Tripled
Budget

We raised over $18,000, due mostly to the dedicated support from patrons and member churches. Nearly all of it went to programs, we stayed under budget, and revenue exceeded expenses. We also added three new member churches (New Life Downtown, Woodmen Valley Chapel, and International Anglican Church). We doubled our local email list with hundreds of first-time event attendees, expanding our ability to connect with more people who are longing for more.

Expanded
Public Events

We put on eight public events (four lectures and four concerts), hosting special guests Scott Cairns, Junius Johnson, Rod Dreher, Diana Glyer, Chris Slaten, Matthew Clark, Bob Bennett, Carolyn Arends, and Spencer Capier. This was our first year with a full, themed speaker series, as we continued to attract insightful and captivating lecturers from around the world, routinely drawing more than 150 people to join the conversation. We organized an art show to fight suicide and depression, with dozens of artists contributing entries to a digital presence and popup displays in churches around town. We also filmed our first events, allowing us to begin to build a digital video presence on YouTube.

LAUNCHED
ARTS GUILD

After almost a year of hoping and planning, we launched the Anselm Society Arts Guild with a full slate of member artist services and local events, building up the future of the Christian imagination in our region by supporting local talent spiritually, theologically, artistically, and relationally. We hosted member artists' events, helped promote their work, and held regular meetings where artists could help each other grow. Heather Peterson and Bill Thielker shepherded the creation of the Guild, and then handed it off to 2016-17 director Marcus Robinson. We begin the 2016-17 year with over 20 member artists, who in 2016 so far have published two novels, two works of nonfiction, and created dozens of songs, poems, and paintings.