Heritage News
2021
BREATHE
Freedom Festival
The Freedom Festival was a blast! 153 families and 17 Community vendors all came together to enjoy the festival and fireworks.
YMCA Breathe Day
This was amazing! Many Breathe families experienced our YMCA for the first time, and the YMCA team rolled out the red carpet for families with special needs.
Breathe Day Center
Our Breathe Day Center is open and has 6 participants so far!
Sunday AM
Breathe programming reopened during the fall for ministry during second service.
The Freedom Festival was a blast! 153 families and 17 Community vendors all came together to enjoy the festival and fireworks.
YMCA Breathe Day
This was amazing! Many Breathe families experienced our YMCA for the first time, and the YMCA team rolled out the red carpet for families with special needs.
Breathe Day Center
Our Breathe Day Center is open and has 6 participants so far!
Sunday AM
Breathe programming reopened during the fall for ministry during second service.
COMMUNICATIONS
Social Media
We’ve had an incredible reach online in 2021- over 150,000 on Facebook and over 45,000 on Instragram. Online church has continued to grow and thrive across Facebook, Youtube, and Heritagelife.org platforms.
Stories and Videos
We've been thankful to share the heart and passion behind our church through testimonies and video productions that range from those who are coming to Heritage for the first time (Discover Heritage) to those who are looking for support in a time of grieving (GriefShare), and even to celebrate those who are making their most significant impact during their latter years. (Legends)
We’ve had an incredible reach online in 2021- over 150,000 on Facebook and over 45,000 on Instragram. Online church has continued to grow and thrive across Facebook, Youtube, and Heritagelife.org platforms.
Stories and Videos
We've been thankful to share the heart and passion behind our church through testimonies and video productions that range from those who are coming to Heritage for the first time (Discover Heritage) to those who are looking for support in a time of grieving (GriefShare), and even to celebrate those who are making their most significant impact during their latter years. (Legends)
DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY
Discipleship Pathway
Discover Heritage has transitioned into a one session format offered twice monthly (1st Sundays and 3rd Wednesdays), and it's been a great way for people to get to know us and each other better, and figure out their next steps on The Discipleship Pathway. We’ve been busy building, training, and equipping the team to connect people and to facilitate next steps in spiritual growth. It was an exciting year as we revamped the process and saw 53 people complete the Pathway.
Growth
We're thankful to say that we've seen 21 Baptisms! We've also seen a Sanctuary Greeting Team formed, as well as an Outside Greeting Team and Parking Team.
Discover Heritage has transitioned into a one session format offered twice monthly (1st Sundays and 3rd Wednesdays), and it's been a great way for people to get to know us and each other better, and figure out their next steps on The Discipleship Pathway. We’ve been busy building, training, and equipping the team to connect people and to facilitate next steps in spiritual growth. It was an exciting year as we revamped the process and saw 53 people complete the Pathway.
Growth
We're thankful to say that we've seen 21 Baptisms! We've also seen a Sanctuary Greeting Team formed, as well as an Outside Greeting Team and Parking Team.
FINANCIALS
Giving
Despite this being a year of financial uncertainty for many, people continued to give faithfully. We've received around $2,200,000 in tithes and offerings and $650,000 in mission funds.
Our Financial Philosophy
We want to use all funds strategically in order to advance the mission and kingdom of Jesus, and to be transparent about our budgets and financial health. Budget details are always available by request. It’s equally important for us to be accountable, so we utilize several internal and external controls to ensure we remain above reproach.
Budgeting
We are always evaluating the economy and giving trends over the years to anticipate the upcoming year's resources. Although we want our facilities to be safe and clean, we ultimately believe that people are more important than buildings.
Despite this being a year of financial uncertainty for many, people continued to give faithfully. We've received around $2,200,000 in tithes and offerings and $650,000 in mission funds.
Our Financial Philosophy
We want to use all funds strategically in order to advance the mission and kingdom of Jesus, and to be transparent about our budgets and financial health. Budget details are always available by request. It’s equally important for us to be accountable, so we utilize several internal and external controls to ensure we remain above reproach.
Budgeting
We are always evaluating the economy and giving trends over the years to anticipate the upcoming year's resources. Although we want our facilities to be safe and clean, we ultimately believe that people are more important than buildings.
MISSIONS
Busy, busy, busy!
