Annual Report
2024
Church Family,
I am in awe as we put the finishing touches on this year’s annual report. Planting a church is a lot like raising a child. There is a pregnancy (pre-launch phase), birth (official launch), and a parenting journey that ensues. And while one hopes for a growing, healthy baby, there are simply so many factors that are outside one’s control to know for sure. All that we can do is praise and thank God for his provision, kindness, and care for our church.
Like any good parent, let me begin by stating my unconditional love for each of you. What a joy it is to be in community, together. What is to follow does not determine my love or care for our church. Instead, all of this is offered and shared as grace; grace for the church that Jesus Christ is building. He is the Great Shepherd, we are the sheep.
We are a little over 15 months old as a church and what has transpired in just 15 months is quite astounding. What started in a living room in January with 11 individuals has blossomed into something far greater and more edifying than we could have ever asked for or imagined. However, our excitement and anticipation continues to increase as we see a countercultural community being formed here in Indianapolis.
Over the last year, we have continued to lay a foundation for the type of church that we long to become. A church of desperate prayer, a church of spirit and truth, presence and power, worship and The Word.
We will share further details below, but at a meta level, some of my most profound memories from the last year stem from:
- Our first Kids Night Out.
- Our first Good Friday gathering with our brothers and sisters at Trinity Baptist Church.
- Our first Easter gathering (which included our first baptism).
- Our first (and second) child dedication ceremony.
- And our first 24 hours of unceasing prayer.
Are you noticing a theme? This past year was filled with firsts. And like the first birthday of a child, we don’t get these firsts back. So, if I could encourage and challenge you, dear friends, spend some time reflecting on some of the firsts you experienced here at The Sanctuary.
Perhaps it was:
- the first time you felt seen and safe in a church environment
- the first time you found community
- the first time you pledged your allegiance to Jesus
- the first time you offered resources to serve a purpose bigger than yourself
- etc…
The possibilities are endless, but the truth is all of us have experienced a lot of firsts together.
It is important and necessary to reflect, but it is also equally important and necessary to excitedly anticipate what is to come.
As Eugene Peterson paraphrases the writer of Hebrews, “So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10v22-25, MSG)
I cannot wait to see how inventive we can be in partnering with Jesus to become a haven for broken people who practice the way, participate in community, and permeate the world.
Here’s to firsts and the future they preview,
Micah E. Davis
Pastor of Teaching & Vision, on behalf of The Sanctuary Board of Directors
Practicing the Way
The Sunday Gathering is where we begin as a church community. Together, we experience the power of the Spirit, being formed into the image of Christ. All are welcome.
30%
INCREASED SUNDAY ATTENDANCE
36+
LEADERS SERVING WEEKLY
14+
SANCTUARY KIDS WEEKLY
66
PEOPLE THROUGH SANCTUARY START
Teachings
We are grateful for the ways that God moved through our completed teachings series this year:
Life at the Sanctuary
Surrender
Teach us to Pray
1 Corinthians: A Counterculture
Scripture: The Basics
Vision Series
Galatians
You Will Be My Witnesses
Promises & Prophecy
In addition, we have seen streams and subscribers on our Sanctuary Gatherings Podcast and YouTube Channel increase. We are in awe of the influence that God is already giving to our new church beyond our city limits and we intend to steward that well for as long as God allows.
Participate in Community
Jesus models for us the art of merciful presence. Gathering around the table, welcoming the stranger, and being present to one another as companions in everyday life are the values we hold in our homes. We live this out in our community through Sanctuary CIRCLES.
122+
4x
Increase in CIRCLE engagement in 2024
8
Sanctuary CIRCLES meeting weekly around the table
Permeate the World
Jesus always led with invitation (“Come, follow me.”) and then exhortation (“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…”). As a church, we seek to model this to the community around us. We seek out the lowly, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized with the invitation to “come and see.”
$57,651.72
Our work in the areas of mercy & justice has been intentionally expansive despite our limited resources financially and numerically. Over the past year, we have formed, developed, and continued strategic partnerships with nine organizations across the city in these five key areas of engagement: Education, Vulnerable Families, Homeless and Houseless Care, City & Global Witness, and Truth & Reconciliation.
The highlight of our year was participating in our first ever FEAST on the far-east side. 86 people from The Sanctuary served 100+ homeless individuals, couples, children, and families a meal. We then gathered around the table in a show of kinship to partake in this meal together. All of this was fully paid for and served by our church family.
As followers of Jesus we believe that justice, reconciliation, and mercy are central to the Kingdom of God. As a result, we are called to engage faithfully and wholeheartedly with areas of brokenness and injustice locally and globally. We demonstrate God’s love in tangible ways with his peace, presence, and power. We do this by standing with the poor, the marginalized, and those on the underside of power; by increasing justice through the way of righteousness. We desire to extend a circle of divine compassion and make sure that no one is left outside of it.
