Heritage News
Q4 2023: October - December
BREATHE
The Numbers Are Up!
Fourth Quarter was an eventful quarter for Breathe! Our Sunday attendance steadily increased and we added more volunteers to our team. We have several individuals who plan to be baptized soon. The Breathe Life Center is now serving 8 individuals enabling them to be active in the community and working on life skills. We recently opened a new Breathe Life Center location in Valdosta to meet the needs of families there.
Advocating For Those In Need
One of our favorite things to do is to advocate for the needs of families with special needs. We recently went to the Capital and met with several state leaders regarding issues such as the lack of dental care for adults with disabilities, waiver issues, and independent living access.
Growth
We are currently assisting a church in Valdosta with starting a special needs ministry. We host monthly Parent Workshops on topics relevant to parenting kids and adults with special needs. Our “big dream” is independent living housing in South Ga for people with disabilities and we are actively searching for land to begin the process of building homes.
Lately, we’ve been in full force planning and preparing for our 8th annual Night to Shine coming up on February 9th!
Fourth Quarter was an eventful quarter for Breathe! Our Sunday attendance steadily increased and we added more volunteers to our team. We have several individuals who plan to be baptized soon. The Breathe Life Center is now serving 8 individuals enabling them to be active in the community and working on life skills. We recently opened a new Breathe Life Center location in Valdosta to meet the needs of families there.
Advocating For Those In Need
One of our favorite things to do is to advocate for the needs of families with special needs. We recently went to the Capital and met with several state leaders regarding issues such as the lack of dental care for adults with disabilities, waiver issues, and independent living access.
Growth
We are currently assisting a church in Valdosta with starting a special needs ministry. We host monthly Parent Workshops on topics relevant to parenting kids and adults with special needs. Our “big dream” is independent living housing in South Ga for people with disabilities and we are actively searching for land to begin the process of building homes.
Lately, we’ve been in full force planning and preparing for our 8th annual Night to Shine coming up on February 9th!
SUNDAY SUPPORT &
DISCIPLESHIP PATHWAY
Coming Home For Christmas
We had 76 in attendance for our Christmas Gathering which included special guests Jonathan and Gina Napier, past members who are now serving at Gwinnett Church. Gina was able to share her Heritage story and how it has impacted her life. Christmas in the Atrium was a success. We recreated “Journey to Jesus” as well as adding key scriptures to follow the Advent theme and an interactive Jesus board where everyone could engage in spelling out Jesus with a personal descriptive word. We hope to add this as a visual on our campus for years to come.
Sunday Support
We have established core leadership within Sunday Support. Each team has a dedicated leader who encourages, equips and prays for their team members. Core Leadership will meet regularly to be sure teams are cared for well. We are working to get team members up-to-date on background checks and refamiliarize teams to our Honor Code. Baptism Team is working to plan a “Spontaneous Baptism Sunday” in the summer. This year we totaled 24 baptisms! Our Baptism Coordinator, Haley Smith, welcomed her second daughter, Stella to the family, We celebrated her with a Team Baby Shower!
Discipleship Pathway
4th Quarter we welcomed 11 people to Discover Heritage. Six of them connected to a small group or ministry at our church, and 5 joined the Heritage Family! The team is always striving to improve our processes and recruit for Discover Heritage.
We had 76 in attendance for our Christmas Gathering which included special guests Jonathan and Gina Napier, past members who are now serving at Gwinnett Church. Gina was able to share her Heritage story and how it has impacted her life. Christmas in the Atrium was a success. We recreated “Journey to Jesus” as well as adding key scriptures to follow the Advent theme and an interactive Jesus board where everyone could engage in spelling out Jesus with a personal descriptive word. We hope to add this as a visual on our campus for years to come.
Sunday Support
We have established core leadership within Sunday Support. Each team has a dedicated leader who encourages, equips and prays for their team members. Core Leadership will meet regularly to be sure teams are cared for well. We are working to get team members up-to-date on background checks and refamiliarize teams to our Honor Code. Baptism Team is working to plan a “Spontaneous Baptism Sunday” in the summer. This year we totaled 24 baptisms! Our Baptism Coordinator, Haley Smith, welcomed her second daughter, Stella to the family, We celebrated her with a Team Baby Shower!