From our latest global missionary sendoff to providing meals and prayer to the covid staff at the hospital, 2021 was a full year locally and globally. With your help, we encouraged staffs of nursing homes and doctors offices and partnered with Breathe to distribute 1,100 pairs of Sketchers shoes and 2,000 pairs of Bombas socks to our Freedom Festival participants, Colquitt County School counselors, the Red Cross, and Atlanta Dream Center. Locally, we celebrate the valuable addition of Amy Owen as a licensed professional counselor in our ministry partnership with Formation Counseling- an environment where participants have the opportunity to integrate their faith with counseling. Also, locally, the new Storehouse parking lot was a huge step forward in serving our customers and providing safety. And, despite intermittent closings due to covid, Storehouse brought in the second highest amount of proceeds since beginning in 2012!
Around The Globe
Eddie Seagle and his team went to New Life Children’s Home in Peru. Johnny Ray and team did several water purification trips to Honduras. Our Rapid Relief HGM’s, Brandon and Anna Oaks partnered with Kayla Bachelor who is from Louisiana to gather and deliver supplies from Thomasville and Moultrie to serve those in need due to the recent storms and flooding.
Helping By The Numbers
In requests for financial assistance, we dispensed $5,300 to help with rent and utility bills. Additional funds over $25,000 have been dispersed to help those in need due to sickness and other misfortune.
Missions Blessings
Because of the generous giving of our people, we were able to bless 19 of our Homegrown Missionaries with gifts of $1,000 each. In addition, we were able to encourage several organizations with gifts- Life Unlimbited- $2,000, CrossRoads For Her- $10,000, Colquitt Christian Academy Building Fund- $10,000. Besides that, we ended the year by partnering with Wycliffe Bible Translators to translate the Book of Luke and The Jesus Film for a people group in Benin, West Africa who currently have no Bible in their heart language. Over $50,486 were raised and with matching funds, we were able to contribute $100,972 to this huge initiative!
From our latest global missionary sendoff to providing meals and prayer to the covid staff at the hospital, 2021 was a full year locally and globally. With your help, we encouraged staffs of nursing homes and doctors offices and partnered with Breathe to distribute 1,100 pairs of Sketchers shoes and 2,000 pairs of Bombas socks to our Freedom Festival participants, Colquitt County School counselors, the Red Cross, and Atlanta Dream Center. Locally, we celebrate the valuable addition of Amy Owen as a licensed professional counselor in our ministry partnership with Formation Counseling- an environment where participants have the opportunity to integrate their faith with counseling. Also, locally, the new Storehouse parking lot was a huge step forward in serving our customers and providing safety. And, despite intermittent closings due to covid, Storehouse brought in the second highest amount of proceeds since beginning in 2012!
Around The Globe
Eddie Seagle and his team went to New Life Children’s Home in Peru. Johnny Ray and team did several water purification trips to Honduras. Our Rapid Relief HGM’s, Brandon and Anna Oaks partnered with Kayla Bachelor who is from Louisiana to gather and deliver supplies from Thomasville and Moultrie to serve those in need due to the recent storms and flooding.
Helping By The Numbers
In requests for financial assistance, we dispensed $5,300 to help with rent and utility bills. Additional funds over $25,000 have been dispersed to help those in need due to sickness and other misfortune.
Missions Blessings
Because of the generous giving of our people, we were able to bless 19 of our Homegrown Missionaries with gifts of $1,000 each. In addition, we were able to encourage several organizations with gifts- Life Unlimbited- $2,000, CrossRoads For Her- $10,000, Colquitt Christian Academy Building Fund- $10,000. Besides that, we ended the year by partnering with Wycliffe Bible Translators to translate the Book of Luke and The Jesus Film for a people group in Benin, West Africa who currently have no Bible in their heart language. Over $50,486 were raised and with matching funds, we were able to contribute $100,972 to this huge initiative!
NEXT GEN
Quick Updates
This year we launched student-led worship teams, and it's been incredible to see them grow in leadership! Next Gen has also launched Elementary Monthly Worship Response stations for ministry and encouragement. Since launching these stations in January, we have seen kids grow in trusting Heritage Kids to be a place to receive prayer, share openly with leaders, and several kids have put their faith in Christ. Ellis and Kerri White became the high school ministry leaders halfway through 2021 and Ellis joined us full time as student pastor at the start of 2022. We're excited to have them on board! Throughout the year we do weekly worship gatherings, seasonal kids and family equipping, summer camps and hangouts, and mile marker celebrations for our families of babies, preschoolers, 5th graders, 10th graders, and seniors. As a church, it’s our joy to encourage, strengthen, and bless families in these formative years of life!
Celebration Time!
