Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A N N U A L
C H U R C H
R E P O R T
2 0 1 4
I want the annual report we present to the church to be one of our highest priorities
every year.
Im pretty sure our CFO, Chunks Corbett, thought I was kidding when I said that to
him several years ago. He found out pretty quickly that I wasnt.
For me, leading a church is serious business. I know of no higher privilege or more
significant endeavor. And each week I approach the task with the awareness that I am
accountable to God for the way I fulfill this calling. Thats a pretty good motivation for
me to bring my best.
But as I begin my tenth year as the pastor of Elevation Church, Im also recognizing
more clearly my responsibility to you, my spiritual family. Your investment and trust in
the mission of this church deserves to be maximized and stewarded with the highest
integrity and efficiency. Our leadership team is completely committed to that.
Hopefully, this report will give you a glimpse of that commitment.
The Elevation Church Annual Report is an opportunity to keep our eye on the
metrics that matter. As we have often said: behind every statistic is a story. I think
youll be informed and inspired by this years edition. Theres some good stuff in here,
and our team did a really nice job communicating it. Hopefully youll be able to
relive some of the moments that were special to you, and rejoice in the miracles we
experienced together last year.
Thank you for the part you play. Lets keep bringing it...full circle.
So that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ,
BAPTISMS &
S A LVAT I O N S
B
S
C
S
A P T I S M S
I N C E T H E
H U R C H
T A R T E D
( AT Y E A R - E N D 2 0 1 4 )
Ive spent most of my life making poor decisions, living a wild lifestyle because I thought there was no way
God could accept me. But when my friend Steve invited me to Easter at Elevation this year, I heard about
grace. That day I realized God would accept me just as I am, and during the invitation, I stood to accept
Jesus as my Lord and Savior. - TED S | ELEVATION LAKE NORMAN
S O T H AT
PEOPLE
FA R F R O M
GOD WILL
BE RAISED
TO LIFE IN
C H R I S T.
2014 DECISIONS
FOR CHRIST
2014
BAPTISMS
6,028 1,089
2014
2014
BAPTISMS &
S A LVAT I O N S
AT T E N D A N C E
S TAT I S T I C S
H I S T O R I C A L
AV E R A G E
W E E K LY
AT T E N DA N C E
2 0 1 4 L O C AT I O N AV E R A G E W E E K LY AT T E N DA N C E
PROV I DEN CE | 62 0
MAT T HEWS | 2 , 4 4 3
UPTOWN | 1 , 3 2 6
B L A KEN EY | 4 , 3 09
ROCK HI L L | 1 ,1 5 0
UN I V ERSI T Y CI T Y | 1 , 2 53
GASTON | 979
TORON TO | 3 27
CON CORD | 963
15,817
16,000
* L A KE N ORMA N | 2 , 2 2 9
* ROA N OKE | 4 8 1
13 ,79 8
* RA L EI G H | 3 24
14,000
11,708
12,000
2 0 1 4 e K I D Z AV E R A G E W E E K LY AT T E N D A N C E
9,595
10,000
3,008 KIDS
8,000
6 ,139
5,510
6,000
22%
3,892
4,000
INCREASE
FROM 2013
TO 2014
2,089
2,000
4 83
0
2006
15%
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
INCREASE
2012
2013
2014
FROM 2013
TO 2014
NUMBER OF PEOPLE
IN eGROUPS
NUMBER OF PEOPLE
SERVING ON AN eTEAM
7,401
5,714
2014
2014
AT T E N DA N C E
S TAT I S T I C S
O U T R E AC H
& LOV E W E E K
One of the things that drew me to Elevation Church nine years ago
was the churchs generosity and commitment to outreach. Now,
as part of my role on staff, I have the privilege of overseeing that
generosity up close and personal. Giving twelve percent of every
dollar to local, national, and global partners, gives us exponential
opportunities to impact lives here in the Charlotte area and all
around the world.
Our outreach strategy is all about partnership. Each year, our
Partner Advisory team, made up of professionals within our church,
helps us evaluate all of our outreach partnerships (88 partners in
2014). They review all new applicants and current partners based on
their area of impact, sustainability of impact, financial stability, and
volunteer engagement.
The addition of campuses outside of the Charlotte region has
given us new opportunities to reach out. One of our biggest
accomplishments of 2014 was bringing our outreach model into
these new communities where we now have locations.
As the church and our impact continue to grow, our passion to
generously serve our communities with the love of Jesus has also
grown. To whom much is given, much is required. This biblical truth
drives our desire to leave a legacy as a church, to be a church that
extends far beyond the walls of the buildings we occupy into the
world we are trying to reach.
