2015 Vision Plan OUR GUIDING TEXT

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1 2015 Vision Plan OUR GUIDING TEXT John 15: 8, 16 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. OUR VISION Communities thriving and growing in the fruit of the Spirit OUR MISSION Through Christ we seek to grow in faith as we serve, love and share God s unexpected grace OUR PROCESS In January 2014 Meridian Street convened a team to discern God s calling for this congregation. Its charge was to build upon the 2008 Plan for Change. As the Imagine Meridian journey reaches most of its goals, and the certainty of a new physical space draws closer, we are eager to explore new opportunities for ministry. The vitality of our study, ministry and service since 2008 is a powerful way to launch this discovery. Church leaders studied, reflected, and charted an important path for Meridian Street through Imagine Meridian. This action plan takes the next steps, building on those successes and finding ministries that will enable this can do congregation to continue and expand its powerful, faith-filled ministries. A staff and lay team has met monthly. Their study and thoughts were guided by Reading and applying lessons found in the book, Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry; Praying and reflecting; Reviewing the Imagine Meridian plan to uncover existing opportunities; Reviewing the Imagine Meridian plan to find the strengths in ministries; Interviewing and listening to neighbors and city officials, including schools, businesses, human service agencies, public safety officials, and other congregations; Studying extensive data sets from 46205, 46220, 46208, 46240, 46250, 46260; Digging deeply into the data for 46208, including spotlights on Butler Tarkington and Rocky Ripple;

2 Mapping congregational attributes and assets, including those of its members; Beginning a neighborhood asset list for 46208; Seeking intersections between assets, data, needs, and community concerns; Discovering four examples of ministry fields in the data; Crafting vision and mission statements; and Developing a plan for ministry to submit to Church Council. The Vision Team celebrates Meridian Street s many local, regional and worldwide ministries. This action plan is not intended to disregard any of those important efforts and honors the grace they offer. Rather, this action plan is a way for Meridian Street to walk into a new ministry field, one very close to home. Since 2008, Meridian Street has been in greater service, with its ministries lay-led and operating within a balanced budget. This is a congregation ready to live more fully into its calling with gifts that God has given. The soil is rich and the fruits of the spirit are abundant. Some action team members have used the metaphor of a garden: reading the landscape, understanding the environment, tilling the soil, finding the right tools, and planting seeds and cuttings. Once the planting has begun, it is a ministry we can tend over time as a whole congregation, in small groups, as families, and as individuals. OUR DATA For this plan, the team eventually narrowed its sights to zip code This is a long, narrow swath of Indianapolis, extending from several blocks south of The Children s Museum to North Crow s Nest. This large area has several neighborhoods, including Butler Tarkington and Rocky Ripple. This smaller area, bounded by 42 nd, Meridian, Michigan, and Kessler, is of special interest. So is the area south of 42 nd. Taken as a whole, zip code is one of stark contrasts and disparities. There is small increase in the overall income range, a broad one generally from $35,000 to $149,000, with some growth over $200,000. Families earning $15,000 to $35,000 are growing the most. Families live either in poverty or comfortably. Our neighbors include those with a 9 th grade education and others with graduate degrees. There are less blue collar, and more white collar jobs, than most areas in the state. The average age of residents is 36, soon to be 37, and over the next several years, there will be notable increases in school age children and those over 65. In the future, there will be notable decreases in college age and singles/young families, with other age groups remaining steady. Most residents in are African American, with the white population declining. Married couples with children will decrease slightly, and singles with children will increase by the same percentage. When asked of faith practices, 18% of our neighbors believe it is important to attend religious services while 45% consider themselves spiritual.

3 Take a real or virtual tour of 46208, and disparate images quickly emerge. The data transform into powerful images. The southern portion of the zip code is a designated hot spot, receiving special attention by the Mayor s Office, and includes a freeway, crowded neighborhoods, many churches -- and a world-class museum. The north boasts the governor s residence, big lawns, a university, another world-class museum, a seminary, and significant green space. Home prices in the north end continue to rise, yet there are many homes that are unsafe, abandoned, and in severe disrepair as we move south. Southern residents live in a food desert, with its one grocery recently closing, and have fast food or convenience store options to feed families. Many are served by pantries, and children eat meals at school and at after-school or summer park programs. To the north, one can enjoy several restaurants, a grocery, and food specialty items. A bus line is an important community asset for some, and for others, driveways and garages are not sufficient for the vehicles the family owns. Rocky Ripple and Butler Tarkington enjoy relative stability. While there is transiency as young families move in and out, the outgoing and incoming residents tend to have the same demographic profile. As children approach kindergarten age, many growing families seek new school options or a larger home. This means a move from the neighborhood, a trend the city wishes to change. This flow results in a turnover of young families, often of similar means, alongside a group of families who have chosen to remain as long-term residents. A cohort of children 6 and older soon will begin to grow as a bubble group, requiring services and supports along the way. This group is 6-11 now, and in five years, all will be adolescents. Behind the doors of these Rocky Ripple and Butler Tarkington homes are challenges, sometimes masked by professional position, tidy landscaping, and pride. There are needs, including divorce support, addiction support, caregiver support, 2 nd generation parent support, heath challenges, mentoring, and more. OUR OPPORTUNITIES No concrete plans exist. This plan will come to life through ministry groups and our members talents. Prayer, worship and study have led Meridian Street to make an important shift in its culture and its ministries. Since 2008, God has guided us to become less transactional in our ministries, and more relational in our service. We have been guided by capable pastors while learning how to use our gifts in lay ministry. We are graced by current partners and potential partners who can help us explore new ways to live our faith, deepen relationships, and help our communities thrive. God will lead us through the doors, and reveal ways to help others enter. Four potential focus areas were identified through the study of the neighborhood, interviews, and data. Meridian Street is already working in mission fields in some of these areas. These are:

4 Safety for the neighborhood and individuals; Intergenerational program and services; Butler University; and Rocky Ripple neighborhood. The Vision Team developed a set of guiding principles for ministry. These include: Grounding, strengthening and supporting this work in faith, study, prayer, grace, talents and the fruits of the spirit; Inviting each ministry team to discover ways it can serve; Helping each member of the congregation find a way to serve and support this ministry; Partnering with other congregations, social service agencies, schools, and planning groups to understand their needs and enhance their efforts; Walking alongside rather than flying in; Establishing a ministry of invitation as Meridian Street becomes a stronger neighbor; Understanding and embracing risk, and appreciating the long view; Working with, and not for, neighborhood residents so that the church develops relationships of trust and support; Recognizing and celebrating the strengths and assets in the community to create greater opportunities; Developing building-based and community-based ministries; Documenting the initiatives of each ministry or work team of the church; Understanding and deploying best-practice models; and Stretching, trying and learning together in faith and in ministry. Meridian Street can work with others as we share talents and serve. Some are inside the church and others are outside our doors. A partial list of partners and assets might include Community plans (mayor s office, neighborhood improvement, and others) Ten Point Coalition North United Methodist Church St. Paul s Episcopal Church Common Ground Butler University Neighbor Link Sports Ministry Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center Immigrant Welcome Center CDI

5 Meridian Street Preschool Co-op Butler Center for Faith and Vocation Church members who live in the neighborhoods St. Thomas Aquinas School and parish Heritage Place Butler Tarkington Neighborhood Association 56 th and Illinois Merchant s Association MLK Center IUPUI City of Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana Girls Inc. United Way Read UP Rivi Meals on Wheels Growing Places Indy YOU VE GOT GIFTS! God has blessed Meridian Street with a talented, brave, gifted, and creative congregation. Over the next 18 months, each ministry area of Meridian Street will craft plans for action steps it wishes to take. These have not been pre-determined by the Vision Team, although it imagines vibrant actions. As individuals and as a church, Meridian Street is accustomed to setting goals and working hard to meet them. The opportunity is for each of us to discover new calls to service and to live fully into our God-given fruits of the spirit. Meridian Street can plant ministry seeds by working with members of the congregation and with partners. Imagine: Children matched mentors, meeting individually and gathering for occasional group activities Private spaces in the church being used for NA or AA meetings A community garden Caregiver support groups Service learning for Butler or IUPUI students Health screenings and fairs Neighborhood game nights Resume and interview skills workshops Tutoring in afterschool settings or classrooms Home repairs for neighbors in need

6 Outdoor movie nights Park and play days Neighborhood Bible study Targeted grant making from church funds Safe crossing zones for children to walk to school Soup swaps or casserole nights Job shadowing Neighborhood picnics and sports days Music, art, or voice lessons for children and adults Neighborhood watch meetings Gathering places for seniors or young parents for exercise, fellowship and enrichment A neighborhood prayer team Co-located social service agency outreach Neighborhood book studies or book clubs Neighborhood walking club Welcome baskets for new residents If Meridian Street lives into the promise of actions such as these, families will have greater stability, children and youth will have new promise, the neighborhood will have stronger roots, and connections will grow between the church and its ministry field. OUR NEXT STEPS September 2015 March 2016: Vision team presents the plan to Church Council for approval Pastors and team meet with each ministry area of the church to identify areas of opportunity and interest Engage the congregation through Sunday morning activities Ministry area leaders lead their committees to develop objectives for 2016 Vision Team assembles a neighborhood asset inventory Vision team develops a planning template for each ministry area Ministry areas determine any budget considerations for 2016 ministry Vision team and staff develop a communication plan to inform the congregation of progress Vision team and staff gather plans from each ministry area into one consolidated document Plan to celebrate our work

7 April 2016 August 2016 Staff gather and publish six month updates from ministry committees and individuals Inventory existing ministries and relationships in the target neighborhoods Church council and other lay leaders review progress and identify supports needed by any ministry area Ministry areas identify any areas for growth in the remaining months Staff continues communication plan Committee chairs and staff establish any preliminary budgeting needs for 2017 Church council assembles the master program plan Sept 2016 June 2017 Select and orient new lay leaders and committee members through Leadership Development Ministry area set ministry plans for 2017 September 2016 December 2016 Celebrate progress and accomplishments Staff and church council implement a ministry celebration strategy, recognizing and affirming efforts for each ministry area Ministry areas and committees establish individual action plans and budget needs for ministry areas for 2017 Staff and ministry leaders continue to meet with and listen to key stakeholder groups and ministry partners Church Council monitors progress and sets the course for steps in 2017 and beyond

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