First
Presbyterian Church Strategic Plan 2010-2015
Contents:
- Background
- The Mission, Vision and Priorities of First Presbyterian
- The Core Values of First Presbyterian
- The Bedrock Beliefs of First Presbyterian
- Success Areas
- Strategic Plan Priority Areas
- Appendix:
Return to Session Page
It is the practice of First Presbyterian Church to
engage in a strategic planning process every 4-6 years. This results in a number of goals or
priorities to focus our work as church leaders, members and participants, and
staff. In 2009 we reached the time for a
new planning process at the same time a number of advisors recommended that a
plan would be important to us.
Session members determined that they wanted a process
other than those we had used in the past and explored a number of persons to
guide such a process. The Students in
Free Enterprise (SIFE) from UND were identified and accepted our planning
process as a project. Under the
direction of Patrick Schultz, they developed a survey about our congregation
and invited church leaders and members in general to respond, either in person
or print (paper or email).
The results of the survey were reported to the session
and leaders of teams at a retreat in the fall of 2009, and those present were
invited to work with the results in small groups which discussed church
priorities and how to meet those priorities.
A second comprehensive report was given to session in December.
Following that, a session writing team framed
summaries of the work and invited the session to comment and expand on the
report. After several conversations, the
priorities outlined in this report were completed.
The session invites the entire congregation, over the
next five years, to reflect on these priorities and to join together to find
innovative ways to reach our common goals.
This plan is a starting place for our work together, and is intended to
be flexible as we find ways to implement it.
At every annual meeting and throughout the year we’ll have opportunities
to reflect on how we’re doing together.
The Mission, Vision
and Priorities
of First Presbyterian
Our Mission Statement
As followers of Jesus Christ, we will nurture a Christian community that...
· grows in God's love
· cares for one another, and
· responds to the needs of the world.
Our Vision Statement
Open hearts, Open Minds
Our Priority
To grow disciples who live out our mission. This is expressed on our
“discipleship card” in the following way:
The Core Values of First Presbyterian
Love
· We will show God's love in our life together and in our lives in the wider community.
Acceptance
· We welcome all people of all ages and all circumstances.
Involvement
· Every person is encouraged to participate fully in the life of this church regardless of age, circumstance, or church membership.
Respect
· We treat people with respect and dignity.
Integrity
· We expect people to act honestly and with integrity in all area of their lives.
Compassion
· We will devote significant energy and resources to ministries which help other people.
Joy
· We express joy in all of life as a sign of God's joy in all creation.
Growth
· We will grow and change individually and as a community of faith as part of our journey with God.
Excellence
· We will equip and encourage people to use their gifts to the best of their ability.
Teamwork
· We will value every person's gifts and encourage all people to work together in teams.
The Bedrock Beliefs of First Presbyterian
· God's people are called to use their abilities and their resources to do God's work in the world today.
· God created the universe in love and placed human beings within it to enjoy and to care for creation.
· In Jesus Christ, God calls all people to new life. Christ's life, death, and resurrection are the means of God's reconciliation with all people.
· The life of Christ is the model for the lives of God's people.
· The Holy Spirit empowers us to live as God's people.
· The Bible tells the story of God's people in history in such a way that it becomes God's Word to God's people today. All tools of scholarship are welcome as we seek understanding from the scriptures.
· Worship, study, and service are the foundations of the Christian life.
In pursuing the mission, the church developed a ministry that engages members, stimulated the activities of teams, and created programs to support community needs. As a result, First Presbyterian Church and its members have achieved a number of successes. Here are some of our most notable success stories:
Ministry—The
church provides an effective source for spiritual growth; much value is
attached to the contemporary worship service and music program and the
Wednesday night children’s program and service; they are both seen as a source
of growth in the church.
Outreach—The
church is active in supporting community needs.
Mission support—The
church provides administrative, marketing, and programming support to members
for grassroots organization of new activities; the church empowers individuals
to connect with like-minded individuals to create action; the church provides a
support system for projects.