Discipleship Pathway
4th Quarter we welcomed 11 people to Discover Heritage. Six of them connected to a small group or ministry at our church, and 5 joined the Heritage Family! The team is always striving to improve our processes and recruit for Discover Heritage.
FINANCIALS
We finished the year underspent. We're thankful for the staff and their stewardship over their budgets. We were able to grow our campus account during a tough year.
MISSIONS
The Storehouse
The Storehouse finished fourth quarter strong, surpassing a quarter of a million dollars in revenue for the second year in a row. We ended this year with a total sales of $250,132.63. This total doesn’t include the thousands of dollars of furniture, housewares, clothing and other items distributed through agencies like Red Cross, CrossRoads, CrossRoads4Her, Life Under The Son, Colquitt County Schools, Good Samaritan Counseling, and other local partners. Storehouse Relief Team worked with community partners to serve 33 families or individuals in the 4th quarter for a 2023 total of 134 families or individuals served in 2024 through Storehouse Relief team- an average of 11 per month.
Besides our ongoing local and global partnerships, the Storehouse has become a place where many missionaries or organizations can stop by and share a meal with us. It’s an opportunity to hear their vision and send them on their way with encouragement, prayer, and often sowing into their ministry. We were able to welcome Meazy Silva and her friend Sam as they shared their dream of building a school in Ghana,Horatiu Piloiu and his counseling ministry in Romania, to contribute to Johnny Ray’s ongoing water purification and pila projects for rural Honduran communities, and many others throughout the year. We’re grateful for a place like the Storehouse to bless and encourage workers as they pass through.
Christmas Is (Was) Here!
Finishing up with our Christmas sales and then a meaningful Christmas Banquet with about 85 of our Storehouse Family in early December, the Storehouse closed from receiving donations for the holidays. The team took several weeks off. With no January sales, this month is dedicated to renovation and reorganization. The Feb. 3 bag sale will launch 2024 sales.
Celebrations With Ministry Leaders
At our December Missions Leadership meeting, we reviewed and celebrated all local, national, and global cases for support. From contributing to schools, evangelism, and hospital ministry in Uganda, supporting the school in Bethlehem, partnering with regenerative farming and disciple makers in Somaliland, sending our own HGM’s to the Middle East and Scotland to partnering locally with transitional living shelters, jail ministry, counseling centers, and many other local organizations, we continue to be amazed at all we’re able to be a part of through the generous hearts and hands of our faith community. We also reviewed and approved the addition of a new national partnership. Westley and Alex (Smith) Phillippi are living in Clarkston, GA, a refugee city and leading a ministry of hospitality and sharing the gospel with their M. neighbors. Westley and Alex who grew up at Heritage share the same heart for the M. community as Drew and Kate and are contending in Clarkston united in purpose with Drew and Kate in the ME.
To date, global mission trips on the 2024 calendar are ongoing water purification initiatives with Johnny Ray, Seth Berl’s Medical mission in March, Eddie Seagle’s Peru mission and a Next Gen. Solohope Honduras mission in June. We’re also dreaming of taking our first prayer/pickleball team to Drew and Kate in the ME in the fall.
The Storehouse finished fourth quarter strong, surpassing a quarter of a million dollars in revenue for the second year in a row. We ended this year with a total sales of $250,132.63. This total doesn’t include the thousands of dollars of furniture, housewares, clothing and other items distributed through agencies like Red Cross, CrossRoads, CrossRoads4Her, Life Under The Son, Colquitt County Schools, Good Samaritan Counseling, and other local partners. Storehouse Relief Team worked with community partners to serve 33 families or individuals in the 4th quarter for a 2023 total of 134 families or individuals served in 2024 through Storehouse Relief team- an average of 11 per month.
