2023 Annual report

What another incredible year of growth 2023 was at FAITH! Many experienced the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the death, burial, and resurrection. We are thankful for every new birth into the Kingdom of God.

We have seen our overall attendance on Sunday increase! Many of our key leaders are parking in a remote lot to make room for new families. There is great excitement with the building being packed to capacity which creates an amazing anticipation of what God is doing.

Lives are being changed and families are being added to the church on a weekly basis, which is what this annual report is mostly about. Yes, we celebrate once again another record year of giving, which you will see in the following report. However, there is no financial number worth celebrating without equating it to the lives that have been transformed.

To every faithful giver in your finances, Crystal and I say thank you. You have invested in more than brick and mortar; you have invested in all of eternity.

I am forever grateful to serve a church that is so generous for His Kingdom.

Much appreciation for you,

Kent W. Elliott
Senior Pastor

Faith TV

Faith Tabernacle TV is streaming on all the most popular streaming devices, such as Roku, Apple TV, Samsung TV, Fire TV, Android TV and on smartphone’s iOS and Google Play. Why are we on all these platforms? Because 80% of the homes in our community have at least one of these streaming devices. The vision is for more than just Sunday sermons, but we will be developing content that deal with relative topics that will minster to those in our community. If you haven’t downloaded our app yet on any of these devices, you can search for Faith Tabernacle TV and begin streaming today!

  • Series – We continue to develop, film, and publish our FAITH TV Mini-Series every month.Each series is comprised of three episodes, 5-8 minutes in length with topics to reach those in Manchester and surrounding communities.
  • Stories – We love hearing the Faith Stories of lives that have been changed right here in our church.Our prayer is that these Stories will inspire and move people towards God, and they will start a relationship with Him.
  • Morning Devotions –Do you need a 3–4-minute encouraging word before you start your day?Check out our morning devotions Monday-Friday. Each day during the week, we will recap the previous Sunday sermon.  It is a great reminder of what you have heard on Sunday and will keep you encouraged throughout your day and week.
Elevate Student Ministries had a transformative year in 2023, marked by significant growth, impactful events, and memorable experiences. Through a combination of engaging activities, community outreach, and spiritual development initiatives, Elevate continued to inspire and empower the youth in our community.
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Elevate Your Summer was a resounding success, exceeding our expectations and raising a total of $20,000+. This fundraiser not only provided crucial financial support for our ministry and missions around the world but also fostered a sense of unity and excitement among our students and supporters. The funds raised enabled us to expand our programming, enhance our facilities, and invest in the spiritual growth of our youth. Throughout the year, Elevate hosted a variety of events designed to foster community, fun, and spiritual growth. Some of the highlights included: -Capture the Flag, Manhunt, Water Wars, and Color Wars. These events not only provided opportunities for fellowship and recreation but also served as platforms for discipleship and relationship-building among our students.

In conclusion, 2023 was a year of growth, impact, and transformation for Elevate Student Ministries. We celebrate thirteen students being baptized and seven receiving the gift of the Holy ghost. Through our participation in Youth Congress, the success of Elevate Your Summer fundraiser, and the hosting of various events, we have seen God move powerfully in the lives of our students and community. As we look ahead, we are excited about the continued growth and influence of Elevate, and we are committed to empowering the next generation to live out their faith boldly and make a difference in the world. Thank you to all our supporters, volunteers, and students for making this year possible.
Our Leaders In Training program continues to be an important part of the foundation of Elevate. Seeing students from 6th grade to college-age developing the skills needed to become leaders in the church to help grow the work here at Faith and impact God’s Kingdom has been incredible! This program has continued to grow, and more students have joined. You may see these students on Sundays taking photos, recording video, working in Kids Rock, greeting, or putting words on the screens up. Each of these areas are essential to a smooth, effective church service. If you see these students hard at work, please continue to encourage them and let them know how thankful we are for their willingness to work for the Kingdom!

NAYC in St. Louis

One of the highlights of the year was our trip to Youth Congress in St. Louis. This event provided twenty of our students with the opportunity to come together with thousands of other young people from across the country to worship, learn, and connect. Through powerful speakers, dynamic worship sessions, and meaningful workshops, our students were challenged and equipped to deepen their faith and live out their calling.

