2023-2024
Annual Report
Pastor Mark Dixon
Lead Pastor
I heard the other day that when driving, it is important to glance in your rearview mirror at least every eight seconds. That sounded too frequent, but the next time you are driving think about this, and you will likely find it is about right. That means we are looking forward about 85% of the time, but a brief glance back provides the confidence and awareness required to continue on our journey ahead. This annual report is a quick glance back that provides us a moment of praise and anticipation for what lies ahead of us at West Meadows.
As I personally glance backwards, I do so with a great sense of joy at the inescapable knowledge that God has richly blessed us yet again. Our church has continued to grow numerically and spiritually, we have been given opportunities to reach further into our surrounding community, and God has met our material and spiritual needs. Here are some brief examples of what I mean:
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“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1
Our congregation has increased by almost 20% this past year.
We have remained unified, with a very healthy culture and welcoming atmosphere.
Our Discipleship Pathway was fully launched with people participating in every aspect.
Our youth group has almost doubled, for both connect events and Bible Study nights!
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“God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:19
We funded the extensive foyer renovation and exterior campus updates.
We ended the year having fully supported all of our ministries and missionaries.
We funded a team of 13 people to serve at Dories Promise in Guatemala.
We were able to hire Pastor Colin Owen as our new Pastor of Worship Arts.
We baptized another 16 people (many of them adults ) and welcomed another 20 people into membership.
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“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:16
We are looking more like the diverse community surrounding our church.
We have continued to partner with Global Aware Daycare and their 125 children.
Eggstravaganza and Canada Day Pancake Breakfast were anticipated annual events by Lewis Farms.
We increased our benevolent assistance, grief supports, marriage enrichment, event rentals, and weekly worship services at local senior’s residences.
We are all excited and committed to the great ministry and blessings in store for us in the days ahead. Nadine and I love this church, we love the Lord, and love your excitement about the opportunities awaiting us next year!
Blessings,
Pastor Mark & Nadine Dixon
What we’ve Learned
Sermon Series
The Beatitudes
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B.L.E.S.S.
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The Book of Malachi
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Christmas Together
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James: Faith that Works
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Your Kingdom Come
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Caution: Prayer Ahead
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The Beatitudes | B.L.E.S.S. | The Book of Malachi | Christmas Together | James: Faith that Works | Your Kingdom Come | Caution: Prayer Ahead |
The Beatitudes | Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount with what is referred to as "The Beatitudes". In these verses, Jesus described the heart and character of his kingdom people.
B.L.E.S.S. | Most Christians want to share the truth of God's love with others but are not sure how to do so without scaring or offending people. The B.L.E.S.S. model of relationship evangelism provides a more organic and authentic way to share your faith.
The Book of Malachi | When the people of God returned from exile, the conditions were not good. To these people, God sends the Prophet Malachi, who reminds them of God's steadfast love and faithfulness, and calls them to once again honour God and his covenant.
Christmas Together | This series showed us how Christmas and the Gospel can bring people together and how focusing upon Christ throughout the holidays can inform our attitudes and actions toward others.
James: Faith that Works | True faith is a faith that works; a faith that makes a difference when put to into practice in the daily life of a Christian. The book of James calls us to not settle for a private, comfortable, intellectual knowledge of Jesus, but to an active faith that works in every area of life.
Your Kingdom Come | From the moment Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, he knew "the hour had come" for him to give his life for the sins of humanity, thereby providing the hope of New Life to all who place their faith in him. Just prior to these final events, Jesus explained to his disciples what must take place, and offered a final prayer in their presence.
Caution: Prayer Ahead | Many times, we can feel like our prayer life is stuck in a rut, and in need of a fresh shot of inspiration. Through this series, you were challenged to pray more boldly, with a vibrant faith that honours our amazing God.
Terry Elkins
Board Chair
As I reflect on the year, I can’t help but look a bit further over my six years of serving on the board, four of those years as Board Chair. In that time, the board has tackled a lot; covid pivots, policy development, campus planning, and everything in between. It’s been a ton of work, but we’ve done it together. We’ve grown (and grown closer) with each challenge, and we’ve been abundantly blessed through it all.
As a church family, we’ve lived what “new life with Jesus” means, through our actions, not just our words. Together, by God’s grace, blessing, and His Spirit’s leading, we navigated the pandemic, we’ve engaged our community, we’ve added new and expanded ministry, we’ve brought on new staff, and we’ve ordained our Lead Pastor! Together we’ve pressed into the Lord, sought His heart and His will.
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• For the Lord. For His love, grace, and strength to complete the work set before us. It’s been incredible to see Him at work, how He calls, equips, and grows His church, and how His plans and purposes are manifesting here at West Meadows.
• For an amazing board filled with caring, passionate, and Christ-centered individuals. A variety of backgrounds, giftings, and perspectives, but collectively, a singular, unified purpose, vision and desire to seek after God and His will!
• For a church family that has trusted and supported; you’ve been so incredibly generous with your time, talents, and resources. Because of your faithfulness in volunteering and giving, we’re able to sustain and grow the ministries and outreach we provide our growing community.
• For Pastor Mark, and the entire ministry team and church staff; for your friendship, guidance, and for modeling what it means “to be the heart of new life in Lewis Farms.”
In addition to serving as the Board Chair, I also had the privilege of chairing our Nominations Committee. The insights, understanding, and deep appreciation gained from both committee members and potential board candidates alike, are stand-outs for me. The robust discussion, discernment, and prayer-covered process showed (unsurprisingly) that we have been blessed by God with an amazing community of people that embody His grace, love, truth, and what it truly means to have a servant’s heart.
