Dear friends of Corpus Christi Anglican Church,

Thank you for your continued prayerful support of what God is doing in and through Corpus Christi Anglican Church. It has been such an encouraging year as we continue to make disciples around the Springfield and Kingstowne areas of Fairfax County. God is drawing people to himself. We have had several baptisms and confirmations this year. It has been the first year that we were able to run three formation groups concurrently and sustain them consistently. The women’s ministry has begun to build momentum, and the church is finding creative ways to reach out locally and serve our neighbors.

It is hard to believe that we launched weekly services just over 4 years ago in June 2021. This was the first year in which we had a financial surplus beyond what our grants were. Our financial position allows CCAC to discern becoming a full congregation in the diocese (as opposed to being a mission). More importantly, there is a real spirit of generosity among this church. CCAC was able to give not only the 5.1% asked for by our diocese, but the church also gave 5% towards the church planting fund of the diocese. The church gave nearly $1,000 towards relief efforts and began a partnership with an overseas missionary who is helping with church planting and bible translation amongst a nearly unreached people group. We gave over $2000 to our overseas missions partner!

As we look at the coming year, I want to ask for your continued prayers and financial support. We are not a church plant anymore and cannot receive grant funding from our diocese and we have never had a parent church that has supported us. We are now on our own with regards to funding. Our current two sources of income are gifts from people within the church and gifts from people outside the regular attenders of CCAC. We rely on those gifts to carry on this work, and each year is an act of trust that God will provide for what He is calling this church to do. Because the church is growing, there is a need for more pastoral care. To do this work well, the vestry agreed that our administrator, Ivory, needs to increase her hours with us, so she will move in January from being ½ time to ¾ time. We have also begun offering healthcare reimbursement for our 25+ hours/week employees. In the coming year, the church will have several of the older kids moving up into youth ministry. There will need to be a bit of restructuring to address this changing need. As you consider your year-end giving, and even how you give next year, please prayerfully consider a one-time or new recurring gift to Corpus Christi Anglican Church. If you would like to hear more about the finances or any of the specific ministries, I am always available for a phone call or to meet up. Thank you for your support! Here are some fun pictures and stories from 2025.

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Baptism and Confirmation

In February, we had the opportunity to bless one of our families with the gift of baptism. The couple took the initiative to renew their marriage vows before the congregation ahead of baptizing their two children. This was a beautiful service of renewal and hope in the work of the Holy Spirit. This couple brought several friends to the church that morning, and two of these friends have now become a dearly beloved part of our church.

During Epiphany and Lent, we offered a confirmation class. Our class is eight weeks and covers how to read the Bible, church history, how to use the Book of Common Prayer, and the sacraments. One of the adults in the class had also been preparing to be baptized. We had the joy of baptizing him at the Easter Vigil this year. The following week, he and others were confirmed by the Bishop, and the service was followed by a wonderful lunch put together by our barbecue team.

We had some new friends, a mother and son, begin attending the church in February. They have walked through a lot together and it has been one of my highlights this year to see God at work in their household and how they have found community at CCAC. On Pentecost, I had the joy of baptizing the little boy.

Over the summer, we said goodbye to a number of households in the church (as is typical in our area). God has brought us several new households over the course of the summer, many of which have not yet been confirmed. We began a confirmation class this Fall and I anticipate several more folks being confirmed or received when the Bishop comes next May.

Formation Groups

Formation Groups are a place where people share dinner together, pray Compline, read the Scripture in community (using Lectio Divina), and pray for the needs of each other. Outside of the Sunday Eucharist, these groups drive our culture of hospitality at CCAC. We had several of these groups meet in and around Springfield, Kingstowne, and beyond. This year we had the blessing of several households moving closer to the church so that they could be more invested in the community. It has been a joy to bless those houses and fill them with God’s people in Formation Groups other church events.

Men, Women, Youth, Moms

Three of our ministries meet monthly: Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, and Youth Ministry. On the first Sunday of each month, the men meet for breakfast and an opportunity to pray family morning prayer and have discussions about theology and life. This group has grown and become a helpful vehicle for men at CCAC to build closer friendships in Christ.

The women’s group meets on the third Saturday of each month. Sometimes the women have brunch, do a Bible Study, or even take part in a craft. This group has gathered an intergenerational group of women together for regular support and encouragement.

Our youth ministry has a huge range of ages. There are a few 10 to 12-year-old students, a few 14 to 15-year-old students, and a few 16 to 18-year-old students. This year, instead of meeting weekly after the service, we decided to regroup and meet monthly to focus on forming the friendships necessary to have deeper conversations. We have had opportunities to have game nights, go bowling, and go ice skating, and we will continue to nurture these friendships over the next 6 months while we think about how to incorporate several more 10-year-old students in Fall 2026. The students all have the opportunity to serve in the liturgy, and some have even been confirmed (or will be next May!).

