For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
- 2 Timothy 1:6-8
Paul commissioned Timothy in the power of the Holy Spirit. The laying on of hands was a powerful sign. This commission was for the work of the Gospel.
This work has been passed down through the centuries and is still our mission today; Leading people everywhere to know, follow and share Jesus.
The past year has held challenges and important decisions. I have learned that God often shows His faithfulness and does His best work in seasons of challenge or uncertainty. I have seen evidence of this once again and I believe it is times like these that can spark a fire and lead us to trust Him even more.
I hope you will be encouraged as you read our 2022 Annual Report! This report shows evidence of God at work, fanning the flame in the hearts of so many people this last year.
Thank you for partnering to make a difference in the lives of people here at Foundry, people in our surrounding community, children in our adopted schools and so many in need globally through our many missions. Your giving, service and prayers are so important to this work. I am praying God’s fire is fanned into an even greater flame in 2023. I sense we are on the verge of something great and I am honored to serve as your pastor as we grow and fan the flame together.
Lead Pastor,
Ray Hughes
2022 was a year of intentional prayer, discernment, challenges, and changes. We transitioned from the UMC in the Fall and became a part of the Foundry Network as The Foundry Methodist Church. Through all the changes, though, some things remain the same-- our God is the same God, and He is faithful! Our mission is the same --to help people know, follow, and share Jesus. Our Methodist heritage and theological foundation are the same. At the heart of it is our desire to be part of a movement of the Holy Spirit. Much like John Wesley and the early Methodists experienced in their day.
Though it has been a difficult season, we sense the Holy Spirit moving in new ways and are excited about what God will do in 2023!
WORSHIP
Average Weekly Attendance
Everything we do at Foundry is to help people know, follow, and share Jesus. Worship is at the heart of that! As we gather each week to worship, pray, and study together we build relationships with God and one another that deepen our faith.
936 in-person
1,754 online
11% increase in worship attendance over 2021
151 new Members
2,357 participating in the life of the church
Key Initiatives for 2023
The past few years have brought several challenges and delayed the timeline of the All In Initiative, but we are moving forward in 2023 and taking steps towards these key initiatives.
New Kids Building
• Building Phase 2 of our master plan at Fry Road will expand our reach through the creation of a new building.
• It will be designed to reach kids and students and help families grow deep and resilient faith.
Third Campus
• Reaching people in new communities and sharing Jesus is at the heart of launching a new site!
• This year we hope to take steps by developing teams to pray, study, and begin strategic planning for the new campus.
• A portion of the new campus will be funded by the legacy gift of the Fairbanks UMC.
Residency Program
• Launch a new residency program to equip and deploy leaders on mission
• Building facilities alone will not be enough. We must train more leaders, launching them in mission to shape the future.
• The dream is to fund an initiative designed to train a new generation of leaders.
• This leadership development pathway will fuel evangelism, equip and send out leaders and strengthen our community partnerships as we share Jesus all around our area.
Giving
2022 Income
$4,022,140
5% increase over 2021
2022 Expenses
$4,019,951
7% increase over 2021
Budget
Breakdown
All In Inititative
Given in 2022
$206,221
Total Given to Date
$3,392,997
All In Expenses
$2,296,006
All In Balance
$1,096,991
2023 Approved Budget
Budgets are prepared in discussion with the ministry directors and pastors around the mission of helping people know, follow, and share Jesus while being good stewards of the resources God has provided. The 2023 budget has been approved by the Board.
5% decrease from 2022
$3,802,850
The Foundry Board
The Foundry
Church Overseers
The Overseers represent Foundry’s connection to the global Church and shall provide apostolic oversight to the Lead Pastor and are charged with protecting the Church through wise counsel and prayer. The Overseers shall be theologically trained, ordained clergy who know and love the Church and are not members or employees of Foundry Church.
Missions
Global Mission Highlight: Guyana
In summer of 2022, a team of 13 traveled to Guyana to work with Bishop Kofi Nials, on a ministry project at one of the local churches in an area of great financial need. The church houses a daycare that serves local families and provides a low-cost option so parents can work. The Rosignol Dayschool had safety and electrical issues, problems with flooding, and was infested with bats…yet the kids were happy and cared for by the most loving and self-sacrificing women! With the help of the team, and through your generous giving, the daycare was rewired, repainted, the floor was raised 8” to prevent flooding, a new kitchen was installed, new furnishings were provided, and the bats were relocated! God is good!
Local Mission Highlight: Season of Hope
Season of Hope has been a Foundry tradition for over 10 years! Season of Hope Christmas trees are placed around campus and are filled with ornaments representing a gift, clothing item, or an item in need for families around the Cy-Fair community and beyond.
In addition to providing gifts for children in need, Season of Hope is also an opportunity to partner with Foundry’s Adopted Schools: Andre & Francone Elementary and Dean Middle School. Please see below for more information and other ways to join Foundry’s Season of Hope.
