Strategic Plan. First Presbyterian Church. September 7, Jefferson City, MO

Transcription

1 Strategic Plan September 7, 2016 First Presbyterian Church Jefferson City, MO

2 OUR MISSION STATEMENT Gifts of the Body of Christ at First Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church is a vibrant, Spiritfilled community of disciples who participate in the love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, fellowship and service in mission. 2 P a g e

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction 4 II. History Where have we been 5 X Action Plan 32 XI Action Plan 39 XII Action Plan 45 III. Current Trends 6 XIII. Revisiting the plan IV. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats 8 XIV. Appendix A Church History 49 V. Our SWOT Findings 9 VI. Considerations from SWOT Analysis 17 VII. SWOT Summary 22 VIII. Where Does God want us to go? 22 A. Our Strategic Goals 22 B. Strategic Goal Execution 27 IX Action Plan 28 3 P a g e

4 I. Introduction As we introduce this strategic plan we start by expressing deep-felt gratitude and appreciation for all who participated in the discussions on Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities. Thank you. As you read this strategic plan, we invite you to do so with an open mind, positive attitude and prayerful demeanor. First Presbyterian Church needs your prayers as we move forward into the future, a future with great opportunities. As a consequence, a pivotal chapter in the Strategic Plan is the Action Plan. Another critical section which needs your attention is how the implementation of this 4-year plan might proceed. We draw your attention to the Recommendations section of the plan. The Strategic Planning Jim Crabtree Ruthie Caplinger Pastor Rob Erickson Sue Haugen Jack Pletz Megan Weber To aid you in finding your way around in this document, we provide a table of contents. Using it, you may go directly to the plan sections which most interest you. However, we urge you to carefully read the entire document. With God s help we will face the future in faith and as a community, be the church we are called to become. 4 P a g e

5 II. OUR HISTORY Where we have been. John Calvin wrote, "Wherever we find the Word of God surely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to the institution of Christ, there, it is not to be doubted, is a church of God." And that we are! A church with a rich history and stronger calling to continue moving with the spirit of God s grace and mercy. Robert Penn Warren wrote "History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future." Appendix A contains an outline of our Church History. The roots of the Presbyterian Church go all the way back to Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther beginning in John Calvin, a lawyer by trade, wrote The Institutes of the Christian Religion. His work attracted great attention because of its insight, depth, and clarity. The Presbyterian Church today finds it theological roots in the writings of John Calvin. In reviewing our history we gain a better understanding of ourselves. When First Presbyterian Church formed in 1834, seeds were planted for a 181 year faith journey that continues today. Since that day in June when Rev. Robert L. McAfee organized an Old Presbyterian Church with twelve people, an abundance of prayers, struggles and blessings have brought us to this point in time. With many hands the work is lightened, but the blessings born of opportunities to help serve are immeasurable. 5 P a g e

6 III. Current Trends How are we doing? First Presbyterian Church initiated a Strategic Planning process to review where the church has been, assess how our church is now doing, and recommend a vision for the future by understanding where God s Will is leading us. The members of the Strategic Planning process include Pastor Rob Erickson, Jack Pletz, Ruthie Caplinger, Megan Weber, Sue Haugen and Jim Crabtree. that age bracket. Only 20% (versus 26% - 28%) of the population are 21 year to 40 year olds. The graph below illustrates this profile. Our research found that the churches that are thriving engage congregants in meaningful worship and mission. These are areas where we feel First Presbyterian is strong. In reviewing the past ten years of mission and financial support, we feel our history is strong and stable. In our quest we have learned that many Mainstream Churches have weakened in the past forty years yet, some congregations are thriving. Why? We discovered that in the 21 st century people choose a church based on its active, meaningful congregation, not solely on the church s denomination. We also realized that many churches which are thriving are attracting younger members and young families. Our membership is weighted towards the age 65 and older bracket (with a 30% representation). This age bracket is twice the local (14%), the state (14.7%) and national (13.7%) percentages for We do have a few challenges to assess. For instance: Our congregational worship attendance of 280 is low for our membership. The 2014 PCUSA average percentage for a congregation our size is 47.1% but our average attendance is only 33% of our reported membership. This could indicate that our reported membership roll is not accurate. Second, our Christian Education enrollment is decreasing. A ten-year trend 6 P a g e

7 shows our average attendance of over 400 in 2003 & 2004 decreased to 300 individuals for 2010 through However, in the past two years we have added thirty new members to the rolls. We must not get too wrapped up in numbers; however, what we have learned about those churches that are flourishing is that they are good listeners and are able to discern God s call and respond to that call. So, we listened to what God was saying through the members of His church. 7 P a g e

