INTRODUCTION We, the consultation team, would like to thank Rev. Deborah Proctor, Rev. Cameron Supak, the lay leadership and the congregation of Atascocita United Methodist Church for the invitation to consult with your church as part of the Vibrant Church Initiative. The observations and prescriptions in this report are the result of this team studying the following information: Atascocita UMC s self-study document provided by its leaders interviews with pastor, staff and lay leadership a focus group with members of the congregation a meeting with the Church Council a MissionInsite demographic report of the area s population input from the Faith Perceptions Mystery Guest Worshipper report input from Saturday s leadership workshop It was a great joy to work with a congregation that openly cooperated with us and provided all the information we requested. We are further pleased to share these potential results of successful implementation of this report. We believe, if successful in 5 years Atascocita UMC will have: a clear sense of identity and its unique gifts and graces a convicting knowledge as to why it matters to each other and the surrounding community a lower anxiety and a higher faith around finances an efficient, focused decision making and governing process a deep love and welcome to all who encounter the church. The consultation team s prayer is that God will use this assessment experience and consultation report so that Atascocita United Methodist Church will more effectively make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of its community and the world. STRENGTHS Strength #1: Sunday Worship Experience Atascocita UMC provides a variety of worship experiences. Quality music and compelling preaching were noted hallmarks of the worship services experienced by the Mystery Guests. This experience was continually confirmed in the Mystery Guest Report and echoed in the congregational survey, focus groups, interviews, and the workshop. Although the Faith Perception Mystery Guest Report noted areas for improvement, the overall guest experience was positive. All services and speakers were highly rated. As one guest said, The message was enjoyable due to the speaker's energy and passion. Another said, I enjoyed the sermon. It was easy to grasp the concept. Strength #2: Heart for Service Atascocita UMC is mission-minded with many outreach opportunities. The consultation team often heard comments during interviews, focus groups and the Saturday workshop, about how active the church is in mission and outreach to the community. The dedication of this congregation shows itself through programs such as Family Promise, Saturday s Child, Kids Hope mentors, HAAM, Dynamic October 21-23, 2016 Page 1 of 6
Dollars, and involvement of children and youth in missions. This heart for service makes this congregation the hands and feet of Jesus in this community, meeting needs of the less fortunate. Strength #3: Dedicated Staff and Passionate Core Leadership Atascocita UMC is fortunate to have dedicated and gifted pastoral leadership. Staff and leaders consistently expressed great confidence in Pastor Deborah s ability to lead this congregation forward. The church has a strong, talented staff, and an equally impressive group of volunteer lay leaders. Staff members and volunteers demonstrate a passion for their area of service and the consultation team was impressed with their enthusiasm and commitment. Strength #4: Caring/ Nurturing Congregation Atascocita UMC has a caring heart and passion for loving their neighbor. Members described this congregation as an extended family where people develop close bonds over time. There were many stories of the support and care people received during difficult times and a genuine sense of community. The love and nurture of this congregation moves people towards Jesus as evidenced by one member s comment, My Mom has come back to God because of this church. Strength #5: The Weekday Learning Center Atascocita UMC s Weekday Learning Center is a tremendous asset for reaching the young families in this fast growing community. Over several decades, the impact of the Weekday Learning Center on the children and families is unparalleled. The highly qualified staff is dedicated to helping even the youngest children take their next steps with Jesus. This ministry is well known and highly valued in the community as evidenced by a significant waiting list. This ministry is financially self-sufficient and helps to offset overhead expenses incurred in the church s general budget. The Weekday Learning Center is also a natural point of entrance into the life of the church. CONCERNS Concern #1: Congregational Identity Atascocita UMC s vision is Helping people take their next step with Jesus. However, the interviews and materials revealed Atascocita UMC is uncertain what their next step entails. We heard you say there is much going on at Atascocita UMC. However, the consultation team did not find a framework that unifies all the activity under an identity in Christ. There is not a clear strategy for living into the vision of the church. Concern #2: Discipleship Pathway The assimilation of new people into the life and ministry of the church has been described as a work in progress. No one could clearly articulate how all of the activity in the church deepens a person s faith, or how one becomes connected to other believers for support and accountability. Concerns about financial stability-- which the consultation team believes is largely unwarranted-- have created a spirit of scarcity that squelches creative ministries. Concern #3: Communication Atascocita UMC has made clear to the consultation team there is a need for straightforward, clear communication pertaining to all church business, program issues and decisions. We heard the need for a clear process for communicating vital information among the pastor, leadership, and congregation. October 21-23, 2016 Page 2 of 6
