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Clear Lake Presbyterian Church<br />
<strong>2015</strong> Annual Report<br />
Celebrating 50 Years<br />
Embrace the Past<br />
Empower the Present<br />
Engage the Future
Embrace every person;<br />
Empower every life;<br />
Engage every neighborhood.<br />
Contents<br />
2 A Timeless Story<br />
4 <strong>2015</strong> Highlights<br />
7 50th Anniversary Celebration<br />
8 On a Mission in San Antonio<br />
11 Spiritually Fit<br />
13 Financial Overview and Summary<br />
14 <strong>2015</strong> Expenses & 2016 Budget<br />
15 Outreach and Special Offerings<br />
16 Our Global Mission Partners<br />
17 Our Leadership in 2016<br />
12 Giving Thanks<br />
Back<br />
<strong>2015</strong> Church Statistics<br />
Photo credits: Pam Cronk of J. Pamela Photography, LeAnn Hagmann of Hagmann Photography and others.
Dear Church:<br />
This year’s annual congregational meeting is the seven-year mark <strong>for</strong> me as your<br />
lead pastor. What a great seven years it has been and I look <strong>for</strong>ward to at least seven<br />
more!<br />
The number seven figures prominently in the Old Testament. God created the heavens<br />
and the earth and on the seventh day God rested. Every seven years Israel celebrated<br />
a sabbatical year. The year of Jubilee followed seven cycles of sabbatical<br />
years. The seventh day, the seventh year, and the year of Jubilee are creation<br />
rhythms God established with Israel <strong>for</strong> rest, reflection, and renewal of covenant<br />
vows.<br />
Being our fiftieth anniversary, <strong>2015</strong> was a kind of “year of jubilee” <strong>for</strong> Clear Lake<br />
Presbyterian Church (CLPC). It was a season to reflect on God’s past faithfulness, to<br />
recognize God’s present blessings, and to dedicate ourselves to God’s future. Since<br />
the founding of our church, the world has rapidly changed. Rather than viewing this<br />
as a threat, however, we grasped this as God’s opportunity. While average worship<br />
attendance and overall membership declined in <strong>2015</strong>, more people than ever are<br />
connecting with CLPC through social media, with over 14,000 hits on our sermon<br />
podcasts. We launched the “Research and Development Initiative” to experiment<br />
with being church in new places and in untraditional ways. We began being more<br />
creative and intentional in the ways we care <strong>for</strong> one another and grow together<br />
spiritually. Our mission partnerships remain stronger than ever.<br />
These are just some of the ways we are pressing <strong>for</strong>ward into God’s future. Enjoy<br />
reading through this report. Listen to the story God reveals in these pages. Let us<br />
lock arms together <strong>for</strong> what God has in store <strong>for</strong> the next seven, and seven times<br />
seven years!<br />
In the joy of Christ,<br />
Steve
A Timeless Story of Embracing , Empowering & Engaging<br />
1960s<br />
CLPC became self-supporting, assuming all obligations<br />
<strong>for</strong> the minister’s salary, benevolences and programs.<br />
On February 21, 1965, 103 founding members signed<br />
the new church’s charter.<br />
1980s<br />
The congregation<br />
broke ground <strong>for</strong> the<br />
new sanctuary .<br />
1970s<br />
We began to emphasize small group studies and<br />
sharing groups. The <strong>for</strong>mation of a “family of Christ”<br />
became the goal, and 55 new members joined.<br />
Day School, which<br />
later became Early<br />
Childhood Program<br />
The early church organizers<br />
B. Jay Cannon, Pastor (1976-1992)<br />
Barbara Carmichael,<br />
Associate Pastor (1985 – 1999)<br />
Former staff including Reg Brown,<br />
Becky Baxter and Connie Nyquist
2000s<br />
We celebrated our church’s <strong>for</strong>tieth anniversary<br />
in an innovative way. Church members met on a<br />
Saturday morning <strong>for</strong> what became the first<br />
annual Mission Blitz.<br />
1990s<br />
1997 was a launch year <strong>for</strong> a youth ministry<br />
outside CLPC’s walls.<br />
2010s<br />
The Research and Development initiative<br />
(R&D) launched its two-year experiment in<br />
being the church without walls.<br />
Serving in Haiti<br />
Jack Haberer breaking ground <strong>for</strong> new facilities<br />
Our symbolic three crosses<br />
Stephen Oglesbee,<br />
Lead Pastor (2008-present)<br />
2011
We Celebrate these <strong>2015</strong> Highlights<br />
PEOPLE ATTENDED MUSIC<br />
OUTREACH EVENTS<br />
PEOPLE EMBRACED OTHERS<br />
AT THE 50 TH ANNIVERS<strong>AR</strong>Y<br />
CELEBRATION<br />
NEW STAFF MEMBERS<br />
NEW MEMBERS<br />
ON THE R&D TEAM<br />
C<strong>AR</strong>E TEAM MEMBERS<br />
OVER PROJECTED GIVING
PODCAST HITS FOR OUR<br />
RED HOT SUMMER PREACHING<br />
