The Vision for White Plains UMC in 2026: A disciple making congrega on on mission for Christ ac ve doers of the Word, not hearers only. Spiritual Strategic Journey Presented January 24, 2016 1
Abide Love Go in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4 one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34 35 therefore and make disciples of all the na ons, bap zing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you Ma hew 28:19 20 What if White Plains consistently and determinedly Breathed in God and Breathed out love and grace To one another and to our neighbors, Faithfully living out His commands to Abide, Love, Go? - 2 -
Envisioning 2026 White Plains United Methodist Church in 2026 is a transformed congrega on. We ve grown in numbers, but more importantly, we are a joyful and loving, disciple making, disciple building church on mission for Christ. The WPUMC that we see today didn t evolve from the 2016 church; it was created anew....be made new in the attitude of your minds; put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph. 4:23-24 We are a vibrant community of believers welcoming, loving, mul genera onal, and mul cultural, with many backgrounds and varied depths of rela onship with Jesus Christ. Our focus is on being disciples who abide in Christ, love one another, and go into the world; ministering to the physical, emo onal, spiritual needs of our local and world neighbors. Discipleship is a lifelong process of growing in Christ never staying the same. So, whether you joined recently or decades ago, we encourage and equip you to become a disciple, grow as a disciple, and make disciples. We inten onally minister within our congrega on while also seeking out those in our community who need a cup of cold water. Our goal is to share the transforming new life and abundant joy of Christ with all we meet, enabling their growth in the light of His love. From the moment guests arrive, they know something is different here. They may have encountered us through social media or community missional events; they may have heard that people at White Plains truly walk as Jesus walked. Once here, visitors are greeted in our renovated parking lot and at the sidewalk by Hospitality Ministry volunteers, who are always thinking of new ways to radiate the love of Christ, always thinking about pu ng people at ease. Visitors are shown to our Hospitality Room in our updated facili es, where they can sample the same delicious coffee and goodies regularly served in our White Plains Café and casually meet others before or a er worship or Sunday School. Everyone has mul ple opportuni es to experience God through meaningful worship. We offer tradi onal and contemporary services at mul ple mes and are sensi ve not only to the community s language needs but also to individual responses to different styles of worship. Each type of service is Spirit filled, drawing us closer to God and sending us out recharged to live and serve as disciples. White Plains is a renewed people of God s Word. Staying in the Word is cri cal to abiding in Christ, knowing Christ, and living like a disciple. Members study the Bible through our sermon series, Sunday School classes, small groups, church wide studies, and tradi onal bible studies. We have studies for all ages and all levels of Chris an maturity. Our classes are not just about head knowledge, but about heart change. We have adopted tools for self assessment of spiritual maturity to guide us toward studies that strengthen us where needed. We developed links between studies and missions to reinforce living like Christ! 3
We publicize in the community both our on campus and off campus studies, and we include classes for seekers. Adapta ons in how and when we offer studies, like new se ngs or online, have allowed us to connect to new demographics, including young professionals, young families, and the homebound. Our ministries to children and youth strive passionately to disciple our young people from cradle to gradua on in knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Parents are confident in the faith experiences their children and youth will gain through our programs. The children and youth are leaders in the worship and service life of the church and families are empowered and given tools to con nue this discipleship at home. White Plains is a PRAYING church, another major key to abiding. Prayer brings us closer to God, revealing His heart. Our prayer ministry always has someone praying adult and youth members taking rota onal turns and others pray from their homes. Using technology, prayer requests are distributed to everyone in just seconds. We are not only bringing forward our requests to God, but listening for His voice of correc on, direc on, and encouragement. White Plains is a more LOVING church. Our Fellowship Ministry laity with a passion for crea ng community events offers a variety of gatherings, o en mul genera onal, so that we can experience the joy of deepening rela onships with others on the same journey of discipleship and mission. We pair newcomers with Discipleship Friends who introduce them to people, studies, mission and volunteer opportuni es, and fellowship events, and who provide discipleship accountability. Mentors and small groups are available to all for growing rela onships and discipleship. Nurturing ministries rise to meet and respond quickly to individual needs. We grieve with all who are sad and rejoice with all who are joyful, never neglec ng one another. White Plains is an EQUIPPING church. Loving is not always easy, nor is going. Some mes we need help! Our Equipping Ministry offers many classes: listening skills, speaking the truth in love, being a Discipleship Friend, how to mentor, how to witness and to tell your story, how to pray, conflict resolu on, paren ng, leadership training, and others as needs arise. We have even developed a progression of leadership, so that taking on new responsibili es in the church is less daun ng. White Plains is a MISSIONAL church. A disciple is a student, follower, and emulator of Christ. Jesus didn t spend ALL His me worshipping, absorbing Scripture, and praying