Annual Report
2024-25
We are excited to celebrate many of the ways St. Mark’s Community Church has been making Jesus famous this fiscal year. See below for stories and statistics highlighting our year!
Improving our capacity for growth, impacting our community for God!
This spring, we launched For Your Neighbor, an initiative that will stretch us to imagine what God might do if we are willing to open our homes, our church, and our hearts to the mission field into which He has called us. For Your Neighbor is a faithful vision to prepare our facility, expand our capacity, increase our accessibility, and welcome His abundant harvest!
We have been holding informational and inspirational dinners for people serving in specific ministry areas, and our final Congregational Dinner will be on June 4th! You can sign up here.
For more information about For Your Neighbor, visit our special website here !
WORSHIP
Sunday Energy & Growth
This year, we have continued to worship together with energy and enthusiasm on Sunday mornings! Sunday worship services have had a sustained growth of over 10% this year and a 20% growth in Advent 2024 compared to last year!
We just wrapped up an incredibly important series, Winning the War in Your Mind, which engaged scripture and science to combat negative thought patterns. Other influential series included Simple Living, Difficult People, and Be Love(d).
Our online footprint is strong for Sunday services and weekly content! This year, our YouTube channel received 78,741 views and added 328 new subscribers, due in part to new features, like our sermon shorts.
Baptism, Candles & Carols, and Christmas Roadtrips
In March 2025, we held our first Sunday baptism service for adults in our Worship Center. This service provided an intimate setting for baptism, allowing our congregation to be involved with the sacrament by pouring water into the baptismal font to signify their role as the “big C” church walking with those being baptized (see photo).
In our exciting Christmas series, we took a “Christmas Roadtrip” together, exploring the wisemen’s journey with enriching messages and an entertaining video series and study guide for groups and families!
Nearly 500 people joined us for Good Friday services that ushered in Easter Weekend. Our Candles and Carols services kicked off the Advent season with 673 people in attendance across two services in the Chapel.
NEXT GEN: STUDENT & FAMILY MINISTRY
Waypoint: You Belong Here!
This year, our middle and high school student ministry “re-branded” as Waypoint. Our world is filled with many distractions, negative influences, and false advice. Waypoint is a place for students where the timeless truths of God’s word cut through the noise.
Middle school averaged 20% growth this year!
17 new students attended City Rush, an event geared towards fun with friends and evangelism!
18 students were baptized this year!
“Best Camp We’ve Ever Had!”
“This summer, we had what several youth leaders described as ‘the best year of student summer camp we've ever had.’ Numerous students worshiped God with their whole hearts for the first time, others shared their stories vulnerably with their peers, and several students gave their lives to Jesus for the first time! I have been praying for the last three years that one particular student would share his story, and he finally did. He came back different, surrounded by community and freedom!”
-Shawn Colacchia, Student Ministry Director
Kids Ministry: Growth, Growth, and more Growth
Our Sunday morning nursery, preschool, and elementary school environments—from birth through 5th grade—have grown over 30% this year. We are engaging with an average of 308 children each month!
Kids Ministry Camp Fun
Camp was a powerful and unforgettable experience for our elementary students this year. Surrounded by fun, friendship, and the beauty of God's creation, the kids not only made lasting memories but also encountered Jesus in a life-changing way. We are excited to share that 4 children gave their lives to Christ, beginning their journey of faith, and 8 others recommitted themselves to living a life that honors God in all they do. And many more had amazing conversations and discussions around their faith. It was a week filled with joy, growth, and spiritual breakthrough — a true testament to God's work in young hearts.
Our Children are Giving Back
“At SMCKids, we’ve been focusing on how each of us can use the unique gifts and talents God has given us to make a difference in the world around us. Our kids have been exploring what it means to truly love our community and share the light of Jesus. This past Christmas, they put that love into action by creating 115 heartfelt Christmas cards, which were delivered to shut-ins and nursing homes throughout Alamance County. Through moments like these, our children are learning not just about faith, but how to live and love like Jesus in everyday, meaningful ways.”
-Mollie Vaughan, Kids Ministry Director
Making Jesus Famous for the Next Generation.