I was on my bed in my dorm when my mom called and said, “Hey do you want to go to NAYC?” At the time, this was the worst thing she could’ve said. She had been asking me for weeks and I never really gave her a clear-cut answer. I was nervous, I never went to a Youth Congress before, and I didn’t even know what would be going on. Despite my doubts and concerns, I heard the voice of God telling me to go. The first day, God spoke to me about pridefulness and not leaning on my own understanding but trusting Him. Leaning into His will and not my own. After that service I was stunned. I was thinking God really has a plan for my life, a calling, a direction, a purpose just for me. That second night during worship everything went silent. I was with the King during this moment, and He revealed to me my assignment. I was preaching to the youth at my church in the upstairs chapel. I asked God to show me more and I saw a fire all around me. After receiving this vision, I opened my eyes and immediately denied this. I told God, “No way You want me to do this, I am no leader. Why me?” Upon closing my eyes, He showed me all the times I’ve leaded and mentored in my life without realizing it. He told me that all my gifts were made to satisfy His glory. Then on the last service, I made a promise to God that no matter what happens to me, I’m going to fulfill the call. And in that very moment He put a burning fire inside of me that will never ever extinguish!

Myles Wilson

This year was another incredible year for our children’s ministry, Kids Rock! Each week, Kids Rock has an experience geared just for kids between the ages 3 months and 5th grade. You can learn more about Kids Rock at kidsrock.faith. Thank you for your support of Kids Rock and giving our team the opportunity to make an eternal impact in your children’s lives.

Josh Combs – Children’s Pastor

That Kids Rock Show

In 2023, we continued our online Kids Rock experience called That Kids Rock Show. That Kids Rock Show has content for the whole family, including action songs, games, and lessons geared just for kids. We have also become intentional about sharing family-friendly content on our social media channels. Be sure to check out That Kids Rock Show at tv.faithtabernacle.com! You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

VBS

We had a great time at VBS 2023! Our theme was Kingdom Clues – Seeking out the Mysteries of God’s Word. We had three incredible days packed with games, action songs and most importantly, Bible lessons and prayer time geared just for our kids. On Sunday, we ended the week with an incredible VBS Finale where we took over the sanctuary! It also was great to have guest speaker Jeremy Joyce from Arkansas with us as well!

Backpack Give Back

In 2023, we partnered again with the Town of Manchester in blessing our community with physical backpacks. Because of your generosity, we were able to donate 511 backpacks to children and families in Manchester. Thank you for giving!

Block Party

2023 was another successful year for our main community event – the Block Party! Thanks to support from our various business partners, we had an amazing day filled with bounce houses, a rock wall, petting zoo, free food and giveaways! An estimated 1000 people were in attendance. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible!

Light The Night

This year, we transformed our Trunk or Treat weekend into a Kids Rock weekend called Light the Night! We started off with Glow Night on Friday with over 40 children in attendance. We heard a lesson from our guest speaker Mikko Carter from New Brunswick, Canada and then had some fun with tons of glow-in-the-dark games! On Saturday we decked out our trunks at Trunk or Treat with over 500 in attendance. We also had some delicious food trucks for the first time. And then Sunday was another incredible Kids Rock Sunday with Mikko and his family.

Bible Quizzing

This year was another incredible year for our Junior Bible Quizzers as they studied the book of Galatians & Ephesians! Our quizzers practiced each week and also won the Connecticut Finals in June. Go quizzers!

Finances

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*9% growth over 2022 finances.

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Tithes

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Offering

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Missions

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Building

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People took their giving to the next level!

Giving Challenges

How we steward the treasures that God entrusts in us is a big deal to Him. We will give an account one day and will be judged according to what He has given to us. So, if it is important to God, it is important to us. Every spring and fall, we take a service to reflect on what His Word says about giving. At the end of each of these services, we present a four-month giving challenge to encourage everyone to take their giving to the next level. We celebrate 184 individuals that took this challenge in 2023.

When debt isn’t holding you back, nothing can stop you from living the life of your dreams. And here’s the good news: You can get there. You just need a plan that works.

That’s what you’ll find in Financial Peace University. FPU is the nine-lesson course that teaches you the step-by-step plan—aka the Baby Steps—to pay off debt fast and save more money for your future.

In the past two years over 40 people have taken the FPU class here at FAITH. Several have become debt free, and many are on their way to financial freedom. This course will teach you principles so you do not have to live from paycheck to paycheck, and how you can be set free from being a slave to the lender. It is truly life-changing!

