Mission Study First Presbyterian Church Fort Bragg, CA May 2018

Transcription

1 Mission Study First Presbyterian Church Fort Bragg, CA May 2018 Written and compiled by the Session, Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church, Fort Bragg, CA.

2 CONTENTS: Mission Statement A Short History of the Church to the Present Demographics/Statistics of the Church and the City of Fort Bragg Our Financial Situation (last 10 years) Overview and Goals Appendix: Church Survey

3 Purpose and Mission Statement First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg Spreading God s Love Through Jesus Christ As Christians, we warmly embrace our congregation and community, believing that all people are the children of God, and that God s house is for all people. As a church, we are an anchor in life s storms, offering safe haven through God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who give us hope, grace, healing, peace. This Mission Statement and Purpose of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg, CA was adopted in October Six year later in 2018, the Elders feel it remains relevant and continues to reflect the mission and purpose of First Presbyterian Church.

4 The History of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg, CA (The short version.) In the spring of 1887, the Rev. Charles Crawford, Presbyterian minister from Point Arena held a series of evening meetings in Weller s Hall. Nine of the adults attending the meetings were of the Presbyterian faith and were inspired to begin to organize a church in the coastal community of Fort Bragg, CA. The Rev. James S. McDonald, Home Missionary for the Synod, was summoned and on June 26, 1887, the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg was established. In late February of 1888, the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg was incorporated into the Presbytery of Benicia. A Board of five Trustees signed the incorporating document, among them Mr. C.R. Johnson, an officer in the Fort Bragg Redwood Company. (Mr. Johnson founded the Union Lumber Company 3 years later.) The Fort Bragg Redwood Company donated the property on the southeast corner of Main and Pine Streets to the church and the charter members paid a $10 gold coin to have the deed registered by the Mendocino County Recorder in Ukiah. The Company also donated construction materials and by the autumn of 1888, the first building of the First Presbyterian Church was ready for occupancy. Throughout the early history of the church, there were frequent periods of struggles both financially and lack of leadership but the members persisted. By 1904 the first pipe organ for the church was installed and a manse, located at 627 N. Main Street, had been constructed. In 1911, the Rev. R.C. Grace became the first permanent pastor of the church. Throughout the early years, First Presbyterian weathered WWI and a massive flu epidemic under the pastorate of Rev. W.M Sutherland. Fourteen ministers had served the church by the time the Rev. J. Lewis Kent was called in 1930 just after the Great Depression had begun. Under the ministry of Rev. Kent, the church marched forward through the Great Depression, WWII and the post-war era. Extensive remodeling of the church buildings was completed in 1953 and included an enlarged sanctuary, several new classrooms, a large social hall and a small chapel. Throughout the ministry of First Presbyterian, local organizations have used the church facilities for meetings, banquets, parties, etc. In December 1963, the entire community was invited to a farewell Open House in honor of Rev. and Mrs. Kent to celebrate Rev. Kent s retirement after serving the church and the community for 33 years. The Rev. Terrence (Terry) Cole was called to serve in 1964 and began his historic years of service to the congregation and the community. During Terry s 30 + years as Pastor many beloved church/community events were started. Labor Day 1978 saw the first Presbyterian Women Pie Sale that continues to this day. In 1978, 90 pies were made, compared to the all-time record of 422 pies made and sold in On the morning of November 28, 1978 a fire broke out in the church and within one hour the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg had been completely destroyed. The cause of the fire was never determined. The response of the community was