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Kelsee Packman
“Serving the last 6 years during Season of Hope at Foundry has been a life changing experience. Each year I am blown away by the generosity of our church members as gifts and food items are donated to take care of families in our community that are in need. I am so proud to be a part of a church that comes together to bless others during the holiday season.”
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Debbie Wolf
“Being a part of Season of Hope gives me the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with children and their families as our congregation generously gives food and gifts for Christmas”
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Carolyn Hartford
“I love helping with the Francone Holiday Shop each year because the joy on each child’s face is heartwarming. They are so excited to choose a special gift for someone they love that they otherwise could have never gotten. The Season of Hope and all of the gifts we collect and distribute during the holidays is amazing. It is a blessing to serve with and get to know other Foundry members while being able to bless families in our community. “
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Season of Hope Recipient
“I have 6 children and didn’t know how I was going to accomplish this Christmas. I was worried and stressed, but Foundry has showed me that God shows up on time, all the time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
When I think of all that God is doing at Foundry with our kids and families, I can hardly contain myself as I am overflowed with joy to see the plan that God is unfolding! Every week we are receiving testimonies from kids and parents about how they are taking what they are learning at Foundry and applying it to everyday situations. This past week a family came to tell me that the kids had volunteered to pray out loud at a sporting event in front of their entire team! This past year we had a parenting class called BIG TALKS and it was an incredible time for over 90 parents to sit and discuss real-life issues while being taught Biblical principles. While we do not always have the answer, we surely know who does & when we model going to God in front of our kids, they will emulate what they see!
- Karen Starnes,
Kid’s Ministry Director
599
Kid’s Involved
134
Weekly Attendance
The Landrums
The Landrum Family began attending the Jones Campus two years ago, but they had been exposed to Foundry through the preschool ministry many years before. Cassie served at VBS as a station leader and immediately began to find her place serving in women's ministry as well. Camille, Caroline and Mackenzie attended VBS and got a heart to raise money for missions by selling sea shells they got while in Matagorda! Clark served with mens ministry helping organize Bear Man and other events. They have also served as life group leaders. The Landrum's also just began serving as life group leaders in Kid's Ministry to the kinder/1st grade class.
FOUNDRY STUDENT MINISTRY
FOUNDRY STUDENT MINISTRY
“I enjoy the opportunity I have been given to be part of our students’ spiritual growth. It is exciting to watch a pair of eyes lighting up in the midst of our discussions as someone exclaims “I think I get it””
- Chris Kochenower, Small Group Leader, FOUNDRY STUDENTS //Jones
“Foundry Students will always be something that gives me life and I've seen how transformative young people can be for their communities when given the opportunity to lead and engage in our ministry and church as a whole. It is an honor for us at FSM to have the opportunity to walk alongside these youth and their families as we strive towards helping everyone know, follow + share Jesus!”
- Jeremiah Law
Discipleship
Ramon’s Story
“Looking back at this year, I can say that the Women’s Bunco event in February changed the trajectory of my involvement at Foundry in an amazing way. My husband and I had been casually visiting on Sunday mornings since the previous summer, and we weren’t ready for a small group. I’d seen how great the children’s program was, how welcoming the greeters were, and now I was excited to connect with women, but didn’t know how to do that until I heard about the ladies Bunco night.
After that night, I knew there were more women I wanted to connect with and jumped at the opportunity to join a summer Bible study. The connections I made were so impactful and left me no choice but to plan to attend the fall women’s retreat. But as the women’s retreat approached, my social anxieties set in, and I was convinced that everyone would already have friends and didn’t need one more, I was wrong! Women of all ages enveloped and poured into me that weekend as though we’d been friends forever.
I was asked to lead the Christmas cookie decorating event in December, and my heart exploded at the thought. What a cool opportunity! The experience I had at the women’s retreat, prepared me to approach the cookie class with confidence that God had me in the right place.
I can say now that Foundry is full of women ready to welcome anyone looking for a place to belong. In one short year, I went from being an outside observer to a thriving and fully embraced member of a sweet God-serving community.”
- Chelsea Thomas
Women’s Ministry
160+
Involved in Women’s Studies
200+
Involved in Women’s Ministry Events
Foundry en Español
It is in the heart of our Spanish Service to serve God everywhere we can, not only in church, but also in our community. We are always ready to welcome the lost that comes to the feet of Jesus with open hearts. Our desire is to always be the hands and feet of Christ and this year we have made it our goal to serve our community even more. We want to make this possible by hosting events at nearby apartment complexes, identifying the families in need and be able to provide help with educational programs for immigrants that had just arrived to the US.
Our prayer is that God continues to add more workers to the harvest so we can continue doing more for his kingdom.
Avg. Sunday Attendance
65
Bethel University @ Foundry launched in 2022!
HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION GO BEYOND WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE
Care & Support
Foundry has been providing recovery ministry to our community since 1998 when we began our first AA meeting. Twenty Five years later that original AA group still calls Foundry home.