Board Member Highlights
Here are some additional highlights from a few other Board Members.
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Lori Hill
“The search committee which was formed for the Pastor of Worship Arts was a dream team, and we were blessed to be led by God in this time of searching. As we processed applications, it was very exciting so see how God was steering us towards Colin Owen. The process of interviews, reference checks, mock rehearsals, and then candidating was as smooth as any search process could be. I felt very blessed that God led us as a team and as a church to make a decision to hire Colin as Pastor of Worship Arts for West Meadows, and am excited for this next season of growth and new life!”
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Matt Boily
“I was thrilled to present a completed financial policy for board approval this year that reflected a year-long effort by a team of very talented and dedicated individuals. This policy will serve to protect our staff and volunteers when they are handling church funds and help ensure that church finances continue to be managed with integrity. I feel that the policies being established are helping prepare West Meadows to be successful as we head into an exciting period of transition and growth. I’m thankful for all of those who have shown care for the ministries of WMBC by helping on this committee.”
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Peter Doell
It has been a busy year for our committee as we helped bring two significant projects to completion. First was engaging development consultants to investigate options for the future of our campus. This has given us a roadmap for more areas to research, investigate, and discuss in the future. Secondly, we recommended a property survey, which has been completed and included property line markers and a review of easements and other agreements on our land title. All this would not have been possible without the knowledge and commitment of each of our team.”
Our Ministries
WM Kids
WM Kids is growing in every area! From babies to toddlers to preschoolers and beyond, we are grateful for God's blessings and the gift He has given us to help children Know, Grow, and Show God’s love! Through Sunday morning interactions, ministries specific to the needs of our families (Extraordinary Kids, Chat & Play, etc), and a keen interest in reaching our community through day camps and events, this past year has exploded with New Life!
WM Youth
Our youth group continues to grow every year!
Men’s Breakfast
Once a month, we hosted a hearty men's breakfast featuring good food and a guest speaker. It was a perfect opportunity for attendees to connect, share stories, and start the day with fellowship and inspiration.
Women’s Events
WM Women are equipped and mobilized to influence their world as godly women. Besides Grandmas & Gals Prayer Group, Compassionate Crafters, Chat n’ Play, and Wednesday night Bible Studies, several women participated in our Covert Care/Secret Pal initiative. Janae Oostenbrink, Jacqueline Crossman, Aleshia McIsaac, Nancy Manao, and Shannen Manao are an amazing leadership team.
This group of women have been key in planning and executing annual events such as the Summer Salad Soiree, Christmas In November, and Ladies in Bloom. This year, the team hopes to initiate FLAmingles (Fun Ladies-only Activities). There are many connecting opportunities to encourage WM Women to bond and grow in their faith.
Missions
The WM Missions team is an active group that regularly meets to discuss projects and ideas that will put a spotlight on the Missionaries and Missions’ organizations that we support. This year, West Meadows has hosted White Cross Workdays, Video Visits with missionaries, created a Missions Partners video (soon to be on display), added a new missions partner: Katrina Hayashi (with University Christian Ministries), and organized the Guatemala Missions trip. The team continues to be on the lookout for new and fresh ways to invest in and support local and global missions’ efforts. We’d love for you to join our team today!
Facility Improvements
Canada Day Pancake Breakfast
We partnered with the Lewis Estates community league for West Fest and served hundreds of pancakes to the community!
Sports Ministry
Our Sports Ministry connects people through activities like slo-pitch, floor hockey, pickleball, and basketball, fostering a sense of community and enjoyment! By providing a place for people to participate in various sports, it breaks down barriers and opens up opportunity for people to get to know one another.
Retirement Resident Services
We’ve had the great pleasure of journeying with the residents of the Lewis Estates Retirement Residence and the Shasta Care Community Center. We’ve also had some of them join us for worship services at West Meadows as well!
Worship Services
We began this ministry year with our Fall Kick Off service, seeing a significant increase in attendance compared to last year. For several weeks following, we had a variety of unique elements to our services including child dedications, a Pastor’s appreciation moment, our Thanksgiving hootenanny, Pastor Mark’s ordination service, baptisms, and much more.
Second Stories
Second Stories, our free clothing room, has been fully supported by the donations of our generous congregation. We have been able to help dozens of families, many of whom are brand new to Canada, receive new clothes and household items.
West Meadows Moves
Our move team has support several people by helping pack and move furniture to their new home. Thanks to the many volunteers that were involved.
Rentals
We’ve increased rentals by nearly 50% more than last year including music recitals, business meetings, school concerts, weddings and more!
Finances
July 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023 (May & June Projected)
$1,111,500
Income
• General Fund: $710,000
• Benevolent Fund: $20,000
• Missions Fund: $49,000
• Government Revenue: $16,500
• Facility Revenue: $254,000
• Rental Revenue: $37,000
• Church Ministries: $25,000
$994,500
• Ministry: $110,000
• Administration: $37,000
• Missions: $115,500
Expenses
• Facility: $332,000
• Personnel: $400,000
Noteworthy Items
Total Number of Donors: 345
First time Donors: 127
Benevolent Assistance: $20,000
Raised $47,162 for Short Term Missions
Added $10,000 to our GIC
$70,000 invested in our GIC
Property Assessment Value: $9,386,500
City of Edmonton Taxable Property: 4.16%
The best way to give
While there are a variety of ways to give, e-Transfer is an easy online method that avoids transaction fees.
$121,570
Total amount received
via e-Transfer
$2,687
Total amount saved in
transaction fees
2023-2024
Annual Report