5 immediate and overwhelming. Local pastors offered their buildings for use, the community assisted with cleanup, along with heavy equipment donated by the Georgia-Pacific mill. Mr. Charles Stone, owner of radio station KDAC launched the Building Fund Drive and made the first donation. Over the next four years the ministry and services of First Presbyterian continued by meeting in the Fireside Building and later the local Senior Center. New property was purchased on South Sanderson Way; plans were drawn up and in 1982, the new building was partially completed and worship services were held in the Social Hall. Over the next five years the building continued at South Sanderson Way and the first service was held in the church sanctuary on May 3, On June 27, 1987 the sanctuary was dedicated on the first day of the second hundred years of First Presbyterian Church. In 1993 a preschool was added called Little Lambs. By 1995, the school was at full capacity. In the spring of 1994 a Bible study and worship time was established for our local Hispanic community and later the group became known as Los Amigos de Cristo. Throughout the 90 s First Presbyterian was involved and active in the community: Presbyterian Women (PW), Sunday School, a Sunday morning radio broadcast, Youth Group and Vacation Bible School. In 1993, the first annual Community Thanksgiving dinner was held and in 1997 the first Community Easter dinner was started. Both still continue and thrive. Over these past 20 plus years, thousands of meals have been served, shared and delivered celebrating God s love and goodness. Major change came at the end of 2000, when Pastor Terry Cole retired after 36 years of serving the congregation of First Presbyterian. In 2001 an interim pastor Jack Eisel (son of Lester Eisel the interim from ) was hired and the congregation began a two-year journey to hire a new pastor. In January of 2003, Rev. A. Daniel Fowler began his pastorate at First Presbyterian with an emphasis on music and family. The church began hosting the Allen Petker Choral Workshop with participants from all over Northern CA attending. Today this tradition still continues and is greatly enjoyed by both participants and the congregation. In 2006, First Presbyterian built a new commercial-grade kitchen that is used to bless others through the annual PW Pie Sale, Easter and Thanksgiving Community Dinners and many church and community social gatherings. In 2015, Jean and Walter Bayer generously left their estate to the church, drastically improving the financial well-being of First Presbyterian church. Rev. Dan Fowler felt the call to a new area and began his new ministry in Ashland, Oregon in January of In March of 2017, First Presbyterian hired an interim pastor, Rev. Cheryl L. Finch to lead the congregation through the process of hiring the next installed pastor. Today, in early spring of 2018, the Elders are completing the Mission Study and the church is preparing to form a PNC Committee to lead the search for a permanent pastor. First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg, CA will celebrate 131 years of

6 ministry in June and after seventeen ministers, the congregation is looking forward to welcoming the next installed pastor.

7 DEMOGRAPHIC NARRATIVE Fort Bragg is a small town located on the Pacific Ocean about 3 hours north of the city of San Francisco. It is one of only four towns over 2,000 population in Mendocino County. Fort Bragg is 165 miles north of San Fancisco and 188 miles west of Sacramento. It is only accessible by two-lane highway with the nearest freeway about 1 hour away. First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg is located at 367 S. Sanderson Way, Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California. The ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Bragg spans over 130 years. Currently the congregation is located in a modern facility completed in June FPFB is located in a residential neighborhood on the eastern edge of the city. The immediate neighborhood is comprised of mainly single-family homes and a few small apartments. The church is located across the street from the playing fields of Dana Gray Elementary School (grades 3, 4 & 5) On the other side of the playing fields is Fort Bragg High School. There are two other churches within a few blocks: Calvary Baptist Church and Coast Christian Center and an assisted living facility, Sherwood Oaks. The FPFB facility includes a sanctuary, fellowship hall, commercial kitchen, offices, and classrooms. Little Lambs Preschool operates from this facility Monday Friday. The Mendocino Coast was inhabited by Native Americans of the Pomo tribe for approximately 6,000 to 10,000 years. It was established as a military outpost from and on August 5, 1889 Fort Bragg was incorporated as a city. Fort Bragg began as a logging and fishing community with logging the town s economic center. Noyo Harbor became the main port for shipping lumber and supplies. For over 100 years logging was king. Redwood Company, Union Lumber Company, Boise Cascade and Georgia Pacific Corporation were the centerpiece of industry and comprised over 350 acres of prime ocean-front land in the center of the town. In September of 2002, Georgia Pacific closed the Fort Bragg mill and today the property is still being cleaned, cleared and uses are being determined. The City of Fort Bragg is in the process of working with GP to determine the outcome of the land. Georgia Pacific donated land and the city of Fort Bragg dedicated a new coastal trail, the Noyo Headlands Trail covering over five miles of coastal access on the mill site. Fishing was the other main industry in Fort Bragg and it boomed for many years with Noyo Harbor being a bustling port on the Pacific coast. Salmon, rock fish, and sea urchins have all played a role in the fishing economy. Over the past 30 years, due to regulations the commercial fishing industry in Noyo Harbor has declined but recreational fishing continues to thrive. Today the City of Fort Bragg and the surrounding area s economy is more service oriented and is a popular tourist and recreational area.

8 The city has had a population of between 5-7,000 members for the past 10 years. With the closing of the mill and the decline of the fishing industry, many young families moved away from the area and we have seen an influx of retirees moving here from the larger cities and also wealthy city folks buying vacation homes. As the fishing industry was booming, more and more Hispanic families moved to Fort Bragg and became active in fishing and logging. Today our population is over 31% Hispanic with the majority being Mexican.

