2024 Annual Pastor's Report - Document

Lovers Lane United Methodist Church
PASTOR’S REPORT
CHARGE CONFERENCE 2024

Submitted by Stanley R. Copeland—Senior Pastor

This Charge Conference report is unlike any I’ve ever given. The day is coming when I’ll transition into “retirement status,” and I am deeply committed, by the grace of God, to ensuring we get this succession “right” at Lovers Lane.  We will be working hand-in-hand with our Horizon Texas Conference Bishop and his cabinet through a truly collaborative process. Soon, the church where I’ve poured out my heart and soul will be led by a new pastor, and I’m determined to do all in my power to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

My goal is to "off-board" in such a way that my successor will know that I am a supportive colleague—100% behind her or him—but I will also know when it’s time for me to step aside. I will maintain the necessary distance, allowing the new leader to hear God's call and guide this remarkable church to new heights for the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This isn't just about professional courtesy or even professional ethics though both will be paramount in practice; it’s about learning from experience. I've witnessed transitions that were mishandled, resulting in confusion, conflict, and mixed signals to the congregation. This time, I want us to avoid those pitfalls, making sure both the off-boarding and on-boarding processes are focused on the mission of Lovers Lane and its future success.

As I approach retirement, I find myself reflecting on the thousands of sermons I’ve preached here—over 3,000—the 500 funerals, the 250 weddings that I’ve had the privilege of officiating. And, perhaps most dear to my heart, the countless pastoral visits to homes, hospitals, and retirement communities to pray with parishioners. Pastoral care and visitation have always been my greatest joys. Though there have been moments of heartache, the overwhelming joy and fulfillment far surpass the challenges.

What follows in this report comes from a heart filled with gratitude as I recount the many blessings we’ve experienced together. I think of the truly saintly people who have blessed this church and my life. As I reflect on names like Price, Hoy, Lucus, Folsom, Redman, McLauren, Dancer, Womer, Estess, Wallace, Watson, Shipp, Benton, Bryan, and so many others, my heart swells with appreciation, and my eyes mist with emotion.

This reflection is a bittersweet one. As I write, I dedicate these pages to the positive impact of our shared ministry—an impact that could only have been achieved through the strength of our lay leadership, a devoted congregation, and God’s unfailing grace. None of the accomplishments I’m about to mention would have been possible without the support of a dedicated staff and committed lay leaders who, alongside me, allowed God to lead the way.

I also want to share with you 10 Points of Partnership that have defined my time with the 

people of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church. These principles and values have shaped our ministry, and I believe they will continue to guide this congregation into the future.

• Vision-Driven Ministry Plans

During my time here, we have experienced four impactful Power of One seasons, each one leading to significant ministry development and eventually laying the groundwork for capital campaigns. The Power of One concept that I brought with me in 1998, from Frazier Memorial United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, has always centered on forming teams around strategic priorities.  These teams ask and answer key questions to bring a dynamic ministry plan to life.  The questions are centered on what do we need in terms of: 1) Staffing, 2) Ministry Budget, and 3) Capital Improvements?

Today, we are in the midst of our fifth Power of One season, with a dedicated Task Force working in teams around vital initiatives such as Discipleship, Engagement (Evangelism), Family (Children, Youth, and Young Adults), Walnut Hill Church Growth Strategy, Financial Operations, and our Foundation Support. The Power of One work is crucial, as it will help position us for the future.  When our new pastor arrives, Lovers Lane will already be working from a clear, purposeful plan shaped by the Power of One Task Force Teams. This ensures a smooth continuation of our mission and growth, allowing the church to stay focused on what lies ahead.