Josh & Sarah Lamoureux

Financial Peace University was a game changer in managing our income. Being newly married, combining our finances – as well as being on the same page about finances – was very important to us. Through FPU we gained invaluable insights into budgeting, saving, and investing wisely. Financial Peace University not only equipped us with essential money management skills but also instilled a sense of peace and control over our finances. Because of FPU, we now have a new sense of confidence and hope our financial future. It’s a life-changing course and we highly recommend it to everyone who wants to better their understanding in how to manage their money.
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Every year we receive a sacrificial offering during Easter that goes to improve our campus. We focused on four strategies in 2023. Below are highlighted items from each strategy.

Security Strategy

  • Access Control for Office Hallway and Production Room
  • Added Two Exterior Cameras
  • Three Sanctuary Cameras

Video Strategy

  • DJI Ronin 4D 4-Axis Cinema Camera 6K Combo Kit
  • Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera with Accessories Kit (128 GB Card, 2250mAH
  • Multiple additional lenses
  • Lighting
  • HollyLand Solid Com C1-Pro-8S Full Duplex Wireless Intercom System 8
  • Teradek Bolt 6 LT HDMI Wireless Transmitter / Receiver Kit V-Mount

Sound Strategy

  • Speaker Tuning

Interior/Exterior Remodel Strategy

  • Wood Floor for Baptism area, Welcome Wall, and Supplies
  • Recarpet Platform in Student Chapel (Materials and Labor)
  • Upgrade Sanctuary lights
  • Trees and Stumps Removed
  • Outside Lighting for North Parking Lot
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The Christmas season is always a time of generosity and gift giving to others. We love this time of the year. Here at FAITH, we make a big deal about giving our best gift to Christ for Christmas. This annual sacrificial giving goes towards mission projects around the world and even right here locally. Thank you for sacrificing for others. Thank you for helping the gospel reach around the world. Your sacrifice has help change thousands of lives.

Kurt Arnold

Giving the Best Gift offering was a huge sacrifice for me, one that tested my faith. I had listed a piece of gym equipment a month before Christmas, hoping to sell it to use towards gifts, but also, to reduce clutter in my home. I had listed it on a popular website, continuously checked to see if anyone had viewed it, and eventually gave up several weeks later. I said to myself, it will not sell in time for Christmas, I can use it for something else. The next Sunday, when Pastor was talking about the Best Gift offering, my heart was pricked and I knew that I would be able to give, but I did not know how.

Fast forward to the end of January, I thought I was not going to have a Best Gift. One morning my heart was pricked when I read a verse regarding generosity during my reading. I remember praying that morning, asking God how to be more generous in my life and how I could do better. I asked God to make me a generous giver. When I came home from work, I checked my e-mail and discovered that someone had purchased the gym equipment. The piece of equipment was on page 500 something, and near impossible to find when you searched for it due to hundreds of others being identical to mine. While my flesh wanted to keep the money to use towards a hobby, justifying anything other than giving it away, I knew that I needed to give it to the Best Gift offering. God had put that on my heart in December.

Sometimes when we pray for something, to be kind, compassionate, or to forgive, rather than God providing us with a complete change of heart, an opportunity is presented instead. The opportunity to be kind, compassionate, to forgive, or in my case, to be generous.

Global Missions

  • KQ Ministries
  • Missionary James Beeks (Scotland)
  • GATS – Arabic Translation
  • Orphanages:
      • Guatemala
      • Philippines
      • Brazil
  • Move the Mission
  • Save Our Children
  • Mothers Memorial
  • Missionary Adam Hunley
  • Missionary Brad Thompson
  • Missionary Ron Brian
  • Missionary Don Hanscom
  • Missionary Jeff Mallory
  • Scholarship for Student Missions Trip
  • Compassion Service International
  • Global Missionary Monthly Partners

North American Missions

  • Christmas for Christ
  • New Beginnings Adoption Agency
  • Multicultural Ministries
  • Men’s Ministry
  • North American Missions Monthly Partners

Local Missions

  • MACC Kitchens
  • The Jonathan Project
  • Elevate Youth Ministries
  • Kids Rock

