FUMC Vision 2010

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As I write this we have just concluded our third annual Leadership Training and Visioning Conference. One hundred and eleven members of this body of Christ met for prayer, visioning and planning for how we might be the best church we can be in all areas of ministry in the coming year. Every Ministry team took a critical look at their respective ministries asking the questions; “What did we do well? What can we do better? What do we hope to see in the coming year?”   The answers were insightful, faithful and very bold. On Saturday the Church Council met for a two hour conference to ask the same questions regarding the ministry of our church. From that meeting we established these major emphases for 2010:

2.      We Become a “Sticky Church”! We place a higher importance on Growth Groups, a higher importance on the retention of new members. We work to create ministries that meet the needs of our folks where they are. All this would place a very strong emphasis on spiritual growth. We want to create ministries to meet the needs of our folks where they are and to become so important in the lives of our members that they can’t live without us!

3.      We Make Outreach a High Priority! Instead of focusing on “Event Driven” outreach which seeks to draw folks into the church for certain events. We work towards personal outreach where we create a culture of reaching out where all of us are inviting everyone, all the time. We make it easy for members to invite their family and friends with the production of quality outreach materials such as invitation cards and brochures with a DVD that allows persons to experience our church before they walk in the doors. We set goals to turn around our attendance decline.

Last year our annual average worship attendance was 525. This year we want to see that rise to over 600!

4.      We Have a Strategy For Increasing our Income and Apportionment Payout! For the past several years we have done a great deal to “cut” expenditures. We believe it’s time to put as much emphasis on increasing our revenue. That does not mean that we will become one of “those churches” where money seems to be the main focus. It may mean that we work harder to teach the importance of healthy stewardship and giving as it relates directly to spiritual growth. Apportionments are those funds that we send to the denomination for mission work on a worldwide scale. Each United Methodist church is asked to pay a “portion” of their income towards these missional funds. You might say this is our tithe to the work of God beyond our community. We have not paid 100% of our apportionments in over 10 years. Last year we paid out 54% which is an increase over years past. We want to set a three year goal to be paying out 100% by the end of 2012.

These emphases were discussed and voted on by the Church Council but they are only a small group of a very large and dynamic church. It is my prayer that you will join me as your pastor and the Church Council as your elected leaders in adopting these emphases for 2010. I ask you to pray for the overall health of our church; relationally, spiritually and financially. I ask that you help us become a “sticky church”. I ask that you work with us so that outreach becomes a priority. Finally, I ask that you help us become good stewards of what God has given us and seek ways to increase our finances so that we may better serve God and this community and so that we can become 100% faithful in our apportionment giving. I am proud of this church and proud to be your pastor! May God be glorified at First United Methodist church in 2010.

In the Service of Christ and the Church,

 

Rev. Steve D. Woody