J O S H B L AC K S O N
Operations & Expansion Pastor
2014
2014
O U T R E AC H
& LOV E W E E K
O U T R E AC H
& LOV E W E E K
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G I V E N
O U T R E
S I N C E
C H U R C
B E G A N
SERVANTS
WITH A HEART
HIGHLIGHTS
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W E G AV E $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 F R O M O U R Y E A R - E N D O F F E R I N G
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T H I S W I L L A L LOW T H E M TO H O ST I N D O O R M I N I ST RY
E V E N T S A N D AT H L E T I C A C T I V I T I E S .
2014
2014
O U T R E AC H
& LOV E W E E K
A FEW OF OUR
OUTREACH PARTNERS
O U T R E AC H
& LOV E W E E K
H O U R S
S E R V E D
D U R I N G
L O V E W E E K
J U LY 2 6 - A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 4
Through this church Ive found the kind of love Id never experienced before - the love of Christ. And,
Elevation showed me how to spread this love Ive received in so many amazing ways. Ive been able to
give back to the community through outreach events, volunteering, and leading an eGroup. Its truly
changed my life. - BRANDI H | ELEVATION GASTON
W E G AV E T H E
E Q U I VA L E N T
OF $1.2
MILLION
WO R T H O F
TIME DURING
M O N E Y G I V E N TO O U T R E AC H
PA R T N E R S D U R I N G L O V E W E E K
$490,000
L O V E W E E K PA R T N E R S
160 ORGANIZATIONS
LOV E W E E K
(Calculated by Independent
Sector Website that calculates
the value of a volunteer in North
Carolina at $21.04/hour)
LOV E W E E K
VO LU N T E E R O P P O R T U N I T I E S
1,027 EVENTS
2014
2014
O U T R E AC H
& LOV E W E E K
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
2014
2014
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
T O TA L N U M B E R O F S E R I E S I N 2 0 1 4
TWELVE
# C R A S H T H E C H AT T E R B OX
LENGTH IN WEEKS
Beware of the
temptation to give
up what you want
most, for what you
want now.
# T H E H O P E O F G LO RY
# H O W T O B E B R AV E
# D E AT H T O S E L F I E
# T WA S T H E W E E K E N D
2014
2014
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
FOR EVERY
1 PERSON
AT T E N D I N G
E L E VAT I O N
EACH WEEK,
E L E VAT I O N C H U R C H . O R G
3,599,849 VISITS
40%
FROM 2013
3 , 59 9, 8 49
2014
2,772, 373
2013
ARE TUNING
IN ONLINE
775 , 3 61 V I S I TS
2014
2013
53 0,139 V I S I TS
E L E VAT I O N S E R M O N P O D C A S T D O W N L O A D S I N 2 0 1 4
3,597,867
AUDIO | 2,752,206
VIDEO | 845,661
YO U T U B E
1,254,382
2 0 1 4 E L E VAT I O N A P P S TAT S
3,289,637 LAUNCHES
1 5 9 , 5 9 9 D OW N LOA D S
T O TA L D O W N L O A D S S I N C E 2 0 1 1 : 4 3 7, 4 1 4
C U M U L AT I V E T I M E WAT C H I N G
E L E VAT I O N C H U R C H M E D I A O N L I N E I N 2 0 1 4
1 7 9 Y E A R S | 1 0 3 DAY S | 2 4 H O U R S |
44 MINUTES | 49 SECONDS
2014
2014
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
2 0 1 4 LO C A L T E L E V I S I O N M A R K E TS
R OA N O K E
CHANNEL WSLS
GREENSBORO
C H A N N E L WG H P
Sundays 11:30AM
RALEIGH
CHANNEL WRAZ
Sundays 7:00AM
C H A R LOT T E
C H A N N E L WCC B
Sundays 10:30AM
T O TA L W E E K LY AV E R A G E
37,161 VIEWERS
2 0 1 4 N AT I O N A L T E L E V I S I O N
T R I N I T Y B R OA D C A S T I N G N E T WO R K
W E E K LY
A V E R A G E
81,589 VIEWERS
2 0 1 4 I N T E R N AT I O N A L T E L E V I S I O N
G O O D T V TA I WA N
TBN AFRICA
M Y FA I T H T V A F R I C A
R E L E VA N T T V S O U T H A F R I C A
TBN UK
2014
2014
E L E VAT I O N
C R E AT I V E & M E D I A
E L E VAT I O N
WO R S H I P
Arena when over 13,000 people came seeking the presence of God
as we recorded Wake Up The Wonder, our newest worship album.
