Senior Pastor’s Annual Report - Amazon S3 · Senior Pastor Jesus did many ... New Mover Outreach...

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1 Senior Pastor Jesus did many things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for all the books that have been written. - John 21:25 As I write this annual report, I feel like the Apostle John. It is impossible to record everything Jesus has accomplished this year at LPC. Nevertheless, I will try! During the past year, we: Organized a prayer walk through many Lebanon neighborhoods Launched six new Life Groups Hired Ann van der Merwe as Director of Children’s Ministries Hired Randy Fannin as our new Director of Pastoral Care Sent a mission team of 28 men and women to the Yucatan in Mexico Sent 36 students and adults on a mission trip to Rehobeth, New Mexico Sent a short term mission team to teach English in the Czech Republic Hosted the Midwest Presbytery of the EPC at their May meeting Installed additional lighting in our sanctuary chancel Donated $6,000 to help the Genesis EPC Church in Mercedes, Texas construct a new church building Provided temporary shelter to homeless families in Warren County Provided hot meals twice a week to feed the hungry in our community Hosted a special training event, “Building Bridges to the Muslim World,” led by the Rev. Mark Vanderput Ended the year with a budget surplus of $51,426 Designed and published a new brochure for visitors to LPC Prepared a new photo directory for 2016 Provided $32,000 to aid needy families in Warren County through the Deacons’ Helping Hands fund Received $35,668 in special offerings and donations for missions Hosted choirs from Kuyper College and Capital University Heard our choir perform Vivaldi’s “Gloria” in worship Held a great week of Vacation Bible School Created our first Missions prayer calendar Started a new “Joy Ride” ministry, taking low-income children on exciting day trips during the summer I praise God for all he has accomplished through us in 2015. I am grateful to pastor such a faithful and loving congregation! Your Servant in Christ, Peter

Transcript of Senior Pastor’s Annual Report - Amazon S3 · Senior Pastor Jesus did many ... New Mover Outreach...

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Senior Pastor

Jesus did many things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for all the books that have been written.

- John 21:25

As I write this annual report, I feel like the Apostle John. It is impossible to

record everything Jesus has accomplished this year at LPC. Nevertheless, I will try! During the past year, we: ● Organized a prayer walk through many Lebanon neighborhoods ● Launched six new Life Groups

● Hired Ann van der Merwe as Director of Children’s Ministries

● Hired Randy Fannin as our new Director of Pastoral Care ● Sent a mission team of 28 men and women to the Yucatan in Mexico ● Sent 36 students and adults on a mission trip to Rehobeth, New Mexico ● Sent a short term mission team to teach English in the Czech Republic ● Hosted the Midwest Presbytery of the EPC at their May meeting ● Installed additional lighting in our sanctuary chancel ● Donated $6,000 to help the Genesis EPC Church in Mercedes, Texas construct a new church building ● Provided temporary shelter to homeless families in Warren County ● Provided hot meals twice a week to feed the hungry in our community ● Hosted a special training event, “Building Bridges to the Muslim World,” led by the Rev. Mark Vanderput ● Ended the year with a budget surplus of $51,426 ● Designed and published a new brochure for visitors to LPC ● Prepared a new photo directory for 2016 ● Provided $32,000 to aid needy families in Warren County through the Deacons’ Helping Hands fund ● Received $35,668 in special offerings and donations for missions ● Hosted choirs from Kuyper College and Capital University ● Heard our choir perform Vivaldi’s “Gloria” in worship ● Held a great week of Vacation Bible School

● Created our first Missions prayer calendar

● Started a new “Joy Ride” ministry, taking low-income children on exciting day trips during the summer I praise God for all he has accomplished through us in 2015. I am grateful to pastor such a faithful and loving congregation! Your Servant in Christ, Peter

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REACH OUT

Mission Statement: “Guided by Christ, we open doors that all may know, live, own and share their faith with others.” To work towards these goals:

1. “Schedule events at LPC, in the neighborhood and in the community that will

fulfill our mission.”

2. To give reminders and raise congregational awareness of God’s call to draw:

1. Unbelievers into a saving relationship with Jesus and

2. The unchurched into the family of faith where they may grow in faith and

relationship with God’s people”

3. Trusting our Lord, some of our ministries for the

objectives listed above

are:

Living Nativity

Welcome

Center (gift

bags/coffee)

Church

Brochures

Nametags

Booth at Bluesfest 2014 and 2015

Door Hanger Ministry (Christmas

Eve & Easter)

Tumblers/StarBucks

Gift Cards in our Gift Bags for

visitors (33 were given out)

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New Mover Outreach Program

(Invitations to LPC are mailed to folks moving into

our area)

Two

Inquirer’s Classes

and, as a result we

received 22 new

members

The LPC Ministry Fair

Busing from La Luz to VBS

Our Team Members Include:

Rob McClagan

Dave Brandt

Debbie Snider, Chair

Chuck Testas

Mark Masthay

Marilyn Hunter

Chris Dorsch

We look forward to 2016 and more opportunities to engage our community with the message of the Gospel! Respectfully Submitted, Your Friendly Neighborhood Reach Out Team

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LIFE GROUPS

Small groups have been around for many years at LPC, the time has come for us to reimagine and revitalize this important area of ministry. A Small Groups Team was developed in the early part of the year. One of the first decisions the group made was to rename the ministry “Life Groups” because that what they are: brothers and sisters who do life together. But, as what should be the purpose of this ministry? The same as the church—to make and develop disciples of Christ by reflecting Luke 10:27: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The two greatest commandments highlight three areas that make a strong foundation to any church, small group, or individual Christian: spiritual growth, learning, and serving. Life Groups seemed to be a wonderful setting in which all of those things could happen. The team met quite a few times over the summer and was

made up of LPC members including Greg Rittenhouse, Becky Creech, Claudia Cunningham, Larry Bracey, Renee Lay, and Chuck Testas. We decided to use as our template the principles for small group ministry contained in the book, Small Groups with Purpose by Steve Gladen. Using the mission statement listed on the graphic above, we began to build momentum for the formation of Life Groups at LPC. The team made use of the normal channels of church communication (the newsletter, bulletin, announcements, drama, Facebook) to challenge people in the church to become part of a group. After planning and advertising for several months, multiple life groups were formed in October to add to the existing small groups that had already been formed at LPC. They include groups are led by Gregg and Dawn Ridgely, Jeff and Sheryl Ridgely, Gary and Claudia Cunningham, Randy Fannin, Karen and Larry Kilpatrick, Roseanne Walker, and Renee Lay.