Team self-sufficiency—Teams
have been able to raise funds for their own operations, and even give back to
the church.
Active core members—A
core group of motivated members are actively involved in most of the
programming and missions of the church.
Community connections—The church has many connections to community organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and church organizations.
The purpose of the church is
the fulfillment of the mission and values stated earlier. The leadership of
First Presbyterian Church continues to support the achievement of the current
mission and values. Although we
can celebrate a number of successes, many areas of needed
improvement
still exist
to fulfill the church's mission. In order to continue to succeed in the future,
church leaders, staff, teams, and members must direct their attention to five
major areas. These areas identify issues that affect the church's survival, its
continued growth and impact on the community, and ultimately the achievement of
its mission. These priority areas form the core of First Presbyterian Church's
future strategic planning efforts.
The five major areas of focus for the strategic plan are:
·
Increase Membership
·
Broaden Participation and Deepen Commitment
· Clarify Team Structure
·
Simplify Communication
·
Achieve Financial Stability
Between 2010 and 2015, we will work together as session,
church members and participants, and staff to create a church community in
which the following priorities are addressed and substantial progress is made
toward the goals we have articulated. In order to work toward these outcomes,
the session commits to the following in 2010-11 and beyond:
·
We will monitor our progress toward these outcomes and
delegate specific tasks to other groups as needed.
·
We will explore the successes of other congregations
and regularly engage in learning more about church growth and effective church
leadership from a variety of training resources.
·
We will fulfill the commitments we have made in each
priority area as listed below.
Between 2010
and 2015, we will work together as session, church members and participants,
and staff to create a church community in which the following priorities are
addressed and substantial progress is made toward the goals we have
articulated. In order to work
toward these outcomes, the session commits to the following in 2010-11 and beyond:
·
We will monitor our progress toward these outcomes
and delegate specific tasks to other groups as needed.
·
We
will explore the successes of other congregations and regularly engage in
learning more about church growth and effective church leadership from a
variety of training resources.
·
We will fulfill the commitments we have made in each
priority area as listed below.
Priority:
Increase membership
Goal: Average worship attendance increases by 10% or more each year.
Now: We have the beginning of an outreach team which has sponsored and is planning events which attract the community to us (Fancy Dancy Daughter Day; 5K Apple run). Church members welcome guests warmly. The praise team greets guests before the 9:00 service and church members take on the greeting role at 11:00. A number of new members and baptisms have given us energy in 2010, and we have established a baseline for growth.
Dream: An active new member development (outreach) team sponsors creative ways to attract, welcome, and involve new people and encourages all those participating in the church to be a part of bringing and welcoming new people. We have developed and are implementing a clear plan to move people from their first contact with the church to full participation/membership. We have developed and are implementing a clear marketing plan to let the community know about the good things happening at First Presbyterian and to extend a welcome to those who would like to join our church community.
Session will:
·
Recruit and encourage the outreach team on an
ongoing basis
·
Articulate “target audiences” for outreach based on
our church’s strengths and our discernment of ways God is leading us to serve
our community.
·
Because classes offered to church and community are
a particular strength of our church and bring in new participants to church
life, we will recruit church members and participants to teach more classes and
publicize these widely.
·
In
cooperation with the personnel team, we will revise staff job descriptions so
that 50% or more of JoAnn’s and Gretchen’s work time is focused on outreach and
spiritual growth.
Other possibilities:
o
More outreach to community and new community
events
o
Explore new marketing opportunities
o Continue to explore partnership with other local congregations
o Continue to target market the new developments located near the church
o Use talk radio to promote our church/our events
o
Encourage
and support new ideas and efforts by church members that help achieve the goal
of increased membership
Priority:
Broaden Participation and Deepen Commitment
Goal: We have developed a climate which communicates that people who make a strong commitment to the church community see benefits in spiritual growth, meaningful living, and community support.
Now: We regularly hold up the mission statement in worship and encourage people to “grow, care, and respond.” The clipboard gives an easy way to ask for more information about opportunities. The staff plans for a variety of small group opportunities each year.