Weekday Preschool Highlight: “Pumpkins for a Purpose”
“Through our Pumpkins for a Purpose fundraiser, our preschool children had the incredible opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus by raising nearly $4,000 for the Western Carolina Disaster Relief Fund in just 5 days!. Each class decorated a pumpkin (pictured), which was then entered into a friendly competition where the public voted by donating to their favorite design. The class that received the most donations was rewarded with a fun ice cream party! More importantly, the students experienced the joy and pride of helping others, as they encouraged their friends and family to support a meaningful cause.”
-April Wevers, Weekday Preschool Director
Strengthening Community Connections
This year, the preschool team is making a special effort to strengthen the connections between staff, church, community, and preschool families. SMC Preschool believes it’s important that families not only feel welcomed within the preschool walls but also know they are valued and supported beyond them. Building these meaningful relationships is at the heart of everything they do.
Through the annual Christmas program (pictured), led by new music teacher, Ms. Leslie Johnson, hundreds of family members witnessed the children singing festive songs of joy in the birth of Christ! Through outreach events like the Pumpkins for a Purpose and the Helping Hands food drive (pictured), children, families, and staff show compassion in action, together!
This year, SMC Weekday Preschool added a new 2-year-old class and 24 new students!
GROUPS & SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Growing in Christ, Together
127 people joined us for Connect Lunch
70 people baptized in August 2024 and March 2025 (see photo)
84 people joined Community Groups, for a total of 628 group members
10 new Community Groups launched this year, for a total of 53 Community Groups and Bible Studies
6,000 total views of the Primer Podcast over the last year, for an average of 115 views per week
23 people began Apprentice Journeys (see below for an Apprentice testimony)
Becoming Christ’s Apprentices
Apprentice is transforming the lives of many here at St Mark’s. Over the past 5 years, more than 120 people have undergone this journey through The Good and Beautiful God book series.
Here’s how Brant Manning, an Apprentice leader for the fall of 2025, was impacted by Apprentice:
“As a young believer, Apprentice gave me a platform to better understand and seek wisdom in scripture. During my Apprentice journey, the conviction of faith overcame me, and I became a baptized believer of Christ, accepting him as my Lord and Savior. While only God could cause this to happen, Apprentice greatly aided in this journey. It was refreshing to discuss seemingly difficult questions that were causing my heart to stay guarded. The Apprentice book series opened up my eyes and my heart to reading the word of God for what it is, and to seek truth in it through discernment through the Spirit within a community of people walking together.”
Freshly Brewed Community: Men’s and Women’s Coffee Co-Ops
This fall, we launched our Men’s Coffee Co-Op early on Tuesday mornings, giving men a chance to come together for fellowship, study, and even an early morning F3 workout! The Bible study group regularly included over 40 men, with over 20 men engaging in multiple book studies this fall and spring.
On Thursday mornings, our women came together for the Women’s Coffee Co-Op, consisting of 3 different Bible and book study groups, averaging 60 women each week!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Community Connections
Serving Together, Building Community
“I always think it’s cool to see guests become congregants and congregants become family, especially through volunteering. A young couple first joined us around this time last year and developed a relationship with one of our greeters, who became like a bonus grandmother to their baby. Over the last year, that relationship evolved into the young couple serving with these special greeters.”
-Megan Baxendell, First Impressions Director
Connecting with Elon and beyond!
Our monthly Elon student group has more than doubled this year, growing to 93 students! First Impressions has added 25 volunteers across our greeting, parking, usher, and welcome teams, and we started a brand new team: an Elon hospitality group inviting Elon students into their homes monthly for a meal!
“With such a strong student presence now, I’m eager to see more students serving with us. So many are naturally invitational, and they bring a wealth of experience and energy to our community!”
-Megan Baxendell
A Growing Community
Since July 2024, our First Impressions team has received 423 new guests at St. Mark’s!
St. Mark’s has added 66 new members this year!
