here and now in Vancouver. We are currently helping a number of families and individuals who were driven away from their homes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Missions Budget
4%
4%
20%
1.
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2017 Refugee Committee
6% 8%
Owen Underhill Jonathan Baylis Kallen Fong Bill Reimer Dorcas Reimer Wanda Shellenberg Nabil Abdalla Dan Gifford
13%
8% 8%
12% 10%
Malawi 20%
1.
Vancouver 13%
Burkina Faso 6%
India 12 %
International relief 4%
Short-term mission trips 10%
Germany 4%
Nepal 8%
Israel 3%
Central Asia 8%
South Africa 2%
Cambodia 8%
Canada 2%
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2017 Missions Committee Sarah-Louise Carter Steve Friebel Chris Walker Irene Canton Ray Dujardin Linette Hindley George Davidson Dan Gifford
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ANiC
ANGLICAN NETWORK IN CANADA
This past year at Synod we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Diocese of the Anglican Network in Canada. Bishop Charlie Masters spoke of the joy of the movement becoming an Anglican dicoese, and its growth over this past decade. He exhorted those present with a vision of expand the kingdom, through evangelism. He writes:
I have been praying dear friends for a capacity by the Holy Spirit to urge this Synod with as much urgency and fervour as I can muster so that you and I may take steps to not only talk about being witnesses, bold witnesses, but to do everything in our power by prayer and preparation to be ready and willing to open our mouths and speak about Jesus regularly to the people around us, and invite them to respond to Jesus in repentance and faith and to believe God that many will, who will in turn do the same with others, until he comes.
I don’t want to “guilt” you into anything but I do pray the Holy Spirit will create in us an exhilarating longing, that Jesus had as he shared with the woman at the well. I pray the Holy Spirit in these days will “up the ante” and create in us a deep sense of expectation and commitment to witness to Jesus.
ANiC's Five Priorities: VISIT ANGLICANNETWORK.CA
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
BOLD WITNESSES B I B L I C A L LY G R O U N D E D LOVING CHILDREN ON MISSION PLANTING AND GROWING CHURCHES
Baptisms
M I N DY C H E N REBECCA EASTMAN CICI LU A M A R A M AY O R G A A U G U S T I N E M AY O R G A JUNE MUNRO FIONA POON ANNA WESTERBERG CORA WESTERBERG EMMA WESTERBERG
Confirmations K AT H E R I N E S T E V E N S O N AU ST I N ST E V E N S O N ETHAN WILKE
Received KYLE MACKENNEY
Wedding K AT H E R I N E A N D E R S O N & N AT H A N J O L LY
In Memoriam I S L AY A V R E N JEAN BEGG BILL CHANDLER SHIRLEY COLEMAN ROBERT DUNDAS M E R V Y N G I L B A R T- S M I T H EDITH MARTIN G O R D O N W AT T S ( J A N 2 0 1 8 ) LY N D O N T W I S S ( J A N 2 0 1 8 )
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Treasurer's Report On behalf of the trustees, our clergy and staff, I would like to give thanks to God for what he is doing in the life of our church, and for the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. We are thankful for the privilege and opportunity to give back to God and share in the work of bringing blessing and of declaring the gospel to those who do not yet know the love of Christ Jesus to those in our city, our nation, and beyond. At St. John’s for the year ended December 31, 2017, our financial results reported a net surplus of $73,002 in the General Fund; and after the year end, we received notice of a significant bequest. This tangible witness of great generosity is a tremendous source of encouragement and a wonderful testament to God at work in our midst and in our hearts, as He continues to call upon us individually and as a church family to: Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous works among all the peoples. Psalm 96:2-3 Our donation base of committed donors remained consistent with prior years and our pattern of giving continues to be heavily weighted with 25% of our offerings received in December 2017. Therefore, I would continue to encourage us all, where possible, to spread out giving more evenly throughout the year. This would help to match the timing of our expenses. This pattern of giving has time and again heightened our utter dependence on God, especially at year-end,
for his ongoing provisions to us a congregation, and for the challenge before us to discern with wisdom, in a careful and principled approach how best to deploy our resources to equip support, and promote the work and spread of the gospel. Also noteworthy in 2017, our auditors removed the Donation Qualification Paragraph from their Auditor’s Report as less than 10% of our offering is received from loose cash. This is terrific and has allowed us to receive an unqualified opinion from our auditors as at December 31, 2017, and for the year then ended. The new British Columbia Societies Act came into effect in November 2016, designed to better govern how societies are created and run in the province. The Act aims to increase societies’ flexibility, modernize legislation, and increase transparency and accountability. As a registered charity, St. John’s Vancouver Church has proposed new bylaws to be voted upon at Vestry, which upon approval, will allow us to transition to meet the requirements of the new Act to be completed before November 2018. Thank you for your ongoing partnership in the Gospel and for your generosity to St. John’s. May we as a congregation continue to grow in our dependence on God as we, individually and together, cherish the treasure of faith we have in Christ Jesus as we seek to do His will and delight in our fellowship as a church family.
