Dear Family in Christ,

2015 marks my first full year of ministry at DHPC. It is amazing how it’s possible to both feel like I have been a part of this community forever and to still feel quite new at the same time. It has been good to experience a full turn around the sun with this community, to better understand your/our rituals and ebbs and flows. I appreciate the opportunity to reflect a little bit with you about where I believe we are and where we may be headed.

Joys of 2015. As I think back over the past year, there are some moments of sheer joy in the ways that this community has worshipped and witnessed with one another. I would be remiss if I did not begin by offering thanks for a dedicated crop of talented and engaged new members, including our first confirmation class in many years. DHPC continues to welcome visitors regularly, with greater consistency of return visits and an ever-improving process of engaging those who share in our community as visitors, providing the opportunity to join or to deepen their participation. This fall, we welcomed Barrett Payne as our new youth director, who works alongside a dedicated team of youth and adults to establish a program which inspires, equips, and feeds our young people as disciples. Our talented and dedicated staff, including two new pastoral interns, Kathy Saxbury and Sarah Are, has continued to share their gifts with great generosity. A new Young Adult Ministry engages a growing crop of inquisitive young Christians in regular evening Bible study around thought provoking topics. Some large scale endeavors between multiple ministry teams provided opportunities for fellowship and growth through our Celtic Worship & Highland Games, the Congregational Retreat, and Advent Event. Our Seasoned to Celebrate Stewardship and Capital Campaign allowed an opportunity to look back at the history and saints of our congregation, who laid the foundation for an enduring community, and to look forward to where God might be calling us, together. Volunteers across the full spectrum of the church have graciously dedicated their time to ministries of hospitality, education, number crunching, mission, management, and more. And through the generous support of our members and the capable leadership of the session, we were able to accomplish multiple capital improvements/repairs, maintain high quality ministry opportunities, and maintain fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget.

Growing pains of 2015. This fall, we experienced frustration and anxiety in regards to the present and future of the music ministry of DHPC, when our interim music director resigned. While the church was already in a time of worship and music transition, this stepped on the gas of our need to determine how God is calling us to worship in this particular time and space. Speculation regarding a desire to switch to contemporary-only worship fueled the anxiety level, but our loyal and dedicated choir stayed the course, singing with great heart, even in the midst of uncertainty. Our commitment to classical music has remained unwavering, even as we have explored supplementary styles of music. On the threshold of 2016, I anticipate we will continue to experience transition, followed by the peace of finding our groove, as our new director (coming in early 2016) gets his/her bearings and helps us to live into the great pool of talent and possibility in our congregation and community.

Growing edges. Druid Hills is a community with a diverse makeup. To me, this is one of the most beautiful things about this congregation. We have members who have been here since before the cornerstone to the sanctuary was laid and new members who have recently moved into the neighborhood and walked over, from just down the street. We have families who have raised their children in this church, and our nursery is beginning to bustle again on Sunday mornings. Because our members and visitors come with such vast life and church experience, and because the church is compelled to grow as part of the gospel imperative and for sheer sustainability, we find ourselves drawn into the tension of maintaining worship, programming, and care, which feeds the spiritual needs of longtime members, and cultivating ministry that engages those who come seeking to be challenged and to glorify God in fresh ways. Because Druid Hills is a place of authentic welcome and tremendous grace, I trust that as we continue to find ways to hold the new possibilities and old comforts together in our hearts and hands, we will weather the bumps and extend hospitality to one another with generosity and hope, and that we will keep our eyes peeled for God’s sustaining presence, gentle nudgings, and beacons of light.

It is a tremendous joy to be in ministry with you. In Christ,

Reflecting on 2015

Reviewing the past year at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, we note the following activities and ministries as we followed our strategic plan.

We will encourage and develop a Spirit-filled membership that is prepared for ministry and advocacy in the church and in the world.

  • The Sunday School hour offered classes for all ages:
  • Paula Thweatt and Karen Green taught the K-3rd grades in the Way of the Child curriculum.
  • Renée Weese taught 4th-7th graders using the Sparkhouse’s Echo, the Story curriculum.
  • Tina McCormick taught our 8th-12th graders using a curriculum she prepares weekly.
  • Pete McGuire taught the adult Roundtable class, which meets each week to study the scripture for the next week’s worship service.
  • Jan Fields taught a second adult class that offers short-term topical discussion. The class read and discussed the book Toxic Charity in May and examined issues surrounding gun control in September and October.
  • Columbia Theological Seminary interns Sarah Are and Kathy Saxbury, along with Youth Director/Intern Barrett Payne, taught an adult Sunday School class in December on the meaning of Advent.
  • Middle and High School Youth had monthly meetings with Pastor Shelli from January to May. Youth Sunday was celebrated May 10th, with church youth leading the worship service. Six of the youth attended the Montreat Youth Conference in July, along with Pastor Shelli and Bob Beard.