The moment that stands out the most to me was during the song
Jesus I Come. As we sang the lines, thank You Jesus, just as I
heart, and this has become a signature theme in the songs we write
because God has been so good to us.
With the release of two albums in 2014, Only King Forever and
Wake Up The Wonder, weve seen the anthems of our church bless
other churches all across the nation. Currently 26 Elevation
WA D E J OY E
Worship Pastor
2014
2014
E L E VAT I O N
WO R S H I P
E L E VA T I O N
W O R S H I P
R E L E A S E D
2 0 1 4 B I L L B O A R D S TAT I S T I C S
W A K E U P T H E W O N D E R | E L E VA T I O N W O R S H I P
#1 ON CHRISTIAN CHARTS
O N LY K I N G F O R E V E R | E L E VA T I O N W O R S H I P
I N
2 0 1 4
#2 ON CHRISTIAN CHARTS
BOTH ALBUMS DEBUTED AS #1 CHRISTIAN
O N LY K I N G F O R E V E R
A L B U M S O N I T U N E S A N D TO P 1 0 OV E R A L L
A L B U M R E L E A S E D | JA N UA RY 2 0 1 4
NUMBER OF SONGS | 14
WA K E U P T H E W O N D E R
A L B U M R E L E A S E D | N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 4
NUMBER OF SONGS | 16
N U M B E R O F T I M E S S O N G S F R O M WA K E U P T H E
WO N D E R W E R E ST R E A M E D O N S P OT I F Y I N 2 0 1 4
I got lost from the path God set for me, but God used Elevation Worship to reach me. The lyrics spoke out
what my spirit desired - intimacy and faith and a relationship with Him. I reached my breakthrough and
currently I am standing strong again, continually watching Pastor Stevens sermons as well. Ive proudly
referred you to friends, knowing they will get the nourishment they need to feed their spirits and faith.
-ARIANNE G, NEW ZEALAND
E L E VAT I O N W O R S H I P C U M U L AT I V E D O W N L O A D S
109,885 SONGS
2014
E L E VAT I O N
WO R S H I P
E L E VAT I O N
WO R S H I P
E L E VAT I O N
WO R S H I P
L I V E R E C O R D I N G L O C AT I O N
TIME WARNER
CABLE ARENA
W O R S H I P L E A D E R S O N S TA G E
My favorite moment
world-changing.
- MATTHEWS NTLELE
- JONSAL BARRIENTES
- JANE WILLIAMS
- CHRIS BROWN
2014
2014
E L E VAT I O N
WO R S H I P
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
2014
2014
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
2 0 1 4 O P E R AT I N G R E V E N U E A L L O C AT I O N ( A U D I T E D )
$ 9,03 4 , 49 9
EXPA N SI ON /SAV I N G S/
DEBT REDUCT I ON
$ 5 , 6 5 8 ,014
$ 3 , 3 3 1,79 1
OUT REACH
eST UDEN TS/eKI DZ/
eGROUPS/eT EA MS
3 2. 5 % PE R S O N N E L
20. 4 % E XPA N S I O N
13 . 2% e STU D E N TS /e K I DZ/
e G R O U PS /e TE A M S
12.0 % O U T R E AC H
9.0 % FAC I LI TI E S
8 .0 % O PE R AT I O N S
4 . 9 % W E E K E N D E V E N TS
$ 3 , 6 69, 3 4 3
FACI L I T I ES
$ 2, 495 , 29 1
$ 2, 223 ,75 1
OPERAT I ON S
WEEKEN D EV EN TS
$10 MIL
$9 MIL
$8 MIL
$7 MIL
$6 MIL
$5 MIL
$4 MIL
$3 MIL
$2 MIL
$1 MIL
* PERSON N EL
$ 1, 352, 23 2
2 0 1 4 O P E R AT I N G R E V E N U E C O M PA R I S O N
10%
2014
FROM 2013
2013
$ 27,76 4 , 921
$ 25 ,18 5 ,118
2 0 1 4 S U R R O U N D ( E X PA N S I O N O F F E R I N G )
$5,775,965
T O TA L R E V E N U E | $ 5 , 7 7 5 , 9 6 5
T O TA L G I V E N T O O U T R E A C H * | $ 4 5 3 ,1 4 6
* ADDITIONAL $239,970 TO BE GIVEN IN EARLY 2015
2 0 1 4 T O TA L
R E V E N U E B R E A K D OW N
2 0 1 4 O U T R E AC H
B R E A K D OW N
TOTAL R EVENUE
$33,725,359
O P E R AT I N G | $ 2 7, 7 6 4 , 9 2 1
SURROUND | $5,775,965
OTHER REVENUE | $184,473
$ 3 , 3 3 1 , 7 9 1 | O P E R AT I N G
$ 4 5 3 ,1 4 6 | S U R R O U N D O U T R E A C H
$3,784,937
Elevation Church undergoes a voluntary annual year-end audit by C.Dewitt Foard and Co., P.A.
