"The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love." (Gal. 5:6).
That's our vision. As such, we count what "matters" in a way that gives us a picture of the overall health of discipleship at Fondren Church.
Because we believe that a disciple is someone who:
(1) connects with God,
(2) grows in community,
(3) serves with one another, and
(4) gives to the mission of God,
these numbers are what "matter" to us. They give us a picture of health, and so, they're more than mere numbers. They're like our vital signs. We pray that these marks of discipleship would give you a picture of the health of your church and the people who serve to build her up in love.
Connect
to God
Connecting
on Sundays
In 2018, we saw hundreds of people regularly connect to God in one of our two services at 9:30 and 11:00 and in our Kids and Student environments.
In September, Mark, Owen, and Madeline Phillippi were baptized together.
We are thankful for families and individuals taking their next step in their faith journey.
“Fondren Church’s Baby Dedication was a joyful and humbling service. To have our family and friends surround us with prayer was a memory we will always treasure.”
Hayes and Allie Singleton
Grow in
Community
“Going from rows to circles in our community group over the last few years has blessed our lives beyond measure. Coming together and sharing our burdens has allowed us to grow together and in Christ.”
Molly Diffee, Group Member
392
People in Groups
Of the hundreds of people who connect to God in a worship service, 392 took their discipleship a step further to grow in community.
—
Our 32 groups are made up of…
350 adults
14 Students
28 College Students
—
31
CHILDREN DEDICATED
27 families took a step of faith and made the commitment to grow their children in the Lord at Child Dedication Services.
31 of our kids were prayed over and cared for as a result of those services.
Serve with
One Another
137
PEOPLE Serving on Sundays
We are thankful for the team of volunteers who make Sunday happen.
—
71 PEOPLE SERVING Weekly
129 people serving Monthly
—
1 to 60
Ratio of Staff to our people
We are committed to equipping the saints for ministry.
-
Serving in the Everyday
-
120
120 people participated in one of 3 serve days.
“In August, Fondren Church held a serve day at Walton Elementary School where we painted, cleaned, and worked on multiple projects.”
In Our City. For Our City.
98
PEOPLE participated in a Mission Trip
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.
Fondren Church traveled to Matamoros, Mexico and built a roof on a home that will house orphans.
16
We ordained 16 new Deacons at special ordination services.
Our Deacons lead us in serving one another.
Give to
the Mission
“Discipleship shows up in our giving, and this was our best year yet!”
$2.18
Million
2018 Total Giving
(up 18.64% from 2017)
$1.8
Million
2018 Budget
42%
Percent of Budget Devoted to Staffing
"equipping the saints to do the works of ministry." Ephesians 4:12
$71
Average Weekly Gift Per Person
(up $17.55 from 2017)
$3,678
Average Annual Giving per Person
(up $287.28 from 2017)
164
Systematic Givers
33% of all givers are systematic; 28% of average Sunday attendance give systematically
491
Total Number of People Who Gave
$1.62 Million
Total giving from systematic givers only
75% of total revenue came from 33% of givers and 28% of our average Sunday attendance
$1.86
Million
Total Given to Missions in
history of Fondren Church
We “double the tithe,” by giving 20% of every dollar to mission partners and causes.
“The generosity of our people allowed us to give $436,386.63 to the mission of God, as we doubled the tithe and gave 20% away again!
$1,856,386.63 has been given to the mission of God over the life of our church!”
$436k
Given to Missions in 2018
which led to:
35 children rescued from human trafficking.
600 at-risk kids served weekly in Cambodia.
225 kids in Hinds County blessed at our Foster Care Christmas Party.
40 West Fondren students mentored weekly.
90% improvement on reading scores through elementary reading program.
3,000 meals a week served to children on the island of Hispaniola.
A new roof built for an orphanage in Mexico.
A multi-purpose building finished in downtown Marks, Mississippi.
Over 100 neighborhood families impacted by Easter Egg Hunt, Fall Fest, and Christmas Tree giveaway.
Renovation begun on Community Room in our current gym.
“20% of every dollar you give goes to organizations like The Hard Places, one of our partners fighting sex trafficking in Cambodia.”
Pictured: Student Pastor Daniel Wagner laughs with street kids during the 2018 Cambodia Mission Trip.
294
TOTAL Members at fondren church
30
New Members at fondren church in 2018
Love Gives
This fall we introduced Love Gives, a three-year initiative to retire our debt, create a hospitality area, expand our kids space, and transform our gym into a community center.