Besides our ongoing local and global partnerships, the Storehouse has become a place where many missionaries or organizations can stop by and share a meal with us. It’s an opportunity to hear their vision and send them on their way with encouragement, prayer, and often sowing into their ministry. We were able to welcome Meazy Silva and her friend Sam as they shared their dream of building a school in Ghana,Horatiu Piloiu and his counseling ministry in Romania, to contribute to Johnny Ray’s ongoing water purification and pila projects for rural Honduran communities, and many others throughout the year. We’re grateful for a place like the Storehouse to bless and encourage workers as they pass through.
Christmas Is (Was) Here!
Finishing up with our Christmas sales and then a meaningful Christmas Banquet with about 85 of our Storehouse Family in early December, the Storehouse closed from receiving donations for the holidays. The team took several weeks off. With no January sales, this month is dedicated to renovation and reorganization. The Feb. 3 bag sale will launch 2024 sales.
Celebrations With Ministry Leaders
At our December Missions Leadership meeting, we reviewed and celebrated all local, national, and global cases for support. From contributing to schools, evangelism, and hospital ministry in Uganda, supporting the school in Bethlehem, partnering with regenerative farming and disciple makers in Somaliland, sending our own HGM’s to the Middle East and Scotland to partnering locally with transitional living shelters, jail ministry, counseling centers, and many other local organizations, we continue to be amazed at all we’re able to be a part of through the generous hearts and hands of our faith community. We also reviewed and approved the addition of a new national partnership. Westley and Alex (Smith) Phillippi are living in Clarkston, GA, a refugee city and leading a ministry of hospitality and sharing the gospel with their M. neighbors. Westley and Alex who grew up at Heritage share the same heart for the M. community as Drew and Kate and are contending in Clarkston united in purpose with Drew and Kate in the ME.
To date, global mission trips on the 2024 calendar are ongoing water purification initiatives with Johnny Ray, Seth Berl’s Medical mission in March, Eddie Seagle’s Peru mission and a Next Gen. Solohope Honduras mission in June. We’re also dreaming of taking our first prayer/pickleball team to Drew and Kate in the ME in the fall.
NEXT GEN
During the 4th quarter, Heritage Kids averaged 174 attending preschool and elementary ministry (including leaders), with Heritage Students averaging 129 students at our middle school (59) and high school (70) weekly worship/small group gatherings. In God’s kindness, we have had 22 kids and students publicly identify with Christ in baptism in 2023.
Elementary
Along with our regular Sunday gatherings, our kids ministry participated in a very meaningful International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Additionally, Leah Gaines turned our Sunday night small group childcare into a fun kids Christmas musical with 62 kids participating in our December service.
Student Ministry
Student ministry is continuing to do weekly outreach ministry through FCA in the CA Gray courtyard with our students leading devotions and worship. We also have 21 students actively involved in one on one discipling/mentoring
relationships.
Family Ministry
We’re excited about a developing mentoring ministry for young dads in our church. The intention is to help younger dads feel connected, supported, and encouraged by an older father in the church after they participate in Child Dedication. This quarter we had several opportunities for families including a fun Family Picnic with Kickball and two Fam Jam events including Christmas Jingle Jam with several hundred in attendance. In December our leaders had a rootin’ tootin’ good time bull riding and learning the Virginia Reel at our Next Gen Christmas party.
Updates and Dreams
We are in communication with a local company about covering our kids playground to make our space more usable during the heat of summer.
We’re excited to have set a date on our calendar for a mission trip this June to Honduras with several of our student ministry leaders. The goal is to build relationships this summer and then make plans to regularly bring a group of students and families to serve and do ministry with our partners in Honduras.
Elementary
Along with our regular Sunday gatherings, our kids ministry participated in a very meaningful International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Additionally, Leah Gaines turned our Sunday night small group childcare into a fun kids Christmas musical with 62 kids participating in our December service.
Student Ministry
Student ministry is continuing to do weekly outreach ministry through FCA in the CA Gray courtyard with our students leading devotions and worship. We also have 21 students actively involved in one on one discipling/mentoring
relationships.