The Mission Statement of Life Groups is becoming more and more clear the longer the groups meet. In our willingness to gather with those we don’t know well (or at all) God is providing the members with more than they ever imagined. In just 3 months of meeting the groups are becoming a place where they are able to question & vent when necessary; a place where

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friendships have deepened, biblical knowledge is gained, prayer is important and compassion is felt. In a nutshell, they have become communities of life-change. There is a sense of emptiness when anyone is missing and an infusion of strength when together. All comments received about Life Groups so far have been positive to a proclamation of appreciation. Life Groups will increase in number as LPC continues to make it a priority. We pray going forward that the Life Groups will be used by God to: deepen relationships between members, be a place of life-changing fellowship, and cause us all at LPC to go further in Christian discipleship. May He Receive All the Glory, The Life Groups Team

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ADULT EDUCATION It is the mission of the Adult Education Team to “encourage disciples to become transformed in their Christian walk with Jesus Christ through learning communities, Biblical study and life application courses.” The Adult Education team includes Chuck Testas, Lee Bollow, Nina Dorsch, Chad Flaig, Steve Newby, and Holly Mueller. This team is responsible for planning Wednesday Night Together offerings, as well as providing support for Adult Sunday School and small group Bible studies. Wednesday Nights Together (WNT) classes are offered in the winter and fall, with occasional special summer classes. Winter and fall WNT starts with dinner at 5:30 p.m. and classes at 6:30 p.m. Each session lasts for 10 weeks. Four classes were offered for the winter session in 2015: In His Steps: The Gospel of Mark with Pastor Peter Larson, a study of C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters led by Chuck Testas and Jared Looper, a survey of our denomination’s history and scriptural basis in The Presbyterian Story guided by Lee Bollow, and Financial Peace University, coordinated by Chad Flaig and drawing significant participation from the community beyond LPC. During the summer, two innovative classes were offered. Team teaching by Lee Bollow, Mark Masthay, and Pastor Chuck Testas highlighted Answering Islam, the study of Nabeel Qureshi’s conversion to Christianity as recounted in Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. LPC’s first online course, based on John Eldredge’s Epic, developed by Holly Mueller and Nina Dorsch, engaged participants in a discussion blog. This type of learning experience might be offered to college students in the future. In the fall, WNT classes included In the Beginning, God, a study of Genesis led by Steve Newby; Windows of the Soul, exploring a fresh way of seeing, hearing, and enjoying the presence of God led by Pastor Chuck Testas; and the continuing study of the Gospel of Mark in Journey to the Cross, led by Pastor Peter Larson. In the fall, in a joint effort with the Missions Ministry Team, we engaged the congregation in an exploration of how we, as Christians, might “Bridge the Gap” from being angry or afraid of Muslims to being compassionate, confident, and courageous witnesses. In conjunction with the Missions Ministry Team, on the first weekend of November, LPC hosted two of our missionaries who are based in France, Daniel and Andrew who are involved in ministries that reach out to Muslims in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. They minister in various ways, through native mission workers, home churches, and through broadcasting Christian Bible-based programs. The following weekend, Pastor Mark of EPC World Outreach, guided a series of experiences: a Friday evening seminar on what is Islam and what Muslims believe, a Saturday morning seminar about how we can reach out to Muslims in love followed by an afternoon tour of a local mosque and evening dinner at a local Lebanese restaurant, a presentation during the Sunday School hour on “The Muslims are Coming” and our response, and the Sunday sermon “Kick Us Out, Lord” encouraging us to obey Christ’s Great Commission to “go out and make disciples.”

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A variety of Adult Sunday School classes are available to support members’ learning. Continuing classes included Bible and Life, coordinated by Jim Garrett; Faith Explorers, led by Gary Ensing; Faith Weavers, offered by Jim and Rosie VanDeGrift; and S. A. L. T. (Single Adults Learning Together). In the fall, a new class formed, Raising Godly Men, led by Rachael Earley. Engaged in prayer, study, and encouragement, this class explores the unique calling of raising godly men in today's world. On occasion, Mission IsPossible, coordinated by Inga Kimple, met to hear from guests in the mission field. Also during the Sunday School hour, the Inquirer’s Class, led by Chuck Testas and designed for people who are interested in becoming members, studied the Presbyterian form of church government as well as basic Christian doctrine. Several small Bible study groups continued throughout the year: Women’s Bible Study organized by Denise Bailey, Marilyn McCauley, and Joyce Palmer; Mommies Bible Study coordinated by Ann van der Merwe; Circle of Friends, coordinated by Janice Corwin and Betty Budd; and Men’s Bible Study now led by Ron Benedict and Greg Rittenhouse after many years of Don Lycan’s faithful leadership. The Fall Sunday School and WNT session is kicked off yearly with a pancake breakfast between services and is widely attended. Adult Ed members and other volunteers prepare the breakfast. Youth serve the attendees a delicious breakfast of bacon, sausage, pancakes, fruit, coffee, milk and juice. Approximately 250 people attended this year. The Adult Ed Team also coordinates devotional guides. The Lenten and Advent Devotionals are written by volunteers from the congregation across generations. The devotionals are compiled by Brenda Bingham, Church Secretary. As we look to the future, we ask that you share your ideas about books, topics, and areas of bible study that might be featured in WNT classes. Sunday School classes, Bible study groups, and special events! Respectfully Submitted, Nina Dorsch for the Adult Ed Ministry Team

