Denville Community Church, UM “Affirmation of Interest” Church Conference

1. Denville Community Church, UM“Affirmation of Interest”Church Conference Presentation of findings from Needs Assessment and Expansion Realization Teams May 23, 2004

2. Agenda • Brief History • Initial and DISCOVERY findings • DISCOVERY communication • Translating Ministry to Facility • United Methodist Discipline • “Affirmation of Interest” Resolution

3. Needs Assessment /Expansion RealizationTeam Members (Past and Present) Alan Ackerman Chris Ackerman Steve Bond Glenn Buchanan Arnold Card Joe Gribbon Stephen Smith * Past Member Kari Gribbon Rev. George Imhoff Frank Leone Jean Nightingale Carl Pauli Sandie Sebastian Ira Clemens Rev. Elaine Wing Rick Yobs Douglas Gabel Neil Kiely Gus Hollstein John Hammett Matthew Ballentine * * * * * Special Contributors – Kent LaRue, Peter Rand, Pat O’Dell

4. Brief History • Team Chartered – February 2002 • Team’s Mission - To proactively address the expanding facility needs of the Denville Community Church, United Methodist Christian Education program, enabling it to effectively meet the growing spiritual needs of the congregation (Goals – see Appendix A)

5. Brief History • Team’s Strategies • Through DISCOVERY, seek a clear understanding of the current need for additional facilities • Effectively COMMUNICATE to the congregation the importance of Christian Education to Christian discipleship and the spacial requirements for this vital ministry • Develop a PLAN, including space requirements, time-table, funding, and communications to provide the additional facility needs • OBTAIN or DESIGN, if necessary, facility plans to address the current and future needs of the Sunday School program • CONSTRUCT, if necessary, the facilities needed to meet the current and future needs of the Sunday School program WE ARE HERE

6. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • Initial Assessment • There is insufficient space at the church to offer Sunday School classes for students in grade 9 and older • Classroom space is woefully inadequate for effective teaching experiences • Transmission of sound between meeting area facilities is a real issue • As of the fall of 2002, our enrollment is above 100 on Sunday and it could easily rise to 150 if space were provided • The nursery room below the sanctuary has reached the point of being a “negative” to visiting parents due to overcrowding • Storage space is in very short supply

7. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • DISCOVERY findings • Facility limits our ability to provide for a growing need for effective Christian Education (see Appendix B) • Trend since 1990 – congregation growing at 3% annually • Existing building services 30+ Pastoral/Church and Community based activities/groups /week • Nursery School is serving only a small percentage of community based on limited facilities • Extreme shortage of storage space • Youth need open space for activities • Glad Tidings newsletter is well established to communicate to congregation

8. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • DISCOVERY findings(cont.) • Church Staff Office space very limited hampering the execution of day to day needs and services • Individuals avoid Coffee Hour due to overcrowded facilities • Nursery facilities are a negative to many parents • Library is constrained • Large group social activities are very difficult to hold and manage • Revenue generating Thrift Store needs home • Congregation has successfully met financial obligations year over year • Congregation has embraced and supported numerous special projects, 2nd parsonage, sanctuary refurbishing, organ fund

9. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • Band-Aid activities • A Sunday School class in the choir room during morning worship services • Cubicle partitions in Driesbach room to define Sunday School classrooms • Relocated/Swapped Nursery and Youth Room • Sunday School class at church member’s home • Discussed with St. Peter’s Orphanage usage of space on Sunday mornings • Investigate leasing of modular units for classrooms

10. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • Church-wide PERCEPT Survey • 193 participants in Church-wide Survey • Community growing at a 4% rate • Continued growth in number of families joining our church • Congregation desires: • Family-based activities • More adult Christian Education • Worship opportunities other than Sunday morning • Opportunities to be involved in outreach ministries • A variety of active ministries for children and youth • Ongoing “welcoming” environment

11. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • Church-wide PERCEPT Survey (cont.) • Faith involvement extremely high • Preference of our faith extremely high • Likely contribution behavior extremely high • Strong support for “programs” e.g. music, food pantry, art, clothing resources, sports,outreach, spiritual retreats… • Congregation is “open to change”

12. Initial and DISCOVERY findings • Bible Study Gatherings • Congregation-wide mailing of DISCOVERY findings • Gatherings focused on defining ministries that God is calling us to “continue”, “expand”, and/or “adopt” • Listen for God’s voice and direction upon current & future ministries offered through DCC to God’s people

13. DISCOVERY communication • Bible Study Gatherings • Are we “duct tape” or “WD-40” people? • WD-40 keeps things moving in many directions – addressing the many needs • We need to be open and understanding of what God is calling us as a congregation to do in his name – what ministries should we be offering? supporting? – who should we be reaching out to? – how should we serve?

14. Translating Ministry to Facility – “Moving to Higher Ground”

15. 3 Key Areas • Christian Education – Jean Nightingale • Nursery School – Sandie Sebastian • Youth, Recreation, & Ministry Administration - Matt Ballentine

16. United Methodist Discipline Requirements • United Methodist Discipline ¶2543 Planning and Financing Requirements for Local Church Building • Establish a Building Committee • Develop statement of need • Develop Preliminary Architectural/Engineering drawings • Develop Site Plan • Develop Preliminary cost estimate • Develop Building Financial Plan

17. “Affirmation of Interest” • With what has been presented here tonight, before any further planning can continue, we need you to… “Affirm your interest” in this endeavor and begin supporting the a Building Committee with further planning • …and to return again to hear and act on plans that will be developed to realize our ministry expansion

18. Affirmation “Resolution” W HEREAS the Needs Assessment and Expansion Realization Teams of the Denville Community Church have been charged to proactively address the expanding facility needs of its Christian Education program and its various other ministries in order to effectively meet the growing spiritual needs of the congregation; and W HEREAS the Teams have spent the past two years researching, listening, and surveying the congregation to understand what exists today, what the congregation would like to see for the future and what it would support; and W HEREAS the church has embarked on a “Moving to Higher Ground” commitment as our Lord calls us; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: that the Expansion Realization Team be highly commended for their careful and detailed work to date; that the direction of planning they envision be hereby affirmed; that they be encouraged to pursue continued development of facility expansion plans under the direction of a Building Committee; that such a Building Committee by duly elected by the Church Council at its next regular meeting; that the church’s Finance Committee be charged with engaging in a financial feasibility study; and that at a future Special Church Conference on a date to be announced, the Building Committee and the Finance Committee present plans for a possible building expansion and ways to finance such expansion.

19. Appendix A • Team’s Goals • Increase congregational awareness of the importance of Christian Education to Christian discipleship and the spacial requirements of an effective ministry • Develop a building plan that is designed for the future of the entire church, not just the immediate needs of Sunday School • Outline a capital campaign and establish a task force to address that particular component of the overall plan • Involve the entire congregation in the project so that greater ownership of the facility and its ministries will be achieved

20. Appendix B