1 / 13

Growing into Our Future: Church Growth Task Force

Growing into Our Future: Church Growth Task Force. First Lutheran Church Lake City, MN November 5, 2011. CGTF Mission Statement.

gamada
Download Presentation

Growing into Our Future: Church Growth Task Force

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Growing into Our Future:Church Growth Task Force First Lutheran Church Lake City, MN November 5, 2011

  2. CGTF Mission Statement The purpose of the Church Growth Task Force is to identify the critical drivers and barriers to congregational growth and create a plan to address them in the context of our historical values, our discerned calling, and the current projected needs of the congregation and surrounding community.

  3. First Lutheran Church’s Growth • Congregation chartered 1869 • Facilities: • First worship facility 1875 • Multiple renovations • Education Building begun in 1972 • Completed Education Building in 1988 • Current facility in 2005

  4. Changes in Staff • Congregation existed 11 yrs w/o full-time pastor • Succession of ordained pastors (solo) • Volunteer Musicians • Part-time secretary • Paid Organist • Full-time Secretary • First Associate Pastor added in 2000 • Pastor & Lay Minister arrangement in 2002 • P/T Visitation Pastor in 2011 • Currently 3 F/T Staff and 3 P/T

  5. Changes in Membership Membership Worship Pct. • 1990 731 184 25% • 2000 807 210 26% • 2010 926 307 33% • First 2 weeks in Sept. (avg.) 355! * From the ELCA statistical reports

  6. Constants – Faith and Mission The mission of our congregation shall be to motivate, equip, and support our members for the ministry of Jesus Christ in our congregation, our community and our world.

  7. Small Group Discussion Identify a facilitator/recorder. • What qualities are First Lutheran Church known for? • What is your vision for First Lutheran 5 years from now? What will define/identify our ministry? 12 minutes of discussion. Each group report back on one highlight.

  8. Growth Task Force History • Early stages • Systems Change Index • Determines “readiness” for a congregation to make needed changes for future growth • Summary: we are “behind the curve” in making systematic changes to accommodate our growth and fulfill our mission

  9. Spiritual gifts • The Spiritual Gifts Inventory is a discovery tool that provides you with a personalized analysis. • Not a test, but a simple questionnaire giving you a profile of your God given spiritual gifts. • Based upon resources that individuals bring, not upon the volunteer needs of a congregation (Not “This is what WE need.” but “This is what YOU have to offer.”) • Discovering and exercising your God-given spiritual gifts allows you to experience maximum fulfillment with minimum frustration in your Christian life and ministry. Examples: • Administration • Artistry • Discernment • Evangelism • Faith • Hospitality • Leadership • Mercy • Music • Service • Skilled craft • Teaching • Writing

  10. Drivers for Growth • New church building • Forward thinking leadership (pastors, staff, council) • Growing community(s) around us • Progressive members who are resilient and courageous • Established children’s ministry programs • Solid music ministry • Well planned, varied and meaningful worship services • Willingness to grow

  11. Barriers to Growth • Volunteerism (burnout, availability, perceived competency) • Integration of new members • Parking lot size (being addressed!) • Lack of shared ownership • Crowding at increasingly more worship services • Need to identify change champions • Need to discover individual spiritual gifts • Lack of task groups to address specific challenges • Budgetary constraints (competition for “dollars”)

  12. Small Group Discussion Identify a NEW facilitator/recorder. • How does your assigned topic present a barrier for growth? • What factors contribute to this barrier? • Brainstorm possible solutions to this barrier. (How would YOU resolve this problem?) 15 minutes of discussion. Each group report back on one highlight.

  13. Thank you for your insights! • Please leave pages with presenter. • The power of this time together will be in the ongoing conversations that you will have with your church and community! Keep it going! • Go in peace – serve the Lord!

More Related