SERIES ON HOT TOPICS<br />
LIKES ON OUR<br />
FACEBOOK PAGE<br />
ADULTS WERE EMPOWERED BY<br />
THE SECOND SATURDAY SERIES<br />
YOUTH AND ADULTS<br />
ENGAGED OUR NEIGHBORS BY<br />
SERVING ON A MISSION TRIP<br />
TOTAL SERMON PODCAST HITS<br />
IN <strong>2015</strong>
Celebration at Bay Area<br />
Community Center<br />
Hrach Family<br />
Ministries decorated tables
Speaker Zell Gaston<br />
CLPC’s 50 th Anniversary<br />
Celebration<br />
We had been planning <strong>for</strong> this celebration <strong>for</strong> over a year and during the past<br />
five months had paved the way with hosting our neighbors on National Night<br />
Out, dancing at a ‘50s sock hop, celebrating our space heritage, enjoying a<br />
marvelous afternoon of music with our own Benjamin Sung, but now the big<br />
weekend was here. As we decorated <strong>for</strong> the banquet at the Clear Lake Community<br />
there was a feeling of excitement in the air but some concern too.<br />
Would it all come together as the committee had envisioned?<br />
As groups came in to imaginatively decorate their tables in a way that would<br />
portray their ministries, the room began to come alive. Fifty different ministries<br />
were portrayed and as the guests began to arrive an excitement filled<br />
the air. Old friends had traveled far to be with us in the celebration. New<br />
friends were there to be a part of this special evening. We were embracing<br />
our past by celebrating in the present.<br />
Worship Team<br />
During the evening the grandson of the man who owned the cottage in which<br />
the first gathering of what was to be Clear Lake Presbyterian spoke. His<br />
pranks as a young child in Sunday School were the stuff of which church legends<br />
were made. However, to hear his testimony about how he first came to<br />
know the love of Jesus in our Sunday School was powerful.<br />
On Sunday morning, as we worshipped together, I thought the walls were<br />
going to tremble from the vibrations of all those voices raised in joyous songs<br />
of praise. When the benediction had been offered, no one wanted to leave.<br />
There was such a powerful feeling — surely God was in the place. However,<br />
our charge was to carry that sense of joy out into our neighborhoods as we<br />
continue our ministry into the future.<br />
— Connie Nyquist, CLPC member since 1971<br />
Connie Nyquist with<br />
grandsons, Kingston<br />
and Rowan Book
On a Mission in San Antonio<br />
In August <strong>2015</strong>, a group of six college students from CLPC, lead by Josh Young, went on a mission trip to San Antonio with a<br />
mission organization named DOOR. Upon arrival at the host church, our group learned we would be the last mission group<br />
<strong>for</strong> DOOR in San Antonio, at least <strong>for</strong> the <strong>for</strong>eseeable future. Our first mission day took us to the San Antonio foodbank.<br />
There, we assisted the chefs in preparing meals <strong>for</strong> students at local schools. We made, chopped, scooped and poured various<br />
foods to be put into a box tray. An assembly line was <strong>for</strong>med and we were able to realize the amount of time and ef<strong>for</strong>t<br />
it took to make hundreds of meals. Even with all of the hours of work we put in, it had to be done again the next day. The<br />
meals needed to be prepared by the volunteers each day, so that a child would not have to go hungry. The next day, we<br />
went to the Catholic Worker House, a place where the homeless could go <strong>for</strong> a hot meal and some relaxation. Restaurants,<br />
companies, and even some families and individuals could donate food and volunteer time. We made an assembly line and<br />
helped serve food to the people, and afterwards, went around and talked to them. By being able to get personal with them,<br />
we learned out some of their struggles, and realized that we’re all God’s children in the end. Whether it be bad decisions, or<br />
just un<strong>for</strong>tunate circumstances, we’re all the same. We all want a chance. We all want to be loved.<br />
Our final work days were to be spent at Mission Road, a day home <strong>for</strong> people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.<br />
We spent one day working with the people who stayed there, and were supposed to go back the next day. However,<br />
we learned that Pastor Rachel who was seven months pregnant was in the hospital back in Houston. When Josh sat our<br />
group down and let us know about the situation, he kept insisting we did not need to leave early. When he had left the<br />
room, the rest of the group looked around at one another. Someone spoke up and said, “We are going back tonight, right?”<br />