• Multiple-Distinctly-Different Worshiping Communities

In 2002, we launched a major marketing campaign called wannaknowwhy.com, which came to life thanks to the generosity in large part of one remarkable member family and the vision of a Power of One Task Force.  Through this campaign, we quickly realized that a "one size fits all" approach to worship wasn’t effective for our diverse congregation.  At the time, we only had one worship service format repeated three times on Sundays at 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:00 a.m., in only one venue—the Sanctuary.  We knew we needed to broaden our approach to meet the varied spiritual needs of our community. So, we set out to develop multiple, distinctly different worship communities, categorized as either a “community” or “affinity” service.  Much of this worship development was driven from the wannaknowwhy.com growth.

Today, Lovers Lane hosts eight weekly worship services, not counting weddings, funerals, and special services. We now offer three traditional services across two campuses. At the Northwest Highway campus, we hold two traditional services at 8:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and at the Walnut Hill campus there’s a traditional service at 11:00 a.m. On the modern worship front, we offer two services at the Northwest Highway campus: Thrive at 9:30 a.m. and Crosswalk at 11:00 a.m. Additionally, we have an African affinity service at 11:00 a.m. in Shipp Chapel and a Sunday afternoon Youth service. On Wednesday evenings, we also provide a contemplative service called Renew, which meets at 6:00 p.m. This expansion of worship offerings reflects our commitment to reach people in meaningful, varied ways, allowing us to better serve the diverse needs of our growing congregation.  

• Super Impact Ministries–Incorporating Outreach

One of the most impactful innovations I’ve had the privilege of envisioning here at Lovers Lane is the formation of nonprofit organizations—what I like to call Super-Impact Outreach. The strategy behind this approach was driven by key criteria. We would incorporate a ministry as a nonprofit when: 1) it became more outreach-oriented, meaning its primary participants were no longer just church members, 2) it had the potential to raise funds beyond the congregation, 3) it was able to support its own staff to administer the program, and 4) it would benefit from a formal Board of Directors structure. When these conditions were met, we moved forward.

LLUMC Foundation—The only nonprofit corporation at the church and not owned by the church, the LLUMC Foundation.  The Foundation’s sole purpose is to support Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, to which it is intrinsically tied. When I first arrived, the Foundation had $2.2 million under investment, and it was being conservatively managed with little visibility—there was an intention to not keep the congregation largely unaware of the endowment’s size.

Today, the LLUMC Foundation has grown to $27 million under investment. Of that, $20 million  is available for mostly designated purposes, $7 million is in guardianships, reserved for specific ministry projects. One of the primary reasons for the Foundation’s existence is to assist the church with maintenance-related needs over and above the church budget. Several of our buildings now have endowments that are directly connected to the upkeep and enhancement of identified spaces. The Foundation Board and its committees, like the Investments Committee and Grants Committee, work diligently to find new ways to grow the foundation through investments and support the ministry of the church. The Foundation’s sole purpose remains clear: to serve and sustain the ministry of Lovers Lane.

Wesley Prep Inc.—Both Tammy and I come from strong public school backgrounds, and Tammy herself is an accomplished public school educator and school administrator as are several of our family members.  The year before I arrived as pastor of Lovers Lane in 1997, the church went through a contentious vote to transform its preschool—the Weekday School—into an elementary school, which eventually became Wesley Prep. We incorporated the school as a nonprofit in 2000, and I’ve made it a priority with our leadership to ensure its growth by making certain it had the space it needed to develop.

Today, Wesley Prep serves approximately 500 students and recently voted to expand to include 7th and 8th grades. The school now operates with a $7 million budget and has built its own endowment. The harmony between the church and the school is something that brings immense joy to this pastor’s heart. There’s a beautiful cooperation between the two, and I’m confident that the future will bring more school families into the church, just as more church families will choose Wesley Prep for their children’s education. It’s a new day—one we’ve worked toward for a long time.

Rays of Light—Early in my ministry at Lovers Lane, we started a special needs children’s ministry called Guiding Lights. This ministry focused on recruiting and training volunteers to work with special needs children, integrating them into our Sunday School classes. As the ministry grew, it expanded into a respite program, which eventually became Rays of Light.

