2019 A N N UA L R E P O R T

Encounter God

About this reportThis report is organized in sections that correspond with the broad ministries of our church: Worship, Care & Connect, Grow & Equip, and Go. Each section has ministry highlights from 2019, as well as a look ahead to where God is calling our ministries to Encounter God in 2020.

A detailed financial report from 2019 is available in the annual meeting or by contacting Marilyn Patterson, chief financial officer, mpatterson@sjd.org, 713.354.2215.

Our Organization

WORSHIP MINISTRYSteven Newberry

INTERIM RECTORBishop Gary Lillibridge

GO MINISTRYThe Rev. Greg Buffone

CARE MINISTRYThe Rev. Louise Samuelson

GROW MINISTRYThe Rev. Reagan Cocke

EQUIP MINISTRYThe Rev. Charlie Holt

OPERATIONS MINISTRY

Suzanne Boué

CONNECT MINISTRYKim Jameson

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About this Report..........................................................................2

Encounter God .............................................................................4

St. John the Divine in Action .........................................................6

SJD Leadership ............................................................................18

Table of Contents

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Enclosed in this brochure are the annual reports from our ministries in 2019. Our 2019 theme, “Draw Near” was intro-duced last January, and we enhanced that with a particular focus on “Living Thanks, Giving

Thanks” throughout the year. I am very grate-ful to all who made 2019 a very focused and successful year of ministry in so many ways. Thank you, thank you.

I look forward to the coming year and discover-ing what God has in store for us; and what we, in turn, have to offer our Lord in thanksgiving and through faithful discipleship. God always invites people into partnership for spreading the Good News, and what a privilege and sa-cred responsibility it is.

Our 2020 theme is “Encounter God: Truth, Hope, Rest, and Love.” The foundational aspect of this partnership is found in encoun-tering God. As we encounter God as 2020 unfolds, may the eyes of our hearts be enlight-ened so that we know the hope to which God has called us (Ephesians 1:18). And then, may we joyfully respond by offering and present-ing ourselves, our souls and bodies, as living sacrifices unto God (Romans 12:1 and the Book of Common of Prayer, page 336).

Bishop Gary Lillibridge Interim Rector

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6,383 Peopleworshiped together at Holy Week, Easter, and

Christmas Services

Worship in 2019

parishioners volunteered as acolytes, altar & linen guild

members, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, usher

guild & associate vestry members, flower guild

members, & prayer ministers

381

1,159 worship services held

with over

48,000 worshipers

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Encounter God in 2020

45 Children& YouthChoristers

80childrenexperienced music, storytelling, and art at Summer Fine Arts Camp

2,185people attended Entersect produced events including:

• Christmas on the Boulevard• Holy Week Messiah concert & church-wide art project• Draw Near Weekend Worship Experience• All Saints’ Evensong• 5 Taizé services

Began a rebrand of the Contemporary Service• Reached out to current service attendees for their thoughts and opinions• Re-named the service “The Table”

• Continue to offer and elevate our many diverse worship experiences.• Offer Mozart Requiem as Concert Prelude to Holy Week.• Offer Contemplative Prayer opportunities: Five Taizé Services and All Saints’ Choral Evensong.• Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Létourneau Pipe Organ in a series of three concerts.• Continue to reach out to our community during the holidays by offering Christmas on the Boulevard.

The Table seeks to offer a service to reach our neighbors. It will be true to our Anglican roots, contemporary in practice, and offer a relaxed atmosphere to worship God.

TABLEthe ABLE

at S T J O H N T H E D I V I N Eat S T J O H N T H E D I V I N E

at S T J O H N T H E D I V I N E

T H E

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Care & Connect in 2019

attended Christmas on the Boulevard

1,000people

over

80Ambassadors welcomed, engaged, and connected parishioners & guestson Sunday mornings and at special events

2000 meals served while our community CONNECT-ed at Summer Sunday Brunches

St John the Divine thrives on relationships and the Connect Team is happy to help you find your place to in the vibrant life of this church!

Introduced the Mourner’s Path six-week grief process for people mourning the lossof a loved one.

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Encounter God in 2020

15trained 27 seniors on their tech devices at Senior Tech Workshops

• Promote relationships throughout our SJD community at parish-wide connection events.

• Offer a new Discovery dinner and one-day class pathway to membership.• Expand our Ambassador program with recruitment and training opportunities.• Train eight new Stephen Ministers to continue to care for our parishioners.• Develop new processes and strategies to help our parish family connect more deeply with the church and with each other.

Prayer in 2019 saw:

• 8 Sessions of Second Sundays of Prayer & Care with 250 total participants.

• 160 people engaging with prayer at the Draw Near Prayer Weekend.