9 STATISTICS: CITY OF FORT BRAGG The current population of Fort Bragg, the city is: 7273 Within the greater Mendocino Coast, (Westport to Elk) the population swells to 20,000. Fort Bragg is evenly divided half and half between male and female residents. The racial demographics are as follows: 58% Caucasian 31% Hispanic 11% Other (African American, Asian, Native American) The median age is 38.5 years and the following breakdown identifies specific age classifications: 25 & Under Over In 2015 the estimated per capita income was $19,473 and the median gross rent was $990.

10 STATISTICS: FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF FORT BRAGG 2016 Data Current active members: 105 There are 72 female members and 33 male members. The racial demographics: 98 members are Caucasian 5 members are Hispanic 2 members are Asian Age breakdowns: 25 & Under Over Note: 34 congregants are under 56; 71 congregants are 56 and older Analysis: Today in 2018, First Presbyterian, as spiritual community, does not reflect a true picture of Fort Bragg. Our current congregation is over half seniors with only a few younger families and currently we have no Hispanic members.

11 FINANCIAL NARRATIVE CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATION. We have been blessed as a church to receive gifts from former members that have greatly increased the financial stability of this congregation. We have been given funds to establish two permanent endowment funds: the Camping Scholarship Fund and the Individual Endowment Fund. In addition, we have three funds (Bayer, Housing & Building Endowment) that are invested with Edward Jones. These funds currently have a value of over $1, 400,000. It is important to note that even though our membership has fluctuated slightly over the past ten years, the actual number of pledges (67) has remained constant. The overall amount of each individual pledge however, has decreased by almost $600. We have an aging congregation, many with fixed incomes and we also recognize the changing demographics of this coastal community. Many of our monthly bills have decreased slightly, but insurance costs and water/sewer have increased. Another important factor in evaluating our financial picture is that we need to use funds from the Edward Jones accounts each month and have created our annual budget allowing for this. In the 2018 budget the total amount of money to be drawn from these funds is over $40, While the Stock Market is booming and our investments are earning us income things seem fine. However, there will come a time when taking funds monthly from the investment portfolio begins to become somewhat risky. Can we continue to do this? We are one of the very few congregations in Fort Bragg able to pay a full-time pastor. Will we be able to continue this practice? These are the hard questions we must ask ourselves as we continue to strive to be wise stewards of the financial resources of First Presbyterian hopeful and grateful for God s provision.

12 Total Members # of pledges: Income Sources: Pledges $ 115,559 $ 115,972 $ 109,240 $ 109,985 $ 96,858 $ 92,930 $ 97,694 $ 90,160 $ 83,729 $ 78,375 Plate Offerings $ 15,976 $ 24,246 $ 19,360 $ 13,462 $ 8,589 $ 16,533 $ 15,712 $ 20,460 $ 15,085 $ 18,507 LLP Contribution $ 3,000 $ 4,000 $ 2,000 $ 4,788 $ 4,604 $ 752 $ 1,315 $ 1,882 $ 1,842 $ 1,814 Special Envelopes $ 10,766 $ 3,620 $ 6,123 $ 5,858 $ 5,653 $ 6,400 $ 5,366 $ 4,107 $ 4,422 $ 5,969 Building Use $ 2,980 $ 3,698 $ 3,450 $ 3,941 $ 3,584 $ 2,865 $ 2,844 $ 5,295 $ 5,430 $ 2,830 Pres. Salary Grant $ 1,000 Bayer Fund Draw $ 23,150 $ 15,000 Endowment Fund Draw $ 9,650 $ 10,000 Housing Allowance $ 24,600 $ 24,600 $ 24,600 $ 24,600 $ 24,600 $ 24,600 $ 2,261 $ 7,924 $ - $ - Lay Pastor Funds $ 15,000 $ 17,250 $ 18,296 $ 16,194 $ 6,016 $ - $ - $ - Underground Tank $ 41,792 $ 20,000 $ 45,627 $ 55,634 $ - $ 11,339 $ - $ - $ - $ - Interest Income $ 414 $ 334 $ 126 $ 96 $ 70 $ 20 $ 22 $ 7 $ - $ - Memorials $ 190 $ 1,685 $ 10,000 $ 3,559 $ 3,950 $ 325 $ 12,850 $ 1,675 $ - $ 1,145 Special Projects $ 8,823 $ 16,606 $ 16,141 $ 13,131 $ 15,658 $ 22,922 $ 23,215 $ 26,476 $ 18,248 $ 21,345 Building Fund $ 15,684 $ 17,916 $ 7,360 $ 925 $ 475 $ 500 $ 500 $ 1,250 $ 825 $ - Total $ 254,784 $ 249,927 $ 262,323 $ 252,173 $ 170,057 $ 179,186 $ 161,779 $ 159,236 $ 163,381 $ 154,985 average = 66.5 average pledge amount= $ 1,725 $ 2,109 $ 1,762 $ 1,666 $ 1,490 $ 1,347 $ 1,503 $ 1,270 $ 1,522 $ 1,188 # of Pledges $ Level of Pledges $ Level of Plate Offerings $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 End of Year Beg of Year Difference Edward Jones: Income in 2016: $1,027,682 $988,764 $38,918 $- $40,000 $20,000 $-

