NEW BEGINNINGS ASSESSMENT

Transcription

1 NEW BEGINNINGS ASSESSMENT Pilgrim Presbyterian Church Phillipsburg, NJ Presbytery of Newton Sandhya Jha New Beginnings Assessor

2 NEW BEGINNINGS Pilgrim Presbyterian Church Phillips burg, NJ I. WHY NEW BEGINNINGS? Page 3 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 6 III. CONGREGATIONAL HISTORY Page 7 IV. FACILITIES EVALUATION Page 13 V. THE COMMUNITY Page 21 VI. THE CONGREGATION Page 25 VII. FINANCIAL REVIEW Page 28 VIII. CONGREGATIONAL ENGAGEMENT Page 31 IX. REVIEW Page 33 X. FUTURE STORY Page 35 XI. FINAL NOTE FROM ASSESSOR Page 36 Appendix A APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY NOTES Appendix B MISSION IMPACT: MINISTRY APPLICATIONS FOR MOSAIC LIFESTYLE PORTRAITS Appendix C MISSION INSITE EXECUTIVE REPORT 2

3 I. WHY NEW BEGINNINGS? The Apostle Paul, in his letters, makes clear God s call for Christians to live together in healthy congregations. We are to understand who we are and who our neighbor is. We are to develop faithful, effective and innovative ministry that shares the Gospel message the good news of God s unconditional love and justice with a hurting world. While the message of God s love remains constant, ministry today doesn t look like First Century ministry. In fact, today s ministry doesn t look like ministry even a decade ago! Using the Gospel as the guide, healthy congregations continually assess and develop appropriate ministry for their changing context. Sometimes, once-thriving congregations find themselves in declining health. They need help to discern God s unique call again, help to regain their vitality, or help to direct their remaining assets into the ministry channels they determine to be most appropriate to their mission. To renew their passion, struggling congregations also may need a little help looking objectively at their situation. A small book called, The Elephant in the Room: Silence and Denial in Everyday Life by Eviatar Zeruvabel (Oxford University Press, 2006), describes how organizations conspire to hide from the truth. They are afraid to (or don t want to) see realities that represent unwelcome change. They need someone who cares what happens to them, but who is far enough removed to offer a credible reality check on the landscape around them. Out of that need, New Beginnings was born. General Assembly Mission Council s Office of Church Growth is committed to growing healthy, missional churches in the PCUSA by helping Presbyteries and congregations pursue their full potential to be and to share the good news of Jesus Christ in this time and place. Together with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we hope this assessment helps this partnership in three ways. The first intent of this assessment is to help your congregation come to clarity about a hard decision you need to make in terms of the use of your assets/resources for mission. The second intent is to give Pilgrim Presbyterian leaders tools for defining a future story in mission that is true both to historic commitments and relevant for 21st century need. The third intent is to help the congregation begin to make the shift from an attractional model of ministry (where people come to the church as a place to get their needs met) to a missional model of ministry (where disciples are empowered to go out from the church to live as Christian people in the world). New Beginnings is an assessment tool designed to bring together your congregation with an assessment and reflection process to help your congregation be intentional about discerning God s call for present and future mission. WHERE DID THIS REPORT COME FROM? Your congregation s leaders and your Presbytery worked closely with Special Cons ultant Sandhya Jha of Oakland, CA, who wrote this assessment. The onsite New Beginnings Assessment was held on March 27, 2012 at the church. It included a complete tour of the facilities and property, as well as an hour-long meeting with 3

4 financial officers of the church to discuss finances. The assessment visit also included a windshield tour of the community to confirm the demographic data. That evening, June Heyer, Newton Presbytery facilitator, conducted an Appreciative Inquiry session with about thirty participants. These folks discussed their engagement with the church, their perceptions about congregational life today and their opinion about the congregation s position on the Congregational Life-Cycle scale. The onsite visit amounted to about six hours of face time with the congregation. Additionally, data in this report came from congregational records and from the past 10 years of the congregation s reports to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Information collected includes demographic data about the participants in the church, their approximate tenure in the congregation, and income and expense reports for the past three years and a current balance sheet. This information about your congregation is collected, sorted, and measured to give all of us a better idea of the factors that impact your congregation s ministry in this time and place. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? To be sure, this is NOT a fix-it manual. The Presbytery does NOT claim to tell congregations what they should do about the future. While we are available to walk alongside the congregation through this process, the congregation ultimately makes the decision about its future without interference. And you do it in conversation with other congregations who face similar circumstances. YOU are the experts. Learning together some of the rewarding, but sometimes tough, lessons of change, your congregation, and your partner congregations find the answers to your own problems within yourselves. New Beginnings just holds up a light to make that God-given message a little easier to read. The Cluster Event, scheduled for May 11, with other congregations in the Presbytery, seeks to help congregational leaders discuss the report and strategize further conversations within the congregation. It is the hope that participants (about 7 percent of the congregation) learn more about their own congregation and rub shoulders with nearby Presbyterian congregations in your Presbytery. Some of those who participate in the Cluster Event then agree to lead House Meetings (small group conversations) with fellow local church members in the next phase of the New Beginnings process. House Meetings (held in homes or at the church) should engage at least 50 percent of the congregation to discuss the report. The schedule for your House Meetings is determined locally. Participants will engage the conversation to discuss what they believe is the congregation s mission. Through conversations on these basic questions, you will begin to name and claim what you feel God is calling you to do and be in this time and place: 4

5 1. About what are the people in our congregation deeply passionate? 2. At what should we be the best (or really good at), given our particular context for mission? 3. What resources do we have that will ensure that the ministry grows? But your first step is to take a look at the congregation s current context and condition. You will find in this report an analysis of your congregation now, and a number of options that seem most appropriate for the congregation moving forward. This process is ultimately designed to help the congregation have a healthy and holy conversation that engages all interested members in creating a New Beginning together. We stand ready to support your New Beginning. 5

6 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pilgrim is an apt name for a congregation whose origins are in a courageous decision to unify and become a new thing back in 1961, traveling an unknown road in a new location with new people, on the edge of town. Phillipsburg is a town in need of some pilgrims willing to lead the way and willing to walk together in unity in pursuit of Christ s loving presence in their midst. In the early days of the town, jobs were plentiful and opportunities existed even without a lot of education. Today, Phillipsburg s younger people have to travel for opportunities and need education to access them. Phillipsburg s longtime residents also have needs for connection and community in a changing landscape. Pilgrim Presbyterian has also seen changes since its founding changes in its resources, changes in its facility, changes in the amount of property it owns, and changes in both ministerial and lay leadership. How will Pilgrim Presbyterian, in a different town with different needs than when it was formed over 50 years ago, respond as Pilgrims following God might? How will Pilgrim Presbyterian lead the way to Christ s love for a community that truly needs such love? This report will seek to provide information and observations that will allow Pilgrim Presbyterian to answer those questions so that Pilgrim Presbyterian can experience another New Beginning. 6

7 III. CONGREGATIONAL HISTORY Pilgrim Presbyterian Church was born in 1961, a merger of the downtown First Presbyterian Church (founded 1853) and Trinity Presbyterian Church down the street from Pilgrim s current location (founded 1928). A charming anecdote from First Presbyterian s 50 th anniversary brochure in 1903 reads: Parents took their families to church. This was a rule. Little tots, almost babies, would fall asleep and were carried home by their parents. It is related of one dear sister, who, fearing that her children might not profit by a series of sermons on doctrinal points by going to sleep during the long evening service, took with her a bottle of smelling salts, which had the effect of awaking them spasmodically. 1 Trinity Presbyterian First Presbyterian Honoring the legacy First Presbyterian was located in downtown Phillipsburg in a location now serving as a parking lot, and Trinity Presbyterian was located a short distance away from the current church, where it served as Pilgrim s office and youth space until the church sold off the building in Prior to that, in 1988, the congregation sold the manse. In 2007, the church also sold land at the end of the parking lot. At what some members consider the height of the ministry in the 1980s, Pilgrim Presbyterian boasted over 400 members, a vital music ministry and rich social programming as well as a thriving Sunday School program and a beloved long-term pastor who designed the logo the church still uses today. Today, the church averages 95 in worship. While any congregation has no end of stories, achievements and legends to share, we pay particular interest to the last decade or so of the congregation s history. In , the congregation worked with a consultant recommended by the Presbytery to address church growth issues and tension between the congregation and pastor. At the time, the consultant suggested several goals: 1. Outreach; 2. Reaching the Unchurched; 3. Creative use of the building; 4. Broadening education into a lifelong learning process; 5. Develop a broader ministry of caring for church members, which might include increased creative opportunities for the congregation to gather inter-generationally; 6. Making worship more meaningful. 1 v/his tory2.html (Note: Even 100 yea rs ago, the author of this pamphlet bemoaned current parents lack of interest in attending Sunda y School along wi th thei r children.) 7