Today, Rays of Light offers respite care for special needs children and their siblings on two Fridays a month at the Lovers Lane UMC campus, one Friday at the White Rock UMC campus, and another Friday at the Christ Foundry campus. Beyond our own congregation, Rays of Light has developed a network with other United Methodist churches, providing respite services across a broader community.  This expansion has made it one of the largest church-led respite ministries for special needs children and their siblings in the greater Dallas area. With a $350,000 annual budget and its own endowment, Rays of Light continues to shine brightly as a beacon of care and compassion.

12th Step Ministry – From the earliest days of Lovers Lane, ministry with those struggling with alcoholism has been a cornerstone of our outreach. This direction would never have been taken without the influence of our young pastor Tom Shipp, who arrived in the 1940s with a deep passion for helping those caught in the grip of alcoholism. At a time when society often saw alcoholics as “sinners” who simply needed to pull themselves together, Tom understood that alcoholism was more than just a moral failing.  Alcoholism was a disease requiring the support of caring, sober, friends from Alcoholics Anonymous. His vision set Lovers Lane apart and grew both the church and its reputation as an usually others-oriented church.

Today, the 12th Step Ministry (TSM) is arguably the largest traditional Alcoholics Anonymous-style program in the world, with close to 900 participants meeting weekly across 70 different groups.  In February 2025, we will dedicate the new state-of-the-art Phillips Family Center for Spiritual Development, complete with a beautiful Serenity Garden, on the same site where the old house once stood. TSM raised $2.5 million for a long-term lease with the church, seeded an endowment with $1 million, and secured $8 million in cash to complete the project.  More than half of the funds came from donors and endowment grants outside the church.  Lovers Lane still owns the property and the building, which is used by the TSM during the week and by the church on Sunday mornings. This is truly a win-win, made possible by our unique, super-impact outreach approach.

SEEDS – This 501(c)(3) nonprofit was created as our deaf ministry grew and as generous donors recognized the need for dedicated endowments to support the deaf community. SEEDS provides scholarships and funding to meet the specific needs of the deaf, ensuring that this important ministry continues to flourish and respond to those it serves.

Today, SEEDS continues to make a profound impact by providing scholarships and ministry support to deaf students. One of our proudest achievements was supporting the very first deaf ministerial student at Africa University through SEEDS.  What began as a ministry primarily focused on the deaf community at Lovers Lane has grown into an outreach with international influence. Through the streaming of our worship services and sharing our story, the reach of SEEDS has expanded far beyond our walls.

We are also actively partnering with United Methodists across the connection in Tanzania to establish two deaf schools in different parts of that country, addressing the needs of deaf students there. The work of SEEDS, and the ministry it supports now plays a significant role within the broader United Methodist Church, demonstrating the far-reaching influence of this mission. We are deeply grateful that Lovers Lane has become an “influencer church” in the area of ministry to those with hearing challenges, and we remain committed to expanding this vital work.

• Mission Focused & Vision Driven Capital Campaigns

Lovers Lane UMC had completed a capital campaign and were right in the middle of receiving the committed funds when I arrived as Pastor.  The campaign was crucial, because the church was in the middle of a very contentious time. 

• One Faith, Hope and Love campaign (1996-1998)  $3 million raised Judy & Jim Gibbs were the Co-Chairman

There was a debt in need of addressing, and a foundation that was kept as a virtual secret.  This capital campaign also addressed renovation, and the endowment in addition to retiring debt. The collection of funds and the renovation was getting underway as I was unpacking in Dallas, and was really a first order of business upon my arrival.  Seeing  that the pledges kept coming in and the renovation was underway to completion became a concern on my watch.