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WORSHIP AND MUSIC

2015 was another year filled with great music from so many talented musicians in this congregation as well as life changing worship experiences. There were too many memorable events to mention them all but here are a few points of interest… Holy Week Another deeply meaningful Holy Week was celebrated at LPC. Some of the highlights were the Sanctuary Choir’s presentation of Keith and Kristyn Getty’s powerful work The Risen Christ, and the wonderful Brass Ensemble that joined us on Easter Morning. Songs of Advent 2015 saw an added touch to LPC’s celebration of Advent as we focused on the Songs of Advent. Each week focused on a different song from scripture with new coordinating Advent Candle Readings and themed Christmas Trees throughout the church representing a song of peace, joy, faith, hope, and love. College Students Share their gifts during Easter and Christmas A number of LPC’s college students came together at Easter and again at Christmas to share their musical gifts with their church family. Both offerings were highlights of the season and a blessing to all. Large Format Screen Installed in Multipurpose Room A large format screen was added to the Multipurpose Room in 2015. The screen will allow us to broaden our creative expression on worship in that space and we are looking forward to growing in our ability to appropriately utilize it in worship. Production Studio Installed Did you know that LPC now has a small video production studio? Through the help of volunteers, some creative re-purposing of supplies already on hand, and a little bit of lighting upgrades we now have a basic video studio that has the ability to grow as the church’s needs grow in the use of multimedia in worship.

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LPC Concert Ministry is launched An exciting new ministry of LPC was launched in 2015. Under Charlie Dilbeck’s leadership, LPC will play host to a variety of Christian concerts. The first will held on March 3, 2016 as The Time of My Life tour which includes four top Christian recording artists, comes to Lebanon! New Lighting Installed in Chancel Through a generous anonymous gift, the Sanctuary Chancel has been given a much needed upgrade in the lighting. The new lighting draws focus on the newly installed Cross and makes it much easier for the Choir to read their music. We thank God for this wonderful gift!

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PASTORAL CARE This past year was exciting for the Pastoral Care ministries, and some changes were made. We have such a wonderful, caring, serving congregation at Lebanon Presbyterian Church. More than 100 people served on the Pastoral Care teams during 2015 which made the year one of many blessings. Communion Ministry - Elders share in the ministry of taking communion to the homes of people who are ill or who are nursing home residents on Communion Sunday on an as requested basis after church. Please call the Church office at 932-2751 if you desire communion. Deacons –There are fourteen different ministry teams under Deacons. The Board of Deacons Annual Report to Session (November, 2015) follows as a separate report. Grief Ministry – Six members currently serve as Grief Ministers. People who have experienced the loss of a family member are given support from a member of this ministry team for one year with visits, phone calls, notes, and reading material that is helpful. A memorial service is held each spring to honor those who have passed on. The Grief Team is seeking new members to join in its work. Lay Pastors - There are six Lay Pastors who serve on this ministry team each building an ongoing pastoral relationship with 3-5 families or individuals. One Shepherd supports the Lay Pastors. Two new Lay Pastors were added to the team this year, and two new families were added to the flock for care. Contacts are made monthly in the form of a telephone call, home visit, hospital visit, or a card to provide support. If you would like to have a Lay Pastor or are interested in becoming a Lay Pastor, please call me, 932-2751. MOPS – Ministry of Prayer and Supplication – Ellen Albright is the contact for MOPS, and she and thirty other people serve in this Ministry of Prayer and Supplication. This team offers prayer and support to LPC families and friends. Prayer requests are sent out by e-mail for those who are online in addition to calling Ellen who calls others who do not have e-mail. A weekly prayer list is sent to MOPS, a prayer group, the staff and the officers listing those who want prayer. That list also includes those who are out of work and have asked for prayer and a list of people who are serving in the Military. We’ve found that the information is sent a little quicker and easier. Updates are also sent out during the week and the prayer support can continue for an indefinite period of time. The knowledge that others are praying for you is such a comfort. If you desire to have this team pray for a particular concern, please call Ellen. Members of the MOPS Team also serve as prayer teams after the worship services if you would like prayer then. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please call Randy Fannin at the church office. Support Groups - There are two specialized support groups for very specific needs:

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Cancer Support Group has suspended its monthly meetings but is on standby if someone needs help.

The Diabetic Support Group (formerly Transcending Sugar) has suspended

its monthly meetings but is on standby if someone needs help.

Telecare – There are two Telecare teams who meet monthly to call members of LPC on a regular basis to visit, see if there are any prayer requests, and offer encouragement. Each member family is called twice a year. Pastoral Care Assistants – Talitha Colston and Mary Deerhake. Many of you know and some do not know about the hours that these two wonderful people give to serve the Pastoral Care ministries in many, many ways. Phone calls, visits and cards plus the Care Notes are just a few of the things Talitha and Mary do so quietly to serve LPC. They are great listeners and a support to me. Thanks to Talitha and Mary! Thank you so very much to each of the volunteers in all these ministries. As you know, I am retiring as of the end of 2015. I am very excited to welcome Rev. Randy Fannin as the new Director of Pastoral Care and look forward to serving with him as a volunteer. Ellen Albright Minister of Pastoral Care

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DEACONS

“Reaching Out in Loving Touch”