  • In September, Barrett Payne joined the staff as the youth director and has planned 3-4 activities/month with the youth.
  • We enjoyed the food and fellowship of a potluck supper before the Crossover Service on Maundy Thursday.
  • The church celebrated Palm Sunday with a parade through the surrounding neighborhood prior to the Sunday morning service.
  • This fall the Middle and High School Youth explored what it means to live in God’s community by:
  • Visiting our sisters and brothers at Shalom and, while there, exploring how some communities in the global South worship God, and
  • Introducing ourselves to the communities on the Druid Hills campus. This included a conversation with Bill Smith from Journey about transitioning from living on the streets to living in a house. Also, the youth cooked an excellent bowl of chili and amazing chocolate chip cookies for Mercy Church and had the opportunity to eat and worship with the members of Mercy Church.

  • The youth group also focused on community building by having fun together: milkshake parties, a bowling trip, grilling at the Thweatts’ home, and a pizza and game night at the church.
  • The sanctuary was creatively and prayerfully decorated for the Lenten season, the Easter service, Pentecostand Advent/Christmas by the Worship team.
  • Our faithful Sunday volunteers hosted receptions at the back of the sanctuary following morning worship services. Receptions were also provided for funerals, concerts and other special events.
  • The Linda Miller Book Club met monthly at members’ houses with 4-8 attendees. The group reads a mixture of non-fiction and fiction and always has a lively discussion.
  • Rally Day was held in August and successfully kicked off the new Sunday School program year. The day involved bagpipes in worship, a tasty lunch and ‘Highland Games’ after the service. As part of the games, members of all ages participated in different events in Converse Hall and out on the front lawn. The event was co-sponsored by several ministry teams and was a wonderful intergenerational event.

  • Thirty-four members and friends enjoyed the church-wide retreat on October 3-4 at Cherokee Presbytery’s Retreat Center on beautiful Lake Allatoona in White, GA. Participants shared a weekend of hiking, sharing, learning, singing, playing, and worshiping together.
  • World Communion was celebrated in October. Worship featured languages from around the world, communion in the pews with pew mates serving each other, and sharing breads from around the world during the reception after the service.
  • On the first Sunday in December, several ministry teams hosted an intergenerational Advent celebration in our sanctuary. Children decorated a small Christmas tree in the back of the sanctuary with hand-made crafts and heard Christmas stories in the parlor. Youth baked Christmas cookies for members of Journey. Adults decorated the sanctuary. Journey residents watched the movie Inside Out. All participants joined together afterwards for a delicious potluck dinner and warm fellowship.
  • DHPC members and friends enjoyed good food and fellowship during the monthly Second Sunday Luncheons following morning worship.
  • The Congregational Care Committee received prayer requests, shared them confidentially with the pastor, and published sensitive prayer lists in the weekly bulletin and congregational email. The committee continuously keeps in touch with members who are homebound or in a long-term care facility, as well as those who are sick, hospitalized, or grieving a death.
  • Members and friends participated in several fun outings that strengthened our church community. These included a day outing to Sweetwater Creek State Park in March, an Old Fourth Ward Park Tour and picnic in April, and the Oakland Cemetery Candlelight Tour in October.

  • In response to its growing demographic of young adults, DHPC launched new young adult ministry programs in 2015. In addition to monthly fellowship gatherings, DHPC hosted bi-monthly "Doubts & Stouts" Bible study sessions at local coffee shops and bars. Doubts & Stouts provides young adults a space outside of worship to meet, build relationships, and discuss scripture in an informal setting.
  • Yoga and Prayer program met weekly and had 3-5 participants each week.
  • During the 6 weeks of Lent, we held a weekly contemporary Crossover Service on Thursday evenings.
  • We celebrated the 75th anniversary of our Sanctuary during morning worship on November 8. Festive banners hanging between the columns showcased photographs from the past. Jack McFarland, Suanne SauerBrun and Frank Merl, three “children” of this church, helped lead worship. The Call to Worship, a hymn and the Ritual of Dedication were repeated from the sanctuary’s dedication service in 1940.
  • Six guest preachers were welcomed as worship leaders: Tina McCormick, Schaap Freeman, Lucy Strong, Raj Nadella, Zach Wells, and Kate McGregor-Mosley.
  • Guest musicians were welcomed as part of regular services as well as for special Easter and Christmas Eve services. Also, the choir added three paid section leaders.
  • We have merged Community Fellowship with Mercy Community Church.
  • We have taken action on legislative advocacy through Presbyterians for a Better Georgia.

We will develop a process for reaching, cultivating, and assimilating new people.