8 He also made several recommendations: that the congregation understand the system dynamics functioning internally and do collective work around that issue; that the congregation determine ministry uses for money from the sale of the Trinity property (while discouraging a capital campaign); work with the Presbytery to address tensions between pastor and congregation; serious work to cultivate a culture of discipleship and not simply a push for more volunteerism within the congregation; as well as working to create ownership of congregational growth, change and transformation by members of the congregation. Before all of this work could be accomplished, and in the midst of tensions with the pastor, the Rev. Preisendaz stepped down in 2002 and the congregation moved towards finding a new pastor, who left a year ago after six years with the congregation. In his final annual report, the Rev. Kort mentioned the challenges of church finances and getting people to volunteer or lead, and he also celebrated the building project and the congregation s willingness to care for one another pastorally. Several members of the congregation continue to express a feeling of abandonment by a pastor with whom they were very happy and a lack of clarity related to why he left. Pilgrim Presbyterian Church received a generous bequest and designated that money from it be used to implement Phase 1 of its Master Plan to make the building more fully accessible to people with disabilities (one of the goals of the 2000 consultation). In addition to those renovations, additional office, classroom and kitchen space were created. Groundbreaking for construction occurred in April Pilgrim Presbyterian today features both praise and traditional choir music and a long list of local and global mission projects they support such as the homeless shelter Safe Harbor, the Interfaith Hospitality Network ministry of Family Promise, sheltering homeless families, and the Nairobi partnership. (Helping the homeless was another goal of the 2000 consultation.) BY THE NUMBERS Your congregational history includes lives, words, songs and achievements that defy measurement. But this report, you may already have noticed, dwells on data numbers, numbers, and numbers! Why do we seem so interested in numbers? In part, we pay attention to numbers because they help us track changes over time; they show growth or decline in giving or attendance, along with other information that signals the trends of the last decade that seem to impact your congregation. Numbers are not the only measure of vitality. Yet numbers provide insight into the direction the congregation is heading. We also track numbers because the size of a congregation determines the best approach to ministry in that context. Lyle Schaller, a leading church consultant, points out that size makes all the difference in the world in how a congregation operates. For example, if your congregation was once a large church that has since become a small church, this information may be critical to understanding the way forward. Most likely, your solutions today will not be accomplished the way they were in days of your former glory. This 8

9 assessment is not one which seeks to solve the problems that are unveiled. Rather the assessment seeks to help you name the conditions which are impacting your present ministry and which will impact your mission into the future. You then have the information you need to adapt to those conditions with appropriate ministry and mission. Understanding this adaptive change concept is half the battle in regaining your footing as you strive to be faithful to the congregation s call. So let s look at some of these conditions: SMALL CHURCHES FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS Small Family-sized churches (up to 60 in worship) tend to resemble extended families and thus emphasize fellowship, relationships, intimacy, belonging and member involvement. People matter more than performance, so high value is placed on volunteering, rather than on professional skills one may possess for the work that needs to be conducted. Churches with fewer members actually rely more heavily on lay volunteers. These small churches tend to be lay-led organizations, and thus they may be reluctant to hand over too much authority to the minister. The perception of the minister s job is to love the members and that relationship trumps even mediocre preaching. In the estimation of small congregations, ministers need interpersonal skills more than academic credentials or leadership qualities. The small-church minister is but one leader among many and, in many case, may not be the most influential. BIGGER ISN T BETTER JUST DIFFERENT Congregations in pastor-driven congregations (usually in the 61- to 130 average worship range) tend to hand over more responsibility for care of the congregation to the pastor. The pastor brings proposals to the church board for decision. Most decisions involve the pastor in one way or another. Lay leaders are primarily those who are empowered by or taught by the pastor. As these congregations creep into the program size (130-to-200 in worship range) expectations shift again. Those who attend program-size churches seek performance more than relationships. They want quality programs, well-organized activities and professional leaders. Prospective volunteers know that there are probably many other members who are better qualified for a particular task. They will be expected to do it very well. So, they are more hesitant to volunteer. The incentive structure of the large church discourages lay involvement. The senior minister of a large church needs administrative skills, and strengths in supervision and leadership of both large and small groups. Member care is a lower priority in the larger church. Care happens, but it is delegated to other staff members. The size and complexity of larger churches give great power to the senior minister, who, because of her or his position at the hub of church communication networks, may be the only person with adequate access to the activities, problems and concerns of the church as a whole. So, as we look at numbers, we are also looking at models of governance and leadership. A congregation that was once pretty sizable might be struggling to continue to ACT like a program-size or pastor-driven church, when in reality, the congregation is a family-size 9

10 church. Is the congregation struggling to live into its current reality? Some of what we learn in our assessment can help you find solutions to problems associated with size. First, with an Average Worship Attendance of 96, this congregation is a PASTOR-driven church. To learn more about this topic, and your church s size, we recommend reading Alice Mann s books, The In-Between Church: Navigating Size Transitions in Congregations, and Raising the Roof: The Pastoral-to-Program Size Transition. If you are experiencing utter frustration that what used to work DOESN T work anymore, you may be facing a size shift. But chances are, there are other dynamics at work in your congregation as well, including: changing demographics in your neighborhood, inability for differing generations to agree on the way mission and ministry should be done, and outdated modes of decision-making and organization. To understand the specific dynamics at work in your congregation, a number of other factors should be addressed. 10-YEAR AVERAGE WORSHIP ATTENDANCE/MEMBERSHIP Let s look at Average Worship Attendance over the last 10 years. Trends in attendance offer other clues about the health of the congregation. As demonstrated in the chart below, the congregation has experienced a PLATEAU in Average Worship Attendance (AWA) and Membership over the past 10 years. Trajectories are shown on the chart (see straight line) to show the overall trend in the figures, taking into consideration the ups and the downs. Average Worship Attendance (AWA) is the most helpful measurement of member engagement in a congregation, so we pay special attention to this figure. Your congregation s growth/decline trends do not happen in a vacuum. It should be noted that the community in which the church serves has grown by almost 4 percent during this same period. 10-YEAR GIVING Congregational giving is also an indicator of member engagement. We pay attention to this number because, as participants deepen their level of engagement with the church, their giving usually follows. Often times this indicator lags behind the Average Worship Attendance figures. That is, AWA may decline or grow at a faster rate than giving. 10

11 During the past 10 years, the congregation has reported LEVEL INCOME in their Contribution income. This is the total offerings given to the church, as reported by the congregation to the Presbyterian Church (USA). This is demonstrated on the chart below, which also includes Outreach, defined as the amount reported by the congregation to the Presbyterian Church (USA) annually about their contributions to local charity and to special denominational offerings. Income figures alone do not tell the whole numbers story. It is important to measure the congregation s giving against the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to see if giving has kept pace with inflation over the past 10 years. Congregations can actually increase their giving, but still have fewer funds for ministry because of inflation. The chart below demonstrates that congregational giving HAS NOT KEPT PACE with the CPI over the past 10 years. This indicates declining engagement. BAPTISMS/GAINS The final measurement of engagement in the past 10 years is the number of additions that the church has received. It is important to note the relationship between adult baptisms and transfers. Comparing these two figures speaks to the congregations passion for reaching unchurched persons OR for caring for those who already made a commitment to Christian life in some other place. Healthy churches have strong numbers in both areas. 11

12 The chart below demonstrates that the congregation has an erratic pattern of gains and almost no adult baptisms. This is usually the characteristic of a congregation in decline since it is neither introducing new participants to the faith, nor helping existing members mature in their faith with any consistency. It goes without saying that growth is necessary to the sustainability of a congregation. While many of these numbers appear to be plateaus, they are plateaus at a time when the congregation needs increases. When we consider all indicators related to the congregation s past 10 years there is little doubt that the congregation is in a declining situation. Without growth in the near future in any of these categories it is likely the congregation will not continue. Growth for this congregation will clearly require significant change. 12