• Forward in Faith 2000 (1999–2002) $14million raised. Sandra & Henry Estess and Beth and Chuck Thoele were co-chairman

This campaign was driven by the vision of the Power of One Task Force and raised $11 million in capital improvements, $2 million endowment development, $1 million North Texas Conference missions, and debt reduction.  All was provided by this largest-of-its-kind campaign of a United Methodist Church right before the turn of the century.  We built and dedicated the new:

• Christ Family Center
• Gym
• Library 
• Parlor
• Foundry and classrooms
• Computer lab 
• Student Ministry offices 
• Benton Garden and fountains 
• Asbury Hall and kitchen renovation
• Meadowbrook Parking Lot with the connector bridge
• $2 million in Endowment funds and 
• $1 million for mission regarding the North Texas Conference Vision 2000 that funded Christ Foundry (hispanic mission)
• Hearing the Call–Continuing A Legacy of Love 2007 (2007-2010) $18 million raised. Kathryn & Stephen Arata and Judy and Jim Gibbs were co-chairs. Margaret & Bob Folsom and Elizabeth Price were the Honorary Chairs

This campaign was like a blueprint of the capital improvements needed over the next decade with a lofty $27.3 million goal of which we would raise as much as possible.  This campaign was the largest ever attempted and accomplished by Lovers Lane,  and it also was challenged by the 2008 “great recession” that caused loss of pledges and delays in payment of pledges.  All resulting in leaving a $9 million debt. 

• Shipp Chapel
• Aldersgate Hall
• Hospitality Center
• Beginnings Classroom
• Dudley Dancer Classroom
• Spire
• Watson Hall
• Wesley Renovation
• Administration Offices
• Endowment Growth–Folsom Fund & Ewert Fund established
• Dream Conspiracy–1000 Dreams 1 Love 2013 (2013-2016)  $8 million raised.  Kay & Carl Dial and Kristen & Jeff Erler were Co-Chairs 

The church had tried for years to acquire the remaining one acre of the Jackson estate.  Four acres were bought from this family to create the Meadowbrook Parking lot.  We got the chance to purchase the land and little house for $1.3 million.  The choice was made to keep the house and double the size of it, as well as develop a prayer walk. This campaign also had a goal of seeing the endowment grow to $20 million by 2020.

• Copeland House
• Prayer Garden
• Shepherd’s Garden & Columbarium
• Enhance technology on the campus
• Mission priority funding
• Lydia Patterson Institute
• Moscow Seminary
• Feed My Starving Children
• Zoe Gey Hospital
• Christ’s Foundry
• Retire debt related to the Jackson property purchase

• Overflowing Hope–The Next 75 Years (2019–2022) $5 million Kathryn & Stephen Arata and Jenny & Heath Oakes were Co-chairs

Enhancements

Who could see COVID-19 coming or the heightened conflict in the church as the Bishop’s One Church Plan was defeated and winds of disaffiliation blew across United Methodism.  This campaign was about needed critical repairs and addressing deferred maintenance, including major sanctuary windows and organ repair.  A chiller had to be replaced, and the money was raised to keep comfortable air blowing in the sanctuary.

• Stained glass repaired
• LED screens in the sanctuary
• New sanctuary chillers
• Painting and exterior maintenance
• Pew and floor restoration in the sanctuary
• Organ repair
• Exterior signage
• Parking Lot repair
• The Spire repainting
• Amphitheater
• Prayer path & stations
• Debt retirement, endowment funding and the Russian Seminary scholarships

• Building a House of Hope (2023-2026) $11 million raised.  Sandra Estess, Darden McFarlin, Judy & Jim Gibbs, Michael Phillips and Andrea Tabor formed the fundraising committee.

This campaign was many years in the making.  Every angle of due-diligence was looked at from relocating our Twelfth Step Ministry, which is the largest classical recovery ministry in the world, to renovation of the old mansion on the beautiful four acres across Northwest Highway from the church. The decision was made to rebuild on the same footprint of the old house and rent the land on which it would be built for $2.5 million.  Though this would tie up a land asset worth about $10+ million, having the ministry remain in close proximity to the church won the day.  $1 million was raised in a fund-match approach to start an endowment before a spade of dirt was turned,  and all of the funds were raised to build the $8 million structure and Serenity Garden with cash.   