Mystery Guests found the website helpful once they were able to dig for the information. The congregation s website does not have a designated visitor section to assist potential church shoppers answering questions. Additionally the Faith Perceptions report revealed a lack of visibility in the community and its ministries (with the exception of the Weekday Learning Center). Concern #4: Culture of Hospitality Despite efforts to greet and welcome newcomers, there is a need for improvement. Several Mystery Guests mentioned the lack of friendliness shown to guests. One person stated I honestly didn t feel very welcomed at all. Nobody put forth major effort to make me feel like I belonged there. During the focus groups and interviews a common statement was once you become connected this is a caring, supportive church family where we are there for each other. Atascocita UMC provides services to the community; however, there appears to be little intentionally connecting with people who have no church home. Inadequate exterior signage resulted in confusion among mystery guests navigating the campus. There are no designated parking spaces for Sunday morning guests. Concern #5: Governing Structure The current governance does not allow for efficient and effective decision-making. The system does not provide a planning process or method of evaluation. The structure is fragmented and ties up too many people and resources for the administration of the church. PRESCRIPTIONS Prescription #1: Congregational Identity Lack of a clearly defined congregational identity will prevent the congregation from fulfilling God s vision for this church. While the congregation has a vision statement, there is a need to translate words into action. The first step in doing this is to claim who God is calling Atascocita UMC to be. The coach in consultation with the pastor will work with the VCI Team to examine the current vision statement and how to more fully live into the vision. The purpose is to outline measurable goals and plans for moving forward consistent with the congregational identity. Atascocita UMC will remain open to changes such as quarterly goal setting, empowering laity, and aligning job descriptions, as necessary for the sake of the Mission and Vision. This will be completed on or before February 28, 2017. Prescription #2: Discipleship Pathway The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will name a Discipleship Team of 5-7 people, by November 30, 2016. This team will represent persons of the various ages and stages of spiritual maturity within the congregation. This team will work to create a clear discipleship pathway for moving people of all ages from where they are on their spiritual journey and as stewards of their gifts to becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The Team will discern a faith development plan that encourages all persons to: Connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Help them be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith. Provide connection opportunities with other believers for support and accountability. October 21-23, 2016 Page 3 of 6
Bear fruits of generosity, faithfulness and service for the purpose of fulfilling the mission of the church. The consultation team recommends as a resource Move: What 1000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth by Greg Hawkins. This Discipleship Pathway will be adopted by April 30, 2017 and implemented in the life of Atascocita UMC at all ministry levels (children, youth and adults) by September 30, 2017. The pastor in consultation with the coach will contact either Sally Matthews at St. Luke s UMC, Houston or Jon Gray at Memorial Drive UMC, to arrange for an assessment of the financial reality of Atascocita UMC compared to best practices of non-profit management. This person will meet with the finance committee and pastor to share the results and develop a plan for moving into the future with faith and confidence. The cost for this expert will be shared between the Center for Congregational Excellence and Atascocita UMC, with the church s portion not to exceed $750. The plan will be completed by March 30, 2017. For the 2018 fiscal year, the church will execute a comprehensive stewardship plan including a narrative budget and sermon series. This will be completed by November 30, 2017. Prescription #3: Communication The Pastor, in consultation with the Coach, will