13 Total $ 170,675 $ 175,584 $ 171,246 $ 163,696 $ 162,471 $ 137,053 $ 136,494 $ 128,718 $ 132,153 $ 135,491 $ $ $ $ $ $ Expenses: Personnel Pastor $ 72,985 $ 73,678 $ 71,673 $ 70,041 $ 70,100 $ 69,530 $ 72,395 $ 72,467 $ 70,618 69,383 Los Amigos $ 28,734 $ 26,182 $ 25,000 $ 19,740 $ 19,374 $ 5,408 $ - $ - $ - Bookkeeper $ 2,496 $ 2,500 $ 2,500 $ 2,396 $ 2,500 $ 2,420 $ 3,545 $ 3,650 $ 3,600 3,600 Music Director $ 9,888 $ 10,196 $ 9,500 $ 8,919 $ 9,025 $ - $ - $ 2,425 $ 7,500 7,500 Secretary $ 7,050 $ 7,056 $ 7,056 $ 6,439 $ 6,703 $ 5,779 $ 5,434 $ 5,153 $ 5,278 5,278 Custodian $ 6,216 $ 6,779 $ 6,315 $ 5,711 $ 5,681 $ 5,499 $ 3,693 $ 3,235 $ 4,151 5,000 Total Personnel: $ 127,370 $ 126,391 $ 122,044 $ 113,245 $ 113,383 $ 88,636 $ 85,067 $ 86,930 $ 91,148 90,762 Building Maintenance $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 8,205 $ 3,884 $ 4,392 $ 5,731 $ 7,384 $ 6,081 $ 5,996 $ 4,116 $ 5,390 3,822 Insurance $ 8,372 $ 7,321 $ 6,884 $ 6,787 $ 7,114 $ 7,407 $ 7,730 $ 8,369 $ 8,536 8,706 Utilities: Electricity $ 6,086 $ 5,713 $ 5,986 $ 6,438 $ 6,207 $ 6,391 $ 6,000 $ 5,684 $ 5,282 5,235 Heating Oil $ 3,483 $ 3,397 $ 1,567 $ 2,725 $ 3,502 $ 2,483 $ 2,004 $ 1,740 $ 453 1,900 Water/Sewer $ 1,546 $ 1,680 $ 1,611 $ 1,961 $ 2,271 $ 1,723 $ 2,358 $ 3,291 $ 3,749 4,055 Garbage $ 2,560 $ 3,602 $ 3,128 $ 3,415 $ 3,531 $ 3,092 $ 1,032 $ 1,072 $ 1,105 1,342 Telephone $ 2,261 $ 1,957 $ 1,926 $ 2,359 $ 2,055 $ 2,503 $ 1,819 $ 895 $ Propane $ 1,507 $ 2,306 $ 1,789 $ 2,456 $ 2,648 $ 1,934 $ 1,849 $ 2,251 $ 2,853 1,915 Total Utilities $ 17,441 $ 18,654 $ 16,008 $ 19,354 $ 20,214 $ 18,126 $ 15,062 $ 14,933 $ 14,339 15,347 Mission Church $ 9,287 $ 19,334 $ 11,253 $ 8,436 $ 7,885 $ 7,555 $ 14,677 $ 5,940 $ 5,526 5,003 PW $ - $ - $ 4,875 $ 6,750 $ 5,900 $ 5,800 $ 6,400 $ 6,400 $ 5,700 10,350 Deacons $ - $ - $ 5,791 $ 3,393 $ 591 $ 3,447 $ 1,562 $ 2,030 $ 1,514 1,502 Total Mission: $ 9,287 $ 19,334 $ 21,918 $ 18,579 $ 14,376 $ 16,802 $ 22,639 $ 14,370 $ 12,741 16,855