Family Ministry
We’re excited about a developing mentoring ministry for young dads in our church. The intention is to help younger dads feel connected, supported, and encouraged by an older father in the church after they participate in Child Dedication. This quarter we had several opportunities for families including a fun Family Picnic with Kickball and two Fam Jam events including Christmas Jingle Jam with several hundred in attendance. In December our leaders had a rootin’ tootin’ good time bull riding and learning the Virginia Reel at our Next Gen Christmas party.
Updates and Dreams
We are in communication with a local company about covering our kids playground to make our space more usable during the heat of summer.
We’re excited to have set a date on our calendar for a mission trip this June to Honduras with several of our student ministry leaders. The goal is to build relationships this summer and then make plans to regularly bring a group of students and families to serve and do ministry with our partners in Honduras.
PRAYER & PASTORAL CARE
Walking With Those In Grief
We ended the year with some significant annual events- Remembrance Sunday and Surviving the Holidays. On Remembrance Sunday, the first Sunday of December, we honored the lives of 63 loved ones who passed away in 2023. The Surviving the Holidays Event before Thanksgiving offered encouragement and practical information to families with loss heading into the holidays. Forty-seven people were in attendance. Lisa DeMott and her team facilitated this event as well as leading the Grief Share group which met on Wednesdays during 4th quarter with twenty-seven regular attenders. Grief Share and Surviving the Holidays have become vital and fruitful ministry offered each fall.
Decentralization
The vision of pastoral care staff has been to “decentralize” the pastoring of our people. This is increasingly occurring as ministry groups and small groups are caring for their members. Dawn cares for or connects those in difficult seasons who may not be connected to a group. Dawn and her leaders provided funeral meals for 14 members this year and ministered through visits, gifts or cards to 38 others experiencing loss, crisis, or need. We’re hoping that moving toward quarters this year and also offering some longer term small groups will continue to cultivate our culture of people caring for one another.
Fresh New Faces
John and Mary Kaye Turrentine have been a great addition to our prayer ministry scheduling and encouraging our Sunday morning prayer teams. A community prayer team of 12 people led by Dawn Barnett met weekly during fourth quarter to pray at significant places in our community representing different “mountains of influence” such as CRMC, PCOM, Mack Tharpe Stadium, The Courthouse and others. On the first Sunday of November, the IDOP for the persecuted church, our congregation had some significant prayer time during our worship services focusing on the 10 countries where Christians are most persecuted. This seemed to give awareness and touch some hearts for the plight of persecuted believers. We’re hoping to cultivate this awareness throughout the year. In December, a long awaited prayer initiative began preparations for launch. The Community 24 hour prayer room on the square is working toward a launch in late March. Dawn Barnett and other prayer leaders have been attending organizational meetings for this community wide initiative. Several of our students are taking leadership roles.
Hope House
Currently some of our prayer people are participating in a 40 day prayer initiative at noon each day at Hope House. Another prayer ministry we’re in the process of fortifying is our prayer blanket ministry. We’ve expanded this ministry to incorporate Eddie Seagle’s quarterly prayer blanket ministry at the proton therapy center in Jacksonville.
We ended the year with some significant annual events- Remembrance Sunday and Surviving the Holidays. On Remembrance Sunday, the first Sunday of December, we honored the lives of 63 loved ones who passed away in 2023. The Surviving the Holidays Event before Thanksgiving offered encouragement and practical information to families with loss heading into the holidays. Forty-seven people were in attendance. Lisa DeMott and her team facilitated this event as well as leading the Grief Share group which met on Wednesdays during 4th quarter with twenty-seven regular attenders. Grief Share and Surviving the Holidays have become vital and fruitful ministry offered each fall.
Decentralization
The vision of pastoral care staff has been to “decentralize” the pastoring of our people. This is increasingly occurring as ministry groups and small groups are caring for their members. Dawn cares for or connects those in difficult seasons who may not be connected to a group. Dawn and her leaders provided funeral meals for 14 members this year and ministered through visits, gifts or cards to 38 others experiencing loss, crisis, or need. We’re hoping that moving toward quarters this year and also offering some longer term small groups will continue to cultivate our culture of people caring for one another.
