BLOOMINGTON ST. PAUL UMC CONSULTATION REPORT MARCH 5, 2017 INTRODUCTION: We, the Fruitful Congregation Journey (FCJ) Consultation Team thank Rev. David Mullens, staff, lay leadership and the congregation of St Paul United Methodist Church for the invitation to consult with this Body of Christ. The observations and ministry action plans are the result of this team studying the following information: a) St Paul United Methodist Church s self-study document provided by its leaders, b) St. Paul United Methodist Church 's members completing the online FCJ survey, c) the report from the Mystery Guest Worshippers provided by Faith Perceptions, d) interviews with the pastor, staff and ministry team leaders, e) a focus group with members of the congregation, f) a meeting with the Administrative Council, g) a MissionInsite demographic report of the area s population, and h) input from Saturday s leadership workshop. Our prayer is that God will use this assessment experience and consultation report to help St. Paul United Methodist Church more effectively make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the community and the world. THE STRENGTHS OF ST. PAUL UMC: 1. Friendliness: The church s friendly hospitality is evident and was listed as the top strength in the online survey and was often mentioned in interviews and the Saturday workshop. As one person stated, People genuinely care for one another. The friendly hospitality is also extended to guests on Sunday morning as reflected in the mystery guest report. One guest summed it up, The din of warm conversation and fellowship was akin to a family reunion or wedding reception. We felt welcome and thus put in a relaxed state to enjoy the sermon. 2. Location and Facilities: The church is located on a major highway and is highly visible to the surrounding community. The church s facilities are well maintained and attractive and are an asset and can provide ample space for the future ministry of the church. 3. Pastoral Leadership: Pastor David was often mentioned as one in whom the church has great confidence. Especially noted by those within the church as well as the guests are his excellent messages and leadership. As one person stated, Pastor David is the right person at the right time and brings fresh eyes and a new perspective. 4. Lay Leadership: The consultation team is impressed with the passion of the lay leadership of the church whose desire is to see the church connect with the surrounding neighborhood and share the gospel of Christ both in word and deed. 5. Financial Stability: The church has a balanced budget with generous people who support the budget and other ministries beyond the budget. The trustees have made major building improvements without having to borrow money. Whenever a need arises, people give to the cause without hesitation. 1
THE MINISTRY ACTION PLAN FOR ST. PAUL UMC 1. Concern: Lack of alignment with the mission and a missing clear, shared vision While some people could quote the mission of the United Methodist Church, to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, the church has not sought to align the church s programs, ministries, outreach, and resources to the mission. Additionally the church does not have a clear, shared vision of how St. Paul will specifically and uniquely fulfill the mission to make disciples and transform the world. 1. Ministry Action Plan: Reaffirm the church s mission and discern a clear, shared vision The day this consultation report is accepted this congregation will reaffirm the United Methodist Church s mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In order to prepare the congregation s hearts to be united in this mission, the congregation will enter into a season of prayerful reflection. The current prayer team will commit to pray regularly for the Holy Spirit to ignite and saturate the church during this process. The team will encourage others to join them. The church will hold a service of prayer and preparation on a Sunday morning to reaffirm God s mandate for making disciples and transforming the world. This service will be arranged with the Fruitful Congregation Journey Prayer Coordinator, in consultation with the pastor, and be held by May 31, 2017. The coach will conduct two workshops: 1) Core Values and 2) Vision, both to be completed no later than August 31, 2017. The pastor and Lay Leader, in consultation with the coach, will create a team of three to five persons to identify the core values and clarify the vision. The team will recommend the core values and vision to the Administrative Council for review and adoption by October 30, 2017. Upon adopting the new vision, ministry leaders will demonstrate how each ministry will accomplish the mission and vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a ministry audit to evaluate all ministries for their faithfulness and fruitfulness to the mission and vision. Any ministries that are not faithful to the mission and vision will be dissolved; any ministry that is faithful but still not fruitful will be modified and re-evaluated for fruitfulness. All continuing ministries will set goals and objectives in alignment with the mission and vision. This audit must be completed by August 30, 2018. All new future ministries must demonstrate how they will be aligned to the mission and vision and have a plan for fruitful ministry. 2. Concern: No discernable discipleship pathway Although efforts have been made to help people grow in their faith through Sunday School, prayer, youth programs, and the beginning stages of a Discipleship Pathway plan, there is no strategic process to help current members, those in the community, or new to the church, understand the faith and how they could grow in the faith journey as fully devoted and authentic followers of Jesus Christ. Additionally the church needs to expand its welcome and assimilation of new people into the church family. 2. Ministry Action Plan: Create a discipleship pathway that includes a focus on hospitality The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team of three to five persons by June 30, 2017, to continue to develop a clear discipleship pathway that helps move people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming fully committed followers of Jesus Christ. The team will 2
study together the book, Move by Parkinson and Hawkins. The coach will lead an Intentional Faith Development workshop by January 31, 2018, to assist the team in its development of a discipleship pathway. The discipleship pathway will be designed for everyone, whether a non-believer or one who is maturing in their faith and will represent a lifelong process in which participation in a faith development group will be encouraged and expected. The team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model that encourages all persons to: connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, be transformed by studying the beliefs and principles of the Christian faith, connect with other believers for support and accountability through small groups, identify and connect with God s purpose for their lives through prayer, participate in opportunities for risk-taking service and mission, and invite others into a relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. A specific component of the plan must be centered on hospitality, connecting new people with the existing congregation. The Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will create a Hospitality Team by June 30, 2017, to develop a more comprehensive welcoming system that tracks guests from their first visit to their ongoing connection on the intentional faith development plan. The team will read together the book, Fusion by Henson and Searcy. This team will help each ministry area develop a follow-up system for any guests in their ministries or outreach events to ensure their ongoing connection to the life of the church. A hospitality component will be included and integrated into the broader intentional faith development plan. This discipleship plan will be adopted by the Administrative Council and will be implemented in the life of St. Paul UMC by October 2017. 