Everyone was in agreement. It felt as if God was present and moving, bringing us all to the conclusion we needed to get Josh<br />
home that night to be with Rachel. Shortly after we had reached this conclusion, Josh returned. Be<strong>for</strong>e we could let him<br />
know our decision, he said we were going to return to Houston that night.<br />
P.S. The baby was fine. Baby Ezekiel joined us a few weeks later on October 4, <strong>2015</strong><br />
— Peter Banfield (CLPC member since 2009) and Fiancé, Natalie Cantu
Nearly 150 adults, students, and children<br />
Spiritually Fit<br />
gathered in Celebration Hall the last Sunday<br />
of August <strong>for</strong> a special Family Experience<br />
(FX) to Get Spiritually Fit. Through<br />
silly games, skits, and story-telling, we<br />
learned spiritual rhythms are the things we do over and over again that shape who<br />
we are in Christ. In worship services over the next eight weeks, members of the Spiritually<br />
Fit task <strong>for</strong>ce facilitated learning about different spiritual rhythms — like<br />
prayer, Scripture study, Sabbath keeping, and silence.<br />
The intent of the task <strong>for</strong>ce was to infuse the teaching and the practice of spiritual<br />
rhythms into various discipleship venues. A handbook was written and bulletin inserts<br />
distributed. A Sunday school class and midweek Bible study learned about Sacred<br />
Rhythms from Ruth Haley Barton; small groups practiced spiritual rhythms together.<br />
The fall focus culminated in Weekend in the Word. Jan Johnson taught further and<br />
more deeply on spiritual rhythms. According to one attendee, Jan’s authenticity inspired<br />
many who had not previously experienced spiritual rhythms. This attendee<br />
and others now subscribe to her monthly blog and continue to be led by her wisdom.<br />
Sue Smith, who helps lead Women’s Ministries, shared with the task <strong>for</strong>ce the significance<br />
of this fall series:<br />
“The Keeping Spiritually Fit series was extremely helpful to me in my personal<br />
walk. I liked the way it all went together: the sermons, the adult class, and<br />
the weekend speaker all focused on ways to improve our daily connection to<br />
God. The folder that was prepared <strong>for</strong> us contained lots of practical ideas. I<br />
read it through several times and tried to follow up on them. Like physical<br />
fitness, it takes practice and repetition to maintain spiritual fitness!”<br />
— Rev. Rachel Young,<br />
Associate Pastor of Spiritual<br />
Formation since 2009<br />
The focus on Getting Spiritually Fit not only impacted congregants but the task <strong>for</strong>ce.<br />
As Mike McFarlane noted, “I really didn’t know what spiritual disciplines were or why<br />
they were important in our lives until this series. It caused me to re-evaluate how I<br />
live out my faith, which is a good thing!”
Giving Thanks<br />
With so many services, small groups and Sunday School classes<br />
it is easy <strong>for</strong> members of CLPC to seldom cross paths. The<br />
Thanksgiving Feast was an awesome opportunity <strong>for</strong> the<br />
whole body of the Church to enjoy a great meal and celebrate<br />
in fellowship with one another.<br />
The evening began, of course, with the meal itself, which was<br />
catered mostly with home cooked dishes by the attendees,<br />
and it was my pleasure to try as many as I could! If you ask my<br />
son Evan and daughter Abby, they will say the highlight of the<br />
evening was NextGen Director John Hagmann dressing up as a<br />
Thanksgiving turkey and dancing onstage as the dinner entertainment!<br />
Throughout the night, we participated in games,<br />
trivia, and enjoyed each other's company as we began the<br />
holiday season. We concluded the night by decorating stockings<br />
later to be filled with household essentials <strong>for</strong> Bay Area<br />
Turning Point, an outreach mission that allowed us to engage<br />
in our local neighborhood.<br />
Our family is so excited that NextGen Ministries has decided to<br />
provide more intergenerational activities like this in the upcoming<br />
year. What an amazing feeling it is to step out of our<br />
normal routine and participate in an event like this, which<br />
truly brings the words "church" and "family" together!<br />
— Brian Hrach, CLPC member since 2004 and current Ruling<br />
Elder on Session
Financial Overview & Summary<br />
Ministry Fund Giving — Five Year Comparison<br />
<strong>2015</strong> Mortgage Graph<br />
We paid an additional<br />
$188,666 toward the<br />
mortgage from the<br />
Now Finish the Work<br />
Campaign. This makes<br />
our year-end mortgage<br />
balance $907,203.<br />
* Detailed financial reports are available by request. Contact Laurie Lane (laurie@clpc.org) <strong>for</strong> more info.