8 IV. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats home gathering with Sue Haugen, mid Hi-Sunday School Class, and new members gathering with Ruthie Caplinger. The Strategic Planning process thus turned to ascertaining our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We did this through group activities involving the church leadership, staff, College of Elders, Adult Education, youth and several living room gatherings. We included many church members in this very important process to piece together the puzzle of discerning God s will for First Presbyterian Church. The Strategic Plan Process We have met with 9 different groups for input for a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis. The Groups included: the Elder / Deacon Retreat, College of Elders Dinner, Contemporary Issues Sunday School Class, Senior High Sunday School Class, Confirmation Class, Retired Adult Fellowship, Downtown Diner gathering with Pastor Rob a 8 P a g e

9 V. Our SWOT Findings The Strategic Planning team met to review and analyze the findings from the SWOT discussions. There are some trends that we expected and found to be common perceptions: we are getting older, we have serious parking problems, we are strong in mission, we are strong in traditional worship, we are a friendly and welcoming congregation, and we have strong staff and pastoral leadership, good music and good ecumenical presence in community. The perceived strengths outweighed the perceived weaknesses, which is good. Some issues raised were relatively simple programmatic or operational changes that we could simply do- tours of the church for new members, more pew Bibles and more handicap parking. Some issues appeared in both the strengths and weakness categories such as: Youth Ministry, contemporary worship, Sunday school, downtown location, handicap accessibility. There were also some contradictory messages: we need to appeal to the young people/ we need to sing more of the old hymns that older members know; we have three services (that s good)/ we don t know each other because of the multiple services; we have too many bulletin inserts/we don t communicate well enough. And the perceived threats are not unique to us: competing activities on Sunday and Wednesday; financial limitations; and an aging congregation are challenges for many churches. (And we should emphasize that the SWOT analysis gives us perceptions not necessarily facts.) The Strategic Planning Team analyzed these findings and organized them into categories to try to make them more understandable and accessible. The perceived strengths and weaknesses were categorized. The committee analyzed what niche First Presbyterian Church fills in the Jefferson City religious community and how we fit into the outreach of the Kingdom of God in our community. The SWOT results, Bible study and prayer guided us in our attempt to discern God s direction and mission for us and our congregation. The categories assessed are listed below alphabetically: Attendance & Participation Strengths - Church members provided feedback for our strategic planning on attendance (we have a strong faithful base) and participation. Items identified as strengths included our attendance, we are welcoming, we integrate new members quickly, we offer many services, our Sunday school does not compete with our services, we offer diverse and numerous activities, we are intergenerational and we offer options for participating through live streaming, radio broadcast, and services within nursing homes. Our long time members as well as our visitors indicated that they feel at home at First Presbyterian Church. 9 P a g e

10 Weaknesses perceived weaknesses for First Presbyterian Church included the following: not everyone is aware of the service times or transitions of one service to two services, and people who have not attended for some time are embarrassed to come back. We have a number of inactive members. Opportunities: better utilization of Time and Talents sheets; celebration of the distinctiveness of Presbyterians, ask people to help more often. Threats: competing activities, competing churches (particularly charismatic and contemporary), busyness, lack of interest from young families and busy schedules. Christian Education Strengths - The perceived strengths of our Christian Education Program included the following: Camp Covenant Point was uplifted as strength to our programming, the fact that we offer many activities for Senior and Mid High youth was noted. Our Preschool and K-Plus Programs, Presbyterian Youth Fellowship (PYF), Scouting (Troop 2), our wide range of Sunday School offerings are positive strengths, along with Montreat and youth mission trips. Weaknesses The weaknesses raised included that we are experiencing low attendance in children s programs and that we struggle to get teachers for Sunday school. Opportunities The opportunities raised included better utilization of Camp Covenant Point, utilizing the camp for Family Camp, offering multi-generational classes, expanding Young Adult activities, expanding Young Parent offerings, offering more summer programs for the Mid-Highs, and exploring alternatives to traditional Sunday school. We can always improve and expand the use of technology. Last but certainly not least, we can improve Biblical and Theological Literacy. Threats Two threats were identified to our attendance and participation. These included popular culture, and the conflict we experience between church activities and extracurricular activities. Church Culture Strengths - Church Culture defines our congregation, who we are and where we have been. Members felt that our ecumenical connection was very important. Our deep roots were significant. We are perceived as being inclusive and accepting of other faiths; we have flexibility, an air of openness and we are open-minded. Our congregation is 10 P a g e