3. Concern: Absence of an intentional strategy for community connection There is much potential and a deep desire to connect people in the surrounding community to the church and/or the Gospel of Christ. The church leaders interviewed, the FCJ congregational survey, and the Saturday workshop indicate the church does not have an intentional plan to make this connection in a systematic way. 3. Ministry Action Plan: Create an intentional community connection plan The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team of five persons by September 30, 2017, to create a comprehensive community outreach strategy to connect the church members with the people of the surrounding community. The team will study the MissionInsite report to determine the needs and concerns of the surrounding community as well as plot their membership on the map. The team will interview persons in the Highland Village Community to ask the people what the needs and concerns in the neighborhood are that the church could address. The team will consult with community leaders, local community mission organizations (Salvation Army, food pantries, etc.), and the neighborhood home association. The coach will meet with the team to help them discern potential outreach ministries and connections that will enable St. Paul to connect with the community in meaningful ways. The team will also create a communication plan that develops effective, on-going communication both within the church and to the targeted community. An outreach strategy will be developed by the team and reviewed by the coach by January 31, 2018. 3
The team will make any revisions by the end of February 28, 2018, and present the plan to the Administrative Council. 4. Concern: Untapped leadership development including staff alignment to the vision The church has not been developing a core of new leaders for the current and future ministry of the church. It is the consultation team s observation that current staff responsibilities are not aligned with the mission of the church to make disciples and transform the world. 4. Ministry Action Plan: Create an intentional plan to recruit, train, and deploy new and existing leaders The Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will form a team of five persons by June 30, 2017. The purpose of the team is to develop a plan to develop new leaders and servants for the mission and vision of the church. The plan will include helping each person: understand and endorse the church s vision and core values become knowledgeable about all the potential areas of leadership and service through the church study the book, Ultimately Responsible by Sue Nelson Kibby and/or other resources deemed to be helpful identify and develop his/her own spiritual gifts be teamed with a leader in their gifted area to explore leadership in that area be evaluated for potential fruitfulness in their identified area The team will attend a leadership development workshop lead by the coach or a person designated by him by January 31, 2018. The plan will be fully developed by April 30, 2018. Four to six persons will be identified as potential leaders and will be contacted to join in this process of becoming a leader in the church. Every six to eight months a new group will be formed. Beginning June 30, 2017, the Staff-Parish Relations Committee will assess all staff positions paid and unpaid - needed to fulfill the mission. This SPRC will develop new ministry descriptions for all needed positions that include goals for their ministry areas that are aligned with the mission of the church. The team will also develop an evaluation process for all staff. The reassessment of staff will be shared with the Administrative Council for adoption by September 30, 2017. In order to deploy more persons in hands on ministry, the church will consider a more effective and efficient structure to streamline the administrative responsibilities to release more people for hands-on ministry. The pastor will form a team consisting of the pastor, the Lay Leader, and the chairs of the Ad Council and SPRC, by February 28, 2018. In order to make a recommendation the team will: 1) Read the book Winning on Purpose by John Edmund Kaiser 2) Consult with at least two other churches who have adopted a different structure to fulfill mission and vision. 3) Develop an alternate structure to replace the current Administrative Council. This recommendation for a new structure will be presented to the Administrative Council by the fall Charge Conference. (NOTE: Any change in structure must be in accordance with the Book of Discipline.) 5. Concern: Decreasing number of young families with children and youth 4
The #1 concern in the on-line survey provided by the participants of the church was an aging congregation. This same concern was lifted up in the Saturday workshop and was expressed as a need to increase the number of young families in the life of the church. While the congregation has identified these concerns as important, there has been no strategic plan to reverse the decline in the number of children and young families within the life of the church. 5. Ministry Action Plan: Effectively reach and integrate families into the life of the church. St. Paul UMC Administrative Board must adopt, implement, and follow a Safe Sanctuaries policy by April 30, 2017. An example of such document can be found on the Indiana Conference website. Without the adoption of Safe Sanctuaries, all of the assets of the church and the conference are at risk. In order to develop inspiring, relevant ministries to families, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will form a Family Ministry Team by January 30, 2018. The team will develop a plan for children s ministry that will include the following: Use the MissionInsite Report to determine the demographics and potential number of families with children who could be reached by St. Paul UMC As a team read the book, Think Orange, as a resource. Consult with a conference specialist in children s ministry recommended by the coach to assist with this process. Visit three congregations who have a vibrant young family and children s ministry to determine what they did, how they did it, and the best practices that can apply to St. Paul. Evaluate current programming and hospitality to determine effectiveness in reaching the targeted group of parents and young children. Evaluate current worship experiences to determine effectiveness in reaching the targeted group of parents and young children. Submit a plan to follow-up and engage new families in other church ministries to the Administrative Council by March 18, 2018. CONCLUSION: We, the Consultation Team, want to thank you for the opportunity to serve your congregation through this Fruitful Congregation Journey assessment process. Our prayer and hope for your congregation is that God will bless this process to help your church become more effective and fruitful. May God give you courage and strength as you move forward on this journey. Consultation Team: Steve Clouse Tony Alstott Jack Hartman Kirk Freeman Town Hall Meeting Dates: Wednesday, March 8, 7:00 pm Sunday, March 26, 6:00 pm Monday. April 17, 7:00 pm Church Conference Date: Sunday, April 23, 6:30 pm 5
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