This year, we identified a need for moms to have a space for rest, contemplative prayer, and connection. Marcia, Marnie, and Bethelehem have spearheaded a moms group that meets on the second Tuesday of each month. This group is serving a community need as indicated by the fact that many of the moms who are a part of this group do not yet come to CCAC (though hopefully they will soon!).

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Ashley continues to build out an amazing discipleship program for kids ages 3-9 with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Last year, we had three more people get trained as level one catechists who can lead the children in the level one atrium. Ashley has a very large class of level two students. Each week, the kids explore the parables of Jesus, the liturgy, and the story of salvation in Scripture. More adults have joined in as trained assistants and are being trained on a regular basis. It is a gift to see this program come together and to begin to see the fruits of it as the kids are engaging with the material. I am so grateful for Ashley’s intentionality in this ministry and her fortitude in continually improving it. This program drives so much of the culture at CCAC. In 2026 we will be able to offer a level 1 training for the first time!

Music

In January 2025, Spike Douglass became our music director. He and his wife, Nasya, have done a great job building on the legacy that others have left them. The Breams had to step back from leading last year since they were preparing to move. They moved in June, and we were so sad to see them go, but we sent them out in prayer and gratitude for their time at CCAC. Spike and Nasya have done a great job building up a team of musicians, thinking through seasonal songs, and building out our Spotify playlists and Music page.

The children are being invited to sing on a regular basis in church. This year, we will be introducing the various liturgical seasons with a musical evensong. This will give the church an opportunity to learn about the different seasons and to learn new (or new to us) music associated with those seasons. Spike and Nasya are doing a great job, and I’m so grateful for their leadership of this ministry.

Outreach

The people at CCAC have so many things they’re involved in. We encourage people to think of themselves as missionaries and ministers where God has them. In the places we go, our folks are encouraged to share their stories of life with Jesus in invitational ways with others. At the end of last year, we served several unhoused people a delicious dinner at the hypothermia shelter. People of all ages and stages from the church helped provide this meal. We are looking forward to doing it again.

Several of us at CCAC have been involved in local Little League Baseball. Some of us actually coach teams. This year, we sponsored a team and provided volunteers for the Central Springfield Little League Fall Festival. It is such a joy to involve the church in serving our local community through youth sports.

We had two drives to help provide resources for local households. In August, we participated in August Angels with the Koinonia Foundation. This drive gathered school supplies for local children in the central Springfield and Franconia areas. In November and December, we learned of a need for winter clothing at Key Middle School in the Franconia area. We worked with a school social worker to get clothes for teens at Key Middle School. I am so grateful for the generosity of CCAC in wanting to help our local community.

One ongoing ministry that we partake in is a monthly Eucharist at Greenspring Senior Living in Springfield. Each month, we serve about 20 residents at Garden Ridge, which is in the assisted living section of Greenspring. We have had people find renewal in their lives with Christ through this service. There are people who look forward to it each month. It has been a real gift to serve these sweet saints each month.

Special Services

How we worship forms us as disciples of Jesus. Part of how we worship involves making the most of the church’s calendar that has been handed down to us through the centuries. Some of the feasts of the church occur on days outside of Sundays. This year, we wanted the opportunity to mark and celebrate some of those days. We also began our foray into using incense for some of those special feasts.

On January 5, we celebrated the 12th day of Christmas with dinner, Christmas Carols, and prayer. It was so much fun! Candlemas (February 2) occurred on a Sunday last year so we held our first Candlemas service with the special processions. Next year we will hold a Candlemas service again on February 2, even though it does not occur on a Sunday.

In March, we ended Epiphanytide on Shrove Tuesday with the burying of the alleluias and eating a lot of pancakes. Once again, the kids helped me pulverize the palm ashes to use them the next day for Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday began the season of Lent. This year, since it was the first Wednesday of the month, we celebrated Ash Wednesday at Garden Ridge (at Greenspring Senior Living) in the morning, then at the church that evening. The room we were using was under construction, and we celebrated Ash Wednesday with exposed framing in the walls. That felt like a gift for a season that invites us to know how unfinished we are.

Holy Week was (and always is) such a blessing. We celebrated our Lord’s passion and resurrection together. This year, we were blessed to baptize one of the men in our church, and his children stood next to him, watching the commitment their dad was making to following Jesus. It was so powerful. Easter Sunday was our highest attended service. The kids rang cowbells at the word “alleluia,” and it was a beautiful cacophony of joy!

We celebrated Pentecost at Pohick Bay Regional Park again this year. We almost got rained out, but fortunately, it was just a light drizzle. We had incense, celebrated a beautiful baptism, and our barbecue team put together a wonderful cookout after the service. This year, we also celebrated the feast of Ascension on Ascension Day for our first time (and with incense!).