13 IV. FACILITIES EVALUATION In consideration of the congregation s resources, it is important to evaluate the facilities to determine if they are of appropriate size for the current congregation. It is also important to consider whether there is a growing list of deferred maintenance issues or other features that may inhibit growth of the congregation. Pilgrim Presbyterian Church s facilities are contained in 1 building located on a 2.75 acre lot. It is estimated that the facilities is approximately 12,700 sq. feet in size. The property is appraised at $1.249 million. Based on Average Worship Attendance, a congregation of this size would have adequate space in a building of 7,680 sq. feet, meaning that the current congregation is only using 60 percent of its current space. This is demonstrated on the chart below: THE SACRED WALK In recent decades, worshipers began what has been called the sacred walk the moment their foot hit pavement when getting out of their vehicle to begin their entrance into the building. This has changed in the last fifteen years as information has increasingly been available digitally and as people have increased their abilities to interact with that information. As new visitors look for churches, their first encounter with a congregation is more than merely seeing a sign on the side of the street. Computers, smart phones, and digital tablets have changed the way that people find and learn about congregations. For this reason, we will explore both the physical and electronic elements of the congregation in this section. The sacred walk says volumes to members and visitors alike about the self-esteem and vitality of the congregation. The sacred walk helps worshipers prepare for the experience of worship at your church. For that reason, this walk should guide the worshiper clearly and directly and as pleasantly as possible to the sanctuary or even to office spaces. Electronic information, signage and a clear, safe walkway are essential to this experience. The impression on guests continues inside the building. While they might not expect lavish facilities, guests will be made more welcome and comfortable by cleanliness, neatness, and general care for the facility. Unkempt facility and grounds send 13

14 an unintentional message: This is not a place even WE like very much. Clearly, that is not a very effective evangelism tool. What follows is the impression the Special Consultant had upon embarking on the sacred walk at Pilgrim Presbyterian Church. A. Online Presence Many people today interact with a church first online before ever driving near the church. Pilgrim Presbyterian has recognized that fact and created an easyto-navigate webpage with information about the congregation s identity and volunteer opportunities as well as directions to find the congregation with a map. It might be difficult for a first-time visitor to find the directions, at the bottom of the information page under all of the staff and key lay leader bios. The web page does not have many images of the people involved with First Presbyterian, only images of the building. The webpage indicates that it was most recently updated in January, and January is the most recent newsletter available online. While the address and phone number are available on one of the links from the welcome page, the address and phone number are not easily found on the welcome or other pages. Pilgrim Presbyterian is making some use of social media, with a Facebook page that is used by congregants to seek help with upcoming volunteer opportunities. It is set up as an open group so that visitors can see it and learn more about the church. However, information regarding Events was last updated in There is a link to the Facebook page from the church s webpage. The congregation shows ADEQUATE ONLINE PRESENCE. The congregation s worship time(s), and physical location are available upon a simple online search such as typing Phillipsburg Presbyterian Church into a search engine. On the webpage, there is information regarding the life of the congregation and its ministry endeavors to aid visitors as they seek to learn about the church. This is an important evangelism tool that your congregation can further use to engage more people. B. Location: Pilgrim Presbyterian Church is well-positioned in an aesthetically appealing way on a road dividing Phillipsburg and Lopatcong Township. The road is somewhat removed from regular traffic other 14

15 than that of local residents who live in this quiet and wellmaintained neighborhood. While signage is visible from the road, the church s logo is hard to discern until close-up in a non-moving vehicle (and even then initially confusing). On this visit, the words on the sign were clearly geared towards people already connected with faith in some way. C. Parking Lot and Walkways: The blacktop parking lot is brand new and in excellent condition, with very adequate nighttime lighting. There are four handicap-accessible parking spots near a safe and easyto-access wheelchair ramp. (There are accessible entrances at two other spots around the building also.) Driving habits for each congregation vary widely. Some congregations average only one person per car parked in the lot; others pack in families. Still others are located in dense urban areas and pride themselves for being within walking distance of the local public transportation. The place in which a car is parked, and the control the church has over that parking, also determines capacity. Architects have developed some formulas in estimating the worship capacity of your church, based on parking. Based on the location of the congregation s identified parking, capacity is calculated on the chart and graph below: Parking Spaces AWA Avail. On-site parking available Off-site parking available 0 0 Street parking available Parking Capacity for Worship Difference

16 D. Building Entrance(s) and Signage: The building is visible from the street with a sign visible from the road. It is clear which entrance a visitor should use on a Sunday morning, and once the congregation has moved its offices to the new extension, it will probably also be clear where the office space is. (Currently, there is a sign on the side of the building indicating where the offices are, although this visitor missed the sign and came in through the front entrance, wandering in the direction of voices.) The new extension is designed in a way to make entrances more intuitive to a first-time visitor. E. Sanctuary: The sanctuary is open, light, well-maintained, and airy. It has traditional stained glass but also some more contemporary pieces. Seating for people in wheelchairs is in the back row. The pews are fixed, limiting flexibility of the space for any style of worship other than leaders in the front and congregation facing them ( audiencestyle worship). The chancel does not have fixed seating, allowing for a diverse array of possibilities including a band, a screen and projector, a large choir, theater, and many other ways of using the front area. The chancel was redesigned in The narthex, although not completely clutter-free, seems to suggest some sort of service project. Signage about that project could appeal to a first-time visitor who is interested in a church that helps the community. However, the narthex that will be in use starting soon is clean, clear, and currently clutter-free with a contemporary design. 16

17 Based on generally accepted norms for congregational seating, it is estimated that the sanctuary has a seating capacity of 215 as noted on the chart below: Sanctuary Seating Main Floor 170 Sanctuary Seating Balcony 30 Sanctuary Seating C hoir 15 TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY 215 Based on generally accepted measurements, we know that when a sanctuary is more than 80 percent capacity on a regular basis, it will impact worship attendance with an overcrowded feeling. In the same manner, if a sanctuary is less than 40 percent of capacity it will also impact worship attendance as participants feel it is uncomfortably empty. Based on your AWA (average worship attendance), the sanctuary capacity is JUST ABOUT RIGHT for what you curre ntly need. F. Fellowship Space: There are two different fellowship areas in the church the newly constructed area off the narthex and the traditional space, fellowship hall, below the sanctuary. The smaller space next to the sanctuary is designed for coffee hour and small gatherings, with standing room for 50 (plus overflow into the hallways) or small groups seated up to 30 or so. One small design flaw mentioned during the building tour was not creating space in the sink area for a small refrigerator. 17

18 The other fellowship area is directly below the sanctuary, with enough room for a dinner seating over 100. A storage area has been included in the extension (for the Boy Scouts and Camera Club), and a small, lockable kitchen area for the congregation as well as a professional and completely up-to-code kitchen were also part of the design. Other building users were clearly taken into account in the design of this space. G. Education Space: There are several classrooms dating to the original building as well as new classrooms that have been built with the addition to the building. One of the original classrooms had been used for a counseling program until some point in the last year or two. It is currently being used to store reorganized and labeled historical records during the last phase of renovation. Other original classrooms in use prior to construction can be tidied and aired out for use again when the building is again approved for occupancy. The congregation is already aware of how poorly insulated those spaces are and how much heat is lost through gaps in the doors and windows along with single paned glass. In addition to these rooms on the lower level, there are three additional classroom spaces that are part of the recent addition. The only classroom space available during construction is on the main level, the choir room, is on the main level. C hildren s Sunday School classes have been held in the sanctuary for over six months. All in all, this adds up to nine classrooms, one of which is used by the congregation for adult education purposes. H. Office/Administration Space: I. Restrooms: The current office space is a converted set of classrooms toward the back of the building that the church began to use once they sold the church building that had served as their office space from the time of the merger until several years ago when the church sold the annex building for financial reasons. It is not completely intuitive to find but has been signposted outside the building to help visitors. The new space is at the front of the building, easy for a first-time visitor to find. Existing bathrooms have been refurbished to make them more user-friendly, as well as new ADA-accessible bathrooms on both levels, doubling the number of restrooms in the building from 4 to 8 (as well as a children s bathroom in the classroom space on the lower level). 18