Our Deacon Mission “The Deacons at Lebanon Presbyterian Church are called by God to develop a church community that shares the love and healing of Jesus Christ with a caring spirit. These disciples will use their God given gifts to serve, affirm, encourage and restore others into the body of Christ.” As I reflect on my last three years of being a Deacon, I am amazed at the amount of contacts each deacon has had in the course of their varied ministry jobs! And, when I think about the power in each of those touches – how a simple card, a heartfelt hug, or a personal visit can change the heart of a lonely, hurting church member I am ever more grateful for our group of Deacons. I see the job of Deacon as an entry-level position for Christ’s church. Frequently the newly installed deacon has never been asked to become so involved in caring for God’s people. There is an expected learning curve as new members choose specific Ministry Teams to become part of and begin their new jobs of reaching out to people. To help make these important choices easier and perhaps more fitting I would like to see a Spiritual Gift class offered to incoming deacons to help them appreciate what special gifts God has given them that they might not know they have! And, although this has been discussed (and offered) in years past, I think assigning each new deacon a mentor would be a good thing. Besides being a source for knowledge, I think this would also help with the continuous flow of duties as deacon terms expire and positions need to be filled. In preparation for writing this report and as I really studied the collected monthly contact sheets, I was amazed by the sheer number of “touches” made in a year’s time. And like a pebble tossed into calm waters, we cannot know how the effects of that one contact might ripple out to touch many! Surely this team is fulfilling the call stated in our Mission Statement! The calculator had to come out…

DEACON MINISTRY TEAMS

Between Jobs – Support and encourage LPC members who are currently unemployed. (Thankfully, there was no activity this year.) Blood Drives – In cooperation with the Dayton Blood Center, a blood drive is held in the Kingdom Building 6 times a year. See attached report. (241 donors and 208 units of blood – which might, in turn touch 2 – 3 people) Bridges – This ministry reviews the attendance of members of LPC. Once someone is absent for an extended period of time, a post card is sent or a phone call is made to touch base and let them know they are missed. (114) Cards – Send notes and cards to the LPC congregation in times of illness or grief. (317)

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CD Ministry – CD’s of the 8:45 A.M. service are mailed to homebound and nursing home members as requested. (248) College Bound and Military – Provide support to the LPC congregation who are attending school or are overseas in the military. This year, in addition to semi-annual notes of encouragement sent with Starbuck cards, our college “touches” have been increased. Deacons see these 4 years of college as critical times that church support needs to be maintained. Each deacon took 2 – 3 college kids that are sent monthly notes or cards of encouragement. (400) Financial Assistance – Deacons assist folks from the church and community throughout the year as requested with help for utility bills and rent. They also help members of the congregation who are in desperate financial need. (263 individuals and $23,378) Flower Delivery/Christmas Poinsettias – Sanctuary flowers are delivered to nursing homes or LPC individuals in hospitals. Poinsettias are also delivered to people during the Christmas season. (34) Food at Bereavement – Provide meat tray to LPC family members who have lost a spouse, parent, sibling or child, or assist with a luncheon with help from others in the congregations. (2) Frequent Meals – Provide occasional meals to LPC members following surgery or hospitalization. (131) Hands-On – Provide assistance to LPC members with minor home chores such as raking leaves, cleaning gutters, painting. (21) Homebound and Nursing Home – Support and visit LPC members who require long-term care at home or in a nursing home. (82) Memorial Fund – If the bereaved LPC member doesn’t desire a food tray or reception, a contribution will be made to the charity of their choice. (0) New Moms – Support for new moms during pregnancy and for one year following the birth of their child. (3) Transportation – Provide planned and emergency transportation for LPC members as needed. (60) Worship Leadership Ministry – Deacons are serving as greeters on a weekly basis and also assisting with reading scripture and leading Prays of the People. (21,863) Number of touches (conservative): 24,195! Think about the power of that! Respectfully Submitted, Cheryl Bogen

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

It has been my great pleasure to begin leading our Children’s Ministry here at LPC beginning in September 2015, not only because I get to work with our fun-loving kids but also because I get to partner with fantastic adults who care about them. As a congregation, we owe many thanks to the continued efforts of the 2015 Children’s Ministry Team (Lelia Brandt, Lee Bollow, Kim Calvert, Anna Sheanshang, Lynn Steinkirchner, Janet Terrell, and Courtney Williams) during our time without a director. All of these wonderful people continue to serve our ministry in some way, and we have many others to do likewise. Without them, ministering to our children would not be possible. Children’s Church – This past year saw significant changes in the format and content of Children’s Church. At the beginning of the year, the lessons taught during this time followed their own sequence and were not related to the Bible passages and themes used in regular worship. Beginning in the late spring and summer, however, we began using the sermon text as the basis for our message so that parents and kids are hearing the same message each week. Also, we are making the experience more like worship in other ways, with a lesson that focuses on Bible reading, discussion and illustrations, music making, and games. Worship Bags – It has been a special pleasure to introduce worship bags into our children’s ministry offerings. These are cloth bags containing a coloring and activity page (with images and puzzles related to the sermon message of the day), crayons, and a Bible story book. They not only serve the practical purpose of helping to engage our youngest worshippers; they also let the children who enter our worship spaces that they are truly welcome there. Sunday School – For most of 2015, we continued to use Orange 252 Basics as our Sunday School curriculum. However, the Children’s Ministry Team was not entirely satisfied with how well it was meeting the needs of our kids and families. After months of searching for something more Biblically-focused and more practically useful to our teachers and leaders, we began using Group Publishing’s FaithweaverNow in November 2015. So far, it seems like a great curriculum for LPC. We will continue to explore everything it has to offer in 2016.

