ANNUAL REPORT 2024
“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
Isaiah 6:1-8 NKJV
It’s amazing to think that we are entering our tenth year of ministry at St Jax! Over these years we have watched each others’ kids grow up, we’ve added new members and seen others depart to various places around Canada and the world, having been strengthened and equipped in our midst. Though we face numerous challenges, we have every reason to be confident in God’s ongoing purpose for us as a church community in Montreal.
In 2024, our Sunday services and midweek courses allowed new leaders to begin emerging, including our youth who stepped up to bring quality ministry on our Youth Sundays. new leaders directing our book studies and discussions, and our new experiment with The Lab which debuted this past fall.
Please read this report in prayer, as we continue to play our part in sharing again the good news about Jesus and the transformation of society.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev’d Graham Singh
Incumbent
BIBLICAL TEACHING AND PASTORAL CARE
At St Jax, we work with a team-approach to our Sunday teaching which allows us to hear from the different voices and perspectives that make up our St Jax community. It’s our desire to dive deeply into the Scriptures and allow the Bible to lead us in the transformation of our lives and renewal of our minds.
This past fall, we enlarged our midweek program with the introduction of “The Lab,” which featured a number of book studies in addition to Alpha. This brought out a wider spectrum of people into our Tuesday nights. This has continued into 2025. Additionally, we began Faith-Food-Friends, an exciting new initiative of meeting regularly in homes around table fellowship and spiritual discussion and prayer.
welcome and hospitality
One of our core values at St Jax is a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere, and we keep getting feedback that confirms it’s working. Our Hospitality and Welcome teams have grown this year with onboarding new members to the team, and continue to be a valuable means for people to get involved and get to know more of the community. We can expect to continue to serve bagels and great coffee every Sunday morning!
WORSHIP
Worship Team at St Jax continues to be a thriving and vibrant part of the St Jax community. We have members who have been part of the team from the outset (almost ten years now!), and members who are just onboarding. We are definitely blessed at St Jax with a rich and varied and growing team. I’m most excited about the young worship leaders who are flourishing in our midst.
audio visual
Our AV team plays a crucial role in worship by managing sound, lighting, and presentations for seamless in-person and online services. They continually enhance our Zoom experience, ensuring connection for those unable to attend. This year, they also played a key role in the successful production of our Christmas concert. Through collaboration with partner organizations, they keep our technology up to date, enriching worship for our entire congregation. We are grateful for their dedication and excellence.
ALPHA & THE LAB
Alpha continues to make up the backbone of discipleship in St Jax. Along with Bible Study and Book Studies, we are encouraged by the development of followers of Jesus in our midst who are stepping up to lead in a variety of ways. It was a delightful Sunday in early December when we baptized 16 people following the conclusion of the fall session of The Lab!
DATE NIGHTS
The Marriage Course, which we have branded, “Date Nights” at St Jax, has become an annual feature, running from mid February to the end of March. In 2024, we hosted it with 50% of the couples participating from outside of our St Jax community. We are encouraged and gratified by the response, and grateful for the opportunity to offer this valuable service to couples.
KIDS & YOUTH
The children are a precious and essential part of the St Jax Community. Our Children’s team is a dedicated group of volunteers who love learning and being with the children. This past year, the children learned and practiced Psalm 24, the Lord’s Prayer and le Notre Père regularly, along with learning scriptures and making models of Kingdom truths. In the fall, our focus was on Prayer, with examples from the lives of bible heroes and heroines. The children are learning to hear and pray to God with expectation, knowing He loves them and is always there for them. May God multiply the children!
This past year at St. Jax Youth has been a time of growth and connection. While the fall season brought some challenges with inconsistency, it also marked a period of reflection and adaptation. Despite this, we were able to come together for a couple of meaningful Youth Sunday services throughout the year that allowed our youth to actively engage in church life. Through Bible studies, video series, and good discussions, our two dedicated youth leaders have played an important role in guiding our youth. The leaders’ commitment has helped create a space where the youth are not only supported but are also stepping into leadership roles of their own, finding their place within the church community. As we reflect on 2024, we are filled with gratitude for the resilience, growth, and sense of belonging that continues to blossom within St. Jax Youth.
PRAYER
Prayer is a vital part of St. Jax, drawing together our community, in one heart seeking the Lord and His listening ear. We began with our annual beginning day of prayer, where we seek the Lord and His heart for the new year. We followed up with Days of Prayer throughout the year with participants both in person and on Zoom.
Wednesday morning prayer continued throughout the year, growing as new community members joined our weekly gathering on Zoom. Once again, we participated in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come, praying for loved ones and acquaintances to come to know Jesus.
CENTRE ST JAX
2024 was a year of exciting events and growth at Centre St. Jax, though not without its building-related challenges. The development of Espace Jax, a social-purpose non-profit, is progressing well, with strong enthusiasm from existing groups eager to be involved. We successfully secured an $80,000 grant for accessibility upgrades, enhancing inclusivity in our space. Looking ahead, we are actively seeking funding for critical infrastructure projects, including the replacement of the flat roof and a boiler upgrade. Thank you for your continued support as we work to strengthen our community hub for the future!
FINANCIAL REPORT
Our financial results for 2024 are somewhat encouraging. Total income of $545,749 from both giving and church rentals was below budget but ahead of 2023 actuals. And with tight control on spending, St Jax ended 2024 with a small cashflow shortfall (operating deficit) of $1,295. We continue to be very grateful to each and every donor for their generosity in helping to keep the mission alive at St Jax.
However, we continue to bear a heavy burden with the level of capital expenditures required to upkeep the church building. We continue to remain both hopeful and dependant upon completion of the sale with the City of Montreal of the green space around St Jax, which is anticipated to come to fruition during 2025.
We are all living during difficult economic times and the dedication of our donors is truly exemplary. We continue to ask for your financial support during the 2025 budget year, and beyond, and God willing we will live to see many more days of ministry at St Jax.
Michael Smtih, Treasurer
CONCLUSION
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! As we look ahead to the year to come, let us give thanks for these amazing steps in our journey. Please join in thanking our oustanding volunteers, leaders, supporters, friends and donors as we do so. Thank you for your time in considering this report and we look forward to discussing it, in the annual church Vestry meeting.
Yours in Christ,
Graham