11 perceived as having diverse faith backgrounds, yet we maintain traditions and have a consistency of beliefs. Our culture is perceived as focusing on positives and back to our community. We are definitely intergenerational, not particularly cliquish and we maintain traditions and a sense of family so that church feels like home. Our lay leadership is strong. It is felt that we all have input and that we are supportive of one another and respect other beliefs. We are perceived as being transparent, open to the public and respectful of other beliefs while identifying as Presbyterians. Weaknesses - Our weaknesses are perceived as having an over reliance on technology. To some extent we have an inability to embrace change, we are somewhat territorial in pew selection, and we have issues with diversity. Opportunities - The feedback received encouraged transparency and open discussions. Threats- Perceived threats included the need to avoid over taxing a few members, complacency and alienating old members as we attempt to attract new members. Communication Strengths- The strengths that were uplifted included our newsletter, prayer chain, radio ministry, live streaming and generally good press for our church in the media. Weakness- The perceived weaknesses included miscommunications, the need to communicate in multiple formats, but that we occasionally miss opportunities. Opportunities- The perceived communication opportunities include the use of social media (e.g., Facebook), new technology tools, and a willingness to explore communication needs. It was also indicated that we may need better descriptions of the various church groups. Threats- The threats to good communication are perceived as the media is focusing on Presbyterianism. We are perceived by some as becoming too reliant on technology as a communication tool. Evangelism Our Church does evangelism primarily through deeds and community action. Our Church conducts many local mission activities such as pre-school, Stephen Ministry and SNL meals, which exemplifies the Word by being a caring community. Another element of evangelism is visibility; to spread a message the messenger must be visible. Strengths - include the number of downtown events in which our church participates, such as Living Windows, The Day of 11 P a g e

12 Service, and our communications (e.g. Website and livestreaming). Members uplifted our positive, friendly attitude that all are welcome. Treating people as members before they actually join was noted as well as integrating visitors as well as new members into the life of the church. Other areas of evangelism include our preschool, Stephen Ministry and SNL dinners. Weaknesses- Areas that were noted as weaknesses included our lack of evangelism identity and our lack of awareness of opportunities... We are challenged in attracting young people. Others felt that we need more PR/Advertising. Some felt that the community is unaware of Presbyterians and that controversial platforms of the PCUSA create negative press. Opportunities- The greatest need expressed was the attraction of more young families. Members suggested that we needed to discuss and practice evangelism. Which may require guidance and training so we may be made comfortable in meeting evangelism goals. Members offered specific evangelism techniques such as live streaming, utilizing the community Welcome Wagon, Chamber of Commerce and Newcomers Club. We could also sponsor events / programs / limited time opportunities for young people. Using sports, special activities, music and concerts to attract people to the church. Threats- Three threats to evangelism were raised. These included the fear of rejection, negative attitudes toward religion, and the lack of young families who would encourage those in a similar age group to join our church. Fellowship Strengths - Church members provided feedback for our strategic planning on fellowship. The perceptions received fell into three broad categories; meals, activities and socialization. The most frequent response concerned meals and the fellowship surrounding them. Second was group activities such as coffee fellowship. Group events that are important to some congregants include basketball, age 50 plus groups, Loaves & Fishes and retired adult fellowship. The combined summer service was also seen as a fellowship enhancement. Weaknesses The perceived weaknesses for fellowship included having two services and not having the Mariner group or more small groups. A concern was also uplifted concern regarding fellowship opportunities for the year old age group. Comments were also made concerning cliques and a lack of friendliness toward everyone. 12 P a g e

13 Opportunities Fellowship opportunities fit into the three broad categories of physical facilities, small groups and activities more frequently. The facility oriented opportunities included more frequent utilization of Camp Covenant Point, and fellowship away from the Church building. Small group opportunities included college groups (Lincoln University specifically), Young Adult Group and utilization of social media. Activity opportunities included book clubs and utilizing the facilities for physical fitness programs. We also need to find ways to reach out to those not active in fellowship activities i.e. connecting with the disconnected. Threats Only two threats were perceived: the first was not having people willing to take on new programs; and the second was a lack of balance between relationships and programs (programs are to serve a need and thus build relationships). parking a close second. Accessibility was identified as a problem as was the lack of outside play space. Other items included lack of spectator space in the gym, balcony issues (specifically creaky pews and sightlines), technology and the costs for maintenance. Opportunities The perceived opportunities concerning facilities included expanding the use of technology and live streaming, improving security, creating a cry room, and becoming more energy efficient (lighting, heating & cooling). Threats The most uplifted threats concerned parking in general. Specifically, a lack of parking during weekdays and parking for the disabled. Second most noted was a land bound facility as a limitation on physical growth. Other threats expressed included economic concerns of maintaining our facility, as well as safety and security issues. Facilities Strengths Our location as a downtown church was uplifted as the most identified strength with updated technology as the second most. It is perceived that we have a beautiful sanctuary and very functional space, especially in Knox Hall. Weaknesses - The most frequent perception identified as a weakness was our land locked location, with inadequate Mission Strengths - The perceived strengths of our mission activities were our inclusiveness, capable and diverse people involved in mission; personal commitment, our willingness to participate, that our mission engages us and supports our community, the breadth of our mission work, and the church s focus on mission. 13 P a g e