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Wednesday Nights Together – Wednesday Nights Together has long been a great place for our kids to enjoy fellowship and deepen their love for God. To enrich the experience even more, however, the Children’s Ministry Team made a few changes between the spring and the fall. For example, we added a new musical group to complement our SonShine Choir (for ages 3-5) led by Stacy Roehrs and Joyful Noyz (for Grades 1-6) led by Beth Larson. Called Joyful Soundz (for Grades 1-6), this group offered kids an opportunity to play instruments like marimbas, drums, and tambourines as an alternative to singing. We also incorporated a time for physical play into our evenings, offering kids a much needed outlet after their time making music. This helped prepare them for a concluding time dedicated to devotion and/or service projects such as prayer pails and smile cards. Club 56 – After many years of leadership, Steve Fennessey made the decision to conclude his time as the leader of Club 56 in May 2015. We are deeply grateful for everything Steve has brought to this ministry, and it has not been easy to fill his shoes! Still, our 5th and 6th graders have enjoyed some great opportunities for fellowship and fun this fall, including a hayride and apple bobbing at the Larson farm, pumpkin carving at the van der Merwe house, and shopping for Lebanon Christmas for Tots. And, we have even more exciting things planned for 2016! Easter Breakfast – The annual Easter Breakfast is always a special time for kids and their families at LPC, and 2015 was no exception. Thanks to Lynn Steinkirchner and the many other volunteers who stuffed eggs, prepared the food, and set-up the church for this wonderful event celebrating the resurrection of our Lord! VBS – VBS took kids to “Hometown Nazareth” this year, where they learned all about Jesus as a kid. They got to visit with Mary each day, make crafts at places like the rock quarry, olive oil shop, and the carpentry shop, and play a variety of games. It was truly wonderful to see the kids enjoying their time together and growing in their connection to Christ. As always, it took many dedicated volunteers to make this happen, especially those on the planning committee – Kim Calvert, Rachael Earley, Heather Forster, and Courtney Williams. In an effort to make VBS an experience for parents as well as children, the Children’s Ministry Team opted to try an evening time slot in 2015. Because the family response was not as great as we had hoped, however, we will be returning to a morning time slot for 2016. Christmas Events – This year, many of our kids presented “A Tree Lot Christmas” as their annual Christmas Musical on the first Sunday in December. It was a great

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reminder of how Jesus has made us part of his family. Thanks to Beth Larson and all the kids who made this possible! That same weekend, a number of our kids participated in their own afternoon presentation of the Living Nativity, which was coordinated by Debbie Snider. This was also a special time, adding to the beginning of a Christmas season focused on Jesus and His birth. Family Movie Night – After coordinating this monthly program for several years, Robert and Janet Terrell decided to hand it over to Ned and Rachael Earley beginning this past fall. Thanks to the efforts of the Terrells and the Earleys, Family Movie Night continues to be a wonderful place where families can enjoy a movie together once a month with pizza and popcorn! It has been especially nice to see so many of our Playschool and Preschool families joining us! Nursery – Our nursery continues to offer a safe and welcoming place for infants and toddlers to receive care at LPC. Many thanks to Courtney Wilson for her leadership in coordinating the nursery staff!

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PRESCHOOL AND DAYCARE

Our mission at LPC Preschool and Daycare is to provide a warm Christian atmosphere

where children feel secure, stimulated, and encouraged to be creative. Our goal is to

partner with families to allow children to grow at their own pace within a standardized

curriculum. Children will have opportunities to Learn, Play and receive Care, preparing

them for future success in education and in life. Our staff will provide an environment

which is supportive to help children realize that they are special because God created

them for a unique purpose.

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 NIV

LPC Preschool and Daycare offers full-time childcare for children ages 2 ½ through the

six grade all year round. We provide a morning and afternoon snack and a hot lunch for

the children that are here full-time. We also offer preschool classes (2 ½ hours)

September through May for children age 2 ½-5 years old. The pastors come to the kids

once a week and do children’s chapel with them, which the kids love! We also do field

trips with the children. We are currently serving about 120 families. We are open

Monday-Friday from 6:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and have 17 staff members (full and part-time),

our cleaning person and two substitutes. We are licensed by the Ohio Department of

Job and Family Services and also participate in a voluntary rating system through the

state of Ohio called Step Up to Quality.

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STUDENT MINISTRIES

LPC’s Vision for Ministering to Students & Their Families: To create disciples of Jesus Christ that SHINE (Serve, Honor, Invite, Navigate, Enjoy) and will impact their world for the Kingdom of God. This is accomplished by developing relationships with students in both Encounter and Evolve and their parents through facilitating small groups, worship, teaching, Sunday school, and retreats or mission trips. As well as intentional intergenerational and whole family discipleship and service events. Evolve: LPC’s ministry to Junior High students

Evolve Leadership: Andrew Johnson, Sam Crago, Elijah Arns, Kira Eickman, Drew Gilmour, and Steve Fennessey. Evolve meets on Wednesday nights. Wednesday nights is made up of several different elements: worship, instruction, fellowship, service, and outreach and the average attendance is 10-20 students. We spent last spring studying the Characters of the Old Testament and this fall studying the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Evolve has regular events for

fellowship and outreach and students are encouraged to bring a friend. Activities include Costume Party & Bonfire, Movie Nights, Game Night & Scavenger Hunts the average attendance is 25-30 students. Encounter: LPC’s ministry to High School students Encounter Leadership: Andrew Johnson, Nona McCauley, Yvonne Kempf, Ned Earley, Trent Ardrey, Robert Terrell, Encounter meets normally on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sunday nights of the month. We take the first Sunday off each month for REST and family time. On Sunday nights, Encounter takes a big idea each month and looks at it through 4 lenses and averaged 15-20 students. We are spending this year looking at idols in our lives that keep us from our Savior. The four ways we look at our big ideas is 1. Worship: on this week we look at the big idea through the lens of Scripture and worship through music led by student and leader band. 2. Community: on this week we look at the big idea through the lens of small groups. We spend time talking about how scripture intersects our lives as high school students. 3. Experience/Fellowship: on this week we look at the big idea through

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the lens of experience by doing something that helps us understand the idea deeper or by learning through interacting with one another. 4. Rest: We do not have Encounter on the first Sunday of each month so that we allow for intentional family time our goal is that parents engage and discuss with their students on faith issues as well as a time for our students to catch up on rest and schoolwork. Feeding Ministry is something that our junior high and senior high school students help with on the first Monday of every month, an average of 4-6 students came each month. This year we have encouraged whole families to serve together in the feeding ministry. Vintage Sunday School: Our Sunday school hour is not old or tired its… VINTAGE. We began this school year with a new kind of Sunday School: Parents and Students attend Vintage together on Sundays at 10 a.m. Vintage is a time of student & Parent led devotion, teaching related to the sermon by Andrew and a mix of large and small groups and discussions. The class was well attended with 20 to 30 people in attendance. Trips and Other Events:

Believe: 25 Students & Leaders took part in a conference in Cincinnati with other junior high students where they heard from speakers, participated in worship, and learned about how God looks at the heart through the story of David and were challenged to be people with a heart “after” God. A snow and ice storm cancelled the event the second day but God use that time in our host church to bring our group closer together and here Gods call on their lives to follow “After” Jesus.

