In 2021, God showed himself faithful to us in many profound ways. The year began with 1,200 people joining us in our church-wide Fasting for Breakthrough in January, and on an unforgettable Easter Sunday, we regathered for in-person services for the first time in over a year! I couldn't help but marvel at God's unending goodness. Not only did He sustain us during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but He used our online ministry to reach more people across the globe than ever before—in over 100 countries.
And just one (1) month after we regathered, we resumed our in-person ministry to our Quest Kids and Teens. This began a unique stage in our ministry; as people started to physically return to our campuses, we desired to quench their hunger for spiritual growth and community while simultaneously doing the same for our Online Campus. And through His grace and provision, we met both needs, thanks in part to the continuation of our weekly virtual ministry opportunities for Bible study and prayer, and also through the livestreaming of several major events that were held at our Rockaway and Montclair campuses—like Prayerfest, the Elevate Family Conference and our Christmas Concert.
But this is just a glimpse of how God worked through our love-fueled ministry in 2021. I encourage you to peruse the rest of this Annual Report and give yourself a pat on the back for the role that you played. Through your heartfelt prayers, tireless serving and faithful giving, we continued to share the love and hope of Jesus—in very tangible ways—locally, regionally and around the world!
Our King Cometh!
Pastor David
We witnessed nearly 1,400 people making a decision for Christ in 2021—which we could not have done without you joining us in prayer, serving God's people with excellence and giving faithfully. We also welcomed approximately 150 new members into our church family through the launch of our Joining Our Church Family Membership Course online!
Members of the Christ Church staff are pictured after a Team Field Day. Over 100-plus employees and contractors use their gifts and talents to help ensure ministry operations run smoothly and effectively.
Total Decisions for Christ (In Person & Online)
Our volunteers are the engine of our ministry, and we are so appreciative of how they give of their time and talent. Take a look at how your impact changed lives throughout our entire ministry—by faithfully serving in person and online—during our Weekend Experiences and for special events.
Total Serving Team Members
Leadership Team Members
Sunday Experience Team Members
Other Serving Team Members
In the fall of 2021, we were able to celebrate Water Baptism Sunday for the first time in two years! Almost 100 people took that faith-building step to profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior—which included over 30 students!
Total People Baptized on Water Baptism Sunday
Toward the end of 2021, we were thrilled to share some exciting news within our Christ Church family and to our external surrounding communities (see video below). God put it on our heart to expand our reach via two (2) new campuses: one in Clifton, New Jersey and another in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. We're excited about the opportunity to reach more people for Christ through the expansion of our love-fueled ministry!
In 2021, we regathered in person for the first time in over a year on Easter Sunday (April 4) and we simultaneously continued to reach more people, families and communities through CC Online. God showed Himself faithful to us yet again throughout the pandemic; despite the fact that we did not have in-person services during the first three months of the year, our community gained momentum through the presence of our five (5) online Weekend Experiences and the launch of our services on Church Online Platform in March.
Church Online Platform allowed our family to experience CC Online in a more immersive way. From the use of enhanced live chat to grow and foster a sense of community, to sermon notes and even one-on-one prayer with our prayer leaders and intercessors, Church Online Platform gave our CC family a next-level online experience. And just one month after it debuted, our CC family was finally able to regather at our Montclair and Rockaway campuses. What a testament to God's faithfulness! We began the year not knowing exactly when we'd regather, but by the end of 2021, we welcomed back (and welcomed) thousands of people to our in-person services. Through it all, God's steadfast hand and your commitment to our ministry allowed us to serve both communities with excellence, and set a standard of effective ministry to everyone connected with Christ Church—whether they walked through our doors or joined us from another country!
Days
Can you believe it? There were almost 400 days in between our last in-person service in March 2020 to our regathering in April 2021—but God saw us through it all!
Countries Reached
States Reached
Total Views Online During Weekend Services
Discovery Wednesday (Bible Study) Total Views
20 Minutes of Prayer Total Views
Countries Reached Highlighted in Color
Website
First-Time Website Visitors
Increase from 2020
YouTube
YouTube Subscribers
Increase from 2020
Facebook Page Followers
This metric first became available in 2021
Instagram Followers
Increase from 2020
Church Online Platform
Church Online Platform Subscribers
This metric first became available in 2021
It was also a signature year for our Small Groups as we experienced growth in both our in-person and online communities. As people began to reconnect with their Small Group family in person, our virtual Connect Groups—where people connect over a common interest for a three-month period—also continued to thrive.
Small Groups are where friends become family at Christ Church, and in 2021, this great connection point of Uniting People to God and People to People had a banner year—in person and online!
Total Small Groups
Total Leaders
Total Small Group Registrants & Leaders
Whether we were teaching kids and teens in the classrooms, or ministering to college students and young adults online, the move of God was definitely evident throughout all four of our Quest Student Ministries. Our Q Kids and Q Teens leaders were thrilled to reconnect with their respective groups, while continuing to offer weekly devotionals online. Meanwhile, our Quest College and Young Adults held their own devotionals, Bible studies and other opportunities to connect with each other both in person and online as well!
