The United Church of Mapleton

1. The United Church of Mapleton “WE ARE UNITED” The Visioning Process “A Healthy Church Coming into Focus” Vision Committee Report United Church Official Board August 28, 2013

2. Committee History • Formed – January 20, 2013 (Annual Meeting) • At the time, this was the “charge” and the purpose of the group. This Committee is to: • Develop a Mission Statement for our Church • Develop a Vision Statement for our Church • Identify and understand Core Values of our Church • Identify necessary minor revisions to our Constitution and propose required amendments • Develop a 3-5 year Strategic Plan • Prepare a written report for Official Board by Sept. 2013 • Throughout the process the Group’s work is to have transparency.

3. Committee Members • Members – Hugo John, Michael Johnson, Lisa Shubert, Chad Kunkel, Dick Dietz • Ex-Officio Members – Church Moderator David Ward, Pastor Ashley Whitaker • Consultant - Kathy Stutzman “When I wrote The Purpose Driven Church, I predicted that church health – not church growth – would be the primary concern of the 21st Century church. I believe that prediction is proving itself true.” – Rick Warren

4. Tasks Completed • Constitutional Amendment Passed • Temporary amendment allowing board/committee numbers to be adjusted • Formulated Mission Statement from questionnaires from the congregation. • Drafted Strategic Plan • Developed New Ministry teams as part of Strategic Plan • Meeting with Official Board on August 28, 2013 with written and presented report “Church health is the key to church growth. All living things grow if they’re healthy. You don’t have to make them grow – it’s just natural for living organisms.” – Rick Warren

5. 8 DEFINED Core Values • Community • Compassion • Respect • Heritage • Friendship • Openness • Forgiveness • Spirituality “Since the church is a living organism, it’s natural for it to grow if it’s healthy. The church is a Body, not a business – an organism, not an organization. It’s alive. If a church is not growing, it is dying.” – Rick Warren

6. NEW Mission Statement

7. The Strategic Plan • 1-2 year Strategic Plan • Ministry Team Model • The following slides will: • Introduce Ministry Team Model • Describe relationship between Ministry Teams and existing Boards/Committees • Introduce Ministry Team Tasks (Short Term and Long Term) • Illustrate the Ministry Team structure • Describe the four Ministry Teams and their proposed tasks

8. Current Committees and New Ministry Teams • All existing standing Committees/Boards will stay in place and not be changed.   • Ministry Teams will be started in addition to and separate from Committees/Boards. • Though some Ministry Teams look similar to Committees/Boards, Committees/Boards will not be expected to do Ministry Team work. • Committee/Board members are not required to join a Ministry Team. • Anyone from the congregation can join a Ministry Team. The Ministry Team Model will exist on a “trial/ad hoc” basis, separate from the current “normal” structure of the church according to the Constitution • The Official Board will recruit and appoint a Coach to oversee the four Ministry Teams and a Shepherd to oversee one Ministry Team each. • These Ministry Team appointments will last for one year.

9. Strategic Plan - “Ministry Team Tasks” Defined • Short Term and Long Term Ministry Task leaders and Ministry Task members are invited to join according to their interests and passions. • Members may come and go. Supporting Ministry Tasks is not an appointment. • The Official Board will empower the Coach, Shepherds, and Ministry Teams to do their work apart from Official Board’s direct “supervision” or “management.” • Only the Coach will provide updates directly to the Official Board.

10. Strategic Plan - “Short Term Ministry Team Tasks” • Short Term Ministry Team Tasks are those that can be completed within 3-6 months from the Strategic Plan “launch.” • After a Short Term Ministry Team Task is completed, it will either end or a maintenance plan will be developed so it can continue. • A new Short Term Ministry Team Task will then be selected by the Team Shepherd and started.

11. Strategic Plan -“Long Term Ministry Team Tasks” • Long Term Ministry Team Tasks are those that can be completed within 9-12 months from the Strategic Plan “launch.” • After a Long Term Ministry Team Task is completed, it will either end or a maintenance plan will be developed so it can continue • A new Long Term Ministry Team Task will then be selected by the Team Shepherd and started

12. New Ministry Teams

13. 4 NEW Ministry Teams • Community • All "community team" events are open to both the church and the Maple River community.  Community team events are educational or informational, aimed mainly at the Maple River community at large (while including The United Church). • Short Term: Book Forum  • Long Term: Contemporary Issue Forum

14. 4 NEW Ministry Teams (continued) • Fellowship Ministry Team • Fellowship team events are aimed mainly at The United Church members (while also open to Maple River community at large).  Fellowship events are mainly focused on fun and friendship. • Short Term: Cook-Off Competition (chili, BBQ, grilling, wild game, pork...) • Long Term: Parent(s) Day Off (or Night Out)

15. 4 NEW Ministry Teams (continued) • Spiritual Care Ministry Team • The Spiritual Care team focuses on congregant care and the spiritual life of the congregation outside of the weekly worship service(s). • Short Term: Prayer Ministry (prayer chain, prayer team) • Long Term: Long Term Lay Visitation Team (trained laity group focused on long term spiritual care needs: shut-in, elderly, nursing home...)

16. 4 NEW Ministry Teams (continued) • Mission Ministry Team • The Mission team focuses on local, national, and international service, outreach, and mission projects of the church. • Short Term: “Heifer Project” • Long Term: Intergenerational Mission Project (Urban project in Cities, Habitat for Humanity...)

17. The United Church of Mapleton“We are United” New Initiative Ministry Team Implementation Diagram

18. 3 Cornerstone Ministries These ministries are separate from the Ministry Team model and include ongoing ministries of the church that will be maintained in the future. • Worship • Weekly Worship • Choir • Music • Diaconate led ordinances • Faith Formation (Christian Education) • Sunday School • Bible Study • Youth Group, Children’s Ministry • Confirmation • Administration • Board of Trustees led ministries • Building / Equipment / Property • Personnel • Church Finances

19. Recommendations for the Official BoardWhat Now? What’s Next? • Consider/Adopt proposed Mission Statement. • Consider/Adopt proposed Strategic Plan. • The Official Board will create a plan to recruit the Ministry Team Coach and the four Ministry Team Shepherds as soon as possible. • The Official Board will plan a Congregational Meeting to present the Mission Statement, Strategic Plan, and Ministry Team model in about 4-6 weeks. • This meeting will include the opportunity for the congregation to sign up for Ministry Team Tasks they are interested in. • The Official Board will evaluate the Ministry Team model in one year and in two years. • The Official Board will not plan to revise the “structure” of the United Church according to the Constitution until after the two year evaluation.

20. Something to Think About

21. Congregational Vitality Congregational vitality is the capacity to create and sustain a meaningful Christ-centered, faith-based existence that focuses more on being on mission than on maintenance. Congregational vibrancy exists when a congregation expresses obvious passion around its vision for a future in ways that captivate its spiritual imagination. This vision energizes the church’s disciple-making processes and missional actions. Through spiritual discernment, the congregation knows who they are under God and where God is leading them, and they are intentionally moving in the direction of a shared vision. George Bullard