Evolve at Wyldlife Camp Michindoh: This year we began a relationship with the para-church ministry Young Life as we took 4 male students (2 from LPC and 2 of their friends) to camp in Hillsdale, MI. We sang songs, played games, went down huge watersides, got dumped in a lake by a banana boat, launched into a lake by a blob, played paintball and heard about how much Jesus loves us. We hope to take a big group of students and their friends to camp this year Evolve Wyldlife Weekend: In the fall we took 14 junior students & leaders to a weekend at Great Wolf Lodge where we fellowshipped with area Jr High students and heard about our need for Jesus in our lives.

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Boys vs Girls: 25 High School students gathered for a Friday night competition event where the epic question was asked who are better boys or girls. The event sparked the month’s focus of discussing relationships. Kaleo: LPC’s Discipleship & membership class for students in grades 8-12 met began to meet this fall with 10 students involved with meeting with an Elder regularly going over the basics of faith and membership.

Nerf Night: Over 50 junior high & high school students regularly attend our whole church Nerf Nights where we play Nerf tag throughout the church. Our goal is to provide a safe place for students to have fun on a weekend night and to have an easy and fun place for students to invite their friends to our church.

High School Seniors Spring Break Trip: Four high school seniors Adam Cranmer, Geoff Hulsether, Emily Jacox, Rachel Wiater and Student Ministries Director Andrew Johnson travelled 61/2 hours down to southeastern Tennessee for 6 days of fellowship, hiking, spiritual reflection and study. The guys were challenged to look back upon their life so far noting major events, relationships and places where God has been working on them all to see how they have been shaped into who they are today. They were then prompted to look at their own personality and spiritual gifts during a period of self-discovery. Finally they were challenged to plan ahead for living a life in Christ

after high school. Far too often we see young people when faced with the difficulties of living in today’s culture walking away from their faith. The senior trip was designed to prepare high school seniors to face the coming life changes while remaining faithful and continuing to grow in Christ. This spiritual retreat for seniors is the capstone event for student ministries. Encounter New Mexico Mission Trip: 36 student and adults travelled to Rehoboth, New Mexico last June where they worked and served in the missional school serving doing VBS and service

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projects. The trip was focused on learning about God’s reconciliation with and our reconciliation with one another. Students learned about how the Gospel is at work in the Navajo Reservation lands of New Mexico. We learned and experienced how God reconciles and unites despite the brokenness of sin. The group took the Amtrak train form Cincinnati through Chicago and all the way to Gallup, New Mexico.

Summer Events: Encounter and Evolve both had a variety of events throughout the summer that included; River Tubing, a Reds Game, Nerf Nights and Afternoon movies. “WE” Advent Event: This Advent we gathered all the generations of LPC together to prepare for the birth of Jesus by eating together and

looking back at Isaiah’s “Root of Jesse” and how we are a part of God’s family tree. We created our own Jesse Tree with homemade ornaments describing how the stories in the Old Testament pointed toward our coming savior Jesus Christ. 100 people shared a meal, fellowshipped and worshipped together. (WE EVENT PICS)

Partnering for the Kingdom, Director of Student Ministry: Andrew Johnson Elders: Rachael Earley, Steve Fennessey Student Ministry Team: Nona McCauley, Yvonne Kempf, Ned Earley, Charlette Ardrey, Trent Ardrey, Robert Terrell, Angie Greene, Christy Johnson, Heidi Oliver, Joe Ryan Affiliate Elders: Charlie Dilbeck and Gary Sheanshang.

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MISSIONS

The LPC Mission Committee seeks to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of believers and equipping them to be light in a dark world. We do this by using Christ’s example of healing the sick; feeding, clothing and housing the needy; and teaching and preaching Biblical truth through our mission partners or on mission trips. After the last congregational survey in 2009, we were able to elevate our funding to at least 10 percent of LPC’s total yearly budget, in keeping with Biblical principles of tithing. We believe this commitment has blessed LPC over and over again. For over a decade we have held rummage sales that have not only provided funding for trips and various projects, but also have provided clothing to the poor. The MissionIsPossible Sunday School class introduces the congregation to mission partners and others living out their faith. In November, partnering with Adult Ed, we had two weekends devoted to understanding the Muslim faith, one focusing on overseas and one on the U.S. Our first missions calendar was also introduced for 2016 so that the congregation could pray daily for various church missions, leaders, and other concerns. We’ve seen a steady increase in the number of church members participating directly in missions through local programs such as the feeding ministry or IHN, going on mission trips, or contributing to special needs. We thank you all for your loving participation and generous outpouring of money, time, possessions, and talent. LOCAL MISSIONS Our local missions program focuses on people in our own backyard. For those needing assistance, we give a hand up, not a hand out to those working their way out of poverty, while recognizing some may always need the benevolent care of the church. Lebanon Food Pantry—provided food to people in the Lebanon school district. Soul Food Café Feeding Ministry—provided a free meal on Monday nights and pizza on Wednesday afternoons. Interfaith Hospitality Network-WC—provided temporary housing and guidance to families so that they could get into permanent housing. LPC Playschool—provided free social and educational lessons for preschoolers who needed an extra boost for Kindergarten. The Missions Committee pays the salaries of the two fulltime teachers and also materials cost. This year the program had 14 children. LPC Daycare—provided emergency scholarships for working parents. KAIROS Prison Ministry—Sent teams into Lebanon Correctional and Warren Correctional state prisons twice last year. Hispanic Ministry—We maintain ties in the Hispanic community and seek to assist as needed through Prodigal Son and other local groups. Sonshine Shoe Ministry—provided support for local shoe ministry through periodic shoe drives and also for the annual back to school backpack ministry. Thanksgiving Baskets—provided funding for annual Thanksgiving Basket food drive. Salvation Army—provided surplus from our rummage sales. Angel Tree—provided presents to local children of prisoners. Young Life and Kings Domain—provided support for leaders and camp scholarships. Mount Pleasant Retirement Home—provided an annual monetary gift.