2014
2014
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
E L E VAT I O N U N I V E R S I T Y C I T Y
C H U R C H
I S
OPENING
D AT E
C H U R C H
E L E VAT I O N L A K E N O R M A N
We opened this 1,200-seat location in the North Charlotte
area in January 2014. We have seen an average attendance of
2,229 people at this location. The total construction costs
were $11 million.
OPENING
DAT E
01.11.14
03.21.15
E L E VAT I O N M AT T H E W S
After leasing the Matthews location, which has also been home to
our headquarters (offices) for five years, we took advantage of an
opportunity to purchase the entire plaza. This will secure our longterm presence in the Matthews community and give us flexibility to
expand in the future. The purchase price was $10.2 million.
CLOSED ON
PROPERTY
01.31.15
E L E VAT I O N B A L L A N T Y N E
After a long permitting and zoning process, we began site work in late
Fall 2014 on what will become the future broadcast location. We are
Since freshmen year, Ive been praying for my friend Bryn to come to church. Fast-forward to junior
year, and Bryn came to Elevation and gave her life to Jesus. I dont take for granted what God is doing at
my church, and I cant even tell you how thankful I am for a church where I get excited to bring people.
- Alex L. | ELEVATION RDU
OPENING
D AT E
EARLY 2016
E L E VAT I O N R A L E I G H
E L E VAT I O N R O A N O K E
L A U N C H E D 7. 2 0 .1 4 | AVG W K LY AT T E N DA N C E 3 2 4
L A U N C H E D 1 0 .1 2 .1 4 | AVG W K LY AT T E N DA N C E 4 8 1
2014
2014
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
F I N A N C I A L
F A Q s
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
N O T E
O U R
F R O M
F I N A N C E
D E P T.
After working in the banking industry as a CPA in financial controls for 30 years, its
H O W M U C H D E B T D O E S E L E VAT I O N C H U R C H H AV E ?
We finished the year with $9.84 million in debt. This was a slight increase of $435,000 from 2013. The
construction in 2014 (University City, Ballantyne site work, Lake Norman completion, and two new
portable locations) was paid for from operating funds. We do anticipate an increase in debt in 2015 with
several new projects in progress.
When I came on staff six years ago, I set out to build the controls and finance
department at Elevation Church with the same level of integrity and focus that I did
for one of the largest banks in the county. And I couldnt be happier with the progress
weve made and continue to make.
W H AT W I L L W E D O W I T H T H E S U R R O U N D O F F E R I N G ?
The $5.78 million year-end offering (after giving 12% to Outreach) will go entirely towards expansion.
We have a credit facility that is secured at a low-interest rate to fund all existing projects. These additional
funds will allow us to explore new opportunities in 2015.
A R E A U D I T E D F I N A N C I A L S AVA I L A B L E ?
As in years past, the financial numbers in this annual report are audited. Additionally, a full copy of our
independent financial audit can be downloaded at elevationchurch.org.
We completed our annual independent audit process for the sixth consecutive year.
We began implementation of an automated management approval system for our
accounting and credit card platforms.
from our Expansion and Finance team. The Committee will have independent
accountability to both the Board of Overseers and our auditors.
When I retired in 2007 (for the first time), I thought I would spend my time playing
golf. I never dreamed that all my years of working was God setting me up to help build
His church. Pastor Steven has preached before that gratitude is never silent. Well
Tithing may seem difficult, but weve always been able to tithe and still maintain our home, make our
mortgage payment, pay for the kids schooling, pay the medical bills from my cancer scare, and have working
vehicles. This year we were blessed to be able to trade our old vehicles for two newer used cars. Were
so thankful for a church that encourages us to be obedient. As a result, our kids have witnessed Gods
faithfulness through our financial discipline. KOSA AND RANDY F. | ELEVATION MATTHEWS
this old man is thankful and shouting about all that God has done in just 9 years of
ministry. And we are just getting started
In Christ,
GARY SESSIONS
Controller (Retired as a CPA 2007)
2014
2014
FINANCE
& E X PA N S I O N
W W W. E L E VAT I O N C H U R C H . O R G