Outreach & Special Offerings<br />
Outreach - $247,500<br />
$80.1k<br />
$22.8k<br />
$26.9k<br />
$46.4k<br />
$31.5k<br />
$39.8k<br />
Connections - $46,400<br />
All-Church & Community Events<br />
Christian Outreach Alliance (COA)<br />
Early Childhood Program (ECP)<br />
Scholarships<br />
Mission Grants<br />
New Member Event<br />
Outreach Printing<br />
Promotions & Advertising<br />
Mission Partnerships - $80,100<br />
Adult Partnership Trips<br />
Cuba<br />
Peru<br />
Plant With Purpose—Haiti<br />
Youth Mission Trips<br />
Local Missions - $31,500<br />
Bay Area Turning Point<br />
Camp Cho Yeh<br />
Clear Lake Food Pantry<br />
Galveston Street Ministry<br />
Habitat <strong>for</strong> Humanity<br />
Institute <strong>for</strong> Civility in Government<br />
Interfaith Caring Ministries<br />
Lighthouse Christian Ministries<br />
Presbyterian Children’s Homes &<br />
Services<br />
Presbyterian Outreach to Patients<br />
Samaritan Counseling Center<br />
Seafarer’s Center<br />
The Gathering Place<br />
Special Offerings - $26,900<br />
$8k<br />
$2.3k<br />
One Great Hour of Sharing<br />
Peace & Global Witness Offering<br />
Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services is a<br />
ministry which holds a special place in the hearts of<br />
many people in our church family. Not only is<br />
PCHAS one of the many local ministries we support<br />
as a church through our annual budget, we also<br />
support PCHAS in other ways, as well.<br />
$2.7k<br />
$13.9k<br />
CLPC members serve on the board, and as ambassadors.<br />
CLPC families foster children and offer<br />
respite care. Some of our families have also adopted<br />
their children through PCHAS.<br />
For four of the past six years, we have given an<br />
additional gift to PCHAS through our Christmas Eve<br />
offering. In <strong>2015</strong> we gave almost $14,000.00.<br />
* Detailed financial reports are available by request. Contact Laurie Lane (laurie@clpc.org) <strong>for</strong> more info.
<strong>2015</strong>Expenses<br />
2016Budget<br />
<strong>2015</strong> Expenses—$2,082,493 2016 Budget—$2,046,693<br />
<strong>2015</strong> was a very good year…<br />
Ministry fund contributions exceeded projected<br />
contributions by $15,494<br />
Expenses were also lower than budgeted<br />
The Fifty Year Fund: Endowment was created and<br />
received its first contribution<br />
The 2016 budget represents a decrease of $40,500<br />
from the <strong>2015</strong> budget. It includes a significant investment<br />
in the Research & Development initiative. This<br />
budget also fully supports embracing, empowering and<br />
engaging across all ministry areas.<br />
<br />
Our reserve funds were $739,199 at year-end
Our Global Mission Partners<br />
Hemperly Family | Navigators | Southeast Asia<br />
Jones Family | Frontiers | undisclosed area<br />
Munayer Family | Musalaha Reconciliation Ministry | Middle East<br />
Prenger Family | Wycliffe Bible Translators | Germany<br />
Martha Rodriquez | Mercy Ships | Africa<br />
Wehmeyer Family | Antioch Partners | Mexico<br />
Westom Family | Mission Aviation Fellowship | Africa<br />
Zegan Family | Josiah Venture | The Czech Republic<br />
We are also Honored to Partner with<br />
Haiti Educational Foundation
Our Leadership n 2016<br />
Ruling Elders of Clear Lake Presbyterian Church<br />
Mary Basich | Worship<br />
Alan Dickey | NextGen Ministries<br />
Don Eadie | Discipleship<br />
Will Groten | Research & Development<br />
Laura Huebel | Discipleship<br />
Mark Quigley | Finance<br />
Jackie Geyer | Global Outreach<br />
Nancy Hoover | Older Adults Ministry<br />
Brian Hrach | NextGen Ministries<br />
Darren Lueking | Building & Grounds<br />
Diane Morris | Worship<br />