14 Specific mission activities noted were; Sunday Night Live (SNL), Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, K-Plus and Scouting. We are engaged in both local and international missions. Weaknesses The weakness uplifted was our mission activities involving travel requires a personal financial investment that excludes some who might wish to participate. Opportunities Lincoln University was seen as an opportunity. There is a developing outreach at the SNL service centering on pastoral care, transportation, housing and emotional support. Other opportunities included RAF Choir, mentoring to the homeless, more service to the elderly, involving community friends in the SNL preparation, and inviting members who are not currently involved in mission projects to join. Threats Possible overreliance on specific individuals to lead and execute mission activities was seen as a threat. The SNL Ministry challenges the comfort levels of some of our attendees. Music Strengths - Our music program is perceived as a true strength. Our professional staff, chime choir and musical library were uplifted. People appreciate both the variety of music and the special music. Weaknesses- Perceived weaknesses included our youth choirs, our singing old hymns, and the need for younger people in the choir. Opportunities - The members of the congregation offered many opportunities for the music program. These included the Praise Team, community programs, a community youth choir, music ministry, more children providing special music, updated hymnals and the variety of services. Threats Two contradictory threats were raised relative to music; one is that we change too quickly, another was that we suffer from a lack of change. A third threat was the costs for organ maintenance. Pastoral Care Strengths Members of our congregation identified numerous Pastoral Care strengths, beginning with our pastors and their availability. Another was our Congregation s care for each other. Also noted was Stephen Ministry. Our deacons, women s ministry and the church prayer chain were all uplifted as strengths. Weaknesses Our lack of a parish nurse and the perception that care is not equally to all congregants. 14 P a g e

15 Opportunities Our opportunities for improved Pastoral Care included getting a Parish Nurse and following up with inactive members by expressing concern and inviting them back. Our Friends of the Carpenter service might benefit from better communication and marketing. Threats A major threat to ministering to the sick is HIPPA. A general lack of communication about member needs and illness was a concern. There may be a reluctance to call for pastoral care. Stewardship Strengths- The perceptions raised regarding stewardship reflected the strong outward focus on community needs, denominational mission and world mission projects. In addition, special legacy gifts have been received by the church. Members have felt that the Church has sufficient funds to support more pastoral leadership and mission activities than ever before. There is a perception that the congregation is strong in giving of time and talents. Members seem responsive to special financial needs that arise from time to time. Members feel that we have gotten much better in communicating the stewardship and financial matters and have more efficient administration of our finances. A final strength that was noted is having an endowment fund. Weaknesses- There is a perception that the number of pledging units is not as high as it should be. Also shared was the feeling that per capita giving (per member) is a weakness, compared with other churches. In the past, we have relied on bequests to balance the budget, and the ability to do that may not continue indefinitely. Opportunities- The opportunities for stewardship included the expansion of direct (on-line banking) giving. Another was to continue the trend of fostering legacy gifts and trust gifts. Some felt that more targeted funding might be an opportunity. Some felt that we needed a better utilization of the time & talent forms. Others expressed the goal of increasing the annual percentage spent on missions. Threats - The threats to stewardship indicated that without more legacy gifts or increased capital giving our needs may exceed our resources in the short or medium term. The aging demographics of our church and community were noted here. Our traditional way of receiving gifts was perceived as a threat because younger adults and youth are moving away from using checks and relying more on electronic banking. Finally, it was felt that there is a dilution of budget decisions by special requests for non-budgeted items. Worship/Types of Worship 15 P a g e

16 Strengths- Our greatest strength is the quality and variety of our services. A second strength recognized our ecumenical worship series. Others thought the different worship services, as well as seasonal services were a strength. Others included accessibility, our biblical basis, community prayer services, SNL, congregational involvement, pastoral leadership, and the quality of our preaching / sermons. Others perceived as a strength, our radio ministry and the options for contemporary/traditional services and worship services at nursing homes. Weaknesses- The perceived weaknesses included the need to differentiate our Church from other denominations. Other weaknesses included standing/sitting, our limited parking, youth participation (lack of), a perception of our church as traditional and that SNL is not drawing young families. A few members felt that the prayers of people may get too long. Opportunities- The opportunities for worship/types of worship included live streaming, better exterior signage, and better sound equipment, creating a permanent space for SNL, expanding use of technology, more youth participation, and small group worship, Q&A session regarding the sermon with the Senior Highs after the service and having a Coffee House worship service. attendance and that extracurricular activities often compete with church. Operations Items uplifted by church members that the Strategic Planning felt could be implemented in the short term were categorized as operations. The expectation was that these items could be implemented within a six-month period. The operational items included: Giving informational packets to visitors Giving building tours Alerting deacons or greeter of any special needs for the disabled Safety training on fire drills, tornado drills, and intruder awareness Having programs for medical emergencies and knowledge of equipment Developing a plan for responding to security threats during service Developing an alert system in nursery during services Threats- The perceived threats were a concern that the decline in Sunday school attendance may impact church 16 P a g e