14 $10,000 Insurance $25,000 Total Mission: $8,000 $20,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $- $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $- Electricity Heating Oil $7,000 $4,000 $6,000 $3,500 $5,000 $3,000 $4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $- $-

15 Water/Sewer Garbage $4,500 $4,000 $3,500 $3,000 $2,500 $4,000 $3,500 $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,000 $500 $- $1,000 $500 $- $3,000 Telephone $3,000 Propane $2,500 $2,500 $2,000 $2,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,000 $1,000 $500 $500 $- $-

16 Notes on Financial Analysis Income: 1. Number of pledges stayed about the same over 10 years average 67 pledges. 2. Plate offerings were stable average over the period = $17, Dollar amount of pledges reduced over the period, $1,700 to $1,200 70% 4. Housing Allowance was not income for 2007 through 2013, but was reported as income 5. Building Fund was larger in the years , then dropped 6. Edward Jones income for 2016 = $38,918, draw = $25,000 Expense: 1. Pastor expense was stable for the period about $70, Los Amigos/Assistant Pastor salary stopped in Insurance (not including workers compensation) rising the last few years 4. Utilities: total has declined from $17k to $15k 5. Electricity has declined slightly over the period 6. Heating oil has declined 7. Water/sewer has increased more than double 8. Garbage has declined starting in Telephone has declined starting in Total mission spending -?? hard to tell possibly stable from all sources

17 OVERVIEW & GOALS We exist as a community of flawed human beings (struggling to love God, each other, and serve our community) meeting and worshiping together, in fellowship and outreach at the physical facility of First Presbyterian located at 367 S. Sanderson Way, Fort Bragg, CA. We come together to provide social, emotional, spiritual and financial support to one another and our larger community. We are part of the larger Body of Christ made up of rich, poor, young, old and we welcome all races, creeds, and genders. We meet together to belong to something bigger than each one of us and recognize that individually we struggle, but together we are stronger. We call ourselves warm and friendly and we strive to show God s love and mercy to one another and to all who enter our doors. Our congregation is made up of regular folks using their talents to serve one another and our community in demonstrating and showing God s love. Currently, this congregation is predominately white and female, with 71 congregants over 56 years of age. We have very few children and younger families and currently no Hispanic members though Fort Bragg is 31% Hispanic. Our current members and friends are willing to share their time (lots of retired folks), their finances, their knowledge of church history and their talents but the reality is our congregation is getting older and smaller and the pool of able-bodied folks is diminishing. Our heart, however, is large, caring and compassionate. First Presbyterian, Fort Bragg is very community minded and we take seriously Christ s command to feed the hungry. We contribute monthly to our local food bank; make beans to share with the homeless and sponsor and host community dinners at Easter and Thanksgiving. Music is important to this congregation and in spite of small numbers, we have a vibrant, talented choir that actively contributes to worship September to May. Little Lambs preschool operates out of our facility Monday Friday throughout the school year. Presbyterian Women meet twice monthly and raise money for local mission causes. Their annual Labor Day Pie Sale consistently raises $ , which they give away to local groups such as Mendocino Coast Children s Fund, Hospice, Project Sanctuary, the Food Bank, the Senior Center and many more. First Presbyterian Fort Bragg also serves our community through worship, Sunday School, meeting space for local groups, the church newsletter, quarterly services at Sherwood Oaks, memorial services, visits with shut-ins and those in the hospital, support during illness and bereavement, the emergency winter shelter, Project Sanctuary family adoption, prayer shawl ministry, Christmas Bazaar, Westminster Woods camperships, Cents-ability offering and more. Over the course of these past nine months, through monthly Session meetings, weekend retreats, congregational surveys, parish listening sessions and much prayer and soul searching, we have come to recognize and respect our history. We have a better understanding of our demographics and how we fit into this larger