Dream: 40% of those who attend worship regularly participate in some form of group study during the year and 60% of those who attend worship regularly participate in a ministry team at least once during the year. Both studies and ministries are open to the community and 10% or more of those involved in at least one study or ministry come from outside the regular participants in worship. People know that they are welcome in studies and ministries; it is easy to know how to join in any activity of the church, and study and team leaders are trained in recruiting and welcoming new people. People are invited into the mission work of the church through regular mission fairs and dream conversations.
Session will:
·
Sponsor regular mission fairs and dream conversations
for church members and participants to dream about the future of the church,
God’s call to mission and ministry for us all, and specific ways people can be
involved in answering that call and fulfilling this plan.
·
In cooperation with appropriate teams, we will plan
and implement in the fall of 2010 a month of renewal which includes an
opportunity for people to respond to this strategic plan, dream about their own
participation in this plan, renew their membership commitments, and pledge
their financial support for the coming year.
·
In
cooperation with the personnel team, we will revise staff job descriptions so
that 50% or more of JoAnn and Gretchen’s work time is focused on outreach and
spiritual growth.
Other possibilities:
o
Create a volunteer program that identifies areas
outside of team activities that need additional volunteer support
o
Increasing involvement can begin right away with
the new members
o
Encourage
and support new ideas and efforts by church members that help achieve the goal
of broadening participation and commitment among members.
Priority: Clarify Team Structure
Goal: All
ministry teams, one-time events, classes, service projects, and church
activities clearly support one or more aspects of the mission statement, and
session reviews annually the work of ministry teams, study groups, and other
church activities.
Now: Session has put policies in place with
describe how teams are formed and how they are accountable to one another. These policies are not broadly owned and
participation at team leader coordinating meetings is sporadic. Some teams function very cooperatively while
others could grow in that aspect.
Dream:
Session has articulated clear expectations for team leaders, study
leaders, and other church volunteers and has established support structures
which create/promote high standards of communication and accountability (e.g.
team leader meetings). We maintain
flexibility so that teams and others can respond to God’s call easily and place
high priority on helping people live out their faith in mission. We integrate the work of community liaisons
(Grand Forks Home, Global Friends, etc.) and volunteers (office help, card
ministry, etc.) into the life of the church.
Session
will:
·
Articulate the expectations of team leaders and
study leaders and review the structures which support accountability and
communication.
·
Support the staff in their role training and
coordinating teams and small group leaders and communicating the expectations
for accountability.
Other
possibilities:
- Create team leaders handbook
- Create team directory/ catalog
- Encourage and support new ideas and efforts by church members that help achieve the goal of clarifying team structure.
Priority: Simplify Communication
Goal: Our communication is streamlined and specific types of information appear in consistent places.
Now: We use a variety of communication media to connect with the congregation and those who are potential new participants. We would like to increase the way people take responsibility for informing themselves about church activities. An enthusiastic web master updates information quickly, but we need to embed in our culture the habit of getting information to him in a timely way. We have dabbled with facebook and blogging, and could improve the way we use new technologies to connect with people.
Dream: We have analyzed the audiences with which we want to communicate and matched them to effective communication instruments. Staff and /or volunteers place high priority on getting information to the webmaster for timely updates, and we employ new communications technologies effectively. We communicate clearly and consistently and trust people to be responsible for finding the information they need.
Session will:
·
Explore how interns from UND or other schools can
help us advance this work, and implement internships as possible.
·
Update staff job descriptions to make time available
for using new communication technologies.
Other possibilities:
o
Continue to have plenty of alternatives for accessing
information
o
Evaluate the form and clarity of communication
o
Focus more attention on information communication
o
Encourage
and support new ideas and efforts by church members that help achieve the goal
of simplifying communication
Priority: Achieve Financial Stability
Goal: Our church budget is fully supported by our income. We are debt free.
