Nurturing Vital Discipleship and Church Membership Asylum Hill Congregational UCC

1. Nurturing Vital Discipleshipand Church MembershipAsylum Hill Congregational UCC David Schoen, Congregational Vitality and DiscipleshipUnited Church of Christ

2. Discipleship or Membership In our culture today, the churches’ work is all about nurturing missional discipleship, not only church membership. 83% of population not in church on Sundays, going to church is counter cultural. Missional Church has clear sense of God’s purpose and calling for the church and raises up disciples who can articulate and put into daily practice God’s purpose for the church and God’s purpose for their lives.

3. Hartford AreaReligious Practices

4. Nurturing DiscipleshipVital Church Membership Clarity about church expectations for discipleship and membership Make expectation visible and vocal Track church members in discipleship Small Group Missional/Spiritual Ministry Who are the members at Asylum Who do you want to be the members at Asylum Using new technology, social media & networks

5. Clarity about church expectations for discipleship and membership

8. Clarity and Articulationof Expectations What expectation of discipleship and church membership do you have at Asylum Hill? What would your membership covenant be? How do you communicate your expectations? How do you nurture your covenant? "To work for the increase in the love of God and neighbor in Jesus Christ through sharing, caring, outreach and worship."

9. Tracking Discipleship/Membership If you wish to grow discipleship and membership then you will need to track the participation of your congregation In commercial world this would be called CRM, Customer Relationship Management Track levels of the participation that are part of your expectation of members. Worship, Small Groups, Leadership, Service, Giving/Pledging, Witness

10. New Member Tracking Keep track of guest, 1st time guest, return guests Invitation to New Member/Discipleship group Clarity of church purpose and expectations of members New members/disciples tell their stories Connect with trained core of sponsors Engage in Small Group within first 3 months Follow-up gatherings with new members

11. Small Group Missional/Spiritual Ministry Churches become larger by getting smaller People are looking for relationships, a place where ‘somebody knows my name’ Small groups where people can get to know each other are critical; home, service, arts, committees Although a small group may not be focused on discipleship/spiritual matters, there should be chance for spiritual reflection/moments in each http://www.ucc.org/ministers/pdfs/ldshp.pdf

12. Pass a Grille Beach UCC

13. Who are these people?Who are your members, Who are your neighbors?(Revelation 7:14) • MissionInsite Demographics • http://missioninsite.com/ • flexible web based information system • comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle data • interactive mapping platform • strategic information resource for ministry

14. Meeting Your Neighbors

16. West Hartford Hartford

17. Who are your Neighbors -West Hartford

18. Who are your Neighbors -Hartford

20. Urban Commuter Families

21. Who Are they?

22. New Generation Activists

23. Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

24. Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

25. How to use MissionInsite Map your congregation homes Learn their mosaic types Compare to communities, learn your niche Gear programs, small groups to meet population needs and interests Track guests and friends Cluster home groups

26. Getting MissionInsite Info • UCC and Connecticut Conference have contract with MissionInsite • Participants in Workshop (thanks to OCWM). • Go to Connecticut Conference Website http://www.ctucc.org/resources/pdfs/MissionInsite_How-To.pdf

28. Generations and Religion

29. Religious Practice

30. Religious Belief

32. LGBT Concerns

33. Politics

34. Liberal or Conservative

35. Community Service

36. Missional Outreach New Generations • The urgency of our times should not be driven by our decline in the United Church of Christ. • The urgency of our times should be a new generation and population attuned to the values of our message and witness. • See Millenials report Pew Research

37. New Technology

39. Missional Tools Online

40. On-line tools for Discipleship • Connecting with congregation and others on-line • Church Website • Invitational • Interactive • Messaging • E.newsletter • Links • Facebook • Church fanpage • Your own • Links • Advertising

41. Networking with New Technology • E-mail Blasts • Daily Devotional • Twitter • You Tube • Webinars • On Line Classes • On Line Prayer • Go To Meetings • Apps

43. Church of the Wider Fellowship

45. Nurturing DiscipleshipVital Church Membership Clarity about church expectations for discipleship and membership Make expectation visible and vocal Track church members in discipleship Small Group Missional/Spiritual Ministry Who are the members at Asylum Who do you want to be the members at Asylum Using new technology, social media & networks

46. Nurturing Discipleship and Church Membership What have you learned? What one thing stands out? How will you use this information?

47. Getting Started • Nurturing Vital Discipleship and Membership • Pray for your members, guests and congregation • This takes time, strategy and work. • This takes volunteers and staff • Takes support of congregational leaders • Just get started. • Start with one thing. Start with strength

48. Nurturing Vital Discipleship and Church Membership • Blessings as you discern God’s mission for your congregation, • and nurture your congregations members!

49. Thank You! • Thank you! Your financial support is Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Mission • Thank you for your vital leadership and discipleship!