19 J. Systems: a. Fire extinguisher inspections were all current except for one at the bottom of the stairwell from the narthex to the fellowship hall. b. Outlets are all properly wired. c. Furnaces and electric are either new or up-to-code. d. The elevator is brand new and in good working order. Additional note: Deferred maintenance issues were almost non-existent, except for one minor issue: an overlooked corner with some mold left over from a previous clean-up project in the same area as the expired fire extinguisher, when the lower level flooded last year. How the Facilities are Used: The church building is a valuable resource for both the congregation and the community. A good indicator of a congregation s willingness to engage a community is by looking at how the church uses this resource. Based on total building use, the graph below demonstrates the percentage of total usage by outside groups. These groups are open to the community and often times led by people other than church participants. Congregants are often amazed at how little a building gets used. We divided your facility into kinds of space. The sanctuary is considered worship space, the fellowship hall and narthex fellowship space, etc. Using your church calendar, we have calculated the hours each kind of space is used and calculated the percentage of time it is utilized. This percentage is based on the space being available just 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. 19

20 UNDERUTILIZED BY CONGREGATION & COMMUNITY A quick look at these charts demonstrates a building that is both underutilized by the congregation and the community. The cost associated with maintaining and operating this resource raises a question for the congregation to consider, namely is this the wisest stewardship of the resources that have been given to us by God? 20

21 V. THE COMMUNITY Phillipsburg came to prominence as a canal town in the 1820s and continued to be served by the railroads after the decline of canals in the 1920s. The town s jobs came from companies like Ingersoll Rand, particularly during the railroad days, and chemical companies like JT Baker. Since the 1960s and 1970s, jobs have moved out of the area, and many of the middle class people living in the area now drive to jobs in places as far away as Princeton. Intentional revitalization efforts have occurred downtown such as designating the city an Urban Enterprise Zone in the early 90s, allowing a lower sales tax than the rest of New Jersey. There is also a one-stop social services facility downtown for the community, suggesting a concentration of needs in the downtown area. While poor and struggling young people seem to make up the downtown area, the surrounding area appears to have a higher number of retired seniors who stayed even after the jobs left. River: psych. boundary Established, larger homes Retirement facilities Major store / mall shopping Dense, smaller, older housing Downtown WIC, crisis pregnancy, River of Life Presbyterian In addition to seeing geographic features, we can also identify key subcultures in the community. It is important to understand people groups or subcultures because it is widely confirmed that the Christian faith travels easiest along existing relational ties, among people who share a similar subculture. Therefore, a congregation needs to understand the particularities of the people group(s) nearest the church and adapt its ministries for that particular people group OR relocate to another part of town. Let s examine a few more key people groups in this area. 21

22 Mosaic profiles are lifestyle groupings of people who share similar behaviors, social characteristics, attitudes and values. Designed by Experian (a very large credit service and data-collection company), there are 60 distinct Mosaic groups (or segments of the population) in the U.S. These groupings are based on multiple socio-economic and lifestage factors. The Mosaic tree demonstrates the interconnectedness of these distinct groups. You will note that the tree works like a continuum with a rural flavor in the upper left hand corner and more urban on the lower right. Families and high income are in the lower left corner, while singles and lower income is represented on the upper right. The above arrow indicates the community that surrounds Pilgrim Presbyterian Church. Each Mosaic group is identified with a letter and number (e.g. A07 is New Suburban Families while K04 is Urban Diversity ). Some groups have natural affinity with others because of similar characteristics, while others mix like oil and water. The chart above shows the relative closeness or distance between the 60 different lifestyle segments. As you can see from the chart below, the A groups (A01-A07) consist of higher-income families, while the L groups (L01-L03) are low-income and mostly single. The short lines connecting the colored dots show the easiest lines of connection. For example, A07 will relate easiest with A05, while K04 will relate easiest with K05, J04, J05 and H03. This is important for churches to consider so that congregations may better understand the life-ways needs of particular sub-groups/cultures who are closest 22

23 to their location. What we are after is a way for the missional niche which is yours to meet the needs of the people in your community. The map below shows much of the community around your church. The church can be seen in the center. Each of the colored areas is a Census Block Group. Each block group contains an average of 1,500 people. The block groups are color-coded based on the dominant Mosaic profile found among the people in that small area. The box below shows the top 15 Mosaic profiles in the whole community (which may not be the same as those located in the immediate vicinity of the property.). By far, the largest group is F01 Steadfast Conservatives, followed (in much smaller percentages) by J05 Metro Beginnings and D04 Small-city Endeavors. Descriptions for the largest groups are found in Appendix B. 23

24 Here is a closer view of the area immediately around the church facility. For more complete descriptions of the people groups (Mosaic codes), visit the MissionInsite website and download a PDF copy of the MOSAIC Description Guide. This can be found at: Steadfast Conservatives Steadfast Conservatives Small city endeavors Nuevo Hispanic families Steadfast Conservatives Questions to consider when observing this data include: What do these largest Mosaic groups have in common with the people of our congregation? What may be some gaps (or under-represented groups) between our church and our immediate community? Looking at the description of the largest one or two Mosaic groups in our community, what ministry needs are likely to be present among these people? What style of worship would they most likely be drawn to? What types of community groups are already effectively reaching out to these people? 24

25 VI. THE CONGREGATION Gap analysis is a way of looking at the congregation in direct relationship to the community in which it serves. It is a way of clarifying where you are, what the needs are in that community and what opportunities for vital ministry remain as you engage that community. In this section, we compare the congregation s profile with the community profile in the previous section. We will look at where participants live in relationship to the church building. These figures help us determine the match you have with the community around you. Do members live where the congregation is located? If not, how does this faith community stay in touch with the needs of the neighborhood? In some cases, congregations exist in an entirely different location in the city from where their members homes are concentrated. They have continued to decline in membership as they have attempted to commute into worship and serve a neighborhood from which they have grown apart. Pilgrim Presbyterian Church provided profile information of each participant in its congregation, which we compared with U.S. Census data from a church demographic service partner. The first graph demonstrates the ages of participants in the congregation with the ages of those who live in the community. The blue bars show the percentage of participants in the congregation in each category; the red bars show the total population of the United States, and the green bars show the community. The data related to the red and green bars comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. The chart shows that 48.6 percent of the congregation is of the Boomer generation or higher, while 32.8 percent of the wider community is in that generational category. This single measurement is very important to the future of the congregation. Vital congregations will normally experience a split between the Boomer + generations and the younger groups. This reality represents the need for fresh ideas and new innovation even as that creativity is blended with the wisdom and experience of longtimers. 25

26 The chart above demonstrates the Racial/Ethnic Gaps of the congregation related to the community in which it is a part. This data also comes from the U.S. Census. NOTE: It may severely undercount the Hispanic population in your area. Congregations are still highly segregated on Sunday mornings, which means that gaps are likely to appear in this arena. However, if the congregation is in a changing area, and has declining members of their racial/ethnic group represented in the congregation, it is an indicator of a significant gap. For example, if you are an Anglo congregation in a community that is 65 percent African American, the congregation may have a significant gap that it should consider in the future (especially if density numbers are low). Another important indicator of congregational life is the tenure of its participants. While it is a good sign of stability to have long-term members, it is also important to the congregation to have new participants. New participants bring innovations, energy and a new perspective to the church. And new members help you measure the effectiveness of your efforts to reach beyond your doorsteps into your community with the Good News. 26

27 Healthy congregations usually demonstrate a split with participants who have been in the church five years or fewer, with those who have been there more than five years. A congregation with too many old timers is not likely to be very receptive to new ideas, or creativity. Finally, we have explored the relationship of participants with the location of the church building. A pin-map has located the home of each participant and placed a circle of a seven-minute drive time around the church. (The computer generates this drive-time circle based on speed limits and no traffic, so the circle may not really look much like a true circle.) A congregation that has a good relationship with its community will normally display about half of its families within that seven-minute circle. If no one in the church lives within the circle, the congregation has a severe gap in relating to the community. 27