To this end, we work to see wrong things made right. The measure of our compassion lies not in our service to those on the margins but in our willingness to see ourselves in kinship with them. We seek nothing short of shalom, the flourishing and welfare of our city, and to see God’s world along with all that he has made become as He intended it to be. We do this through pursuing covenant friendships as we reconcile with, learn from, serve, advocate, support, and dream with our neighbors.
2024 Mercy and Justice Partners
Education
- Westlane Middle School
- Greenbriar Elementary School
- Willow Lake Elementary School
- Broad Ripple Middle School
- Washington Township Schools (Central Offices)
Vulnerable families
- Adoption Aid
- Congregational Care
homeless & houseless care
- Sanctuary Indy
city and global witness
- Church Planting (Multiply Indiana)
- Indy Art Center
Truth and reconciliation
- Partnership with Trinity Baptist Church
Year-end Christmas Offering Update
$33,578.28 was given by our church community to our year-end Christmas offering. $30,000.00 went directly to mercy & justice partners in the city. The additional $3,578.28 will be used for futural operational use.
Life at The Sanctuary
Everything we do at The Sanctuary is expressed through our spiritual formation cycle, or as we like to call it, “Life at The Sanctuary.” Participating in Life at The Sanctuary is how we follow Jesus as a community. From exploring more about faith through Alpha, to gathering around the table for prayer, scripture, and communion with your Sanctuary CIRCLE, or serving the needs of our city and people together through Sanctuary SERVE and generosity, our community is able to tangibly and regularly live out our mission and vision together.
13
People through alpha
7
People baptized
15
children dedicated through parent/child dedication
173
people who attended Sanctuary SERVE
160
adults actively engaged in Life at The Sanctuary
A Church Marked by Generosity
During 2024, most everyone experienced challenges with sharp inflation and many were impacted by volatile markets. Yet you continued to be generous, cheerful, and faith-filled givers. We thank God for his continued provision through you that enabled us to launch new initiatives like Kids Night Out, Alpha, 24/7 Prayer, and extending our Justice work and partnerships.
The following represent pre-audit financial totals for our fiscal year, January 2024 – December 2024.
This past year, our fiscal budget was skewed by the rapid growth of our congregation. While our income was higher than expected, so were our expenses necessitated by growing our staff capacity, resourcing leaders and circles, and navigating revolving equipment needs based on the location of our Sunday gathering.
As we continue to wisely steward the resources we’ve been entrusted with, our board of directors has approved a 17% budget increase for a 30% larger congregation. We believe that conservatively increasing our budget will allow us to remain flexible as we continue to grow, without straining our needed savings for future capital expenses.
$504,758.01
Giving by 166 individuals
$392,802.22
Total ministry expenses
$111,955.79
Added to reserve
By God’s grace and with your support, we were able to add funds to our reserves this year that will be used to further expedite future planning and emergencies.
$445,490
2025 approved budget
2024 Annual Budget Breakdown
Ministries
20%
Ministry Expenses include but are not limited to: Kids, Hospitality, Spiritual Formation, Assimilation, Sunday Gatherings, Sanctuary CIRCLES, Alpha, and more.
Personnel Expenses
45%
Personnel Expenses include but are not limited to: Wages, salaries, and payroll taxes for all staff and benefits for full-time staff.
Justice & Mercy
15%
15% of every dollar went directly to justice work and those in need both globally and locally. Any remaining funds at the end of the fiscal year are kept in a reserve for future justice initiatives.
Facilities & Operations
20%
Facilities & Operating Expenses include but are not limited to: Rent, bookkeeping, HR services, maintenance, utilities, insurance, office equipment, trailer equipment, etc.
+$33,578.28
special christmas offering
Thank You
Thank You Jesus, and thank you church family. I love how God so kindly uses this time of year to help us reflect and be grateful for all that he has done. Every moment of joy, every testimony, every good gift, and every moment of growth and refinement has been worth it. Let it all be to Your glory, King Jesus.
As Micah stated above, it was a beautiful year of firsts! And we are grateful that, on the other side of the coin, it was also a beautiful year of seeing God’s faithfulness through what was already in place.
- Gathering weekly at the Indy Art Center and Jordan YMCA for worship and teaching
- Partnership with all 8 of our 2023 Mercy and Justice partners
- Gathering around the table weekly, across the city
- Quarterly church-wide serving initiatives
- 80% of our initial launch team still calling The Sanctuary their church home
- Growing our culture of servant-leadership
- Financial partnership with a network of local churches and organizations
These are just a few examples of witnessing the Lord’s faithfulness in our community, and watching Him build upon the foundation of The Sanctuary. We celebrate and excitedly anticipate what He wants to do in and through us in 2025.
It is my prayer that these words from Psalm 139 would sow seeds of humble confidence in our church community. A humble confidence that is necessary as we desire to steward the gift of the local Church well.
“Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139v4-10)
He has gone before us, He is with us, and He is in control. Let us delight in that truth as we step into this next year.
Jake Hirsch
Pastor of Worship & Spiritual Formation,
on behalf of The Sanctuary Staff Team
If you would like to continue financially partnering with The Sanctuary, you can give online. If you have any questions about our annual report, please contact us.