Today we need to address our $4.5 million debt.  This debt was paid down to $3.5 million, which was a carry over debt from the big building campaign that was negatively impacted by recession in 2008, as well as the over expenditures primarily in 2023, and this year.  The finance office was restaffed and a mid-year budget correction was in order and we implemented it.  An excellent Finance Committee has been hard at work with the executive staff, to get the 2025 budget approved by the end of 2024. 

We need to replace two 40-year old chillers, as well as build the long awaited bridge to the prayer walk in our Copeland House & Prayer Garden. We have raised more than $59 million in capital campaigns over the past nearly three decades.  The campaigns have built and renovated most of our campus.  Together we also have grown our Foundation from $2.2 million to $27+ million.  My best estimate is that a $6+ million capital campaign should be part of the new pastor’s agenda;  she or he will find a generous congregation coming around to help raise the funds needed.  I was here but 13 months when the congregation decided to tackle a $13 million capital campaign 

• Ministry and Outreach Expansion

In addition to the expansion of ministry through our non-profit corporation development that gave us expanded recovery ministry (12th Step Ministry), special needs ministry (Rays of Light) deaf ministry (SEEDS), and the Wesley Prep school, there have been plenty of other ministry and outreach expansions that we have initiated together:

• African Fellowship—featuring Africans coming to us as refugees and immigrants from 14 different countries.
• Alpha Small Groups—over 1,200 members participated in small groups in this Christian short course. 
• Feed My Starving Children—Lovers Lane became a primary mover and shaker in this food distribution ministry.
• Prison Ministry—We have loved 12,000 incarcerated individuals into a relationship with Jesus Christ by teaching Alpha in the 23 years of this ministry.
• Everybody’s Christmas—a ministry for the homeless of Dallas in the shelters that we support throughout the year and it is a reunion for the former offenders.
• Food Ministry—Our response for the past four years to what began as an outreach of providing fresh produce during COVID became an ongoing ministry.
• Zoe Geh Hospital (Liberia)--started over two decades ago this hospital literally saves lives every day in a remote, extremely underserved area of Liberia.
• Lydia Patterson Institute—Lovers Lane was the #1 local church supporter in our Jurisdiction of LPI, a mission to educate children, many who have dual citizenship. 
• Moscow Seminary (Russia)–-A strong relationship with the president of the seminary was an impetus in our generous support with this international education ministry. 
• Imani Orphanage in Kenya—The support of this seminary is largely a scholarship program and relationship with the students.
• Scouting—Lovers Lane had a long history of scouting ministry from the early days, which also had been a strong WHC ministry  and we reinstated our scouting emphasis with two troops now that call us home.
• Tanzanian Deaf School—Every week through the power of internet zooming, our local team interacts with the Tanzanian United Methodists involved with us in this mission.
• Friends of Music—A strong concert and great music presentations have come to be largely through the coming of a wonderful music minister and his staff team. 
• Bold Women of Lovers Lane—To a large extent the United Methodist Women, now United Women of Faith, have done what they do with strength, this restructure has allowed their voice of justice and mercy to further permeate the congregation. 
• Columbarium interment services—An ongoing service meeting the demand of our congregation created by cremation, benefits the Ewert Endowment through the purchases of niches and naming sites.
• The Carpenter’s Men—This is our name for men’s ministry and it has been successfully re-established by dedicated laymen and features monthly dinners with a guest speaker, small groups, mission activity and workdays at the church campuses.
• The Chosen Small Groups—New small groups are starting involving 65 new participants and a plan is in place to start 12 more groups with over 100 participants next year.  

Today we stand on the threshold of new beginnings and ministry budding up that will make a positive impact in new and innovative ways because that is the way this church rolls.  It is exciting to think about what new approaches will come out of the Power of One Task force of this season and seasons to come.