28 VII. FINANCIAL REVIEW Congregational finances are fairly complicated because congregations track income and expense in multiple and varied ways. Many congregations have a number of restricted funds, which can only be used for specific purposes, and which may or may not enhance the ministry of the congregation. In this review we have done our best to evaluate the financial strength of the congregation based on the norms we have observed from many congregations. Our first area of review is to look at the congregation s income sources. It is important to see where the income that supports the congregation s ministry comes from, and how much the church relies on outside sources of income. The table below indicates the income sources for your church in relationship to congregational offerings. At the minimum, a congregation should support its expenses with at least 65 percent of its income coming from offerings. Congregations that rely too heavily on outside sources of income will often compromise their ministry for the needs of those who provide outside income. Current YTD Last Full Yr 2 Yrs Ago Operating Income Pledged income $113,662 $129,356 $126,263 unpledged income $8,473 $9,731 $12,924 Foundation $0 $0 $0 Other Income $6,007 $6,256 $6,773 F. Bequests $0 $0 $0 Rental Income $0 $0 $0 interest or capital on investments $50,895 $43,320 $36,566 other $0 $0 $0 TOTAL INCOME $179,037 $188,663 $182,526 In graph form, it is worth noting the major shift in the percentage of pledged income in

29 Even at its highest point in the past few years, Pilgrim s offerings have not reached more than 70% of its expenses. When we consider the expenses of the congregation, we group expenses in four main categories: Salary Support, Building and Administration, Program Expenses, and Mission Giving. 1) Salary Support includes salaries of all church staff and benefits associated with employing them. Such benefits would include social security offsets, health insurance, pension etc. It does not include costs such as auto expense or office reimbursements. Most congregations will expend about 50 percent of their income on salary support. Experience has shown that congregations that exceed 50 percent in this category are rarely over paying their pastor. In fact, most New Beginnings congregations fall short of average salaries for their area. The salary amount is likely not too high but the percentage of the budget allotted to salaries is too high, short-changing mission, outreach and program. 2) Building and Administration costs are those associated with running the church office and the building. Typical costs include insurance, utility bills, maintenance and yard upkeep. A typical congregation will support building and administration costs with 25 percent of their income. Congregations that are not right-sized find themselves paying more for facilities, usually at the expense of their program. 3) Program Expenses are costs associated with running a program. This would include faith development, evangelism, and worship materials, choir music and supplies, advertising, and other resources and supplies that enable the program to operate. This is usually about 15 percent of a church s budget. Since this is the place where most congregations can control spending they will usually decrease their spending in this category first. 4) Mission Giving is giving that the congregation has contributed to both Presbyterian mission causes as well as local mission causes. Mission giving trends are about 10 percent of a vital congregation s budget as a starting point. Congregations will often reduce their mission spending after depleting their program spending. 29

30 While Pilgrim is about right on the proportion of building expenses, they are way over on salary and under on mission and program. This could reflect a reliance on having staff, in essence, be the program. Under spending in program means a church is not investing in the training, empowerment and equipping of its participants. In addition to the sources of income, the congregation also has some investments plus the estimated value of the property. This is outlined in the table below: Assets and Investments Property Value (incl. parsonage) $1,249,000 Investments $4,808 Building Fund $51,352 Endowments and bequests $1,725,642 Checking and savings $49,273 Operating Fund - New Covenant $5,291 other $0 TOTAL $3,085,366 FINANCIAL CAPACITY In light of the financial information above, this congregation clearly demonstrates ABUNDANT FINANCIAL CAPACITY. While income streams are not adequate for meeting the expenses for very basic ministry, the large endowment at Pilgrim Presbyterian Church and the continued faithful (if diminishing) giving of members allows the church to dream big about a different future instead of being locked into limited possibilities. However, the significant drop in giving in 2011 is worthy of deep spiritual reflection on whether members have a clear sense of a distinct ministry to which they are contributing, or whether giving is connected solely to maintaining existing structures (which would explain a significant dip in giving in a year where a church receives a large endowment). 30

31 VIII. CONGREGATIONAL ENGAGEMENT A final area of inquiry on this report is to measure how current participants engage in the life of their congregation. This begins to ask the question about what kind of church we have. Through interviews and a review of the church calendar, the consultant is able to measure the kinds of engagement people have with the church in four categories: 1) Direct Spiritual Development: These are activities in which the person involved is seeking direct growth in their spiritual life. It would include prayer groups, Bible Studies, Sunday school classes, or basically anything where more than 50% of the groups experience has a spiritual growth activity. 2) Relational Development: These are activities that enable people in the congregation to deepen their relationship with each other. While these groups have devotions and prayers, if more than 50% of the activity is related towards relationship building it falls in this category. 3) Direct Mission Delivery: These are activities of service to the community. It would include developing a community garden, organizing a mission trip, or a congregationally run food bank in the church. 4) Decision Making: These are committee meetings, and administrative groups that plan. As you can see, these are all congregationally run activities, and do not count the efforts of outside groups that utilize the facility. This is a measurement of the kinds of activities, and the numbers of people engaged in them. This is measured by the following formula: (The number of times per year this group meets X Length of time X number of people involved.) Not included in this formula is Sunday morning worship. 31

32 The reason relational development is so high is that the three different choirs in the church, while contributing greatly to the spiritual experience of worship, are listed under relational development. This is one of the largest ongoing activities in the life of the church, with a benefit of strengthening relationships between participating members. 32

33 IX. MINISTRY REVIEW AND OPTIONS FOR YOUR NEW BEGINNING Let s review the analysis of the congregation at this point: The congregation has seen a decline in financial giving relative to CPI over the past ten years and is relying primarily on memorial funds and endowments to cover the gap between spending and giving. It continues a longtime relationship with the Boy Scouts and camera club, although the relationship is primarily focused on available space rather than partnership or interaction between the congregation and those groups. While the town of Phillipsburg has somewhat more senior citizens than the national average, Pilgrim Presbyterian is slightly grayer than the town in which it is doing ministry, with a particular gap in the Gen Y or Survivor generation and in Gen Z, infants to early teens. Twelve years ago, the congregation went through a consulting process which suggested that the congregation needed to work on developing a mission of which the membership would take ownership. The report also suggested the congregation needed to develop Disciples among the existing congregation. At that time, some basic goals were put forward, not a-typical of churches in some decline: creating ministries for the unchurched, getting more involved with evangelism, creating worship that would appeal to people in the wider community. In those twelve years, the congregation has either maintained or diminished somewhat, so that those initial recommendations and goals are no longer a sufficient solution to the situation facing the congregation. The purpose of the New Beginnings Assessment is to provide objective, but engaged observations related to the congregation. We compiled all the data, like a portrait of the congregation. Then we placed it alongside general data to show how your congregation is doing by comparison. Now, we weigh these factors in relationship to ministry options that seem viable for you congregation in your own time and place. Congregations have four basic choices for the future: Do Nothing: Looking at the trend lines for the last 10 years in the graphs we have provided can help the congregation see where the do nothing option might ultimately lead. While the trajectory may be downhill, many churches see this option as much easier than going through the pain of change. This does not require energy, new effort, or ingenuity. Usually, staying the same means slowing losses, while the ultimate conclusion which is closure. Mission Redefinition: Churches that seek to change may need to establish a whole new way of being church. While all congregations will need to do visioning about their future mission opportunities, most congregations will do so alongside a redevelopment opportunity. Sometimes, however, there are congregations who could be the right church in the right place with a significant shift in missional focus. This option requires of the congregation significant energy, ingenuity, creativity and spirituality because people will be leaving behind previous ministry entirely and doing a very new focus in ministry. It is important to note that there is no guarantee of numerical growth by entering 33

34 Mission Redefinition. It also is important to note how well or even if the congregation can sustain its ministry through what may be a years-long process. Redevelopment: This option can take numerous forms and hybrids. They include: relocation, morphing into a new demographic participant profile (that matches the community in which the church resides), a restart, a parallel start, being adopted, or combinations of these with Mission Redefinition. Redevelopment of the congregation requires new approaches that empower the church to adapt to a new environment or context. Close: Churches who choose this option realize that they don t have the energy, skill, or resources to keep going. They select this option as a way of concluding their congregation s life with dignity and intentionality so that their assets (which previous generations have entrusted to them) can continue to work, after they are gone, to provide a Presbyterian witness. 34