TESTIMONIES

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BAPTISMS

Carlos Casanova & Alyasia Cooper

Our journey to Faith was initiated by divine guidance from the onset of our relationship. Numerous instances revealed a sense of divine communication through scripture. As our bond deepened, so did the conviction of God’s calling. It became evident that our relationship was intended under His guidance. Recognizing the necessity of God’s presence for our relationship to prosper, we embarked on our spiritual journey together through baptism. Since then, we have remained committed to nurturing our faith and find fulfillment in each step of our spiritual growth.
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HOLY GHOST

Jesse & Kaitlyn Boyko

Faith Tabernacle has taught us to love like Jesus. My husband and I wanted to build a better relationship with God but seemed to not get any closer on our own. At first we were nervous to go to Faith Tabernacle (starting anything new can be scary) but I am so glad we went. Pastor Kent and others teach you to not only have faith and compassion but to give your time to the Lord. We study our Bible and pray everyday and anywhere. It’s nice having a relationship with the Lord, through Christ you can do anything, and that includes taking your first step into this house of God.

The Council for Community and Economic Research estimates that the cost of living in CT is 13% higher than the national average. Healthcare services as well as basic necessities like food, clothing, and groceries are approximately 9% higher, housing is 24% higher, and utilities are an astounding 30% higher. According to estimates from Feeding America, approximately 1 in 10 people, including more than 83,000 children in CT struggle with hunger. Access to food and the increase in cost of living have significantly contributed to the increase in food hunger across the state. In December of 2023, data showed 4,224 people are experiencing homelessness statewide due to the increase in housing instability and cost. Just over 1,000 of those individuals were forced to live outside due to limited space and the strain shelters are experiencing. There’s been a call statewide for service providers, lawmakers, and community members to help fight food insecurity and housing instability.

FAITH has answered the call and is committed to doing their part. Your monthly giving to Project 25 directly aids our homeless population in Manchester. Every month, we’re able to provide the means for 18-20 individuals to find food and provide them with the resources necessary to stay warm during the winter months. FAITH has also continued its affiliation with Connecticut Foodshare’s Mobile Food Pantry. Partnering with them has allowed us to help address the access issues and transportation barriers that many families in our community face when searching for food. Year-to-year, we’ve seen a steady increase in mobile Foodshare visitors. In 2023 FAITH served 1603 visitors; an increase of 6.9% when compared to those we served in 2022!

We have continued our commitment to support and invest in our students at Illing Middle School and Manchester Regional Academy (MRA) for the 2023-24 school year, ensuring that these children are equipped to achieve success despite their circumstances. Throughout the school year, FAITH has supported families of both schools with food, clothing, toiletries, and household items. Through P25, 145 backpacks were provided to students with age-appropriate supplies, ensuring that they were properly equipped for academic success. For Thanksgiving, FAITH provided a record breaking 113 Thanksgiving meals!! 91 of those meals were delivered to both our partner schools, who were then able to distribute extra meals to other schools in the community with families in need. That is a total increase of 30% in meals provided to our schools!! For Christmas, you supplied families within our church, community, and schools with gifts, toys, clothing, and food, ensuring that those children would have a very Merry Christmas!!

In 2023 our P25 program saw an increase…an increase in your giving, in your faithfulness, and willingness to serve your community. You have been selfless and generous, and I can’t tell you how much of a difference you are making in the lives of the families in our community. You are invaluable, appreciated, and above all, LOVED. We want to say THANK YOU for serving the Kingdom and for your continued support to Project 25!

Orphanages We Support

Brazil
Jubilee Orphanage is a home in Brazil that helps those who cannot help themselves. Our orphanages provides and cares for orphaned children, street kids and women with children that are in danger. Your partnership provides food, shelter, medical care, education and safety to our kids and families. The most important thing we do is introduce them to Christ and a better way.
Guatemala
HOME International is a children’s home in Guatemala that provides faith, family, and a future for kids in need. This orphanage works to fight for the rights of children while giving them the tools needed for a better future. Your partnership provides food, a quality education, 24-hour care, medical attention, and, most importantly, an introduction to the hope found in Jesus Christ.
Philippines
Hope Village in the Philippines brings hope to the hopeless in a country where poverty is widespread. With a medical clinic and soon-to-open children’s home, this organization is focused on spreading the love of Jesus through humanitarian aid. Your sponsorship helps save children in deep poverty and offers hope for their future.
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