The Church of the Good Shepherd Long Range Plan 2016

Transcription

1 The Church of the Good Shepherd Long Range Plan 2016 Page 1

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3 A Letter from our Senior Warden Dear Members of the Parish: Change is the New Normal. Just this year, The Church of the Good Shepherd experienced significant change. In our leadership and staff we called our Priest-in-Charge to become our Rector, received a Deacon to support our Parish, and hired both a new Parish Administrator and Bookkeeper. In our facilities, we committed to making significant improvements to our HVAC infrastructure. In our communications, we revamped our electronic communication and launched a new monthly publication that ties all of our members together. In terms of our Christian family, we witnessed the circle of life with births, marriages, and deaths. And of course, this being an election year, we are facing even more change as the new administration charts a new course for our nation. All of this is happening in an environment where our Christian community is distracted by an onslaught of activities and obligations; and as a result, we are less attentive to our Christian life together. We see this pattern across our town, country and world in almost every denomination. James and I discussed the changes occurring around us and decided we needed a plan to help our Parish adapt to our New Normal. We invited several talented people to join our effort, and we ultimately included the entire Parish in the conversation. Our conclusion was to focus on five areas in which our Parish family can develop and hone our Parish s values: Formation Outreach Our Church Home Fellowship Stewardship The next few pages describe a plan by which our Parish can develop and thrive in our changing community. We hope you will support these recommendations and take part in the plans to enrich our Parish. We need each individual to participate in order for us to find success. Even the smallest contribution in time, effort, and attendance makes a difference. Thank you for your consideration. Jennifer Sanford Page 3

4 Our Life Together OUR MISSION: To know Christ and to make Him known with joy, faith and service OUR VISION: We will deepen our relationship with God for all those who come into contact with our community while gathering others to our ministry of Christ, fostering a sense of generous community, and sustaining that community for future generations. OUR IDENTITY: As Norfolk s suburbs began to take shape following the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, interest grew in developing an Episcopal church in the northern edge of the city. By 1917 there was a church building on its present site with 22 communicants. As the church family and facilities grew, the congregation built the present church in 1969 which was considered an architecturally remarkable structure. The Church of the Good Shepherd continues to be remarkable for not only its generous church facilities, but also for its commitment to stewardship, service, formation and fellowship. Good Shepherd reflects and embraces a vibrant blend of long-standing members and transient newcomers, offering a comfortable, caring place for worship. A Capital Campaign to retire debt from earlier physical improvements to the church successfully ended in There are currently 216 member households, of which 133 pledged financial support through the 2016 Stewardship Campaign. The previous Long Range Planning process ended in Page 4

5 Our Process In late March 2016, Senior Warden Jennifer Sanford convened a group to develop The Church of the Good Shepherd s Long Range Plan. She asked Carrie Short, who previously led nonprofits and religious organizations through planning sessions, to facilitate the meetings. Beth Williams agreed to serve as Secretary. The committee members were Sue Bryant, Kedron Fix, Brian Peccie, Dinky Winn and Eddie Wolcott. The Rev. James Medley also attended the meetings. Carrie suggested the group look at Dietrich Bonhoeffer s Life Together as a guiding text. In addition to laying out an idea of what is important among faith communities, Bonhoeffer also encourages congregations to accept the realities of community life as divine reality. Often tempted by the appeal of the ideal congregation, Christian communities overlook the strengths they already possess through God s grace. The group studied excerpts of the book along with guiding scriptures to look at the role of community, gifts (or assets) and practices of faith in our own life together. We focused on our faith community as a particular way of understanding and living in relationship to God, each other and the world and accepted Bonhoeffer s challenge to start with the realities of what we have, not just who we want to be. We looked at our strengths and built on them as our first steps. After four meetings of discussion, the group began to identify priority areas and compared them with priorities that had been identified from previous church planning efforts. We focused on the strongest assets of our life together and discussed strategies to improve or expand: Formation Outreach Our Church Home Fellowship Stewardship Page 5

6 The Long Range Plan Committee then met to gather congregational comments to help finalize the plan. Members of the Committee hosted and facilitated a series of four Listening Sessions to ask for feedback on specific strategies that the committee identified. After hearing from members of The Church of the Good Shepherd, the committee members met to incorporate parish comments into a final draft of the Long Range Plan that was presented to the Vestry on November 17. The Long Range Plan Committee then presented its final product at the annual meeting on January 22, The Long Range Plan Committee worked hard to embark on a prayerful and deliberative process to discern the areas of focus for The Church of the Good Shepherd. The final plan is the outcome of their love of our community and in consideration of the congregation s strengths. This Long Range Plan and the attached implementation chart map out the next steps we will take in our life together. Page 6

7 1. Life Together: Formation STRENGTHS: CHILDREN AND YOUTH FORMATION We have a critical mass of children and youth in the church membership, yet they do not participate regularly or consistently in worship, fellowship and outreach. Improvements in the past year include the youth group meeting more consistently and direct involvement from the Rector. STRENGTHS: ADULT FORMATION Adults express interest in having adult formation programs at The Church of the Good Shepherd; however, participation is not growing. Fellowship time allows us to reinforce our identity together, explore ideas through friendship and have fun; therefore, successful adult formation programs incorporate elements of fellowship. Goal 1: Increase the number of children and youth who participate in church. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, through such practical yet essential ministry, Christians are able to become proclaimers of God s Word for and to one another. In a multiplicity of ways, the ministry or service Christians offer is that of meeting one another as bringers of the message of salvation. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Strategies: Update the ACS Church Database to identify the target population. Hire a paid staff person (lay or ordained) to develop consistent programs for youth and direct adult volunteers. Provide structure for parental involvement with clear ongoing communication. Provide opportunities for more in-depth, age-appropriate spiritual experience for children and youth. Goal 2: Offer alternatives to the traditional Sunday morning schedule for adult formation. Strategies: Schedule options on other days and times during the week. Look into alternatives such as EFM, men s Bible Studies, small group. discussions, and lay-led discussions that address contemporary subjects. Use other gathering locations, meals, outreach opportunities, team building to enhance adult formation. Offer unstructured gathering time as an intentional option for Sunday mornings. Page 7