Now: A widespread effort to pay off the SBA loan and consolidate indebtedness with denominational lenders is about to be completed. We have voted to sell the organ to help fund this project, and a broker is assertively marketing the instrument nationwide. Those involved in debt retirement are enthusiastic about continuing their efforts to address other loans after the SBA payoff.
Dream: We have paid off SBA, Synod, and General Assembly loans and are returning funds borrowed from our endowment. A year-round stewardship team educates all participants about the importance of stewardship, and we clearly communicate our goal that every giving unit grows by 1% of household income / year to 5% or more. The work of ministry teams is fully supported by their fundraising. We give 10% of our budget to PCUSA mission each year.
Session
will:
·
Recruit and support teams for Stewardship and
finance.
·
Take a leadership role in personally meeting our
goals for financial giving.
·
Lift up the ways we are fulfilling our mission on a
regular basis and encourage a strong financial base for ministry.
Other
possibilities:
o
Increase fundraising activity
o
Continue the success of the Mortgage Blasters team as
a long term effort
o
Raise money outside of the church’s membership
o
Encourage
and support new ideas and efforts by church members that help achieve the goal
of achieving financial stability.
Develop a new member/participant orientation process.
Create a mentor program as part of the new member orientation process
More
outreach to community and new community events.
Maybe a community event team
Target new members
Become more attractive to our prospective members in our target range: slightly alter church services, activities, and events to attract new members
Create a new member development team to study these issues and come up with even more solutions. Team would deal with the ongoing process of increasing membership of the church.
Most important for new member development is personal connections and invitations; very little is more effective than personal recruitment
Explore new marketing opportunities
Continue to explore partnership with other local congregations
Continue to target market the new developments located near the church
Find
a way to use local talk radio to promote our church/our events
Offer more "growth" (personal, spiritual, etc.) courses that are open to both the church community and broader community
Foster culture of ambassadorship amongst congregation (members are willing to openly talk about First Pres and invite visitors/prospective members)
.
Finances
Promote understanding and importance of stewardship; church cannot thrive without it
Continue to transform mortgage blasters into an official team and ongoing process as opposed to a short term effort
Increase fundraising activity
Make it year round
Create a major fundraiser or two with high level of community participation
Raise money from outside of the church’s membership
More systematically target major donors for revenue
Tier and giving levels: formalize a system where members are put in tiers by their amount of contribution (gold, silver, bronze levels)
Conduct a study where you analyze member giving levels to discover why people give or don’t give. Objectively look for ways to increase member giving in general situations if possible
A communication strategy should be developed which along these lines:
Focus
on direction of communication – internal and/or external
Focus
on the information – essential and/or supplemental
Focus on the form of information
Evaluate the visual presentation of information
Evaluate the clarity of the presentation of information
Focus on managing informal communications
Establish informal discussion forums to share information
Establish a group of “ambassadors” to answer questions
Continue to have plenty of alternatives for accessing information
Always keep in mind who you are trying to reach with each form of communication and how to keep the presentation of information clear and concise
Team support & guidelines- find more balance between accountability and flexibility
Create team leaders’ handbook to define responsibilities of team and leaders
Create expectation that teams report accomplishments and goals
Create team directory/ catalog
Continue the team leaders meetings with updates. Possibly do retreats instead
Have teams share their stories and experiences often- at team meetings, put on website every once in a while
Good recruiting tool
Formal, systematic public relations to get actions of teams and the church into the community
Provide motivation for unmet needs through seed money and other resources
Membership and Staff Involvement and Motivation
Use optimization with to do more with less when it comes to current members and staff
Prevent exhaustion
Internships can help in this regard
One intern for external duties: Public relations, marketing and promotion, website
One intern for internal duties: Administrative support for teams and members, organize activities, help with the creation of team guidelines and catalog creation
Create a volunteer program that identifies areas outside of team activities that need additional volunteer support
Increasing involvement can begin right away with the new members
Establishing personal connections is important for this priority area. Need to have informal methods to promote more involvement and motivation