  • Pastor Shelli taught two sets of new member classes, one in the spring and one in the fall. The church welcomed ten new members from those classes, each of whom was assigned a sponsor to help them acclimate for the first year. In addition, four new members joined the church as part of the Confirmation class in May. More new members were welcomed in 2015 than any year since 2006.
  • A new welcome procedure was initiated for Sunday mornings. Two greeters are located outside the open front doors, creating a more visible welcome to people arriving for worship.
  • Pastor Shelli held several dinners for different groups within the church, including young adults, youth, and elders.
  • The sanctuary and Converse dining hall renovations enabled an increase in usage by wedding parties, concerts, and various other groups. These opportunities allowed us to open our doors to more people and created new and exciting opportunities to increase revenues. As such, DHPC was able to share with mission partners and continue to maintain and improve our campus.
  • The church opened the facilities to several organizations to use our space for rehearsals and performances. These included the Atlanta Women’s Chorus, Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, Festival Singers of Atlanta, John Lowe organ recital, and several Georgia Tech choirs. In addition, the church facilities were utilized by several organizations, including the Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary and Gentiva Hospice, for special services and events. In addition to contributing revenue, these events give us opportunities to invite participants and visitors to return to worship with us.
  • We are launching a youth initiative to serve the homeless in our neighborhood and have encouraged the youth to invite friends from outside the congregation to participate.

We will effectively communicate, relationally and digitally, within our membership and with our community.

  • DHPC continued to advertise the church and event space in the Highland Corridor Map, and In addition, DHPC advertised special services in Creative Loafing.
  • The DHPC sanctuary was included in the Atlanta Preservation Society’s Phoenix Flies tours. Two tour days were held in March, highlighting the stained glass windows in the sanctuary, the architectural details and history of the building, and the sanctuary organ.
  • DHPC expanded the use of Facebook and Twitter to market office rental space, advertise for events, make announcements, provide ticklers about upcoming sermons, and post photos.
  • Banners were created to promote special worship series, such as the Lenten Crossover series and the Advent Inside Out series. Welcome banners also flew on the front lawn to greet visitors.
  • We launched the “F.U.N.” (Fierce Urgency of Now) Sheet,a periodic list of five simple things we can all do now to help with our mission.

We will recruit and develop the leaders and staff needed to fulfill our mission and vision.

  • The congregation enjoyed the first full year with Shelli as our pastor. Shelli serves our congregation with energy, love, and an exciting vision for the future!
  • A grant was obtained from the Presbytery to fund hiring a Youth Director. This resulted in the hiring of Barrett Payne. Our Youth program is growing under Barrett’s leadership and he and his family have become a dear part of our congregation.
  • Ontonio Christie completed his service as seminary intern in April. Sarah Are and Kathy Saxbury were welcomed in September as seminary interns from Columbia Theological Seminary and their service and support are appreciated.
  • DHPC continues to depend on the skills and talents of a loyal staff: Danielle Wilson, Elizabeth Soileau Acton, Chip Miller, Cliff Frierson and JoAnn Kearns. Music leadership in 2015 was provided by Keith Walker and Nick Bowden.
  • Volunteers contributed many hours to help keep the church going. Without these loyal members we would not be able to accomplish all that we do.
  • We are partnering with our youth to expand the scale of what we can accomplish.

We will strive to be good stewards of the gifts God has bestowed on us.

  • Members and friends gathered in the spring to clean, straighten, plant and paint to help keep our facilities looking their best.
  • We continue to provide food, funds and other gifts to Journey, Mercy Community Church, food co-ops at Briarcliff Summit and the Booth Towers as well as the Intown Collaborative Food Pantry. The Six Star Refugee Partnership has been dissolved so, regrettably, we ended our support of the organization.
  • The line of credit debt was reduced $30,000 to a current level of $79,000.
  • In 2015 the HVAC was mindfully addressed. Altogether, expenses were close to $130,000. The good news is that these new units are much more efficient. Also, we have changed our HVAC maintenance vendor and, aside from reduced support cost and better service, the new vendor is a trusted partner and will help us determine best practices for the future. Thankfully, we should enjoy years of simplified maintenance and reduced energy costs. Systems which were replaced in 2015:
  • All six rooftop units on the Education Building ($48,000)
  • One of the two large sanctuary systems ($42,000)
  • A system in the Dilbeck Building ($14,000)
  • The Terrace level system ($16,000)
  • Additional energy efficiency improvements were made, including the conversion of the incandescent 500W downlights in the Sanctuary chandeliers to 35W LEDs. While emitting a cleaner, brighter light, our average wattage use dropped from 6000w to 480w for these 12 fixtures. In other words, all 12 lights together are now drawing less wattage than a single fixture was previously. Also we will see a dramatic increase in cooling efficiency, as the older bulbs emitted a high amount of heat, whereas the LEDs do not.
  • Renovations were made to the Pastor’s office and the offices directly above it on the second floor, which have been rented out, and ground floor offices were modified for Sunday School use.