Ministered to at Quest Kids
In-Person Services
Volunteers
Ministered to at Quest Teens In-Person Services
First-Time Visitors
Decisions for Christ
Volunteers
Total Views
Quest Kids Weekly Devotionals
Total Views
Quest Teens Weekly Devotionals
Total Attendance
Quest College Deeper Encounters
Total Attendance
Quest Young Adults Shabbos Dinner
Our Pastoral Care Ministry continued to provide holistic support to our Christ Church family through prayer, Care (Support) Groups and a variety of resources. In addition, the Lay Counseling Ministry was unveiled; this ministry trains compassionate volunteers who have a heart for seeing those around them fulfill their passion and purpose. Pastoral Care also brought attention and a biblical perspective to important causes through their “Awareness Blog,” which can be found on the ministry's webpage.
Prayer Requests
Chaplains
Care Groups
Care Group Members
And in addition to engaging the community with events, we also met the felt needs of people in our communities via our newly formed Food Pantry Ministry—which distributed almost 900 pounds of food to fight against food insecurity and hunger—and other outreach efforts. Through social media, phone calls and letters, recipients who benefitted from our Food Pantry shared their gratitude with us. One recipient, a grandmother who is raising her daughter's three grandchildren after the passing of her daughter, shared this on Facebook: “The food is always fresh and the people giving out the food are so personal and kind. I so appreciated receiving a complete Thanksgiving dinner!”
Total Food Pantry pounds of food
Our regathering not only signaled a return to our in-person Weekend Experience, but it also marked the in-person return to some of our family favorite signature events, like Prayerfest, Elevate and our Christmas Concert.
For the first time since 2019, our annual Prayer festival returned and showcased a passionate gathering of people seeking breakthrough through the power of prayer. In an atmosphere of worship, preaching and of course prayer, this special day is designed to lead everyone in attendance to an unforgettable God encounter!
Each year, we get ready for Prayerfest through a six-week Prayer Journey that prepares our hearts to cry out to God for our personal, regional and global needs—and 2021 was no different. Over 2,000 people joined our 40-Day Prayer Journey and arrived at Prayerfest with expectation! God showed up and forever changed lives during an incredible day that ministered to nearly 1,000 people in attendance and more than 30,000 virtually—in almost 40 different countries.
In-Person Attendance
Online Views
Online Prayer Request
States
Countries
Countries Reached Highlighted in Color
In October, we hosted our first Elevate Family Conference—which featured Elevate Marriage, Elevate Kids and Elevate Teens—for the first time since 2018. This landmark day saw about 650 people in attendance—50 of whom made a decision for Christ—during an unforgettable day of teaching, discussion, reflection, fellowship and fun!
Attended Elevate Marriage (In Person & Online)
Attended Elevate Teens
Attended Elevate Kids
Attended In Person
Attended Online
Another powerful event that returned in 2021 was our Be Fearless conference, where nearly 1,000 women gathered at our Rockaway Campus, and virtually, to be encouraged and equipped. Not only were hundreds of women from our own CC family impacted, but the conference also ministered to women from our surrounding communities and region. In an environment of prayer and praise, our Be Fearless attendees were given practical tools to courageously fulfill their God-given purpose!
An annual favorite throughout the region, the Christmas Concert returned in person for the first time since 2019 with a production titled, The Night Before Christmas. Through song, dance and other forms of creative expression, God showed up and moved many hearts, as we saw nearly 100 people dedicate their lives to Christ over the four days of performances (which took place at our Montclair and Rockaway campuses, as well as online)!
Christ Church Collective's Christmas album is a warm and soulful unique blend of jazz, R&B and contemporary urban flair in unexpected places—featuring some of your favorite Christmas classics and an original song, Home for Christmas.
Check Us OutEvery year we relish the opportunity to engage the community and in 2021, we did so in numerous ways, including our CC on the Lawn worship service and Family Movie Night. These events took place in Rockaway and provided an opportunity for people to get a taste of Christ Church hospitality—via our wonderful serving teams!
Gathered for Movie Nights
Experienced CC on the Lawn
We also continued our partnership with MESH—Montclair Emergency Services for Hope—which provides food support to those in need in Montclair and the surrounding communities. And we held our second annual food drive, Food for Hope, which provided Thanksgiving dinners to 700 families in our Rockaway and Montclair communities.
Total Serving Hours for Food-Related Outreach
Families were Served
Pounds of Food Served
Last but not least, we partnered with you for “Operation Save Christmas” for the second year in a row. Through your donations, we received 800 gift cards that we distributed to local foster teens—an often underserved population when it comes to receiving presents during the holidays.
In addition to the gift cards, your handwritten notes or “Message Cards” to these foster teens shared the hope and love of Jesus in a tangible and memorable way.
Pictured above is an Operation: Save Christmas "Message Card." On the back of these cards, people wrote encouraging notes to local foster teens.
Gift Cards Distributed to Local Foster Teens
Donated to Local Foster Teens
Christ Church also played a role in helping Haitian earthquake victims, thanks to our relationship with GCF (Gaskov Clerge Foundation).