• Becoming A Minister Training Culture

In 1998, we assessed that the staff had to be rebuilt after the 1997 dismissal of staff in one day resulting in a needed budget reduction of $500K. The downside was that it created low-morale and high-tension. We started hiring young people, some of whom were young ministerial students who were at Perkins School of Theology.  We started seeing more young people going into ministry from the congregation.  We became a mentoring site for many Perkins interns.  Personally, I have officially mentored six such seminary students and other clergy on staff have been mentors as well. We became recognized as a healthy training ground for pastors in their process to ordination.  

Today, at every Annual Conference ordination service one can count several of the ordinands who have connections to Lovers Lane. Arguably, more ordinands have Loves Lane connections than any other church in the Annual Conference.  Students benefit from experiencing our mission, vision and values being put into practice.  Ours is a healthy place to serve and in makes an impression on those pursuing ordination who come our way. 

• Creating An Influencer Church

Creating an influencer church requires a church to be in touch with its DNA in its formation and the culture that has been created. For a longtime, Lovers Lane has had a reputation of being an “influencer” for the broader church with influencer pastors along the way; chief among them would have to be Tom Shipp. An influencer church “colors outside the lines”, “marches to the beat of a different drummer.” It is the Lovers Lane testimony that an influencer church always “pushes the envelope” to fund our ministry. Whether it was welcoming alcoholics in the 1940’s or receiving into membership a black woman in the early 1960’s, Lovers Lane has “influence” in its ecclesiastical genes.      

To some degree, preaching at its best is an old form of influencing.  In a day where the concept and practice of “influencer” has become popularized, it largely amounts to how influence is packaged.  Through excellent video and live streaming capacity and good utilization of social media, Lovers Lane UMC has continued to influence.  The creation of the Picklin’ Parson videos addressing issues of disinformation during disaffiliation was a wrinkle even I did not see coming.  Yet, largely due to our speaking up and speaking out and availing our campus to be a place where important issues could be courageously addressed, we have established ourselves as a champion of the United Methodist Church.   

Today, Lovers Lane is seen as one of the most influential churches in our United Methodist denomination.  Our reach is beyond our local congregation and even our new Horizon Conference;  it is truly international and throughout our denomination.  In our local market, Lovers Lane’s influence is felt and acknowledged.  Literally tens of thousands of United Methodists worldwide know the name and the ministry of Lovers Lane as a microcosm of our denomination with open hearts, open minds, open doors persona.     

• Lay Leadership Empowerment 

The strength of Lovers Lane is largely due to the leadership in our congregation of seasoned churchmen who bring their gifts, as well as personal and professional experience, to serve the Lord Jesus through Lovers Lane.  We have administrative committees and boards on which strong lay people lead. We have ministry teams in which dedicated laywomen and laymen roll up their sleeves and serve.  Some of the most gifted, talented and successful women and men in Dallas call Lovers Lane “my church.”

Today, the lay empowerment continues, and the church benefits from the time and energy on the part of our laity to bring our congregation to new levels of excellence. This expertise particularly is evident regarding finance, facility maintenance, and staff development, while  continuing to  seek out and empower new lay leadership. 

• Others-Oriented Community Impact

Reputation is important, and Lovers Lane enjoys a respect in the community for our radical others-orientation that makes a positive impact on our greater community. This includes our Twelfth Step Ministry that literally impacts tens of thousands who struggle with addictions and our work with United Methodist institutions like Wesley Rankin and Dallas Bethlehem Center.  As pastor of Lovers Lane, I serve with other members of our church on the Methodist Health Services Foundation and Lydia Patterson Institute.   

Today, Lovers Lane continues to be viewed as a church that is others-oriented to a fault, truly giving itself away every year.  Two ministries that were the epitome of our others-orientation are our Food Ministry and Everybody’s Christmas.  Both of these ministries are in the process of being analyzed and reshaped to fit our budget and sharpen our effectiveness.  Still, to the community, these and so many other ministries and organizations of which our members are part,  have  built that reputation. 

