To provide relevant, energizing, and Gospel-based worship every week for our congregation
both online and in person.
Last year we held 55 in person services with an average attendance of 84 people who gathered to praise God, fellowship around the hospitality area, be moved by the hymns and spiritual songs, encounter the Spirit, and hear the gospel preached by a kid in red tennis shoes. Week after week many of those in attendance made decisions to turn around and be found by the grace of Jesus!
Last year, White Hall United Methodist Church, witnessed 13 people make a profession of faith! This was the most professions of faith recorded in our district!
Our Easter Service had wonderful music, a choral processional, over 100 members in attendance, and a new tradition of lighting the Paschal candle, which was lit throughout the Easter season, at baptisms, and at funerals. Pentecost Sunday, we baptized 4 confirmands and reaffirmed the baptismal vows of 3 more.
Last year, White Hall United Methodist Church, witnessed 13 people make a profession of faith! This was the most professions of faith recorded in our district!
Our Easter Service had wonderful music, a choral processional, over 100 members in attendance, and a new tradition of lighting the Paschal candle, which was lit throughout the Easter season, at baptisms, and at funerals. Pentecost Sunday, we baptized 4 confirmands and reaffirmed the baptismal vows of 3 more.
During the Summer we welcomed Margaret Ratliff and her grandson, Dalton on a transfer from another UMC.
The Christmas Eve candlelight service was attended by 130 people, many who were unchurched. We welcomed newlyweds Myles and Danielle Jolly that night. Mike and Jodie Jolly, parents of Myles, joined on Christmas Eve as well. After the Christmas Eve service, Ken and Teresa Bridges were moved by the Spirit and joined. We had 16 new members join the church last year, which is the largest of any church in our district.
We had 57 online worship services that reached an average of 100 people watching each week. Because of our online ministries, Ida Chambliss, once a member of our congregation, but who had since moved in Greenbrier, began tuning in and decided to transfer her membership back with us.
We approved David Andrews and Sara Andrews as candidates for licensed and ordained ministry respectively, believing they have the marks of being called by God to serve. Others in our church have expressed a sense that God may be calling them as well and they have begun exploring with Pastor Doug.
We were able to fix our bell tower that was needing maintenance due to the weather damaging the wood subfloor that the bell is attached to. We did this without going over budget or asking for special donations! We also were able to purchase the new LED lights for our sanctuary! We did this because of a nice donation from the choir fund and the Unite Methodist Men! The lights have enhanced our atmosphere in worship services as well as cut our energy costs!
Speaking of cutting costs, last year we found over $20,000 in annual expenses we were able to cut. We discovered we had been double charged for lights on our electric bill that has saved us $140/month since last April and over $4,000 in refunds are finally being issued back to the church. We renegotiated a contract for cleaning the entry rugs. We are now paying 1/4 of what we had been paying and they gave us brand new rugs with our updated logo!
We found a high-speed internet provider who upgraded our downloads from 25Mbps to almost 300Mbps. Our uploads (like what we use to show the services on Facebook) went from less than 1Mbps on Sundays to over 100Mbps. This improved what we were able to do on Sunday just in time for many people to return to watch at home once we had our Delta Variant surge! We purchased two new liturgical banners so the ones on the wall will always have the four colors shown. We also bought new music for the choir who returned during Advent!
This year we plan to install two new optical zoom cameras, a new computer in the sound booth, new software, and new subscriptions that will make those online be able to see videos and slides just like the congregation in ways we have never been able to before. We will be installing a devotional candle altar up front for anyone to light a candle as a prayer. This was very moving during Advent, so we are investing in this to help each other grow closer to Jesus! We hope our congregation continues in their generosity and commitment so that we may be able to finish our hospitality area outside the sanctuary. We will be building an accent wall behind the television to hide the wires and make it more inviting.
This year, our new members, will be invited to “Four Dinners for New Members”, a year long journey where new members will grow closer to Jesus, each other, and other members! Each of these four quarterly dinners, we focus on a different one of the purposes of following Jesus and being a member of a congregation.
With this prayerful strategy for the new year, we are hopeful and confident that the seeds we plant God will make grow! This plan is intentional in enhancing our worship, developing faithful disciples of Jesus, coaching each other along the journey God has prepared for us, and supplying everyone with what they need to connect with Jesus and this congregation!
The Christmas Eve candlelight service was attended by 130 people, many who were unchurched. We welcomed newlyweds Myles and Danielle Jolly that night. Mike and Jodie Jolly, parents of Myles, joined on Christmas Eve as well. After the Christmas Eve service, Ken and Teresa Bridges were moved by the Spirit and joined. We had 16 new members join the church last year, which is the largest of any church in our district.
We had 57 online worship services that reached an average of 100 people watching each week. Because of our online ministries, Ida Chambliss, once a member of our congregation, but who had since moved in Greenbrier, began tuning in and decided to transfer her membership back with us.
We approved David Andrews and Sara Andrews as candidates for licensed and ordained ministry respectively, believing they have the marks of being called by God to serve. Others in our church have expressed a sense that God may be calling them as well and they have begun exploring with Pastor Doug.
We were able to fix our bell tower that was needing maintenance due to the weather damaging the wood subfloor that the bell is attached to. We did this without going over budget or asking for special donations! We also were able to purchase the new LED lights for our sanctuary! We did this because of a nice donation from the choir fund and the Unite Methodist Men! The lights have enhanced our atmosphere in worship services as well as cut our energy costs!
Speaking of cutting costs, last year we found over $20,000 in annual expenses we were able to cut. We discovered we had been double charged for lights on our electric bill that has saved us $140/month since last April and over $4,000 in refunds are finally being issued back to the church. We renegotiated a contract for cleaning the entry rugs. We are now paying 1/4 of what we had been paying and they gave us brand new rugs with our updated logo!
We found a high-speed internet provider who upgraded our downloads from 25Mbps to almost 300Mbps. Our uploads (like what we use to show the services on Facebook) went from less than 1Mbps on Sundays to over 100Mbps. This improved what we were able to do on Sunday just in time for many people to return to watch at home once we had our Delta Variant surge! We purchased two new liturgical banners so the ones on the wall will always have the four colors shown. We also bought new music for the choir who returned during Advent!
This year we plan to install two new optical zoom cameras, a new computer in the sound booth, new software, and new subscriptions that will make those online be able to see videos and slides just like the congregation in ways we have never been able to before. We will be installing a devotional candle altar up front for anyone to light a candle as a prayer. This was very moving during Advent, so we are investing in this to help each other grow closer to Jesus! We hope our congregation continues in their generosity and commitment so that we may be able to finish our hospitality area outside the sanctuary. We will be building an accent wall behind the television to hide the wires and make it more inviting.
This year, our new members, will be invited to “Four Dinners for New Members”, a year long journey where new members will grow closer to Jesus, each other, and other members! Each of these four quarterly dinners, we focus on a different one of the purposes of following Jesus and being a member of a congregation.
With this prayerful strategy for the new year, we are hopeful and confident that the seeds we plant God will make grow! This plan is intentional in enhancing our worship, developing faithful disciples of Jesus, coaching each other along the journey God has prepared for us, and supplying everyone with what they need to connect with Jesus and this congregation!