Sincerely, CHRISTINE KLUKAS, TREASURER
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2017 ANNUAL REPORT
2017
Financial Report
Revenue 2017 (General Fund) Offerings to the General Fund
$2,143,748
Interest Income
$7,202
Total Income (General Fund)
$2,150,950
Expenses 2017 (General Fund) CHURCH OPERATIONS
Programs and Outreach Salaries
$1,210,384
Ministry Program Disbursements (net program fees)
$65,783
Building & Facilities
$206,413
Office & Administrative Costs
$124,722
Total Church Operations
$1,607,302
OUTREACH
ANiC support (includes Synod expenses)
$195,693
Artizo, support for ANiC churches, training, Refugee Support Total Outreach Expenses
$80,062 $275,755
MISSIONS
Missions (local, national, & international)
$182,891
General fund transfer to short-term mission trip fund
$12,000
Total Mission Expenses
$194,891
Total Expenses (General Fund)
$2,077,948 $73,002
Total Excess of Revenue over Expenses (as per 2017 audited financial statements)
In 2017 donors also contributed to three different restricted funds
The Building Fund*
$81,457
Team Missions Trips Fund
$29,885
The Refugee Fund
$5,156
*The building fund balance as of Dec 31, 2017 was $210,348 stjohnsvancouver.org
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2017 Expenses 3%
Ministry Program Expenses
10% 10%
Building & Facilities
6%
Office & Admin Operations
10%
ANiC
3%
6%
10% 58%
4%
Outreach
9%
Missions
58%
4% 9%
Program & Outreach Salaries
5% 7%
88%
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Outreach 88%
Artizo
7%
Support for local ANiC churches
5%
Support for Refugees
2017 ANNUAL REPORT
Looking Ahead
A MESSAGE FROM CANON DAVID SHORT
Our vision remains: to be a community of contrast, gripped by the gospel of God’s grace, reaching out to others with the gospel of Christ. It is increasingly clear that we will move toward this vision through three priorities: G O S P E L P R O C L A M AT I O N
We make disciples by proclaiming and living lives worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are increasingly living in a missionary context, and we want to prayerfully take every opportunity for Christ, to reach out, and welcome newcomers into the body of Christ. Gospel proclamation is indispensable. It is through the gospel God gives us life, equips us to live for him, and brings us to glory. G O S P E L F O R M AT I O N
We are formed by the gospel into the image of Christ throughout our lives. The Christian life is lifelong growth toward spiritual maturity. This is cradle to grave, in all aspects of life, in joyful service, stewardship and sacrifice. We want all St. John’s to be grounded and growing more deeply in Christ and his gospel and its implications for doctrine, devotion, duty, and delight. G O S P E L A P P L I C AT I O N
Jesus sends us into his world to love and serve and shine as children of the light. In every generation this means engaging and thinking thankfully and critically about the culture in which we participate. As a community of contrast gripped by the gospel of grace we want to be better equipped to live for Christ. This includes overseas mission, care for refugees, and church planting. All of us play our part in this, and as I turn 60 this year, I want to give my energies to these priorities.
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