2021 Fall Update

We began this year in expectant prayer for all that the Lord had in store for us. In this Fall Update, we share about the ways in which He has so greatly exceeded our expectations for 2021 so far.

Being a Praying Church

At our 2021 Annual Vision & Prayer, we spent an extended time interceding for our church and city. We prayed specifically for our kids and families, Justice & Outreach ministry, that we would continue to be a praying church, that every member would use their gifts, and for our collective growth and maturing as followers of Christ.

We were able to continue this tradition of beginning in prayer by hosting a Week of Fasting & Prayer as the first events hosted in our new building! Our church began as prayer meetings, and we are grateful for the opportunity to begin again in this same way.

From Our First Home to Our New One

Late in 2020, we began to live-stream our services from our first home, the Swedish American Hall. Then in March, we were finally able to host our community in person for the first time in a year. It was such a wonderful experience to worship again in the place where our first services began. 

Around that same time, our leadership received a call about purchasing a church building here in the city. After many meetings, a process of discernment with our community, and the help of many amazing volunteers, we were able to host the very first services in our new church home! This is only the beginning of this chapter of our church, but we are expectant for how the Lord plans to use this space for His good in both big and small ways.

Sundays

After a full year of live-streaming our services, we were finally able to host members of community in person again. From March to June, we hosted over 1300 people in the Swedish American Hall. And on August 15th, we celebrated the opportunity to gather once again and minister in person with the first Sunday services in our new church home. Since August, we have also had the privilege of witnessing six people step into the waters of baptism, and 16 families publicly dedicate 19 children to the Lord. We are so grateful for the chance to host these important milestones in-person again for the first time in almost two years!

Justice & Outreach

So far this year, our outreach volunteers have served at 31 different opportunities with various Renewal Partners. They have provided meals and showers to the unhoused, helped with resume workshops and mock interviews for youth, and gotten their hands dirty moving, painting, and making spaces ready for ministry. We also hosted a supply drive to support nine Renewal Partners, an outreach picnic to connect with one another, and two training sessions taught by Renewal Partner leaders. In June, with the move to our new building, we also inherited the Food Pantry, a partnership with SF Marin Food Bank, which tangibly serves our neighbors in the Mission with farmer’s market-style groceries.

Youth Ministry

Our Youth Ministry began the year meeting weekly on Zoom, transitioned to several in-person opportunities, and are now finally able to meet every Sunday and Thursday. We also celebrated the graduation of four seniors. And despite so many changes this year, our Youth Ministry has been blessed with growth, including several new families, six new 6th graders, and three new volunteer leaders.

Prayer Ministry

Since 2020, we have experienced an increased need for connection through prayer, and this year has been no different. We are so grateful to our faithful Prayer Team members, and the 30 new people who have expressed interest in serving. This year, they have hosted over 60 one-on-one prayer calls, several Immanuel Prayer Sessions, and countless moments of care on Sundays.

Community & Discipleship

As we know, finding and cultivating community has been difficult, but we have seen our church be creative and persistent in this season. This year, we have hosted eight Community Mixers with over 100 people. These mixers are designed as a space to get to know others in our church and make connections in the hope that they will one day lead to deeper community. We have also hosted five courses with approximately 240 attendees to better equip and disciple our church towards deeper faith and maturity in Christ.

Music Ministry

Our Music Ministry volunteers have been some of the most faithful throughout the pandemic, and we are so grateful to them. As a result of their faithfulness, we were able to continue to worship through song together every Sunday, and we are so glad to finally be able to do so in person again! This year, our team also started a Music Ministry Cohort, which has created closer community, opportunities for vision casting, and a songwriting workshop. They are also getting ready to release a new EP, with six new songs written for our church!

Children’s Ministry

This year, we invited families to join us in deeper study through “The Village at Home,” and nearly 100 children were able to engage with our devotions. We hosted nine Family Socials, including a nature hike, costume parade, and food drive. And 20 of our faithful volunteers showed up virtually for our kids every Sunday, calling in from Hawaii to North Carolina. Since meeting at our new church home, we have welcomed 60-75 infant and preschool through elementary-aged children every Sunday.

Marriage Ministry

This year, our Marriage Ministry hosted online, seasonal small groups and a bookclub with 17 dating, engaged, or married couples. We hosted a Premarital Course online in January with 28 couples and 8 mentors, and another course will begin this fall in person. In May, we also hosted 93 people for an online panel and discussion to explore more about foster care and foster care support in our church community.

Sharing Our Resources

2021 Fall Financial Overview

Thank you, church, for being faithful and valuable supporters of our ministry to one another and our city! Despite the many uncomfortable changes over the past year, our present moment as a church provides us with many more opportunities to pursue our mission and vision together.

Through your faithful generosity, and the Lord’s faithfulness and provision to us, we have been given the gift of stewarding a building where our mission and vision can grow. Our hope and prayer is that everyone in our community will invest their time, treasure, and talent into the life of our church, so that this place can continue to be a light for our city for generations to come.

Your generosity in directly funding our Benevolence, Justice & Outreach, and Building funds has positioned us to provide even more than we thought possible, while also maintaining our operational needs. We depend on you to continue your faithful, generous, and sacrificial giving to enable the mission and vision of Reality to not only continue, but to thrive. 

Learn more about our approach to generosity and financial accountability, our 2020 CPA-Reviewed Financial Statement, and ECFA accreditation.

If you’d like to receive a Monthly Financial Reports email about our giving and how it’s lining up with our annual budget and monthly giving goals, subscribe to this list.

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