35 X. A FUTURE STORY: REDEVELOPMENT: Restart. It is a beautiful fall Wednesday evening in 2016, and the parking lot of Abundant Life Presbyterian Church is packed, as families make their way to the sanctuary, a few stopping in the fellowship hall below to drop off bags of clothes and food before going upstairs to drop younger children in the worship and wonder room for bible stories and activities while the parents attend the monthly Parents Rock concert and social gathering with music by the church s in-house band. In the back of the sanctuary, some couples chat while eating snacks, while others hang out at tables closer to the band and enjoy the music. This gathering happens monthly, but so does a Pray and Play group that watches sports together and talks about their faith, even sometimes praying, during commercials and after the game. Another group gets together to sew and pray for the people they re sewing items for here in the community. And another group gathers to garden together, and they take much of what they grow to a food program at a downtown church. And yet this evening is pretty typical of Abundant Life gatherings, which always feature two elements: every gathering incorporates service to others, and every gathering incorporates spiritual learning or spiritual practice. Abundant Life has been up and running for several years, thanks to the hard work of the church that gave it life Pilgrim Presbyterian. In 2012, Pilgrim engaged in a deep discernment process through New Beginnings in partnership with their Presbytery. During that process, they realized two things: 1) the community needed a church in their area that prized outstanding preaching and dynamic worship, concrete ways of serving God, and ongoing Christian formation; and 2) that their church had been faithful and committed for so long that they no longer had the creativity or energy to build up that congregation, because they were in a place where they needed to focus on their own spiritual needs being met. They made the difficult decision to officially close the ministry of Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, but they realized that their endowment could create a great future of faith in Phillipsburg by using those resources for a new ministry. Over the next few months, a core lay leadership team and a new pastor came together with the vision of creating a worshipping community in the same spot that would be oriented around small group ministries for people who were passionate about something in the world (fishing, sports, knitting, books) and wanted to deepen their relationship with God through service, prayer and study. They got those small groups up and running and then began worshipping together as well as offering small groups. The criteria for membership at Abundant Life are somewhat demanding, and their members rise to the challenge in their involvement in ministries of the church. After a designated amount of time, members of Pilgrim were invited to attend Abundant Life, and while some have found other churches in the area, many have joined Abundant Life with a certain amount of relief that they simply get to participate in the ministries and activities that energize them without having to take on the headaches of keeping the church afloat. They also speak of the blessing of seeing every room in use and people all over Phillipsburg knowing the church and its location because of its constant and visible involvement in the community. Thanks to the honest self-assessment and the prayerful generosity of Pilgrim, hundreds of people in Phillipsburg today are finding a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus that they would not have found otherwise. 35

36 XI. FINAL NOTE FROM ASSESSOR I have been truly blessed to work with the leaders of Pilgrim Presbyterian Church. All of your lay leaders made me feel welcome and gave me a sense of the congregation s commitment to goodness and decency. I was also grateful to hear such honesty from the congregation, which I know will be a real blessing as you move forward in your discernment. I really believe it is a God thing that you were able to engage in the New Beginnings process at the exact time you were ready to do this important work and that you were blessed with an interim pastor who can nurture you in helpful directions. Please know that as you embark on this journey of prayerful discernment, I will be a regular prayer partner with you. I pray now that God will make God s presence known to you and I will continue to pray that same thing in the coming days and months. Sandhya Jha Special Consultant for New Beginnings PHONE: sandhya.r.jha@gmail.com Cc: Presbytery Staff 36

37 Appendix A APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY NOTES 1. Reflecting on your entire experience at this church, remember a time when you felt the most engaged, alive and motivated. Who was involved? What did you do? How did it feel? From the very first day I stepped into the church. There were so many young children when I first got here, and vital Sunday School, and there was a lot of support. There were over 100 children in Sunday School, and they were so enthusiastic about the love that Jesus would bring. Of all the decades I ve served, the decade of the eighties, coinciding with a lot of younger families and kids involved in church, and as music director those were some exciting times, doing musicals, working with youth, that was the most energized I felt. 2. When you consider all of your experiences at this church, what has contributed the most to your spiritual life? There was one time in the very beginning when I had my power chair at the church services and my service dog was starting to have leaks and the church bought him a mat he could lie on; that touched my heart so much that they would care about my dog instead of sending me out. That hit my heart. It s one of the reasons I m still here. Any number of the adult Christian Ed programs that have taken place on Sundays or week nights on different subjects. The sermons over the years. Coming from a church where I didn t see a lot of giving back or mission, I had given up a lot on my faith. Coming here and seeing how much the church goes out and does God s work has really brought me back to my faith. One of my best friends was Andy, even when he couldn t see over the chair. We have had such versatile pastors and every one of them has been passionate and has brought a lot of versatility. They ve left a mark. Some of them may not have been our favorites, but they ve still brought a lot. 3. Tell about a time when you were most proud of your association with this congregation. Every day. When we had done work at Interfaith Hospitality Network and sponsored the children s program; the joy it brought to the children made me proud. One time we filled a huge cornucopia (kids could fit in it) with food it was in the newspaper. We did a talent show and it brought such joy to see the kids as well as the adults. Working at Safe Harbor with my husband and seeing him sit down with the people there. 37

38 During times of transition in our church when everyone respected everybody and respected each other s opinions and loved each other to work through the things in their lives. A few weeks ago I was in hospital and then secondary care and I contracted MERSA and the church wrapped up little things with the instructions to open one a day. I was over in Hackensack and no one could visit, but they all did. And if they re doing it for me, they re doing it for everybody. 4. What do you think is the single, most important, life-giving characteristic of this church? When we are at our best, what are we doing? Caring for congregants who are sick or have lost a family members The love we have for one another Welcoming people The quality in our worship time together When we moved away from our family, this church was like a family The music we have in this church is a huge blessing. How many churches this size have the quality of music we have? But also, our members really take care of each other. 5. Don t be humble! The Apostle Paul s peaks of spiritual gifts what gifts do you share with the congregation (personality, perspectives, skills, character, etc.)? One of our gifts is we don t brag we just do. Sue has the gift of music but she s so intentional about that. Debbie McGinnis brings incredible faith A lot of us bring our time, holding down full time jobs, commuting more than an hour a day, taking time from our families to serve on committees and do the work of the church. Sometimes I use my cats for cat therapy. I think we all have a sense of humor. Flexibility. I feel very welcome coming here. 6. Now consider any gifts you have that aren t s hared with the church. Are the re gifts such as talents you enjoy or skills you are good at that don t get shared with the church because opportunities don t exist? I have a gift of ideas, an out of the box mind. As a person with disabilities, I find a way to get things done even if it s not the traditional way of doing things. Pet therapist Take care of the elderly Collecting cats Volunteer at hospital Teach fishing skills to youth Like to garden Garden 38

39 Read Jog Cook Watercolors Sense of loyalty to the church. 7. What motivates you to come to worship at this church (relationships, habit, desire for God, the church needs me, responsibilities)? The alarm clock! To pray. Music. The people you see. Sense of community in worship. Sense of being with family while listening to the Word and in worshipping God together. This is my other family. Pavlovian conditioning. Reassurance of knowing whatever I ve done over the week, I m forgiven, Sometimes I need to listen for the answers through the music, through the word Helps me to get through the rest of the week Connection to God and refocusing through worship Even though you take time each day, it s really time focused on God Reset for the week, to find your place. I always like hearing the stories in the sermons and how you can relate them to your life. I come back because of her (the baby). I want her to have a foundation and find God the way I found God here. I come here to reassure myself that there are organizations with a moral pulse. It s a place to connect with people. When you can t get out of your home sometimes you feel isolated. 8. Complete this sentence with one of the two choices (everyone should vote for one no half votes are allowed!) Our church is a. Rigid or Flexible? Unanimous for flexible b. Status Quo or Mission-oriented? 7 status quo 10 mission oriented c. Fearful or Courageous? 18 fearful 7 courageous d. Thriving or Getting by? Thriving 30 Getting by 39

40 9. A relational group is a group of people who gather at times other than on Sunday morning, for the purpose of prayer, study or fellowship on a weekly basis. Let s make a list of relational groups in the church. Choir 10. Tell me about leader development in the congregation. What does this congregation do to prepare teachers, elders, and other leaders in the church? Workshops (optional) People on a personal level will offer advice Other than elder teaching we don t have training We ve offered teacher training by the Presbytery but no one has gone It s more of an individual basis. Elders and deacons have to meet once a year. (Don t you have elder retreats?...no, we haven t in a while.) 11. What are the ministry opportunities begging for our attention in this area? There s definite need in this community for parenting support, counseling for dysfunctional families, life skills Support for the homeless Westcap offers a lot of that, but do people go to them? The problem is that with those programs there s no way for people to get there without transportation Transportation is a ministry opportunity in itself Helping at risk children Hospital and care (IHN) There s an opportunity to reach out to children who don t have spiritual backgrounds, to bring them in, to let them know there s a God who loves them. Unfortunately we don t have the demographics, but there s a serious need for big brothers big sisters. In schools the big brothers and big sisters are all different ages, even retired people. Mentors for kids in the community, and even for the adults. 12. If our church were to close, what would be the one thing people in the community would miss most? The carillon. Our compassion. Taking care of the boy scouts. The food pantry. The nursing homes would miss us. Meals on wheels. Support for IHN Safe Harbor Those who come here. 40