8 2. Life Together: Outreach The first service that one owes to others in the community of faith consists in patient, attentive listening to the other. This is the beginning of love in the community. The second service that each is to perform for the other in Christian community is that of active helpfulness even in the simplest and smallest ways. The third service consists of bearing others, not sidestepping the burden that others may impose upon us in the community of faith. It is in such bearing that the Christian community shares in the fellowship of Christ s cross. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer STRENGTHS Of the various outreach ministries at The Church of the Good Shepherd, the strongest and most far reaching is NEST (Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team). It gets everyone involved, is specific and time certain and involves parishioners from every generation. It also gets outside organizations involved with the church family. We value the chance to develop reciprocal relationships with church members and those we serve through outreach. Goal: Develop a structured outreach plan to create and sustain projects that our entire congregation can support. Strategies: Expand and promote outreach options that follow the time-certain model with multi-generational involvement. Clearly define opportunities for international outreach. Page 8

9 3. Life Together: Our Church Home STRENGTHS Our church facility is a large physical space. It is considered an asset to the community, used by numerous groups including: ODU, Civic Leagues, U.S. Navy, Canterbury, Lochmeadow Preschool and Lee s Friends. There is a strong desire to make better use of our facility and extend a ministry of welcoming to church and community groups, visitors and newcomers. Goal 1: Extend an intentional ministry of welcoming. Strategies: Designate a Welcoming Committee that includes newcomer responsibilities, wedding planning and outreach to representatives of outside groups. Increase use of social media to promote the church and its ministries. Implement the delivery of food/newsletters to reach newcomers. Promote big services, homemade breakfast and music programs to attract visitors and newcomers. Develop a congregational process including forums, listening sessions and prayerful discernment to consider welcoming same sex weddings. It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God s Word and sacrament the physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Goal 2: Increase the use of the church building and facilities by proactively welcoming outside groups. Strategies: Formally welcome and follow up with groups who rent our facility. Improve signage at the back door and hallway and use banners on Hampton Boulevard. Publish listings and calendar of events hosted by outside groups to inform parishioners. Goal 3: Design a sense of place in Shirland Forest to host events, picnics and weddings and encourage its use by non-members. Page 9

10 4. Life Together: Fellowship In Christ, Christians belong to one another. This is a divine reality and not dependent upon experience. We are bound to one another because of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer STRENGTHS Members of our church like to spend time together; we have a strong history of social activities and fellowship. Spending time together motivates people to be a part of the community and builds us up. Fellowship time allows us to reinforce our identity, explore ideas through friendship and have fun. Goal: Celebrate our life together with a Parish wide event to honor The Church of the Good Shepherd s 100th Anniversary. Strategies: Use the 100th Anniversary planning activities as a way to involve all parishioners. Create an event that engages all parishioners in a celebration of gratitude. Page 10

11 5. Life Together: Stewardship STRENGTHS Our congregation has a strong ethic of giving and values honesty and financial transparency. We take a positive approach to stewardship when funding ministries and addressing the issues of church resources. We have a strong desire to be faithful stewards of financial and physical assets. Goal 1: Develop a specific, well-communicated plan to ensure good stewardship of the church s finances and our physical plant. Strategies: Provide financial dashboard in quarterly statements. Host quarterly education programs on church finances, planned giving, and our Diocesan pledge. God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ we enter into that common life not as demanders but faithful recipients. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Goal 2: Implement a capital campaign to raise $2 million dollars for physical improvement priorities identified by the Long Range Plan process. Strategies: Hire a consultant to lead us through a Capital Campaign, honoring the priorities identified in the Long Range Plan. Administer the funds raised through the Capital Campaign in following prioritized manner: 1. fund the Sanctuary Wing HVAC effort 2. retire the debt for the Education Wing HVAC and lot re-leather and/or move the organ 4. develop Shirland Forest with consideration for permanent lighting and electricity and other enhancements 5. improve building entrance leading from portico, including back hallways to Memorial Hall and bathrooms Page 11

12 Listening Sessions The Long Range Plan Committee co-hosted Listening Sessions with the Planned Giving Committee in the fall of The goals for the Long Range Planning portion of the sessions were to: ask questions that had not been asked in previous campaigns. acquire feedback to develop strategies for the Long Range Plan. The sessions were hosted: Wednesday, September 14th at Beth and Rolf Williams home Sunday, September 18th in Memorial Hall Tuesday, Sept. 20th at Dinky and Jimmy Winn s home. Wednesday, Sept. 21st in Memorial Hall The following questions addressed the priority areas as identified by the Long Range Plan Committee: QUESTION #1: What are the barriers to getting children and youth to participate in worship, fellowship and outreach? QUESTION #2: How do you grow in your faith and how can the church support you? QUESTION #3: What would motivate you to get more involved (in outreach)? What type of activities or involvement would interest YOU? QUESTION #4: What does the ministry of welcoming look like to you? QUESTION #5: What can you do to help attract more members? QUESTION #6: What would you like to see the new property Shirland Forest used for? Page 12

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20 Page Hampton Boulevard Norfolk, Virginia