17 better. On the membership side we have a committee that is currently reviewing the membership rolls to make sure that they are accurate. On the attendance side: VI. Introduction Considerations from the SWOT Analysis The Strategic Planning Team has focused on a number of different areas of Church life in completing the SWOT analysis. The following are its conclusions and recommendations about each of them. Attendance and Participation First Presbyterian Church is an active church and our members are in many activities of the church and the community. We have strong attendance at the multiple events that we have at the church from Food-4-Kids to interfaith presentations, to concerts, to special mission events, to the youth Halloween party, to the Youth Lock-ins and mission trips. Our primary issue with attendance is our participation at Sunday morning worship and children s Sunday school. With 280 people in the three worship services, we only have 33% of our congregation of 850 members at worship on any given Sunday. We can do 1. Promote more aggressively on the Internet and other media with information about the special events (baptisms, commissioning, new member receptions) and other interesting events to pique their interest. 2. Conduct one of the morning services concurrently with Sunday School to appeal to young families with children who like their children to be in Sunday School while the adults are in church. The downside is that it takes children out of worship but it may be a way to reach out to busy families on a Sunday morning. 3. Differentiate the two morning services and make one of our worship services appeal to more contemporary expectations while maintaining a more traditional service in the other. 4. Reach out to those members and non-members who have not attended church regularly and let them know they are missed. Nothing can substitute for a personal invitation to attend and participate in specific church activities. 5. Seek greater attendance and participation of young adults and young families Christian Education 17 P a g e

18 A strength of our Christian Education is the breadth of and participation in the courses we offer for all ages, the summer programs for children and youth, year round adult programs and year-long youth programming. A weakness is the elementary children s Sunday School and confirmation class are under subscribed. The recommendation that the session and the Christian Education may consider curriculum, staff, space and time to explore options that would make children s Sunday school more inviting and compelling. They may also assess surrounding churches and conduct an informal survey of parents to see if there is something we are missing. Since the Vacation Bible School program and Ecumenical Day Camp seem to be very successful in attracting children in the summer, they may consider adopting a vacation Bible school format with experiential learning stations: music, internet learning, crafts, acting, games and snacks to interest the children in Sunday school as well. This might appeal to different learning styles. Additionally, we might explore ways to electronically reach families who can t make it to Sunday school with internet access lessons that parallel the Sunday School, but could be done at home. A weekday program on Wednesday night seems to attract children and parents at other churches. Logos is a curriculum that seems to draw in children. Children s choir is something that has been explored in the past and may be considered in the future. Church Culture We are an intergenerational culture that puts a strong emphasis on hospitality and we welcome everyone who comes to the church regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, political party, or prior religious affiliation. We are a leader in ecumenical outreach and shared worship with others congregations. We have deep, historic roots and yet our new members regularly say they felt at home at First Presbyterian Church from their first experience. Our Come Home to First Presbyterian Church is an identity on which we need to continue to build. We need to continue to operate transparently in our decision making and encourage discussions about our church. Communication Since 2012, we have made great progress in our communications through newspaper, social media, website and live streaming. We do an exceptional job advertising special events. Our challenge is to promote the ongoing worship and Sunday School events to similarly boost the attendance at these regular events, (Christmas play, and Halloween party). The Communication is publicizing weekly worship on Facebook and initiating a weekly internet newsletter (Mail Chimp) to tweak people s interest. Evangelism Our Presbyterian Church practices evangelism primarily through our actions. We are not a church that knocks on doors but we are 18 P a g e

19 a church that does relational evangelism. We invite neighbors and friends to worship and to join events such as local mission at the Salvation Army or mission trips. We also evangelize by inviting people to special events such as church music concerts, lectures or golf tournaments (to raise money for mission). We need to claim this identity as we live out the real meaning of evangelism, sharing the good news. We provide opportunities to share the gospel (evangelize) through personal devotion guides each year, our stewardship videos and our testimonies in worship. Through these things we develop our evangelical vocabulary and increase our comfort level in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His work through us at First Presbyterian Church. Maintaining our openness and our receptivity to potential members is also a strong part of our evangelism efforts. The Session and Communication could take advantage of the Pentecost holiday and season to focus on evangelism for one or two Sundays the way we focus on Mission in October and Stewardship in November. Through our mission outreach, we encounter people looking for a church home. We need to continue to extend invitations to these people remain open to their needs. Fellowship Fellowship was listed as both a strength and weakness in the SWOT analysis. The strength is in our friendliness and the fellowship that exists through Loaves and Fishes, Presbyterian Women, Bible Studies, Sports Groups, Youth Group, Young Adult Fellowship, Retired Adult Fellowship, Men s Prayer Breakfast and Boy s Night Out. An area of growth is more intentional middle adult fellowship groups. A small group coordinator could be a way to integrate new people into a fellowship group when they join the church and identify new small group needs in the congregation (e.g. mom s fellowship or Bible study group). Facilities Our classic church architecture reflects our traditional identity and is a brand on which we can build. According to Rachel Held Evan s article Want Millennials back in the pews? Stop trying to make church cool 67 percent of millennials prefer a classic church over a trendy one and 77 percent would choose a sanctuary over an auditorium. Our classic sanctuary is a strength for the niche that we seem to attract, and we should build on that. However, we need to address the biggest problem which is parking. The Session and Facilities could station someone outside for several Sundays to both aid people in finding parking spaces and assessing the impact of parking on our attendance. The Facilities should continue long-range planning to identify deferred maintenance projects (such as a new roof and heating and cooling) so that we can prepare for the future. A cry-room has also been identified as a need that would make the sanctuary more child and young family friendly. Increasing energy efficiency could produce long-term benefits and longterm cost savings. 19 P a g e