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Gideon’s Bible Society—provided an annual monetary gift. Love Packages—provided transportation costs for church volunteer. This organization sends Bibles and Christian materials overseas. Matthew 25 Ministries— provided funding in times of disaster. Elizabeth New Life Center—provided support for crisis pregnancies. NATIONAL MISSIONS

LPC Youth Trips—LPC Missions oversees the youth trip finances CRU—LPC supports 3 CRU members, Kyle Deeter at Ohio U., Barb Bernlohr in Colorado, and Michele Braceros in Pennsylvania. EPC Churches—LPC has reached out to many new EPC churches, especially Genesis Church in Mercedes, TX. We also support EPC causes at Presbytery and national levels. Pastor Larson and Inga Kimple are on the Midwest Presbytery Missions Committee. URBANA—Urbana is a spiritual retreat for high school and college grads.

ECHO—provided support for this agricultural organization that seeks to train farmers from around the world in better methods and cash crops. International Justice Mission—provided support to end sexual servitude, especially of children. It also provides legal advice and lawyers for the poor in several countries. INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico—We are partnered with small churches and pastors in Maya villages and are building a large church in the city of Piste. We sponsor a nursing school, youth programs, small clinic, and give benevolent aid to elderly church workers. Grace and Peace Gals—provided funding for rescuing those in the sex trade, and their children. Schooling and counseling provided to help

vulnerable people of Cambodia. Svitlana—provided support for this courageous Ukrainian woman who goes into the remotest Siberian villages to bring Russian orphans to Christ. Jen & John—provided support for missionaries in Mongolia. Sam & Christa—support for this Midwest Presbytery family to bring Christ to Asia.

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Solomon & Alice—provided support a number of ministries throughout Africa. The Ilmamen well-drilling project waters thousands of animals everyday in what was once a desert. In the future, this area will also allow a church, school, and clinic. Francis Newton Hospital—provided money for this remote hospital and nursing school

in India, near the Pakistan border. India Gospel League—provided support for Barefoot Pastor program, where pastors go into remote Indian villages to spread the Gospel. GlobalLead—provided support for this ministry that trains leaders who will, in turn, train others. Czech Republic-Our relationship began with

Pastor Petr in an exchange program. We have sent several teams here and have begun support for Petr’s fellow pastor, Marik. Argentina—provides support to the EPC St. Andrews Presbytery in Buenos Aires. Nicaragua—provided food to the poorest children of this Central American country. Samaritan’s Purse—sent support to one of our international partners, this year for work in Syria. We also participated in Operation Christmas shoebox ministry. Outreach Foundation—supported several projects in Cuba including training pastors at the Mantanzas Seminary and outreach to small Presbyterian churches there. Outreach to Muslims—the committee worked with various mission partners and pastors.

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PERSONNEL TEAM

The 2015 Personnel Team consisted of three ruling Elders and a representative from the Deacons, as well as three members of the congregation at large. The Senior Pastor and Church Business Administrator are the staff liaisons. Elder Joe Ryan remained the team leader with Elders Jan Watsell and Nina Dorsch as additional Session representatives. Jan continued to serve as the team’s secretary. During the year, the team worked on the following:

- Covenant: The team ensured that the tenets of a covenant process designed to

assure positive, effective relationships among LPC staff were implemented so

that all parties felt satisfied. The Team received updates from Gregg Ridgley

who is one of three members on the Task Force that oversees this process.

- Salary: Because income to expenses were behind most of the year, the decision

was made to keep salaries flat for 2016.

- Staff Evaluations: Ensured the successful completion and review of staff

evaluations, as well the Elder’s overseeing Pastor Larson’s annual evaluation.

- Job Descriptions: The Team tackled reviewing and revising all staff job

descriptions. The revisions ensured they were “current” and ensured the format

and style of all the descriptions were consistent.

- Children’s Ministry Director: The Team was involved with agreeing to accept

Sara Gilson’s resignation. Subsequently, the Team formed a Search Committee

that oversaw the process of selecting the new Director. Later in the year, the job

was offered and accepted by Ann Van der Merwe.

- Minister of Pastoral Care: The Team worked with Ellen Albright to ensure a

successful retirement in 2015 that met the needs of both Ellen and LPC. A

Search Committee was formed and in November this job was offered and

accepted by Randy Fannin. Randy assumed his duties in January of 2016.

Graciously, Ellen continued to assume the role until Randy could be hired.

- Financial Secretary: With regret, LPC accepted the resignation of Beth

Armstrong who has taken employment elsewhere. After review and discussion, it

was agreed to increase Sherry Showalter’s hours to 40 and have her assume the

majority of duties in the Financial Secretary job description. Greg Deeter and

Brenda Bingham will also assume duties outlined in the job description. Beth will

continue to work part time to do the payroll processing.