41 Yeah, we are part of the community. Ministry to shut ins. The music ministry The camera club would have to find someplace else to go. I don t understand why anyone would consolidate something. Things go through cycles. I don t know why anyone would consider consolidate things, so the question is irritating. Think of the movie It s a Wonderful Life. We may not realize what an impact we have but maybe the community would miss the chimes, or the smile they get when they walk by. Taking that out would impact people. The Giving Tree. The ministry the ladies take to the senior centers would be missed. I was literally in tears at a woman s door because of her response to the giving tree without us they wouldn t have had Christmas. There are children in the Dominican Republic who have access to an education because of us. The question was about this community. But our community goes beyond Phillipsburg. (We don t have our counseling center?! When did that happen?) Vacation Bible School. Even if they don t come to church during the year, I love seeing them evolve over time. There s nowhere around here you can hear the quality of music we have here. There are people that only come on Easter and Christmas and they would miss that. I bet there are people who come because it s walking distance and couldn t come otherwise. 41

42 Where did the attendees believe Pilgrim Presbyterian falls in the congregational lifecycle? 42

43 Appendix B MISSION IMPACT: MINISTRY APPLICATIONS FOR MOSAIC LIFESTYLE PORTRAITS The following pages are excerpted from: Mission Impact: Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits The Mosaic Descriptions are by Experian The Ministry Applications are by Thomas G. Bandy It is published and distributed by MissionInsite.com.

44 Mission Impact Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits F01: STEADFAST CONSERVATIVES Home to high school educated mature singles and couples living in middleclass urban blue collar neighborhoods Demographics About Steadfast Conservatives A quietly aging cluster, Steadfast Conservatives is home to mature singles and couples living in mid scale urban neighborhoods. Households tend to be white, high school educated and middle class. Many have begun to empty nest or are already filled with couples and singles aged 65 years or older. The seniority of many residents does have benefits in the workplace. They earn middle class incomes from skilled jobs in manufacturing, retail and health care. Their incomes go far, allowing residents to own older homes and multiple cars and trucks at higher than average rates. Lifestyles The residents of Steadfast Conservatives live up to their old fashioned reputation. They think the stock market is too risky, computers and the Internet too confusing and take preventive medicine before any sign of illness. They even regard aerobic exercise as too strenuous, preferring to spend their leisure time fishing, gardening, antiquing or doing needlework or woodworking. For their social life, they attend activities sponsored by fraternal orders, veterans clubs and church groups. As consumers, they re likely to be brand loyal when they shop at favorite stores like J.C. Penney for clothes, Dick s Sporting Goods for outdoor gear and Jo Ann for needlecrafts. With their middle class incomes, they make a strong automotive market, especially for American made pickup trucks and mid sized sedans. To further protect their established lifestyles, they buy a variety of insurance products covering health, life, car and home though primarily low value policies. Media Households in Steadfast Conservatives are fans of traditional media, including print, TV and radio. They like to get their news from a daily paper or the nightly newscasts on network TV. They consider television as a primary source of entertainment in their lives, and they have high rates for watching sitcoms, reality shows, daytime soaps and religious programs. They enjoy reading magazines that appeal to their do it yourself sensibilities including popular titles as Family Handyman, Better Homes & Gardens and Country Living. Their radio tastes include a mix of big band, classic rock, country and golden oldies. These households are mostly unenthusiastic about the Internet, but when online they engage in chat forums and visit NASCAR.com. Reaching out to Steadfast Conservatives This type represents the backbone of many established, denominational churches in North America. These people tend to lead passive, low risk, lifestyles. They read and listen to radio classics. They prefer name brand, denominational churches, with predictable and traditional liturgical worship. They want church programs to deepen their insights into themselves, build healthy family relationships, and connect them with divine purpose. However, they don't want Sources: Tom Bandy, Experian and MissionInsite

45 Mission Impact Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits the church to take them very far from their comfort zones. When it comes to "church growth", they resist the word "transformation" and prefer the word "renewal". This type tends to be class conscious, and do not mingle easily with more affluent and high brow white collar church members that may seem condescending. However, they can be remarkably welcoming to diverse racial or cultural groups. Leadership: Enabler, CEO This lifestyle type expects the pastor to be certified officer of the church, modeling the orthodox morality and theological perspective of the denomination. Credibility lies in the consistency between office and personal life. The pastor is expected be a team player, and the boundary between assertive leadership and dictatorial leadership is sometimes very blurred. People in this type prefer a pastor who will equip volunteers to do whatever they feel passionate about, and to coordinate institutional activities that are done from a sense of duty. Pastors are expected to be available 24/7, good visitors, sound administrators, and committed to preserve the harmony of the church. Be sure to thank volunteers publicly and regularly for any service performed for the church, great or small. Hospitality: Multiple Choices This group enjoys hearty greetings and simple foods. They want to have lots of time and space to meet friends, and tend to gather in small circles. They are initially shy of strangers, and need help (name tags, servant tasks) as vehicles to mingle with new people. They like to serve themselves from a buffet, rather than be served. Always provide a resource table with printed devotionals, Christian music CD's, information about congregational or denominational mission, an update on church finances, and a newsletter reporting the activities of various groups. Worship: Educational, Inspirational This group seeks both education and inspiration, and prefers traditional liturgies and expository preaching. However, don t make worship too wordy. They may well write down the three points of the sermon, stick it on the refrigerator, and think about it over the week. The children's story is sometimes more important than the sermon; intercessory prayers for church members are crucial; and they like to make verbal announcements from the pulpit. They usually prefer well known hymns with a strong lyric, but are open to various kinds of non electronic musical instruments. Praise choruses, classic Christmas carols, and optimistic songs are appreciated. Education: Curricular, Biblical, Generational Sunday morning is the preferred time, and this group tends to be one day a week in their attitude to the church. They like Sunday school classes that are based on age and curriculum, and Bible Studies for adults. Parents like to see their children bring home drawings, crafts, worksheets, and other things that demonstrate learning. They often paint the hallways of the education building with murals of bible stories. The nursery needs to be clean and safe, but not necessarily elaborate. There is usually a "parlor" with old fashioned seating that is used for adult groups and displaying heritage artifacts. Sources: Tom Bandy, Experian and MissionInsite

46 Small Groups: Rotated Leaders, Curriculum Based Mission Impact Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits This type is dutiful toward meetings and committees, but shy about intimate sharing. It is often hard to find group leaders, and leadership tends to rotate. Group affinities can be formed around crafts or practical service, although support groups like AA may attract many. They tend to value larger, gender based, monthly fellowship groups. Outreach: Survival, Quality of Life Since this group tends to be more passive and low risk, they often opt to do mission through short term fund raising projects or lending property. If they volunteer to do hands on mission, it will usually connect with providing the necessities of life. Churches often do "Depot Mission" (gathering food, clothing, and used furniture for distribution). They respond to personal or community emergencies with enthusiasm, and may be motivated to address acute safety or crime prevention issues emerging in the neighborhood. However, they prefer to hire professionals to do mission for them or rely on financial support of outside non profit agencies. Sources: Tom Bandy, Experian and MissionInsite