20 Mission Mission is one of the great strengths of our congregation and a major part of our church identity. In order to build on this identity, our Mission might work with the Communication to describe the breadth and depth of God s mission outreach through First Presbyterian Church and the wider community. We are engaged in local missions and national missions. International mission outreaches to 5 continents and through 160 PCUSA mission co-workers in over 50 countries. We need to engage all the members of the congregation as mission partners through their hands-on participation and financial support, storytelling, prayers, worship emphasis, newsletter articles, internet presence, newspaper stories, television spots and small group gatherings. We need to claim this as part of the good news that we are called by God to share with the world. In order to build this strength area, we need to cultivate new leadership in these missions. Music We are a community and church leader in classic and traditional music. Our 10:45 am worship with the choir offers an anthem and introit. The choir also lifts up the congregational singing in worship. This service is broadcast over the video live streaming. The 8:30 am worship service has exceptional music as well, however, the quality of special musical offerings is variable. The first worship service is broadcast over the radio at 11:00 am. The Sunday Night worship service has a volunteer praise team that is of musicians with varying levels of skill. The Session and Worship may want to consider how to approach music in worship and how much we want to invest in musicians for the 8:30 am and 5 pm worship services. The paid positions are the choir director, special music director, organist and the contemporary music leader. The long-term maintenance of the organ needs to be assessed and planned. Pastoral Care Pastoral care is consistently listed as a strength of our church with our pastors, our Stephen Ministers, our caring congregation and our prayer chain as important partners in this ministry. This, along with traditional worship, mission and hospitality form the identity of our congregation and are strengths on which we should build. Several members suggested that they miss having a parish nurse. Session could consider hiring a new parish nurse to build on our pastoral care. Stewardship We have a generous and responsive congregation. We have been featured in the Presbyterian Foundation video for our special gifts program and success. We continue to receive estate gifts, 20 P a g e

21 special gifts and endowment gifts as well as the annual budget offerings. The areas that Session and Stewardship may address include: Decrease the reliance on legacy gifts to support the budget. Currently legacy gifts make up 15 % of our annual budgeted income. We need to continue to work to decrease our reliance on Legacy Gifts. Increase the options to give electronically since many of the younger members no longer write checks. Explore the impact special giving requests may have on annual regular giving. Develop a long term plan to budget the projections of legacy gifts and future income needs. The worship scenarios listed above in the Attendance/Participation section of the Strategic Plan needs to be addressed through the Session in conjunction with the Worship. Worship/Types of Worship Worship is a strength of our congregation from the music to the preaching to the worship space to the creativity and engagement of the congregation. The session and worship committee should consider how Sunday Night worship service is a mission to the homeless and near homeless in the community and how this might impact the attendance of this worship service for young adults and young families. The SNL@5 worship service did not attract the anticipated large numbers of young adults to worship. We have, in fact, experienced a drop off of young families and should assess why this trend has occurred. However, the community neighbors have become a larger part of the worshipping congregation. 21 P a g e

22 VII. SWOT Summary Based upon the SWOT analysis, a process in which many members of our Congregation participated, the Strategic Planning Team feels confident about our Church's present general direction. However, a few concerns and reservations have been identified and need to be addressed. On the positives, we have many members who are highly involved, participating regularly not only in worship and fellowship but also in one or more of our strong local, national and international mission efforts. Over the past year, we have experienced a net increase in membership. We are blessed with outstanding pastoral and lay leadership. We have an attractive and functional facility in a central location, and we are in relatively good financial shape, with no debt, a supportive endowment fund, and careful fiscal management that ensures the long-term growth of the church. VIII. Where Does God want us to go? The Structure of this section is simple. The Major Strategic Goals are presented with Specific Objectives. Action Items and the Assignment of the responsible party in charge of executing the goals. This is followed by the recommended Timeline for reporting back the finding to the Session. Our Strategic Goals: Strategic Goal # 1 - Increase attendance and participation in the Life of the Church Objective A - Increase Attendance at Sunday Services 1. Connect personally and engage inactive and new members - this might include not just pastors but also elders and deacons and college of elders 2. Consider whether a different Sunday morning worship configuration would encourage more participation and differentiate the morning services 3. Set a specific goal for higher average Sunday service attendance (e.g., 40% of total membership) and work to reach it a. Review the church rolls to more accurately reflect the current church family 4. Intentionally and effectively integrate new members and visitors into the life and ministry of Christ at First Presbyterian 5. Identify new small group needs in the congregation (e.g. mom s fellowship or Bible study group) Objective B - Increase accessibility to mission activities to broaden participation and leadership 1. Further engage all members of the congregation as mission partners a. Financial support for travel to allow greater participation options 22 P a g e