GCF's earthquake response team provided relief to the population of Anse-du-Nord, a small fishing town with a population of about 600, of which child-bearing women and children make up the majority. The people in this area were severely impacted by a devastating earthquake, which destroyed the town's only school. But GCF was the first and only organization that provided relief to Anse-du-Nord, and with the funds donated by the Christ Church family, GCF was able to purchase and distribute 200 tents and lanterns to this community in need.
In addition, the funds from Christ Church contributed to building a temporary shelter for a family of four in Les Cayes, Haiti.
Donations from Christ Church Family that Aided the Earthquake Relief Effort
In 2021, despite our inability to travel due to COVID restrictions, our CC Global Missions department launched a microlending program that helped start 31 businesses amongst the poorest neighborhoods of Managua, Nicaragua. This was built on entrepreneurial training completed on our last mission trip in 2019. Thanks to your generosity, we received over $12,000 to help create these loans that were repaid over time, allowing these same funds to be re-loaned out to future entrepreneurs.
This empowers our continued efforts to battle teen prostitution and meet the needs of developing children and at-risk youth. Parents are empowered from the money they earn from their new businesses to provide for their family needs; 88% of loans went to women—many being single mothers with multiple children.
One awesome example is a mother by the name of Maritza, who began a business through our microloan program. Then her son started a cellphone repair business. Together their family income increased from $2.38 per day to $16.28—empowering two generations to be entrepreneurs!
Additionally, CC Global began planning out our next 5 years to create lasting community impact around the world.
| Rev. David D. Ireland, Ph.D., Lead Pastor, Christ Church |
| Rev. Marlinda Ireland, D.Min., Worship & Creative Arts Pastor, Christ Church |
| Paul J. Barnish, MBA, President, WP Realty |
| Rev. Pierre du Plessis, Senior Pastor, The Father's House |
| Johanna Faries, Commissioner of Call of Duty League, Activision Blizzard Esports |
| Rev. Anthony Franklin, Montclair Campus Pastor, Christ Church |
| Erika Gerena, Consultant, Erika Gerena, Inc. |
| Rev. Ron Gonzalez, Counseling Pastor, Christ Church |
| Rev. Brian Jacks, CEO & Founder of WiConnect LLC |
| Jose Lastra, Chief Financial Officer, YMCA Of Montclair, NJ |
| Richard Nunes, Esq., Assistant Deputy Public Defender |
| Wunmi Osinubi, M.D., M.Sc., MBA, FRCA, Physician, Occupational & Environmental Health Associates, Inc. |
| Terry Trayvick, Founder & CEO, Level Five Management Consulting, LLC. |
| Rev. David D. Ireland, Ph.D., Lead Pastor |
| Rev. Marlinda Ireland, D.Min., Worship & Creative Arts Pastor |
| Natacha Clesca, MBA, Chief Financial Officer |
| Rev. Anthony Franklin, M.P.S., Montclair Campus Pastor |
| Rev. Ron Gonzalez, M.P.S., Counseling Pastor |
| Ray Velez, Chief Operating Officer |
| Rev. David D. Ireland, Ph.D., Lead Pastor |
| Rev. Marlinda Ireland, D.Min., Worship & Creative Arts Pastor |
| Marcus Bourbon, D.Min., Discipleship Pastor |
| Robert Castro, Discipleship Pastor |
| Ryan Faison, M.Div., Clifton Campus/Student Ministries Pastor |
| Anthony Franklin, M.P.S., Montclair Campus Pastor |
| Barbara Franklin, Montclair Campus Pastor |
| Willie Freeman, Counseling Pastor |
| Ron Gonzalez, M.P.S., Counseling Pastor |
| Marco Hernandez, MFA, Creative Arts Pastor |
| Brian Jacks, MTM, Marketplace Pastor |
| Lionel King, M.Div., Teaching Pastor |
| Chris Lewis, M.Div., Poconos Campus/Children's Ministry Pastor |
We exist to unite people to God and people to people—and we wouldn't exist without your big-heartedness. When you give to God through the church, you impact people, families, regions and nations all over the world!
To be a church that is racially, culturally and ethnically integrated. Our message on promoting reconciliation and restoration among the races is a very real one to us. Acceptance of people is our calling and passion.
We feel God's mandate to build a worshipful congregation where praise music plays a significant role. Our worship will be celebrative, prophetic and rich in the participation of the performing arts.
We strive to prepare the next generation to reach their potential for Jesus Christ. Innovative methods of instruction will be utilized so that many may respond to the call of God and serve their generation as gifted leaders.
Education must be sought-after and embraced by God's people. To succeed in a competitive and secularized world and to serve as the next generation of leaders, we must engage in their spiritual education and own their learning.
We believe that serving the needs of our community is part of our Christian responsibility. Therefore, we will continue to develop Bible-based social programs to help solve some of our community's problems.
The Great Commission must be fulfilled! Trained missionaries, theologians, specialists in church matters and five-fold ministry gifts are needed to address the needs of the 21st century. Christ Church strives to ensure that its membership is both biblically literate and skilled in applying the word of God. We view ourselves as developers of leaders in every age category.