We're thankful that our kids raised almost $1,600 for our summer mission project Change for a Change and First National Bank doubled it to help a missionary and his family build a dam in Africa! We had 75 students and leaders attend Snowbird summer camp and 94 students and leaders attend the Summer Beach Retreat! We had great summer activities for students with weekly hangouts for MS and HS students as well as weekly worship nights. As far as babies and kids go, our average attendance on Sunday morning has been 147! The average attendance of Middle School and High School ministry at the end of 2021 was 90.
This year we launched student-led worship teams, and it's been incredible to see them grow in leadership! Next Gen has also launched Elementary Monthly Worship Response stations for ministry and encouragement. Since launching these stations in January, we have seen kids grow in trusting Heritage Kids to be a place to receive prayer, share openly with leaders, and several kids have put their faith in Christ. Ellis and Kerri White became the high school ministry leaders halfway through 2021 and Ellis joined us full time as student pastor at the start of 2022. We're excited to have them on board! Throughout the year we do weekly worship gatherings, seasonal kids and family equipping, summer camps and hangouts, and mile marker celebrations for our families of babies, preschoolers, 5th graders, 10th graders, and seniors. As a church, it’s our joy to encourage, strengthen, and bless families in these formative years of life!
Celebration Time!
We're thankful that our kids raised almost $1,600 for our summer mission project Change for a Change and First National Bank doubled it to help a missionary and his family build a dam in Africa! We had 75 students and leaders attend Snowbird summer camp and 94 students and leaders attend the Summer Beach Retreat! We had great summer activities for students with weekly hangouts for MS and HS students as well as weekly worship nights. As far as babies and kids go, our average attendance on Sunday morning has been 147! The average attendance of Middle School and High School ministry at the end of 2021 was 90.
PRAYER & PASTORAL CARE
Metrics for 2021
MOMS -Fed 556 people through funeral meals (126 Team Lifers)
COVERING - 235 ministry touches or outreaches ( by 296 Team Lifers)
COUNSEL -9 people received counsel (by 8 Team Lifers)
CARE TEAM - 46 people cared for (who were home bound or nursing home) by 26 Team Lifers
NEW INITIATIVE - We've been partnering with the activities coordinator at Legacy Village. Our Care Team Helped with Oct 20th Fall Festival, where we donated supplies, prizes and volunteered at the Festival.
MORE METRICS:
We've helped 146 people with COVID, prepared 49 meals, helped drop off 17 people, delivered 8 prayer blankets, and prayed for 70 people with the virus.
Prayer Ministry
In 2021, a total of 305 people received prayer ministry in the prayer room on Sunday mornings by prayer ministry team members. We're looking at how prayer ministry is changing with the current table set up and how can the prayer team be most effective. Also working on discerning the best format and building teams for Sunday a.m. preservice prayer.
MOMS -Fed 556 people through funeral meals (126 Team Lifers)
COVERING - 235 ministry touches or outreaches ( by 296 Team Lifers)
COUNSEL -9 people received counsel (by 8 Team Lifers)
CARE TEAM - 46 people cared for (who were home bound or nursing home) by 26 Team Lifers
NEW INITIATIVE - We've been partnering with the activities coordinator at Legacy Village. Our Care Team Helped with Oct 20th Fall Festival, where we donated supplies, prizes and volunteered at the Festival.
MORE METRICS:
- We added two new people to card ministry and sent 26 encouragement cards
- Completed another Griefshare group with an avg of 6-10 participants.
- Surviving the Holidays Event- 25 participants
- Completed another small group that Jan and Ernie led, called "Diving Deeper into the Spirit Realm" with an avg of 12-15 participants.
We've helped 146 people with COVID, prepared 49 meals, helped drop off 17 people, delivered 8 prayer blankets, and prayed for 70 people with the virus.
Prayer Ministry
In 2021, a total of 305 people received prayer ministry in the prayer room on Sunday mornings by prayer ministry team members. We're looking at how prayer ministry is changing with the current table set up and how can the prayer team be most effective. Also working on discerning the best format and building teams for Sunday a.m. preservice prayer.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Just A Few Projects We've Finished in 2021
Property Management has been hard at work maintaining and improving our facilities. God has richly blessed us, and we’re seeking to be good stewards of what He’s entrusted to us. Here are some recent projects:
Property Management has been hard at work maintaining and improving our facilities. God has richly blessed us, and we’re seeking to be good stewards of what He’s entrusted to us. Here are some recent projects:
- Hired person to maintain grounds
- Updated lights to LEDs in many of our spaces
- Created and improved the new Pathways Building
- Kids Theater- removed stadium risers and reworked sound booth
- South Campus gravel driveway improved
- Updated signage for Prayer Chapel
- Storehouse parking enlarged and fencing added
- Student Encounter roof work
- Storehouse removal of old electrical wiring
- Campus wide rework of all drainage at ditches to improve water flow and help with erosion.