- Worship: At the end of the year, the Team began discussing the decreased

attendance of the second service. The Team may work more directly with the

Director of Worship in the 2016 to both analyze this dynamic and turn it around.

- Study Leave: The team approved a study leave request from Andrew Johnson to

attend classes at Calvin College to pursue his seminary studies.

- The Staff Love Offering was received in December with $5,578.06 being given.

LPC Personnel Team: Joe Ryan, Jan Watsell, Nina Dorsch, Dan Crago, Gregg Ridgley, Neil Tunison, and Mike Schneider. Staff Liaisons: Peter Larson and Greg Deeter.

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BUILDINGS & GROUNDS TEAM The Buildings and Grounds team oversees the maintenance, operation, and utilization of the LPC facilities and grounds. Our thanks go out to the many, many volunteers who have spent countless hours planting flowers, trimming shrubs, painting walls, clearing roof gutters, cleaning kitchens, and patching leaky roofs in order to ensure our facilities and grounds are maintained in excellent condition. We would like to especially thank Tony and Mindy Moore who continue to volunteer their landscaping services including planting flowers and ornamental shrubs around the church signs and mowing/trimming the entire lawn area of LPC. We also would like to thank Scott Hobbs for his efforts in repairing the flat roof area over the Narthex. And as always, the team needs to thank Dean and Mary Deerhake who volunteered countless areas cleaning carpets, organizing closets and performing many other tasks that are far too numerous to list. Team transitions included bidding farewell to Gary Sheanshang as the Session representative. Steve Sutherland, already a team member, was elected as an Elder and took over as the Session representative. Mike Schneider was elected as a Deacon in December 2014, but continued to help out with team work days. Also, Kathy Brown was elected as a Deacon in December 2015 and will miss future B&G team meetings but will continue to help when she has time. The team welcomed Geo van de Merwe in January and Scott Hobbs in December. The following is a brief summary of our work: Transportation The two church vehicles, a 2012 14-passenger bus and a 2001 14-passenger van continue to serve the many needs of our church. The 2012 bus is primarily used by the Playschool to pick up students on weekday mornings. It is also used for many local events by numerous church groups including the Prime Timers, Preschool/Daycare, and Children/Student Ministries. The 2001 van is used infrequently for occasional local Preschool/Daycare field trips and Student Ministry events. Work Days While blessed with a beautiful facility and outside area, the buildings and grounds team is always ready to provide minor maintenance and upkeep when needed. During the February work day, the team did interior painting, roof repairs, replaced ceiling tiles and did minor electrical repairs. In May, several mini-workdays were held to weed flower beds, trim shrubs and spread mulch. During the October work day, the church playground fence underwent major repair. Our team of engineers repaired a section of fence and installed underground boards to prevent mulch erosion. The team also cleaned gutters and trimmed several trees.

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Maintenance/Events

In January, the Lebanon Fire Marshal inspected our facility and recommended installation of smoke detectors in each room used by the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). The marshal also recommended we purchase an automated electronic defibrillator (AED). With surplus funds approved by Session, the team purchased seven smoke detectors and an AED. After receiving the AED, the fire marshal conducted a training session for the LPC staff. The team also received funds to replace the KB nursery carpet and ten round tables for the multipurpose

room. After consulting with the Children’s Ministry team, wood-like vinyl planking was installed. The tables were purchased from Mity-Lite.

The annual LPC Picnic hosted by the team was held on May 17 at Warren County Armco Park and despite ominous–looking weather over 200 attended.

In August, a problem was discovered in the sanctuary attic. Apparently decades of bat activity had caused a problem that required remediation. Session approved the funding and the remediation was done in October. As part of the remediation, the facility exterior was sealed to prevent further attic activity.

In October, Neil Tunison and Roger Sims represented the team at the “Taste of LPC” ministry fair. A table with tools and photos of the team in action was displayed. Also, Cardinal Landscaping was contracted to remove a large maple tree in the church playground as well as treat the large ash tree to prevent further damage from the emerald ash borer.

Budget

The Trustees 2015 budget was $167,870. We were blessed to have only a few major mechanical repairs and a very mild fall season requiring minimal heating/cooling that helped us end the year with only $159,558 in expenses compared to 2014 expenses of $170,860.

The team includes: Neil Tunison (Team Leader), Phil Craig, Roger Sims, Kathy Brown, Geo van de Merwe, Steve Sutherland, Dave Kuyper, Dave Lupberger, and Scott Hobbs. Staff Liaison: Greg Deeter

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FINANCIAL REPORT

Our 2015 Operating Fund income was $1,097,193.22 compared to $1,105,872.92 in 2014. Our 2015 expenses were $1,045,766.30 vs. $1,050,283.34 in 2014. We continue to thank God for the tremendous generosity of the members of LPC! 2015 Operating Fund Income $1,097,193.22

2015 Operating Fund Expenses $1,045,766.30

Income over Expenses $51,426.92

Expenses by Category

Adult Education $5,152.46

Student Ministry $16,960.45

Children’s Ministry $11,676.24

Reach Out $8,249.55

Worship and Music $29,664.37

Women’s Retreat $3,500.00

Pastoral Care $2,025.76

Small Groups $2,969.57

Family Ministry $4,987.45

Missions $116,476.03

Deacons $8,568.94

Buildings and Grounds $159,764.60

Church Connectional Ties $27,130.00

Staff Compensation $648,640.88 Total Expenses $1,045,766.30

NOTE: For more detailed financial reports, please contact our business administrator, Greg Deeter at 932-2751.

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2016 OPERATING FUND BUDGET

Personnel $667,455

Buildings and Grounds 167,870

Missions 116,500

Deacons 9,150

Students 22,000

Children 19,200

Worship 27,000

Connectional Ties 25,500

Reach Out 8,250

Small Groups 4,000

Family Ministry 3,000

Pastoral Care 3,400

Women's Retreat 3,500

Adult Education 5,000

Total Budget $1,081,825

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