This summer and fall, we had several households move into the area or move closer to the church. It is really exciting when that happens. One of the ministries that we love to do is house blessings. There were several opportunities to bless people’s homes and create a prayerful imagination for what God might do in the spaces we dwell in.

Community Events

We do a lot of community events. This is because play builds trust, and often our culture does not know how to play anymore (and thus lacks capacity for trust and true friendship). If we want to build a community of trust and safety where people are transformed, encouraged, exhorted, and challenged, then we need to play and rest together.

Back in May, we had a great gathering at Brookfield Park. We had a cookout, and the kids rode bikes on the dirt track and played on the playground. This year, we formed a barbecue team since we do so many cookouts. As I remind the church each year, I want to be a church of many cookouts. There is an entire shelf in my office dedicated to cookout supplies, and we even brought a collapsible charcoal grill so that we are ready to party together at all times!

In July, we had a 4th of July cookout where we gave the Lord thanks for our liberties as Americans and enjoyed good food together. People came and brought friends. It was really well attended. That month, we also traveled to DC and went to a Washington Nationals game together (and they won! Maybe we should go more often!). For several folks, this was their first major league baseball game. Everyone had so much fun!

In August, we held our annual pool party. It was a great time to welcome everyone back after people came back from summer vacations. Some folks brought friends who were not yet a part of the church. Some of those who came were brand new to the church. We create these kinds of spaces for relationships to form naturally.

In October, we held our Fall Retreat. This was our second time staying in a lodge and the first time trying the NOVA 4-H Conference and Retreat Center. It was such a beautiful time in Front Royal. The leaves were changing and the weather was still fairly warm. The kids did such a big hike and had a lot of fun together. The theme this year was creating space for God, which focused on resting. It was great to have so much free time together. I especially loved seeing the community being built around the fire pit on the Saturday night of the retreat. God is building a church of common people in common prayer for uncommon transformation.

Finances

I have been overwhelmed this year with the generosity of CCAC and of those outside CCAC who continue to support the work of this ministry. Last year, we had budgeted for a deficit of approximately $30,000. By God’s grace, this was not actually the case. We ended the year with a surplus of just over $22,000. And on top of that, the church was able to generously give over 10% of its actual income: 5.1% to our diocesan general fund, 5% to the church planting fund of our diocese, and $2,000 to an overseas missions partner!

Our income from 2025 (277,758.28) came from four sources: 1) charitable gifts from within the church, 2) charitable gifts from outside the church, 3) grants, and 4) event income. Historically, we relied heavily on grants to fund 30-40% of our operations. This year, we received one grant, which made up only 5.5% of our actual income. I continue to raise outside support from friends and family outside of CCAC. I am so grateful for these friends who continue to support this work! This is about 18.2% of our income. People pay for certain events like retreats or youth events. The event-related income comprises less than 1% of our income. The majority (75.5%) of our income comes from charitable contributions from within the congregation. That is amazing! It shows a very encouraging trajectory as we grow and continue to expand operations and increase sustainability. I am still committed to raising support from outside our church, but I’m encouraged at the generous giving from the congregation.

Our expenses for 2024-2025 ($255,494.48) were very close to what we budgeted for. Our rent is generously subsidized by Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (the church from which we rent). We are incredibly grateful for their generosity. Because our rent is so low, our payroll expenses were our greatest cost at 62.1%. This is to be expected. The rent is included in our worship and A/V costs, which total 11.7% of our expenses. Our church gave 5.1% to our Diocesan general fund and another 5% to the church planting fund of our Diocese. The gifts to church planting are matched by another donor and further the work of church planting locally. We want to be a church that helps plant churches, and this is our way of helping do that. We began partnering with an overseas missions partner in the Middle East through Anglican Frontier Missions. It is exciting to see the work they are doing: translating the Bible, evangelizing, and helping with church planting amongst a particular ethnic group.

As we look at the trajectory of generosity and growth, as well as where to go next, I am very encouraged. In the next year, we are going to increase our salary expenses so that our administrator can be ¾ time with CCAC. We are going to apply to become a congregation next year (rather than the mission status which we have right now). The next logical question we will enter into prayerfully after those things will be around planning for a more permanent location in the next 3-5 years. I am so grateful to the Lord for your generosity and for holding this church up in your prayers. God has been so kind.

As we come to the end of this year, please join me in giving thanks to the Lord for his gracious gifts. I would also ask you to prayerfully consider a gift to Corpus Christi Anglican Church. Perhaps this is a one-time gift, or you could consider a recurring gift. People’s generosity makes this work possible. If you would like to make a gift to CCAC, please use the “Give Now” button below. Thank you so much for your prayers and generosity!

Thank you for your generosity towards God’s work in and through Corpus Christi Anglican Church. We are so grateful for your partnership in prayer and financial support. If you have any questions or would like further details about the budget, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Blessings in Christ,

Morgan Reed+

Vicar, Corpus Christi Anglican Church