Fresh New Faces
John and Mary Kaye Turrentine have been a great addition to our prayer ministry scheduling and encouraging our Sunday morning prayer teams. A community prayer team of 12 people led by Dawn Barnett met weekly during fourth quarter to pray at significant places in our community representing different “mountains of influence” such as CRMC, PCOM, Mack Tharpe Stadium, The Courthouse and others. On the first Sunday of November, the IDOP for the persecuted church, our congregation had some significant prayer time during our worship services focusing on the 10 countries where Christians are most persecuted. This seemed to give awareness and touch some hearts for the plight of persecuted believers. We’re hoping to cultivate this awareness throughout the year. In December, a long awaited prayer initiative began preparations for launch. The Community 24 hour prayer room on the square is working toward a launch in late March. Dawn Barnett and other prayer leaders have been attending organizational meetings for this community wide initiative. Several of our students are taking leadership roles.
Hope House
Currently some of our prayer people are participating in a 40 day prayer initiative at noon each day at Hope House. Another prayer ministry we’re in the process of fortifying is our prayer blanket ministry. We’ve expanded this ministry to incorporate Eddie Seagle’s quarterly prayer blanket ministry at the proton therapy center in Jacksonville.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
We ended the year with a full demo of a staff building to add more small group space. There will be two living room spaces with a full kitchen in the center. We hope to finish construction and move into the space by mid February. Our grounds received a fresh layer of pine straw and gravel for our drive. Also, at the end of the year we completed the upgrade to the Storehouse front façade.
This last quarter, we’ve done a lot of dreaming, research and planning for future growth and upgrades for our property and grounds. We have a building on property that needs a full septic replacement and are considering what options to best use that space and funds. Dreaming is underway for a property upgrade on South Campus to better serve our people with improved and increased parking, driveways, and secure recreation areas for our teens. Also, a goal is to improve curb appeal for South Campus. Another dream is for a prayer walk across our property.
This last quarter, we’ve done a lot of dreaming, research and planning for future growth and upgrades for our property and grounds. We have a building on property that needs a full septic replacement and are considering what options to best use that space and funds. Dreaming is underway for a property upgrade on South Campus to better serve our people with improved and increased parking, driveways, and secure recreation areas for our teens. Also, a goal is to improve curb appeal for South Campus. Another dream is for a prayer walk across our property.
SMALL GROUPS
This fall we had 87 small groups and more than 44 in one on one discipleship. We had a wide selection of groups to choose from among which were groups for moms, several prayer groups, missions groups, parent groups, and even a crocheting group. Fourth Quarter has been successfully providing a larger small group opportunity with a Sunday morning Bible Study with a team of rotating teachers. This led us to experiment with a large third quarter gathering in the sanctuary on Sunday nights. It was received very well and is something we may implement again in the future. Second Quarter will be offering their first large small group this Spring.
The church also launched RightNow Media as a small group platform and free access has been given to all members to complement their personal spiritual growth. Currently over four hundred of our members are taking advantage of this resource. We can see from our
engagement report that families are utilizing this tool as much as small groups. Forty three
precent of the views belonged to kid created content. The other 57 precent of views belonged to small group studies. Those studies covered books of the Bible, Christian living, Marriage and Doctrine. We are excited to see how it will continue to be utilized this coming spring season. We have several small groups utilizing for the spring including our first online RightNow Media small group.
The church also launched RightNow Media as a small group platform and free access has been given to all members to complement their personal spiritual growth. Currently over four hundred of our members are taking advantage of this resource. We can see from our
engagement report that families are utilizing this tool as much as small groups. Forty three
precent of the views belonged to kid created content. The other 57 precent of views belonged to small group studies. Those studies covered books of the Bible, Christian living, Marriage and Doctrine. We are excited to see how it will continue to be utilized this coming spring season. We have several small groups utilizing for the spring including our first online RightNow Media small group.