23 b. Use storytelling, worship emphasis, newsletter articles, internet presence, newspaper stories, television spots and small group gatherings 2. Cultivate new leadership within each mission activity a. Expand the mission committee b. Develop new leaders to engage a broader base c. Recruit more people to broaden support of the international mission projects 3. Continue to be a missional church reaching out into the community 4. Provide further prayer support to those in mission 5. Regularly evaluate and interpret mission effectiveness and engagement Objective C Broaden and Strengthen Evangelism 1. Attract new members through community and mission activities. a. Use mission activities as a means to evangelize b. Invite visitors and new members to participate in Mission 2. Re-evaluate the goals for SNL service 3. Provide more opportunities to share the gospel (evangelize) through personal devotion guides each year, our stewardship videos and our testimonies in worship 4. Develop our evangelical vocabulary and increase our comfort level in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His work through us at First Presbyterian Church. 5. Reinforce the importance of members openness and receptivity to visitors and new members 6. Define and communicate our niche in mission and ministry 7. Engage with the downtown community Objective D Enhance and Expand Church Communication 1. Maintain avenues of technological communication while maintaining an awareness of the communication needs of older congregants 2. Promote and publicize the special events that happen regularly at our church to invite people to come to these activities (including and especially worship) 3. Centralize leadership for electronic communication and digital engagement Objective E Offer Electronic Participation in Prayer and Worship 1. Explore more ways the congregation may participate in prayer and worship through technology / media / videos 2. Regularly evaluate and upgrade the website and social media to inform existing members and attract new members 23 P a g e

24 Strategic Goal # 2 Establish Sustainable Stewardship Objective A Develop long range budget planning (3-5 years) to decrease our reliance on legacy gifts and provide a longterm fiscal strategy for our church. 1. Establish a long-range planning process 2. Review our restricted fund policies and work with committees to establish a more coordinated relationship between regular budget income and the restricted income that supports the many missions of Christ at First Presbyterian Church 3. Educate the congregation on the depth and breadth of ministry and mission outreach that is expressed in our budgeted mission giving 4. Encourage members to reflect on and increase their giving and to consider becoming stewardship leaders in the congregation 5. Educate, invite and recognize legacy giving to continue to sustain the long term ministry of Christ at First Presbyterian Church 6. Explore the impact that special giving requests may have on annual regular giving 7. Develop and integrate a strategy to incorporate the various means of giving (pledges, special gifts, legacy gifts and capital gifts) into our financial plan 8. Establish a long-term strategy for Capital Campaigns Objective B - Explore Electronic Giving 1. Establish new means and options for electronic giving 2. Educate the congregation about different means of giving Objective C - Expand the scope of offerings to include the gifts of prayer, time and talent. 1) Experiment with actionable means of giving and reporting offerings of time and talent and if successful involve all congregants in the act of offering during the church service 2) Educate the congregation to expand types of gifts and giving 3) Recognize giving in some tangible and public ways Strategic - Goal #3 Increase Engagement of Young Families Objective A Increase attendance and participation of young adults and young families. 1. Engage children in worship with name tags 2. Identify the young adults and young families in the congregation for targeted outreach 3. Assess the expectations young families have for worship, Sunday School, youth groups and other activities 4. Assess how other area churches are engaging young families and young adults 5. Develop measurable goals to meet identified needs and expectations 6. Study the feasibility of a cry room 24 P a g e