Cindy Prather | NextGen Ministries<br />
Jenny Sostaric | Local Outreach<br />
Jeannie Stone | Congregational Care<br />
Terry Stone | Clerk of Session<br />
Donna Yost | Human Resources Committee<br />
Deacon Board of Clear Lake Presbyterian Church<br />
Mark Sprague | Moderator Pam Parker | Vice Moderator Steph Greenstein | Secretary<br />
Class of 2016<br />
Jessica Arnold<br />
Beth Ballard<br />
Erika Banfield<br />
Sandy Broughton<br />
Valerie Brumfield<br />
John Burns<br />
Jessica D’Anna<br />
Paula de la Guardia<br />
Ethan Dickey<br />
Beth Fiske<br />
Bob Fuller<br />
Steph Greenstein<br />
Leanne Hagmann<br />
Keri Hopple<br />
Juliet Hsu<br />
Sara Kincaid<br />
Eileen Koller<br />
Mike Lawson<br />
Amie Lee<br />
Jim Luther<br />
Dave Marks<br />
Nancy Marks<br />
Don McCurdy<br />
Linda Meador<br />
Jake Mireles<br />
Leslie Nyquist<br />
Peter Nyquist<br />
Pam Parker<br />
Quincy Parker<br />
Tammy Rad<strong>for</strong>d<br />
Harold Rucker<br />
Heidi Sills<br />
Lelia Sprague<br />
Vini Stockfleth<br />
Russ Strachan<br />
Laura Teatsworth<br />
Matt Thornton<br />
Terry Yost<br />
Class of 2017<br />
Judith Baker<br />
Lynn Bell<br />
Greg Blackburn<br />
Laura Chandler<br />
Eric Cox<br />
Melissa Cox<br />
Jimmy Elmore<br />
Sandy Fine<br />
Marcia Fisher<br />
Brenda Garner<br />
Brooke Hrach<br />
Melissa Johnson<br />
Karen King<br />
Karla Lawson<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Sandy McCurdy<br />
Cecile McDonald<br />
James Medcalf<br />
Bill Merrill<br />
Casey Meyers<br />
Stephanie Meyers<br />
Randy Misfeldt<br />
Clara Revill<br />
Mark Sprague<br />
Terri Strachan<br />
Ann Thornton<br />
Sherri Verdone<br />
Barbara Yahn<br />
Staff at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church<br />
Pastors<br />
Rev. Dr. Stephen Oglesbee | Lead Pastor | steve@clpc.org<br />
Rev. Katrina Pennington | Associate Pastor of Outreach | katrina@clpc.org<br />
Rev. Rachel Young | Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation | rachel@clpc.org<br />
Program Staff<br />
Mendy Al<strong>for</strong>d | Assoc. Director of Worship & Music/Organist<br />
Kim Angle | NextGen Student Director<br />
Rev. Dr. Mary Currie | Director of Senior Adult Ministries<br />
Linda Fouty | Interim Business Administrator<br />
John Hagmann | NextGen Director<br />
Shannan McFarlane | NextGen Kids Director<br />
Jimmy McGregor | Director of Research & Development<br />
Dr. David Stocker | Chancel Choir Director/Resident Composer<br />
Dee Ward | Director of Early Childhood Program<br />
Daniel Wheeler | Director of Research & Development<br />
Joshua Young | Director of Worship & Music Ministries<br />
Support Staff<br />
Anne Bradley | Worship Administrative Assistant<br />
Jeff Griffith | Interim Facilities Manager<br />
Laurie Lane | Accountant<br />
Kathy Marschke | Asst. Director of Early Childhood Program<br />
Karen Siu Montalvo | Exec. Admin. Assistant/Communications<br />
Bennie Sidman | KidCare Coordinator<br />
Will Stephens | Sound Technician
Attendance<br />
New Members<br />
453<br />
people gathered to worship God<br />
on an average week<br />
This is a 5% decrease from 2014<br />
Membership<br />
34<br />
people chose CLPC as their church home<br />
This is a 1% decrease from 2014<br />
Baptisms<br />
1,015<br />
people belonged to our CLPC family<br />
This is a 2% decrease from 2014<br />
For a statistical snapshot, please visit: http://apps.pcusa.org/tenyeartrends/report/IE96CRF/<br />
8<br />
people received the sacrament of baptism<br />
3 children & 5 adults<br />
This is a 1% increase from 2014<br />
Clear Lake<br />
Presbyterian<br />
Church<br />
1511 El Dorado Boulevard<br />
Houston, Texas 77062<br />
281.488.6731<br />
www.clpc.org
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