624 people serving in volunteer roles across St. Mark’s in 2024
CARE MINISTRY
Care Ministry: By the Numbers
The Care Ministry has a total of 272 volunteers across multiple service teams
The Card Team sent a total of 3,580 cards to 229 people
The Acts 2 Team delivered 181 gifts to homebound individuals and has provided countless meals to those recovering at home
The Compassion Team reached out to 68 families who lost loved ones
The Grief Care Team served 44 individuals who lost a family member, with 45-day follow-ups, 48 Holiday letters, 9 Mother’s Day letters, 4 Father’s Day letters, and grief support books
The Green Team has helped multiple families with yard work
The Soup for the Soul Team made over 100 quarts of soup
The Senior Adult Ministry held 4 fun events for all seniors (including a visit from Elvis, pictured), and the 58 members of the Senior Singles Group met regularly throughout the year
Loaves of Love
“Mitchie Hall (pictured, with pumpkin bread), who is 97 years old, loves the visits. She showed me things our team has given her in the past. She was so appreciative that we still remember her. We reminisced about the good old days and laughed a lot.”
-Linda Fricks, Care Ministry Volunteer
MISSIONS & OUTREACH
Back 2 School: A Decade of Impact, A Day to Remember
A Reflection from Missions Director Margaret Wooten
This year marked a special milestone: 10 years of loving and serving the incredible students of Eastlawn Elementary School. And we celebrated in a way only this community can—full of heart, hope, and hands ready to serve.
The momentum began with 28 dedicated volunteers who helped set up two vibrant stations—one for high schoolers and one for elementary students. Soon after, 92 volunteers came together with incredible energy to pack 1,164 backpacks, overflowing with essential school supplies for both elementary and middle/high school students.
But the celebration didn’t stop there. At the ballpark, 103 enthusiastic volunteers ensured every detail was covered, creating a joyful and welcoming space for the students and their families. 703 attendees filled the park—our largest crowd ever—and the sense of community was overwhelming.
The Spirit was palpable. Peace and joy flowed through every corner of the event as families laughed, played, and connected. Children delighted in face painting, balloon animals, bouncy houses, crafts, live music, and classic treats like hot dogs, snow cones, and cotton candy.
In another first, we welcomed the largest number of Eastlawn teachers and staff ever to attend, a powerful testament to the bonds that have grown over this past decade.
Back2School 2024 wasn’t just an event. It was a movement of love, a moment of unity, and a memory we’ll carry forward. Here’s to 10 years—and many more to come!
Helping Make Dreams a Reality
Did you know that our partnership with the Dream Center began before our For Your Neighbor campaign?
This Advent, we joined the Dream Center for their annual Christmas posada (see photo) celebrating Mary and Joseph’s seach for lodging before the birth of Jesus. Between Sunday services, we joined together to pack stockings and volunteer teams helped hand them out at the event!
Western NC Disaster Relief
This fall, our congregation leaned into relief efforts for western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. Through teams serving on the ground with ministry partner Samaritan’s Purse (see photo), donating supplies to new partners like Jimmie and Jean’s in West Jefferson, and financial donations totaling $43,800, you stepped up to be the hand and feet of Jesus when it mattered most for our neighbors!
A Positive Partnership Continues
Hand in Hand, our tutoring program in partnership with Positive Attitude Youth Center, has just completed its 4th year, serving 33 children with over 30 tutors.
“This year, I was asked by one of our tutors to speak at their church about Hand in Hand. As a result, 2 new tutors have joined us! I’m pumped because it’s the first time I’ve been asked to reach out to other parts of Alamance County about Hand in Hand. God be praised that this program is flourishing! I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year holds!”
-Leslie Woody, Hand in Hand director
MISSION CAFÉ
“The Men's and Women's Co-Ops have been amazing weekly events bringing people closer to each other and God. We have witnessed new friendships form, relationships deepen, and the Kingdom of God grow each week. In particular, the Women's Ministry has brought in young mothers with needs who can feel seen and heard. The Holy Spirit is moving through our ministries!”
-Jordan Fayne, Mission Café Manager
Meeting new people, growing relationships with them, watching them become regulars, and serving them as new members of our community is a central focus at Mission Café.
Mission Café is open daily from 7am to 1pm. Come to work, gather, or relax with a good book!
YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN HIS KINGDOM…
Finishing Strong this Fiscal Year
Budgeted Goal for Year: $3,084,446
Current Giving (as of June 1): $2,804,481
Amount needed to finish strong: $279,965
Thank you for your commitment to St. Marks Community Church—your ongoing generosity allows us to boldly pursue Christ’s Kingdom together!