18 community. We recognize our financial resources and limitations, and better realize our talents and gifts. We have also honestly discussed the things we can improve upon and the things we would like to do better. We would like to improve in our outreach and evangelism. We would like to practice better, more open and clear communication with one another and would like to make sure everyone feels comfortable in worship and in sharing their gifts and talents with this congregation. We would certainly like to welcome and mentor youth, young families and new members. As we all have spent time praying, researching and listening to one another over these past nine months--we have come to some difficult and painful conclusions. We are currently involved in a struggle almost like a tug-of-war. On one side we have a congregational history of many events and projects that have been meaningful to our congregation and our community. And on the other side of this tug-of-war, we have an aging congregation with fewer able bodies to accomplish all the things we love and have done in the past. And even though we know God isn t finished with us yet, we acknowledge we struggle with finding things we CAN do now and realize they might not be the same things we once did. In considering everything we have learned about ourselves and about First Presbyterian Church, Fort Bragg we have established a long-term goal: To support and encourage the gifts and talents of every member and friend of First Presbyterian Fort Bragg as we share God s love with one another and the community. In order to achieve our long-term goal, we have established the following short-term goal: To seek out and identify the gifts and talents of our members and friends at First Presbyterian Fort Bragg. But to do this, we must carefully consider how we commit ourselves and the congregation realizing that God isn t finished with us, but we must be careful stewards of our time, energy and resources and find the things that given where we are now we CAN do. Above all realizing that even though we may not be doing some of the things we have done for so many years, we will go forward listening to God calling us to new things and new ways of serving. And perhaps, the over-riding, even shorter-term goal of First Presbyterian Fort Bragg is to hire a new, permanent pastor that will work together with us as we all strive to meet our goals and serve Christ and share God s love on the Mendocino Coast. Our challenge is to continue to reach out to our neighborhood and our community and to be a beacon of God s love and light; to reflect the diversity of Fort Bragg in regards to race, gender, age and socioeconomic levels. All the while realistically and honestly recognizing that we are older, weaker in body and limited in our resources. Therefore, we need to set realistic goals that are obtainable and yet bless others.

19 May the words Paul wrote to the church at Philippi so many years ago, bring us hope and direction today and in the future In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable. Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 8-

20 Congregational Survey 52 Surveys completed GENERAL QUESTIONS Are you: 15 Male 35 Female (one unidentified) What is your age group? (one unident) Are you a member of this church? 46 Yes 5 No How often do you attend worship services at this church? 37 Weekly 8 Occasionally 3 Monthly 1 Holidays 1 Not any more (one unident) How long have you been attending worship at this church? Less than 1 year _5 1-5 years years _28_15+ years (2 unidentified) To what extent do the worship services help you with everyday living? _24_A great extent _21_Some extent _4 A small extent Would you invite someone to worship who does NOT attend another church? _36_Yes _2_No _12_Maybe Which musical style do you prefer to sing in worship? _9 Traditional Hymns _3 Praise Songs _39_A variety of styles Are you open to learning new Praise and Worship Songs written in the last decade? _36_Yes _1 No _14_Maybe "My spiritual needs are being met within this congregation" _20_Yes _24_For the most part _4 Not really _1 Not presently 1 unanswered Are you included in the making of important decisions in this congregation? 26_Yes _9 No _1 I don't want to be _4 No one asks me 9_N/A 1 some/ 1 unanswered Do you have a strong sense of belonging and purpose in this congregation? _38_Yes _5 Not really _6 Sometimes Do you have close friends in this congregation? _40_Yes _11_No

21 Are you involved in group activities? 21 Yes 24 Sometimes _7 No Do you take part in church activities that reach out to the wider community? _19_Yes _24_Sometimes _8 No Which THREE of the following aspects of congregational life do you most value? 8_Mission Evangelism 37_Worship 15 Communion _25 Sermons _17_Social Activities 10_Bible Study/Discussion 8_Ministry for Children/Youth 5 Parish Connections & Activities _1 Adult Education _13_Openness to Social Diversity On a scale of 1-4, how satisfied are you with what this church offers for children and youth? _5 1 - Very satisfied _10_2 _11_3 _4 4 - Very Dissatisfied 15 N/A or Don't know READ CAREFULLY - Which statement comes closest to your view of the Bible? _2 The Bible is the word of God, to be taken literally word for word _14_ The Bible is the word of God, to be interpreted historically + the Church's teachings _4 The Bible is the word of God, to be interpreted in its historical context _17_ The Bible, when interpreted, contains God's word to us 12_ The Bible is a collection of ancient texts which reveal spiritual truths for all time What else would you like us to know as we search for our new pastor? Feels very outside looking for a place to belong / nothing at a time for those who work (Bible study, activities etc) Church needs to reach outside their comfort zone to keep younger working folks Wants our church to be a beacon of light, hope and love Start church later (11am) lunch occasionally after Evening events to attract younger people Have a Men s group Publish weekly events online