so we can t either! In fact, although Jesus was immersed in these ac vi es, what we remember and love most about Him are the ACTIONS He took with and for the people the healing, feeding, preaching, teaching, and ul mately the giving of His life for us. So we too must constantly be engaged in a cycle of worship, study and equipping, prayer, and then SERVICE. As disciples on mission for Christ in 2026, we have, individually and corporately, opened our eyes and hearts to needs all around us, and we have established a culture of joyful service among our members. We engage in both ongoing and immediate response ini a ves. We have developed deep rela onships and connec ons to our surrounding community, fulfilling needs that also offer us opportuni es to make more disciples. Locally, we have a mul pronged approach: Life Pantry (LP), Mul Genera onal Ini a ve (MGI), HELP (Hands Engaged in Local Projects), and the White Plains Café. We also support missions on the local, na onal, and interna onal level, all striving to address physical, emo onal, and spiritual needs. - 4 -
In summary, the people of White Plains have returned to their first love, Jesus, and are holding ght. We have sacrificed our own convenience for the joy and abundant life found in service to our Lord and His people. It is exci ng! It takes our breath away! So, how did we get here? 2016 2019 Rethinking Volunteers A God sized vision requires PEOPLE and PASSION, so we formed the Volunteer Ministry Team to seek out and conduct a Spiritual Gi s and Personal Talents & Interests Survey. The team personally contacted each par cipant, matching them with a need. Ge ng that phone call, realizing this future vision depended on THEIR involvement, generated excitement! Rethinking Church Organiza on, Governance, and Communica on In 2015, people o en did not understand the church s decision making and governance processes. In response, Church Council appointed a team to establish a more stream lined governance structure that eliminated administra ve placeholder jobs and ensured that the call to serve was truly meaningful. This plan was embraced by the en re church body. A communica ons audit was conducted and teams were created to meet those needs. Rethinking Discipleship The Spiritual Strategic Journey made us realize we did not fully understand discipleship. We formed a Discipleship Team to create a roadmap of the nature, ac ons, and life of a disciple. Through sermons, discussion groups, shared ar cles, and tes monies, we began to assess where we stood individually and as a congrega on. Some had previously equated being a disciple with being saved. In 2016, we learned that a dynamic life me journey should follow our salva on. As a people, we became eager to walk more faithfully with Christ. Rethinking Children s Ministry Children s and youth programs have a discipleship progression that parents can see, follow, and use for further guidance at home. Addi onal ac vi es allow children to con nue learning through art, music, dance, fellowship, service, and more. Parents are heavily involved in shaping and carrying out those programs. Rethinking Bible Study (Abide) Bible Study is an organic process for all ages, geared to wherever we are in our walk and knowledge. Our Bible Study takes place not only in tradi onal venues such as Sunday School and small groups within our walls but also in neighborhood discussion groups and in community outreach and missional ac vi es. We began exploring local demographics to be er connect with our community. 5
2016 2019 (con nued) Rethinking Bible Study (con nued) We adopted a Discipleship Characteris cs Survey to help individuals and groups iden fy their spiritual maturity in a wide range of areas and match them with appropriate studies. Rethinking Prayer (Abide) It s not just for people with the gi! Anyone can take a request to God or listen for His voice and hear His heart. Our new Prayer Ministry Team took the 2015 triplet excitement and ignited a passion for prayer. They provided resources, tes monies, studies, an ac ve prayer chain, a constantly manned prayer room, and updates on answered prayer. More people became involved each year! Rethinking Congrega onal Care (Love) Being inten onal about welcoming guests and suppor ng and loving one another. The Hospitality Ministry Team is on mission to ensure that guests are at ease and no one leaves White Plains without welcoming conversa ons or without awareness of opportuni es and where to find them. New signage has really helped. Our invi ng hospitality room with delicious coffee and homemade goodies draws people together. Our Discipleship Friends Program began pairing new and poten al members with a trained Discipleship Friend to plug them into the fullness of Chris an life here. Later, we opened the program to any member desiring a Discipleship Friend. These rela onships have become two way streets of learning to be like Jesus. The Fellowship Ministry Team focuses on our need to engage deeply in gathering for rela onship. We have a year long calendar of events, meals, and ac vi es to an cipate that appeal to a variety of groups and ages, which are o en mul genera onal and mul cultural. Many events are open to the community, crea ng more witnessing and welcoming opportuni es. Our revamped Nurture Team scoped out significant unmet needs and focused first on iden fying, establishing, and equipping those needs. So far they have addressed Making sure, through a Pew Partners program, that we don t overlook repeated absences. Pew Partners check in with members and regular visitors and make referrals if the absentee needs meals, visits, transporta on, pastoral counsel, or other things. Se ng up the Adopt a Grandparent program, providing opportuni es for children and more seasoned members to get together and know each other through games, ea ng ice cream, or special events like Christmas caroling. The Equipping Team addresses needs for skills beyond Bible study. This team worked with the Volunteer Ministry Team to match people with classes. We first offered prac cal training in listening, speaking the truth in love, being a Discipleship Friend, and praying. Our Trustees responded to current maintenance and growing future needs for 1) older adults and people with disabili es, 2) audiovisual technology, 3) young families, 4) classrooms, and 5) open and invi ng gathering spaces, by Renova ng our parking lot. Pu ng forward a visionary facility plan that excited us all. Doing Missions (Go) Because White Plains has so fully embraced missions already, we undertook no changes ini ally. But, God is not s ll! Ideas for the future emerged, par cipant numbers grew, witnessing increased, and everyone realized Jesus is the reason we serve! Abide. Love. Go. - 6 -
