PASTOR'S ANNUAL REPORT
January 2012
Dear People of God,
I greet you in the name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. As I reflect upon the year 2011 and write my annual report for the year, my heart overwhelms with joy and gratitude for all the blessings God has showered upon us during this past year. It has been a good year for Redeemer not only in terms of programs and its ministry, but also in terms of finances. Once again, for the 7th year in a row we were able to end the financial year in black and that is a great accomplishment!
Your faithful commitment has brought this church to where it is today; 107 years old and still making a difference in the lives of people in its own community and in our world. I thank each one ofyou for your continued support and your faithful service to Redeemer. I hope and pray that God continues to grant us yet another good year here at Redeemer.
The congregation has continued its steady growth in terms of new members, new activities, programs and projects under the leadership of its president Don Solt and the council members;
Denise Goccia, Andy Martinsen, Denise Brad, Cindy Krajewski, Wayne Degen, Marty Ditcher, Michael Dunn, Lori Meola, Patricia Gallagher, Jeannie Vitale, and Marian Hemphill.
My sincere thanks to all Council members and their respective committees which have worked hard this past year in shaping the ministry of this congregation with new initiatives. Since each committee has given a detailed report about their programs, in my report I will highlight some of the events/ programs that have enriched the ministry of Redeemer in terms of its mission this past year. They give you an idea of how involved Redeemer has been in terms of its mission in reaching out to people in Christ’s name.
Sunday school level:
World Hunger money is collected 3 times a year in coins through World Hunger Boxes ($ 306).
Sunday school financially supports a child named Yessica in Guatemala
Confirmation students do a monthly Bake sale as their Confirmation
project and the money raised is sent to God’s Global Barn Yard of the ELCA to buy animals for poor families around the world. (Last year’s contribution was $895).
Youth Group collects used clothing once a year for those in need. They also raise money for Relay For Life organization.
Congregational level:
Shared Meal Ministry: Feed the homeless, those on fixed income and the elderly once a month, 1st Tuesday of each month. It also serves the wider community.
Food Pantry that supplies food to the poor in the community as well as Redeemer’s own members, Bucks County Shelter and St. John’s, Mayfair. It also serves the wider community.
Stitching Angels: Women of Redeemer as well as women from the community gather every Thursday at the church to knit or crochet items (more than 400 each time) to be given out to NICU units of local hospitals twice a year. It also serves the wider community.
Prayer shawls are also knitted and given out to members who are going through surgery or illness.
Mission Festival Auction: Once a year members bring, make, create or donate Thank offering items which are auctioned off after the worship service and the money raised is given to worthy organizations. One of the organizations has been the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia. For the past 8 years we have consistently given scholarship money to support a student at the Seminary.
Other recipients have been organizations like Ken Crest, Lutheran Family Service, Domestic & International Disaster fund of ELCA, Mungwazi in Tanzania and Doctors without Borders.
Social Ministry of Redeemer also raises money to buy gifts during Easter, Thanksgiving, & Christmas to give to children at the Bucks County Shelter, LCFS and Lutheran World Service.
Each One Bring One Sunday: Members bring someone with them to worship service as part of Evangelism to introduce Redeemer to them.
Benevolence money given to Synod based on each Sunday offering.
This past year Redeemer gave $ 5,494.50 as Partnership support. $100 was given toLutheran Charities and $ 306 was given to World Hunger. ELCA Disaster Fund also received $ 900 from Redeemer to be used here in America as well as in Japan for the victims of natural disasters.
WELCA (Women’s Group):
They give Christmas stockings to Redeemer’s Shut-ins as well as male patients at Northwestern –Woodhaven Center.
They paid for the expenses of painting & cleaning of the Parish Hall & kitchen this year.
"Sharing our Bounty" is an initiative of WELCA to help members with cooked meals when they are in hospitals or if they are Shut-ins who live at home and are unable to cook for themselves.
Community Level:
We hosted a Community Day along with Penndel Borough as well as our neighboring Roman Catholic Church, Our Lady of Grace.
We take part every year in the Memorial Day Parade of the Community.
Blessing of the animals is open to the Community.
A Music Concert for Community is organized once a year.
Spaghetti Dinner for the Community.
Men’s Dinner for the Community.
Other Joyous occasions- Thank Offering Service led by women, Church Picnic, Redeemer Youth Halloween Party & Easter Egg Hunt, Bingo Nights, Brunch prepared by the Youth Group for the whole congregation, Helping Hands of Redeemer’s Sunday school, “Burying Alleluias” at Redeemer, Youth–led Worship services once a month, Power of Prayer Group meeting once a month to pray for members’ concerns & requests just to name a few.
Membership Growth: Redeemer’s family received through baptism 3 new members (infants); 12new members were received into the Redeemer family through transfers from other congregations, reaffirmation of baptism or through reactivation of membership, bringing our total to 15. Counting our losses - 3 members died this past year bringing our total net growth to 12. In order for the church to grow and keep its doors open, we need to bring in more new members
by inviting people to come to worship. Worship attendance still concerns me because not everyone comes every Sunday. Try and spend one hour for God and make it a habit to come with your family.
I have also visited/communed 169 times with our members at their homes, Nursing Homes/hospitals during last year. Besides conducting worship services and preaching on Sundays, my time was also spent in teaching Adult/ Confirmation classes, Pre Baptism & New members classes, Pre-marital Counseling, Counseling individuals and couples; time with the dying, their families and conducting funerals; creating new programs, writing letters, newsletter articles, phone calls, and preparing bulletins; attending meetings of Council, Committees, Synod meetings, Lower Bucks Conference &
Ministerium meetings.
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS FOR 2012
Another Community Fair in June
Each One Bring One to Worship so we can bring in 20 new members
Advent Vespers or a Concert
Try to find some solutions to resolve our Basement problem.
Lastly, I thank Holly Rogerson, our efficient office secretary who runs the church office smoothly. She also had other helping hands in the office during this past year. Ruth Schwartz and Christina Jackson helped every week by folding bulletins. Ruth Schwartz, Joanne Waldkoenig, Peg Manrodt, Lenore Miller, Sandy Weasner and Christina Jackson helped in assembling the monthly newsletter and I thank all of them for helping us. Our sincere thanks to Diane Anderson, Ruth
Schwartz, Betty Frick, Helen Susko and Jean Lippincott who have looked after the church office when Holly has been away. I also thank John & Edna Schwenk for keeping our Sign Board up-dated regularly. Finally, I thank God for giving me an opportunity to serve you. I pray that God continues to guide us and strengthen us as we do ministry here at Redeemer.
Sincerely,
Pastor Esther Rajashekar