- Campus wide pine tree, roots and stump removal
- Middle pond- Raised water level 12-15 inches and moved Drain to help with erosion
- Fresh wood chips added to playground
- Improved exterior lighting in North parking area
SMALL GROUPS
Monthly Groups
We're a church of small groups. It's so vital to who we are as a larger church...ministry, growth, and lasting friendships flow out of it. In order to give more opportunities for guests and members to join a group, we've transitioned to monthly small group launches.
Training And Online
We are creating a formal training plan for small group leaders. We want to help people get started, and that includes recruiting coaches to help out our Small Group Hub Leaders. We're also looking to expand online small groups, which we know will be a great option for those who can't attend in person.
How Are We Doing So Far?
We had 57 Small Group opportunities with a monthly average attendance of 376! Our highest month attendance was 490 in March. This doesn't include Team Life gatherings or Next Gen. We're very glad to see so many getting connected during such trying times.
We're a church of small groups. It's so vital to who we are as a larger church...ministry, growth, and lasting friendships flow out of it. In order to give more opportunities for guests and members to join a group, we've transitioned to monthly small group launches.
Training And Online
We are creating a formal training plan for small group leaders. We want to help people get started, and that includes recruiting coaches to help out our Small Group Hub Leaders. We're also looking to expand online small groups, which we know will be a great option for those who can't attend in person.
How Are We Doing So Far?
We had 57 Small Group opportunities with a monthly average attendance of 376! Our highest month attendance was 490 in March. This doesn't include Team Life gatherings or Next Gen. We're very glad to see so many getting connected during such trying times.
STOREHOUSE
Sales For Missions
In 2021, The Storehouse completed its 9th year . Despite intermittent closings due to covid spikes, The Storehouse brought in $181,987 in proceeds, representing the 2nd highest sales year since beginning in 2012. The Storehouse volunteer team grew to 90 regular participants. The Storehouse partnered several times weekly with organizations such as Red Cross, DFCS, Crossroads, Life Under the Son, and many others to meet needs in our community and beyond.
In 2021, The Storehouse completed its 9th year . Despite intermittent closings due to covid spikes, The Storehouse brought in $181,987 in proceeds, representing the 2nd highest sales year since beginning in 2012. The Storehouse volunteer team grew to 90 regular participants. The Storehouse partnered several times weekly with organizations such as Red Cross, DFCS, Crossroads, Life Under the Son, and many others to meet needs in our community and beyond.
SUNDAY AM
The Worship Team
The worship team continues to take new ground! This summer was a growing season for us with a couple of pastors on sabbatical, Mark preaching a series, and others out with COVID. Several different worship team members-Ben Nieman, Summer Hart, Carissa McKinney, and Zach Owen- stepped up and led for us. This was a great opportunity to stretch our team and reveal gifts in team members.
The worship team continues to take new ground! This summer was a growing season for us with a couple of pastors on sabbatical, Mark preaching a series, and others out with COVID. Several different worship team members-Ben Nieman, Summer Hart, Carissa McKinney, and Zach Owen- stepped up and led for us. This was a great opportunity to stretch our team and reveal gifts in team members.
SUNDAY SUPPORT
Atrium Changes
We’ve updated the information desk area in an effort to promote a more welcoming and relational environment. We’ve also added tablets for members and guests to view opportunities to connect and upcoming events.
Connecting
In addition to atrium greeters, we’ve added sanctuary greeters who specifically identify and connect with guests. We’ve also created a training plan to help our team leaders grow in pastoring their teams.
Texting And Interacting
Our Texting platform has taken our relational element to a whole new level! Not only can we communicate upcoming events, we can also have ongoing personal follow up in text conversations.
We’ve updated the information desk area in an effort to promote a more welcoming and relational environment. We’ve also added tablets for members and guests to view opportunities to connect and upcoming events.
Connecting
In addition to atrium greeters, we’ve added sanctuary greeters who specifically identify and connect with guests. We’ve also created a training plan to help our team leaders grow in pastoring their teams.
Texting And Interacting
Our Texting platform has taken our relational element to a whole new level! Not only can we communicate upcoming events, we can also have ongoing personal follow up in text conversations.