• A Dual-Campus Initiative

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lovers Lane was approached by the leadership of Walnut Hill United Methodist Church (WHC) who had completed a strategic planning season.  The result was to seek an “adoption” from another congregation.  With the blessing of the WHC pastor, and the North Texas Conference leadership.  Lovers Lane and Walnut Hill came together in what the Conference called an “adoption.”  The assets of 8 acres of North Dallas land, a post-toronado completely renovated facility, a $1+million endowment and a fine Creative School (pre-school) with $600K in the bank, became part of the overall stewardship of Lovers Lane.  

Today Walnut Hill Church is growing and seeing more young families and children coming from the neighborhood and through the Creative School. They are also attracted to our young pastors who lead the congregation.  It has, however, been a very expensive endeavor related to the budget that the WHC congregation is unable to fund on its own.  Lovers Lane’s own budget challenges have been negatively impacted by the loan interest we pay monthly, and this has the church in a place of needing a strategy of sustainability to successfully continue to pursue this important feature of our ministry.

Conclusion

Most of the challenges our church faces are faced by many churches in our denomination regarding worship attendance and budget woes.  Nearly all of my peers are trying to bring their congregations back to the pre-COVID attendance days and the giving levels of pre-disaffiliation. It is a common testimony from Senior Pastors to account for membership loss for a plethora of reasons, along with the pain that brings.  We can testify too, but we can also witness to members coming our way due to our steadiness, and the kind of church we are and aspire to be.  We have our own challenges and a successful transition of pastoral leadership is in the midst of them.  Again, I will say, we have to get control of the debt and crack the code on the Walnut Hill Church and work the vision-driven ministry resulting from the diligent labor for more than a year by the Power of One teams.  

Our Power of One has identified and is initiating exciting plans to address the key areas where we are flat and need improvement. Here are three of the areas we are addressing with a sense of urgency: 

Children and family, youth and young adult ministry at Lovers Lane are very culturally diverse, which presents challenges.  It also gives us a uniqueness and stages our Christian education and spiritual development as a vibrant example of Christian love and acceptance in a world where divisions seem to be the order of the day–NOT at Lovers Lane however, when we are at our best.  

Engagement (Evangelism) needs to be enhanced through creating positive contacts and relationships.  We want to better  use social media and develop marketing strategies that attract people to the “front door” of worship and the “side doors” of small groups and classes, as well as mission and outreach opportunities.  

Discipleship is the third area.  Revamping our Sunday mornings from a collection of classic Sunday School classes to being a church offering many new groups and classes, not only on Sundays but throughout the week.  Also, more of these groups will be established in homes and spaces not necessarily on the church campus. 

Centering our attention on funding these ministries, is what the Elevated Budget (Ministry Development Fund) is all about.  Positive results in these areas will create a growing experience that a new Senior Pastor will be equipped and excited about leading.  

I am fully aware that this is the 33rd and last Pastor’s Report I will deliver.  It is a bittersweet moment, but I can only come to the closing of this report with a heart full of gratitude and thanksgiving.  I also know that I have laid all I have on the field and will continue to do so until my offboarding is complete and the new pastor of this great church, the fifth pastor in 80 years, will take her or his place as Senior Pastor. 

I’m not the retirement rockin’ chair type, and I am excited about having another decade or so to be actively involved in some ministry of my choosing.  Tammy and I will also hopefully have some time to travel, which we love.  We look forward to enjoying our family, both the precious ones in their dying days, who have taken care of us and loved us unconditionally along the way (we are so blessed), as well as the little ones we want to influence who call us Sugar and Pop.  As Frank Sinatra sang, “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention.”  But unlike the song says, hopefully I didn’t do it “my way” but with others and with God we did it, all of it, together.   To God be all the glory, honor and praise.  

Respectfully Submitted,

Stan Copeland