2020 2023 Growing and Reassessing our Vision, Plans, and Ac ons annually Is it s ll where God is calling us? Where are we on the journey? Are we focused on Quality more than Quan ty? Have new needs or pathways appeared? Growing Missions (Go) We reevaluated the missions we supported, realizing we need to hear the Holy Spirit s calling and we can t be all things to all people. What is the most effec ve use of our me? Our money? Where is the most impact for the Kingdom of God? What are the needs of our community? Our world? A er much prayer we decided to con nue our interna onal focus on Hai and Peru and our na onal focus on ASP, adding these emphases: We strongly encourage every able youth and adult at some point to go on at least one mission trip, because of its life changing impact on our understanding of discipleship. A er every mission trip we debrief with par cipants and the congrega on, using the trip as a learning moment about what it means to GO! This has generated excitement and has ignited new involvement as we prepare for new trips. Our Food Pantry became our Life Pantry, feeding people physically, spiritually and emo onally. In addi on to our previous services, we began the Community Garden, nutri onal counseling, cooking classes, and job counseling. In the winter we offered a bowl of hot soup to anyone who came by the church needing something to eat; and in the summer we had fresh sandwiches, made with some of the garden ingredients. The Adopt A Grandparent program, which began as a nurturing mul genera onal ini a ve inside our church, became an ini a ve in the community at large. HELP (Hands Engaged in Local Projects) is Church on the Streets on steroids doing home repair, yard work, and other projects in the community once a quarter, hoping to expand. The White Plains Café was established ini ally as a weekday morning gathering place for church members and folks in the community alike, serving coffee and pastries. Food is priced at pay what you can. The Café is staffed with volunteer labor and makes a profit to help fund other missions work. Here too there is opportunity for prayer, witness, and a listening ear for anyone who needs it. It is a safe haven that has drawn in many new members. Growing Discipleship (Abide) We reached 80% of congrega onal involvement in Bible study. We provided abundant study opportuni es, expanding from the church campus into homes and public spaces, reaching both members and the community. Young professionals and young families found new ways to engage their faith through service opportuni es, rela onships, and bible studies that were accessible within their lifestyles. Addi onally many in the congrega on became involved in United Methodist District and Conference courses, spiritual forma on, covenant discipleship groups, and spiritual mentoring rela onships. We reached 80% congrega onal par cipa on in the prayer room rota on. Our children and youth became ongoing inspira ons to us because of the depth of their passion for Jesus, the selflessness of their service, and the breadth of their witness, as they bring others into White Plains. 7
2024 2026 Living Missions (Go) Mul Genera onal Ini a ve established an a er school program for children with tutoring and games, supported by a pay as you can policy. We were amazed how many new members we gained through this program and by stories of changed lives for children and volunteers. Life Pantry now includes professional services such as legal, dental, and medical assistance and consulta on at li le or no cost for those in need. The opportunity for recipients to give back by volunteering in missions was a great success, and some of these folks are now members. HELP (Hands Engaged in Local Projects) expanded to one weekend per month. The White Plains Café extended its hours to include lunch. Interna onal Missions added two new loca ons a er prayerful considera on of current world needs that had been brought to our a en on. Off site Bible studies, open to the public, were established, and a endance is growing! Living Congrega onal Care and Hospitality (Love) Our focus on Equipping Skills greatly increased our ability to nurture one another. Our rela onships grew s ll stronger as we grew closer to Jesus Christ. We learned to trust one another, sharing our deepest needs and joys. Our fellowship opportuni es and accountability groups expanded and deepened our rela onships with one another just as our Bible based marriage classes strengthened families. Our Hospitality Team and our Nurture Group con nued to generate and successfully implement ways to make us all feel loved and cared for. Our facili es were updated just in me, because we were burs ng at the seams! We have new spaces for our children to grow up in, spaces for our members and the community to meet, as well as added accessibility for our older adults and those with mobility concerns. Living in the Word: Discipleship Bible Study, Bible Life! (Abide) The Holy Spirit empowers us as every member grows in our rela onship with God through study of His word, con nuous prayer, and passionate worship. We seek to glorify and love God by following His teaching through acts of compassion, jus ce, worship, and devo on. As our discipleship journey con nues, we reach out to others invi ng them to join us in following Christ s call to be and to make disciples. We have become a congregation of people who know, love, and passionately serve Jesus and who know, love, and passionately serve others. That s what a disciple is. And that s who we are in 2026. - 8 -