select a Communication Team of 5-7 people by November 30, 2016. This team will: Read and discuss The Social Media Why by Crystal Washington on or before January 31, 2017. Schedule a communication workshop for the team with April Canik, provided by the Conference office, on or before February 28, 2017 to determine best practices and formulate a plan for overall church communication with internal and external audiences. Upon the completion of prescription 1, develop a comprehensive Atascocita UMC brand and marketing strategy no later than June 30, 2017. The church may consider using an outside firm with branding and marketing expertise. Refresh church website to improve navigation and organization, and providing targeted and robust information with prospects and newcomers in mind. These tasks should be completed by August 31, 2017. Prescription #4: Culture of Hospitality The pastor, in consultation with the coach and in reference to the Mystery Guest Report, will create a Hospitality Team consisting of 5-7 people by November 30, 2016, in addition to those currently serving in this area. To enable their work, they will contract with a Hospitality expert provided by the Center for Congregational Excellence by December 31, 2016. The cost for this expert will be shared between the Center for Congregational Excellence and Atascocita UMC, with the churches portion not to exceed $750. This team will: Create a church-wide culture of radical hospitality. Develop a hospitality audit of the facilities. Develop a comprehensive welcoming system to reach new people. Recruit and train hospitality team members. Create welcome packets or other materials for first-time guests. October 21-23, 2016 Page 4 of 6
Consultation Report for Atascocita UMC Connect hospitality to discipleship process. Strengthen the system to collect contact information from guests and provide prompt guest follow-up by clergy and laity. Improve other hospitality structures including, but not limited to: signage, parking, website, social media, online sermons, building entrances, children / youth areas and a Welcome Center. As a resource the consultation team recommends Clip-In: Risking Hospitality in your Church by Jim Ozier and Fiona Hayworth. Recommendations of the Hospitality plan will be implemented by December 31, 2017. In consultation with the coach, the pastor will appoint a 5-8 person Bridge Ministry Team, including the Director of Weekday Learning Center to lead and facilitate the building of bridges to the community by March 31, 2017. The team will lay out a Bridge Strategy for helping all activities, programs and ministries connect those outside the congregation to the faith community, beginning with the Weekday Learning Center. In conjunction with the coach and pastor this team will recommend as a resource Get their Name (Bob Farr, Doug Anderson and Kay Kotan) and Fusion (Nelson Searcy). The Bridge Strategy for the Weekday Learning Center will be in place by July 31, 2017. At least one additional bridge strategy will be in place by November 30, 2017. Prescription #5: Governing Structure An Accountable Leadership and Single Board workshop will be held by a designee from the Center of Congregational Excellence to introduce concepts for more effective governance of the church no later than January 31, 2018. Following this workshop, the Administrative Board will decide whether to further explore an alternative governance structure to more closely align with the mission and vision of Atascocita UMC. If the decision is to move forward, the pastor in consultation with the coach will appoint a task force to develop plans and manage transition to a new governing structure. Resources recommended are Book of Discipline P244.2 & 247.2 and Winning on Purpose by John Kaiser. The task force will present their plan to Administrative Board on or before May 31, 2018. The intention would be to approve the new governance structure at Charge Conference 2018. CONCLUSION We, the consultation team, want to thank you for the opportunity to serve your congregation in this manner. Our prayer for your congregation is that God will use this process to help you implement your mission more effectively, utilize your compelling vision through a developed plan, and thereby make an eternal difference in the Atascocita UMC community for the glory of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. Kate Walker, Lead Consultant Rev. Mike Bonem, Coach Dr. Steve Stutz, Consultant Rev. Mike Tyson, Consultant & Director for VCI Debbie Sutton, Scribe Darlene D. Beaubien, Observer Rev. Dr. Chuck Simmons, Observer October 21-23, 2016 Page 5 of 6
Town Hall Meeting Dates: Monday, October 24, 2016 at 6 p.m. at Christopher s Restaurant Monday, October 24, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in Parlor Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 6 p.m. in Parlor Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 12:10 p.m. in Asbury Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at noon in Parlor Sunday, November 6, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. in Asbury Church Conference Date: Sunday, November 6, 2016 at noon October 21-23, 2016 Page 6 of 6