Jeremy Duncan

Start with Gratitude 

We are approaching the 10th anniversary of Commons Church's launch, and it continues to be one of the great joys of my life to be a part of this community.

I want to thank our staff team for their remarkable longevity, consistency, and talent. We want to continue to make Commons a place where our team can try new things, grow as individuals, and offer their gifts to the world in new and surprising ways.

I also want to thank our outgoing board member, Mita Adesanya, for her wisdom and ability to articulate Commons' unique vision and presence. I appreciate how she understood this community and brought that into all our decision-making as a board.

Of course, I want to thank all of our board members who are continuing in their roles and welcome Stuart McGibbon, who is joining the board this year. You can read all of the board bios on our website at www.comons.church/team.

2023: Attendance, Giving, & Fresh Air  

Looking back at 2023, this was our first full-speed-ahead year since the pandemic era. Sunday attendance was up 24% from the previous year. Groups were up and running, and we seemed to be adding a new group or course weekly.

Our online participation was down on Sundays as more people returned to services, but we continued to see growth on YouTube and our podcast as we reached new audiences all over.

This was even our strongest year ever for donations. We raised our Advent campaign to our highest goal ever and then exceeded that target. Our big events, like the Stampede Breakfast, came roaring back. And we even had our largest Christmas Eve ever here in Kensington, with 1,486 people in this building across all of our services that day.

Along with all of that, we continued to build toward some of the goals we talked about last year. Our in-house Commons Kids curriculum has been fully implemented now, and we continue to learn and adjust as we go. Bobbi is working on a follow-up to our first prayer book, and I am working on a follow-up to Dirt and Stardust.

This year we added better air circulation for a healthier space. We have added in-person closed captioning for those with hearing issues and adjusted the sizing on keynote slides for those with sight impairments. We are about to introduce Sunday sensory kits for children with sensory needs, which will include headphones, fidget toys, and sensory aids for those who might benefit from them. Of course, we also moved to padding seating for a more flexible setup.

In the spring of this year, you will see a new railing installed in the balcony for better safety and a new custom-designed speaker system that will be much better able to handle the seating arrangement we use across the sanctuary, balcony, and gym side of the room.

Tenth Anniversary & New Goals

We also have some exciting plans as we progress toward our 10th anniversary this fall. We have secured the Jack Singer Auditorium at Arts Commons for a massive single Sunday service, during which everyone at Commons will celebrate 10 years together. You can find more information about our tenth-anniversary service at www.commons10.info.

As we approach 10 years, we also want to look forward to the next decade. As a board, we felt it was time to start dreaming again. Coming out of our 10th anniversary, the board has settled on a new set of 5-year goals to guide our efforts.

First, we want to see the median age of our adult population return to below 40. We are currently sitting at 42, which is amazing in the church world, but we want to work to ensure that we continue to create space and give voice to younger generations as a priority at Commons. Our renewed focus on 7 pm is already a big part of that.

Secondly, we aim to raise capital. We know that Louise Dean School is closing this spring, and we have been assured that we can continue using the parking on Sundays, but we want to participate in the conversation about what happens with that space in the neighbourhood in the long term. But we also want to be looking for other opportunities in the city because –

Our final goal is to launch a new location, parish, or church plant in the next five years. We learned a lot in Inglewood, but with Kensington reaching capacity, it's time to gather up those lessons and try again.

What's very exciting is that after we set these new goals, another church within the city approached us, expressing interest in collaborating with us and offering their space as a potential home for a new Commons Church. Although discussions are still in the early stages, this possibility affirms our larger direction to grow through smaller neighbourhood presences across Calgary rather than a trend towards one large mega-church.

We have a lot to be grateful for and excited about, including new book projects, a 10th-anniversary celebration on the horizon, a new sound system arriving this spring, and the resources and energy to dream about what the next 10 years hold for us. All of this is due to the incredible support you have shown to Commons.

Thank you.

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