RECTOR'S REPORT

SPRING PARISH MEETING

Rector's Report

Considering a year in review is typically a delightful challenge. Considering a review of 2020 Th e Rev . Dr . Christopher D. Girata, Rec tor may, on the surface, seem less than delightful. However, I believe Saint Michael rose to the challenge of this past year with energy and vision, and for that, we can be truly grateful! In total, last year was an excellent year of creativity, faithfulness, and commitment to the mission we share to form Christian disciples for a transformed community. Let’s begin at the beginning. Going into 2020, we had only recently finished our large Refresh, Renew, and Revive project, updating our sacred spaces in meaningful ways. Through special gifts from so many in our community, we refreshed the creation window above our choir loft, as well as rebuilding the angel doors and replacing the red doors of our Saint Michael Chapel. In addition, we executed significant upgrades to our audio and video systems in the church and parish hall, investments that, in hindsight, seem Spirit-led. In January, we closed out our Annual Giving campaign, and for the first time in Saint Michael history, pledges totaled more than $6 million! Giving for 2020 was incredibly strong, and thanks to your generosity, we were able to expand critical areas of ministry to deepen engagement across all age groups. One of the first ways we invested in new engagement was through weekday podcasts, launched on Ash Wednesday. This early investment could not have been timed better, because when we entered the pandemic and were physically separated from one another, we had an automatic way to be with you in your homes. The incredible response we had to that first podcast series

SAINT MICHAEL 101

Sunday, April 18 | 12:30 - 1:30 PM CST | Zoom

Join the Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata and the Rev. Mary Lessmann at Saint Michael 101

If you are new to Saint Michael or just visiting, and want to learn more about membership, then this is for you! Meet members of our clergy and vestry, and hear about our many ministries, opportunities for involvement, and the exciting future of our parish.

saintmichael.org/101

compelled us to create multiple “seasons” of our weekday podcasts. In 2021, we are planning podcasts in Lent, Easter, Fall, and Advent, just like in 2020.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, prior to the pandemic changing the way we function day-to-day, an incredibly significant moment in the life of our parish occurred in February. After years of work, including hundreds of hours of conversations and negotiations, Saint Michael received unanimous approval for our rezoning application from the Dallas City Council. Seven years ago, Saint Michael began a process to evaluate the future of our campus. In that process, we reached two important decisions: (1) We want to grow our membership to extend God’s kingdom and (2) we know that we can grow our parish while remaining within the same physical footprint our church building currently occupies.

Rezoning our campus allows us to move forward with leasing the northeast portion of our campus. This land lease (not sale) will more than double our parking capacity, dramatically increase our green space, and provide an income stream that will primarily support ministry in the community for generations to come. This is a significant step in a long journey into the next chapter of our life together and I continue to pray that God grants us the wisdom and courage to discern how best to use our gifts as we move faithfully into the future. Although many parish leaders contributed to this transformative moment, I want to lift up Jay Grogan in particular, a former warden of this parish, who made it his personal mission to shepherd this process. Jay, along with former wardens, Matt Waller and Stewart Thomas, deserve credit for the leadership and tenacity it took to change the future of our parish in this phenomenal way. I am truly grateful for their amazing gift!

As we moved into March, the pandemic hit our country in an unprecedented way. So much of how we lived our lives changed, seemingly overnight. That change impacted us all in our homes, our schools, our businesses, and certainly in our church. Not missing a beat, our incredible clergy, staff, and worship volunteers pivoted to live, online worship from the very first Sunday. We were committed to continuing to worship together, even if we were worshiping in our homes, and we did just that. Only weeks after the quarantine order was given, we led our parish and countless others across the nation and around the world, in a beautiful journey from Holy Week and Easter. With nearly 6,000 IP addresses (households) watching live on Easter, the number of hearts and minds joining us in worship far exceeded what we have ever experienced.

In our pandemic reality, our focus shifted squarely to two primary goals: (1) bringing our church experience into homes in new and impactful ways, and (2) caring for our most vulnerable neighbors with more energy than ever before. In addition to worship, our church team pivoted to engage our church family in new ways. We began posting formation videos for all ages each week, as well as hosting online small group meetings and studies, such as my Rector’s Bible Study and classes for the Men of Saint Michael (and dozens more). In addition, I began writing letters each Friday with updates about the goings-on of the church to help those feeling disconnected. We continued to invest in the production of our podcast series, which continues to receive excellent engagement.

STEWARDSHIP p. 39

SAINTMICHAEL.ORG/ NORTHLAND

SERMON SERIES & PODCAST Back cover

2020 PANDEMIC PIVOT

2020 BY THE NUMBERS p. 24

LENTEN ALTARS p. 14

Not only did we creatively meet the needs of our parishioners during the pandemic, but we also sought new ways to meet the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. Tens of thousands of people around the Dallas community suffered from food insecurity as we entered the pandemic. Saint Michael immediately mobilized to provide more food more quickly than we ever have, partnering with wonderful agencies with which we have deep ties, including Jubilee Park, North Dallas Shared Ministries, and Austin Street Center. In addition, the Saint Michael Foundation activated $75,000 to support children’s education going into the 2020-2021 school year. Your support met the needs of families unable to bear the burden of at-home instruction alone.

The response didn’t stop there! Going into the fall, we invested in providing free high-speed internet to the entire Jubilee Park community, a great gift to children and parents alike. We also emphasized holiday giving through, among other ministries, I Believe In Angels and Heart of Giving, both receiving gifts far exceeding years past. Through your generosity, we gave more time and money away through mission and outreach in 2020 than we have in anyone’s memory.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the incredible impact of giving on display from our Saint Michael family. When the pandemic hit in March and we had to stop worshiping in person, the vestry and I began to plan for a 10% reduction in giving in 2020, and I thought that was being optimistic! In response to the economic downturn, we took measures to reduce expenses whenever possible, while remaining committed to our staff. I want to thank the vestry for their fidelity to all those employed at Saint Michael. In March, every staff member, including all the hourly employees who work in our choir, our nursery, and beyond, received the promise of full compensation even if they could not come to the building to work. Although this policy was adjusted in the fall, six months of consistency for those wonderful people was a source of security in an otherwise insecure world.

As 2020 progressed, the economy stayed very strong in important sectors that buoyed our giving to meet and exceed our revenue expectations. This is an incredible story that bears repeating! In one of the most uncertain, unpredictable years in decades, the members of our church—you and me—were faithful to our mission as disciples of Christ in this world. We did not shy away from our commitment to extending God’s kingdom and loving our neighbors, and our increased impact is the fruit of our commitment. Even better, given that our expenses were naturally reduced because we could not physically be together, coupled with giving exceeding budget expectation, we ended 2020 with a surplus. That surplus is because of your generosity. We have thoughtfully and prayerfully allocated that surplus to grow our church’s impact on discipleship and engagement, along with helping our neighbors.

This past year was remarkable in so many ways, not least of which is the example of faithfulness shone in this community. Saint Michael has experienced renewed growth and engagement, but this is only the beginning. Our mission to build Christian disciples for a transformed community is catching momentum and going into 2021 I’ve never felt so hopeful. We are experiencing church in new ways and when we come out of this pandemic, our community will be strong. Together, we will bear witness to the hope of Christ, because nothing heals the divisions in our world like a united church.

The Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata Rector