47 Mission Impact Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits J05: METRO BEGINNINGS Very low income, less educated singles and single parent Hispanic and minority households living in high rise apartments in diverse inner city neighborhoods Demographics About "Metro Beginnings" Married couples with children would feel lonely in Metro Beginnings. No cluster has a higher proportion of one person households, and most residents live in high rise apartments filled with under 45 year old singles, divorced men and women, and solo parent families. In their diverse inner city neighborhoods Hispanics and African Americans make up more than half the populace households struggle against high unemployment, low educational levels and annual incomes less than half the national average. About a quarter have gone to college, and one in five holds a college degree indicating a desire for higher learning among these households. Lifestyles Their limited finances keep Metro Beginnings households preoccupied with the basic necessities of life. They worry a lot about themselves, feel very alone and claim there is little they can do to change their lives. They rarely go out on the town, except to an occasional dance performance or bingo hall. They try to stay healthy by jogging, doing aerobic exercises or riding a stationary bike in their apartments. Although fond of shopping for designer clothes, these price sensitive consumers instead patronize discount retailers like Marshall s, T.J. Maxx and BJ s Wholesale Club. Most residents can t afford to own a car or the newest consumer electronics, though they will purchase home and hand held video game systems and CD players. Without deep pockets, their financial activities are limited mostly to cash transactions. They carry payday loans and utilize cash transfer services for sending money to those in more difficult circumstances. Media The members of Metro Beginnings are heavy users of various media. They look to their TV sets for entertainment, watching sitcoms, reality shows and comedy at high rates. Their favorite cable networks include basic package channels like BET, Animal Planet, Spike TV and the Sci Fi Channel. They tune in to ethnic targeted radio stations that play Spanish, Mexican and urban contemporary music. These households try to stay informed about the latest news in music and current affairs by reading magazines such as Ebony, Essence, Jet and Vibe. In addition, these households are likely to read gaming magazines, collect and read comic books, and belong to a music CD club. Like other economically challenged households, Metro Beginnings has very low Internet usage rates. Reaching Out to "Metro Beginnings" The relationship of this group to the church is at best "complicated". People often have an "approach/avoidance" attitude to the church. It is both an opportunity to socialize with other Sources: Tom Bandy, Experian and MissionInsite

48 Mission Impact Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits people, and a source of intolerance for their eclectic lifestyles. It encourages theoretical hope, but often provides limited help. It is a spiritual connection with the past, parents, and distant families; but people in this group often have ambiguous feelings about all of that. This group is likely to be cynical about church people, but they are drawn to authentic spirituality. Some may be fanatical about the church, but are profoundly disillusioned when the church fails to live up to high spiritual and moral standards. Leadership: Visionary, Mentor The church leader may or may not be ordained, and must have a strong empathy with the life experience of people in this group. It helps credibility if the leader has experience a personal journey from hopelessness to hope, or from entrapment to purposefulness. People in this group are less interested in program participation, and more interested to have a personal relationship with a spiritual leader. They look to the leader to cast a vision that is both motivational and doable. The vision is frequently cross cultural and strongly relational. People in this group are not interested in the trappings of religion, and cannot afford to maintain sacred properties, but they respect a leader who has a clear plan to change personal lives and community environments. The leader need not be a preacher, but rather an approachable spiritual interpreter who helps apply the insights of experts. Hospitality: The Basics, Take Out Select the right hospitality leaders and train them well. Greeters, ushers, and refreshment servers must clearly understand their ministry to connect with people who are lonely, lost, or trapped. Training should include sensitivity to Hispanic or African American lifestyles, weekday experience interacting with this lifestyle type, and a genuine liking for singles and eccentric urban households. Their natural cynicism about the church can only be overcome by sincere, non judgmental greetings that introduce newcomers to others, but allow them freedom to express themselves at their own pace. Refreshments are simple, but opulent. Be generous with gifts. Encourage people to take food home, and even package it for them. Worship: Inspirational, Coaching It is easy to attract people in this group to worship once, but difficult to bring them back regularly. Worship planners must be ready to go "out of the box" to make worship engaging and relevant. Be absolutely consistent about values, beliefs, and overarching congregational mission... but deliberately unpredictable about worship tactics. If possible, use high quality sound and video technologies to enhance worship. Live music is better than taped; but preaching may actually be less threatening if it is on video or simulcast from another site rather than in person. Preaching should not exposit scripture, but focus on practical coaching for daily living. These are "how to" topics that are then supplemented by Biblical examples. The music, drama, and liturgy is high spirited and uplifting; and the pace and intensity slows down for a time of practical guidance for daily living; then the worship soars to send people out in hope. Education: Experiential, Topical, Peer Group People in this group are often interested in affordable continuing education. They prefer to plan their educational path from a menu of options including skill development, personal health, relationships, cross cultural understanding, safety precautions, as well as faith formation. Some education requires a curriculum, but people in this group are not great readers. They prefer Sources: Tom Bandy, Experian and MissionInsite

49 Mission Impact Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits action/reflection models, apprenticing, and passionate discussions. They are not likely to use internet resources for personal networking or web surfing, but they value community forums and panel discussions. Small Groups: Rotated Leaders, Affinity People in this group often participate in small groups. Their primary goal is often fellowship, opportunities to form intimate friendships, or to pursue common enthusiasms. They also participate in 12 step groups. These are all loosely organized, with low accountability, and leadership changes frequently. Occasionally they participate in a Bible study or spiritual formation group, but only if guided by a spiritual leader who is directly accountable to (or a disciple of) the pastor. When people of this group participate in a small group for faith formation or spiritual growth, they are usually urgent to go deep, face hard truths, and experience profound grace. Shallowness will not do. They want it all. Outreach: Human Potential, Interpersonal Relationships Although people in this group have deep concerns about survival, recovery, and quality of life, many are quite self reliant or look for help in other agencies. Their expectations of the church are more selective. The largest gap in their lives has to do with loneliness, purposelessness, and emptiness. Therefore they are very interested in ministries and mentoring relationships that help them discern gifts and personality types, define personal mission, and counsel achievable life goals. Vocational guidance, interpersonal or sexual counseling are important needs. On the other hand, people in this group readily volunteer for short term mission projects aimed at meeting the survival or quality of life issues of the urban center. They do it both for the camaraderie as much as the practical result. Sources: Tom Bandy, Experian and MissionInsite

50 Appendix C MISSION INSITE EXECUTIVE REPORT The following pages constitute the Executive Report received from Mission Insite on the demographics of the study area used in this report.

51 ExecutiveInsite

52 INTRODUCTION Prepared for: Christian Church, Church Extension DoC Study area: Custom Geography Base State: NJ,PA Current Year Estimate: Year Projection: 2016 Date: 4/17/2012 Semi-Annual Projection: Fall This ExecutiveInsite Report has been prepared for Christian Church, Church Extension DoC. Its purpose is to tell the demographic story of the defined geographic study area. ExecutiveInsite integrates narrative analysis with data tables and graphs. Playing on the report name, it includes 12 Insites into the study area s story. It includes both demographic and beliefs and practices data. ExecutiveInsite is intended to give an overview analysis of the defined geographic study area. A defined study area can be a school district, a zip code, a county or some custom defined geographic area such as a radius or a user defined polygon. The area THE 12 INSITES INSITE PAGE Insite #1: Population, Household Trends 2 Insite #2: Racial/Ethnic Trends 3 Insite #3: Age Trends 4 Insite #4: School Aged Children Trends 6 Insite #5: Household Income Trends 7 Insite #6: Households and Children Trends 9 Insite #7: Marital Status Trends 10 Insite #8: Adult Educational Attainment 11 Insite #9: Employment and Occupations 12 Insite #10: Mosaic Household Types 13 Insite #11: Charitable Giving Practices 14 Insite #12: Religious Practices 15 Interpreting the Report The ExecutiveInsite report is intentionally designed for easy reading. But there are a couple of tools provided in the tables that make this easier. Change over time: Several trend tables will have a column on the far right that will indicate a change over time. Generally this begins with the last census and includes the current year estimate and five year projection. The output will be a percentage change up or down. This quickly indicates the direction overall the variable appears to be taking. Color Coding: Both the "Change over Time" and "Compartive Indexes" columns are color coded to easily spot change and its direction. Change: Increasing Stable Declining Index: Above Ave Ave Below Ave. THE STUDY AREA Indexes: Some variables will have a column called "Comparative Index." An index is an easy way to compare a study area with a larger area. For this report, all comparisons are with the state or states within which the study area falls. This state (or states) is called the study area base. The indexes can be interpreted as follows. Indexes of 100 mean the study area variable is the same as its base area. Indexes greater than 100 mean the study area variable is above the base area. The higher the number, the greater it is above the base. Indexes less than 100 mean the study area variable is below the base area. The lower the number, the greater it is below the base. NOTE: Not all of the demographic variables available in the DI System are found in this report. The FullInsite Report will give a more comprehensive view of an area s demographics and ViewPoint a fuller view of its beliefs and practices. Sources: US Census Bureau, Synergos Technologies Inc., Experian, DecisionInsite/MissionInsite Page 1