Annual Meetings & Reports: Celebrating Progress, Renewing Purpose

Dear Members and Friends of Brick Church,

As we gathered for our Annual Meeting, I was reminded of a phrase from Psalm 126 that appeared in a sermon preached by our founding pastor, John Rodgers, 250 years ago:

"The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."

On this 250th anniversary year of our nation, those words feel especially fitting. As we celebrate all that God has done through Brick Church this past year, I invite you to read the 2025 Annual Report of the Congregation and Corporation, which provides a more detailed look at our ministries, finances, and shared life together.

God continues to bless Brick Church in remarkable ways, and it is with gratitude and joy that I share a few highlights from this extraordinary season of ministry.

We have experienced abundant blessings in worship and music. Mozart’s Requiem offered a profound opportunity to confront loss, pray together, and receive hope through the gift of sacred music. Under the leadership of our musicians and worship leaders, our music ministry continues to flourish. We are especially grateful for the ministry of our new Children’s Music Director, Liz Richter. Registration in our children’s music program is up 19%, and Sunday participation has doubled.

We also celebrate the dedication of our staff and congregation during this season of transition. Visiting musicians consistently comment on the warmth, professionalism, and hospitality they encounter at Brick, as well as the exceptional care of our historic building. We are thankful for the many people whose faithful service makes this ministry possible.

Our 2025 Stewardship Campaign surpassed $2 million, marking the third consecutive year of 3–4% growth in stewardship giving. Building on that momentum, the 2026 Stewardship Campaign exceeded $2.2 million—an increase of more than $235,000, or 10%, over the previous year's total. Most encouragingly, 25% of 2026 pledges came from households returning to stewardship after a period of absence or from households making a pledge for the first time. These commitments will enable Brick Church to strengthen its ministry by calling two Associate Pastors and a full-time Christian Educator. We are deeply grateful for your generosity, faithfulness, and commitment to God's work through Brick Church.

This year’s 250th Anniversary celebrations have also been a source of inspiration. Through special events, historical exhibits, and reflections on John Rodgers’ Independence Day sermon, we have been reminded of Brick’s longstanding witness to religious freedom, hospitality to those seeking refuge, reconciliation, and care for those in need. These values continue to shape our ministry today.

Across our church, faith formation ministries are thriving. Bible studies continue to grow in both depth and participation. The Children’s Ministry Committee has done exceptional work nurturing the faith of our youngest members, while programs such as the Day of Discipleship continue to strengthen our commitment to active Christian service.

Our partnerships beyond Brick Church continue to expand as well. We are grateful for growing relationships with Park Avenue Synagogue, the Upper East Side Clergy Unity Initiative, Princeton Theological Seminary, and our historic partnership with The Church of the Living Hope. We look forward to Brick’s continued dedication to the Seminarian Program, bringing on two seminarians this coming year (Fiona Beattie and Chris Randall), as well as a full-time intern from a new ministry partnership program called PreachFor (Chad Scholtens).

Thanks to careful stewardship and strong financial management, Brick Church concluded 2025 with a surplus of $207,000. Session has designated these funds to help offset prior deficits, restore grant funding to historic levels, and provide resources for future ministry opportunities as discerned by Session.

One of the most encouraging signs of God’s work among us is the growth of our congregation. Over the past year, 95 people joined Brick Church, including 18 confirmands and 77 new members. Many of these new members are young families who tell us they came because Brick feels like home, because they want to raise their children in a loving Christian community, because of our thoughtful preaching and outstanding music, and because friends invited them to experience the life of this church.

Our Day School continues to flourish, growing from 194 children this year to 215 children enrolled for next year. We are thrilled that Marie Fabian has agreed to continue her leadership for another three years beginning July 1, 2026.

Our after-school theater and music programs remain strong, with nearly 80 students participating each session. This spring’s classes sold out in a single day. Likewise, our production of Mary Poppins brought together church members, school families, and neighbors in a remarkable display of community. While the production generated net income, its greatest success was the 1,500 lives touched through audiences, cast members, crew, volunteers, and families.

Whether at the Strawberry Festival, in worship, through outreach ministries, in classrooms, or around dinner tables, I continue to witness the magnetic power of Christian fellowship at Brick Church. Recently, someone asked me, "Is all that stuff real on your social media feeds?" My answer was simple: Yes. What you see is a genuine reflection of the vibrant, welcoming, and Christ-centered community that God is building here.

Thank you for your continued support, your prayers, your service, and your generosity. Together, we celebrate what God has done, and we look forward with hope to all that God will continue to do through The Brick Presbyterian Church.

Peace,

Rev. Tom Evans

Senior Minister