68 adults & youth

were confirmed or received

baptisms61

31 Lay Eucharistic Visitors made

500+ visits

40 Stephen MInisters made

500+ care contacts

to our church family in need

tech-savvy youth

Grow & Equip in 2019

125VBS Volunteers50 youth, 75 adults

3 SumnersSeries Speakers

ESL Classes grew from

75 to 140 students representing 38 countries

375 kids attendedVacation Bible School

launched leadershipand church history Core classes

Life Group Bible Studies Thrived

500350

Draw Near participants

Disciple’s Way participants

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Encounter God in 2020

2 Mini-Summits taught over100 valuable leadership lessons from the GLS

• The Lenten Life Groups will feature a study by the Rev. Reagan Cocke, Encountering Truth in the Gospel of John.• The Easter Life Groups will follow a study on 1 Peter, and the Fall Life Groups will follow a study on Exodus.• Continue to refine The Core offerings.• Travel in pilgrimage to Oberammergau in August and the Holy Land in November.• Offer opportunities for families to Encounter God together through varied parent and student classes.

266 people attendedthe Global Leadership Summit51 SJD-sponsored local mission partners

230attended the men’sand women’s retreatspeople

Young People are GROW-ing in their faith171 children 7 Wonderfully Made participants (special needs ministry)

18 student leaders100+ youth

290+

$15,000215 people attended the Youth

Red Candle Dinner where

was raised for youth missions

25 young professionals

9 young professionals taught some of the lessons

engaged in a weekly study

25 people deepened their faith on pilgraimage to Egypt

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42 youth & adultsmobilized on mission trips to Bolivia, Belize, and Houston

8,000+Houstonians were helped through

3,500+St. John the Divine

volunteers

Go in 2019

Determined the most effective outreach procedures via our outreach committees (local, world, and strategic). Deacon Greg Buffone appointed to lead this effort.

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Grants awarded to these 10 world missions partners:

SOUTH ASIAAbba House — NepalCrossway Ministries — NepalHigher Ground Ministries — NepalBridges to Pakistan — Pakistan

SOUTH AMERICAAmistad Mission — Bolivia

CENTRAL AMERICAFaith in Practice — GuatemalaMexico Medical Missions — MexicoNew Life School — Guatemala

CARIBBEANHaiti Education Foundation

AFRICASonrise School/The Mustard Seed Project — Rwanda

Grants awarded to 4 organizations though the Special Outreach Fund:

Global Pastor Grant

Seminary Scholarships (4)

Seminarian Weekend

Wednesday Women’s Bible Study

Encounter God in 2020• A working group from the local, world, and strategic outreach committees will continue to determine and refine the most effective outreach procedures.• The Rev. Greg Buffone will continue to offer classes focused on outreach as part of our Teaching Center offerings.

Grants awarded& agencies helped

outreach/mission agencies to serve Houstonand the world

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Grants awarded to these 40 local organizations: CAMPUSCRU

CHILDREN AND YOUTHArrow Child (Freedom Place)Boys & Girls CountryCasa de Esperanza de los NiñosCovenant HouseToday’s Harbor

EDUCATIONArchway Academy Generation OneNehemiah Neighborhood CenterYellowstone Academy

EPISCOPAL SEMINARIES/LEADERSHIPSeminary of the SouthwestWycliffe Hall

HEALTHEpiphany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS)

HOMELESSThe BeaconLord of the Streets (LOTS)Mission of YahwehOpen Door MissionSEARCH for the Homeless

HUNGERChristian Community Service CenterKids’ MealsL.I.F.E. Houston

INNER CITY MINISTRIESAgape Development MinistriesThe FORGE for Families

MENTAL HEALTHBo’s PlacePalmer Drug Abuse Program re: Mind (DBSA)Vita-Living, Inc.

OTHERRector’s Outreach Fund

PREGNANCY AND ADOPTIONLifeHouseThe Source for Women

PRISON MINISTRIESBridges to LifeHis Father’s Heart MinistryNo More VictimsWorkFaith Connection

SENIORSAmazing Place

YOUTH CAMPINGCamp Allen Capital Campaign Camp for AllYellowstone Scouting Cub Scout Pack 255Young Life Greater Houston

Grants represent SJD’s biblical tithe – 10% of our annual budget

Strategic Mission Team Grant:English as a Second Language Ministry

Disaster Relief Fund Grant (Harvey):

The Guild Shop Grants:

Episcopal Church Women:

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Amazing PlaceHolly Hall Retirement Community

CarePartners (formerly Interfaith)VitaLiving

Lord of the StreetsForge for Families

Bo’s PlacePriest’s Discresionary Funds

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Operations in 2019

Boilers & Chillers replaced

Comfort enhanced for the entire campus thanks to the St. John the Divine Memorial Endowment Fund

Screens in Sumners Hallupdated and moved to a more user-friendly location

10,916Facilities bookings

supporting over 1,000 weekly visitors outside our Sunday worship.