25 7. Identify and celebrate milestone events in worship and by sending out cards (baptismal anniversary) 8. Study the feasibility of developing a more intimate space for a café 9. Provide childcare for all church programs and events Objective B - Evaluate and enhance Christian Education to increase attendance by children in Sunday school 1. Explore options that would make children s Sunday school more inviting and compelling 2. Seek feedback from parents about the type of Christian Education program / activities they would want for their children 3. Develop effective feedback mechanisms for parents & children 4. Evaluate how programs may compliment or compete with each other 5. Consider offering children's Christian Education opportunities through the Church's website 6. Explore curricula and engagement of our young families 7. Continue building the preschool/ bible school/ church connection to draw more young families into the congregation 8. Have outreach events geared to young families like the Halloween Party and the Santa diaper drive to get more young families to experience the church 9. Explore hosting intergenerational events 10. Develop a young adult Sunday school Strategic Goal #4 Optimize our Physical Facility Objective A Institute Long Range Planning 1. Develop a long-range plan to enhance and upgrade our building and grounds 2. Identify and plan for long-range maintenance projects (e. g. new roof, heating and cooling, organ and sound system) Objective B Improve Parking 1. Complete a study of parking to understand current parking issues 2. Make parking more available and accessible a) Study the feasibility of providing parking assistance for those in need b) Explore the possibility of valet parking (especially for handicapped or older members) c) Become proactive in the efforts to create an adjacent parking garage d) Encourage the use of the lower lot and the CenturyLink parking lots to free-up adjacent parking for elderly, disabled, young families and visitors 3. Expand the use of the church van to transport members and reduce parking numbers Objective C - Improve Accessibility for those with special needs 25 P a g e

26 1. Increase the number of parking stalls for the elderly and disabled 2. Study the feasibility of constructing ADA access to the church from the rear (west) parking lot 3. Enhance accessibility within the building a) Emergency routes & safe rooms b) Restrooms c) Classrooms Objective D - Capitalize on our Location and Identity 1. Take advantage of our downtown location by offering exercise class, prayer breakfast, noon speakers, and concerts 2. Promote our historic heritage, work with Historic Jefferson in offering a walking tour of the downtown churches 3. Continue to participate in organized downtown events. 4. Consider participating with downtown organizations to stay current on events and to disseminate our events and activities 5. Continue working with other churches especially those also located downtown 3. Regularly review Church responsibilities and congregational needs Objective B - Consider staffing configuration that is sustainable into the future 1. Determine the long term priorities and needs that will define the paid staffing into the future (e.g. pastoral staff, music staff, educational staff and office staff) 2. Coordinate long-range staffing plan with stewardship longrange budget planning 3. Plan for a parish nurse, volunteer coordinator and communication director to enhance on our pastoral mission 4. Conduct discussions with staff to understand their individual professional goals 5. Explore the need for leadership and technicians in our electronic and information areas Strategic Goal #5 - Leadership for the Future Objective A Evaluate and plan for leadership needs for the evolving mission of the church 1. Regularly assess leadership needs based on church priorities 2. Develop a lay-leadership training and mentoring program 26 P a g e

27 Strategic Goal Execution / Accomplishment The following matrix presents each of the goals and Action Steps proposed in the Strategic Plan listed by the year for implementation. The priority, responsible party and resources required to implement the action are assigned to each action step. 27 P a g e

28 2016 GOALS / OBJECTIVES / ACTION STEPS RESPONSIBITY COMMENTS Strategic Goal # 1 - Increase attendance and participation in the Life of the Church Objective A - Increase Attendance at Sunday Services 1. Connect personally and engage inactive and new members. This might include not just pastors but also elders and deacons and college of elders 3.a. Review the church rolls to more accurately reflect the current church family 4. Intentionally and effectively integrate new members and visitors into the life and ministry of Christ at First Presbyterian 5. Identify new small group needs in the congregation (e.g. mom s fellowship or Bible study group) Session, Deacons & Pastors Session, staff & Pastors New member Team, Pastors, Deacons Family Life Objective B - Increase accessibility to mission activities to broaden participation and leadership 1.c Use other ways such as storytelling, worship emphasis, newsletter articles, internet presence, newspaper stories, television spots and small group gatherings 3. Continue to be a missional church reaching out into the community 4. Provide further prayer support to those in mission. 5. Regularly evaluate and interpret mission effectiveness and engagement Objective C Broaden and Strengthen Evangelism 5. Reinforce the importance of members' openness and receptivity to visitors and new members. Worship & Communications Mission Prayer Chain, Pastors, Worship Mission Evangelism, Pastors, New

29 Member 6. Define and communicate our niche in mission and ministry Session Objective D Enhance and Expand Church Communication 1. Maintain avenues of technological communication while meeting the communication needs of older congregants 2. Promote and publicize the special events that happen regularly at our church to invite people to come to these activities (including and especially worship) Objective E Offer Electronic Participation in Prayer and Worship 2. Regularly evaluate and upgrade the website and social media to inform existing members and attract new members Strategic Goal # 2 Establish Sustainable Stewardship Objective A Develop long range budget planning (3-5 years) to decrease our reliance on legacy gifts and provide a long-term fiscal strategy for our church. 4. Encourage members to reflect on and increase their giving and to consider becoming stewardship leaders in the congregation Objective B - Explore Electronic Giving 2. Educate the congregation about different means of giving Communications Communications, Staff & Pastors Communications, Staff Stewardship, Session, Pastor, Head of Staff Stewardship, Worship & Communications 29 P a g e