150+ services livestreamed in 2019

43,077 views of sjd.org

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350+ peopleattended the Fall Celebration Dinner

Generosity expanded efforts to a year-round campaign: Living Thanks, Giving Thanks

1,192 families gave tithes and offerings to St. John the Divine

Encounter God in 2020• Launch of two new connection points: the St. John the Divine app where you will be able to follow Bible studies, connect with events, sermons, & your church family.• Move to a new database system to allow members better access to their SJD

records and giving information and to help members and staff to better engage with each other.

Mr & Mrs John ArnoultMr. & Mrs. David J. BoldraMr. & Mrs. Andrew BreckwoldtMr & Mrs James ConnellMrs Chaille HutchesonMr & Mrs Thomas KnudsonMr & Mrs George McDaniel, IIIMr & Mrs Don MillerMr & Mrs Robert Nelson, JrMr. & Mrs. Chuck RiepeMr & Mrs William SchwindMr & Mrs Garvin StrykerMrs Shirley BurgherMrs Michele RobertsThe Rev & Mrs Reagan CockeMrs Paula DouglassMr & Mrs William GaltneyMrs Paul GoehrsMs Ann RogersMs. Amy Whittington

Mr & Mrs Stewart BakerMr & Mrs J. B. MallayMr Allen Parks, JrThe Rev Dr & Mrs Douglas RichnowMr & Mrs Eugene Shepherd, SrMr & Mrs Keith ShortMr. & Mrs. Randolph Allen*Mr & Mrs George Allen, JrMr & Mrs Sydney Bailey, JrMr & Mrs William CaudillMr & Mrs Craig ChildersMs. Sandra ClarkMr & Mrs Roddy CutsingerMs Sue EdmonsonMr Philip Ferguson & Mrs Katherine O’NeilMrs Judith FrostMr & Mrs Theodore GobillotMr. & Mrs. Albert Grobmyer

The Rev & Mrs Laurens HallMr Charles W HallMr & Mrs Charles HartwellMrs Joan HazelhurstMr & Mrs Charles Herder, IIMr & Mrs Palmer HutchesonMr & Mrs Robert JewellMr & Mrs Craig MasseyDr & Mrs Charles McCollumMr Andrew McCulloughMr & Mrs Kenneth MeyerMr & Mrs Charles OfnerMrs Sarah ParksMr & Mrs Timothy PetersMrs Sara M. PetersonMr & Mrs Steven A. RabenDr. & Mrs. Carl RountreeMr & Mrs William Russell, SrMr & Mrs Douglas SelmanMr & Mrs Haag Sherman

Mrs Diane SimpsonMs Jackie SkeffingtonMr & Mrs Richard S. SmithMr. Harvey Smith*Mr & Mrs Timothy T. StephensMr & Mrs John SultMs Carlotta ThomasMr & Mrs James TylerMs. Brittany UnderwoodMr & Mrs Burton J. WillinghamMr & Mrs John WombwellMr Dickinson Yale, JrDr. & Mrs. Gary BrockMs. Dawn SaboMr. & Mrs. Alexander ScottMr. & Mrs. Ralph StoneMs. Nany Synott

* deceased

Sumners Society: Legacy GivingThank you to those who have remembered St. John the Divine in their estate plan – we honor your legacy as we seek to Change Lives for God in Christ.

Bishop Gary Lillibridge, Interim Rector

The Rev. Reagan W. Cocke, Senior Associate Rector

The Rev. Charlie Holt, Associate Rector

The Rev. Louise Samuelson, Associate Rector

The Rev. Gregory J. Buffone, Deacon

Clergy

Vestry

2019

Melissa Grobmyer

Eileen Hairel, clerk

Grant Hall

Bill Kinney

Jim Loftis, Sr. Warden

Barbara Strobel, Jr. Warden

2020

Andy Breckwoldt

Drew Burgoyne

Craig Childers

Chap Hutcheson

Carolyn Kirklin

Patty Shepherd

2021

Andy Boyd

Cheri Fossler

Elizabeth Galtney

Larry Lawyer

George McDaniel III

Ann Rogers

Officers

Michael Young, Treasurer

Scott Weber,

Chair of Endowment Fund

Associate Vestry

2018 – 2020John Rosson, Sr. Warden

Jennifer Roberts, Jr. Warden

Jerry Boldra

Laura Borda

Max Buja

Travis Chulick

Randy Dolan

Heather Firestone

Emily Hodges

Dave Jeans

Amy Johnson

Ewing King

Karina Patman

Bryan Sanchez

Hadley Smith

Elizabeth Toedt

2019 – 2021Emily Adams

Alistair Barnes

Kathleen Brooks

Blake Butler

Carrie Caton

Alan Christensen

Fulton Davenport

John Davis

Laura Gilchrist

Chrissy Lewis

Jay McMurrey

Matt Phillips

Anne Ramsey

Sosheel Saleem

Walter Weathers

Mary Webber

Enoch Woodhouse

Nick Zdeblick

SJD Leadership

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2 4 5 0 R I V E R O A K S B LV D . H O U S T O N T X 7 7 0 197 13 . 6 2 2 . 3 6 0 0