At the end of the summer, the new council and I gathered for a day-long retreat. During this time, we did a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to begin to develop some short-term and long-term strategies for our mission and future. I can tell you that the list of strengths and opportunities were LONG! Of course, we have our own weaknesses and there are threats, but ultimately, we realized what we all expected, this congregation is filled with incredible talent and potential both realized and unrealized!
While long-range planning is still in the formation process with the council and probably will be for some time, we were able to develop some goals and strategies for this coming year. You may remember that we shared three financial goals for 2025 which included bringing Heather Whitman full-time as the Minister Congregational Life, giving 9% of our income back through benevolences and our Compassion Works ministries, and becoming less reliant on our rental income. While we didn’t hit our financial goals (we knew we were stretching BIG and we still accomplished incredible growth), we are able to move forward with most of these items and you will see how these financial moves play into our larger strategic plan for 2025.
GROW MEMBERSHIP | GROW DISCIPLESHIP | GROW A LONG-RANGE PLAN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
15% increase to our membership (22 new people) Improve our online worship experience and presence Improve our hospitality and welcome (led by the Minister for Congregational Life) Improve our invitation and communication strategies | 15% increase in participation Develop new ministries both internally and externally focused (through use of Compassion Works budget, when applicable) Develop and equip lay leaders Develop more structured lines of communication | Celebrate our 50th Anniversary as a launching point for our future Continue to build relationships within the plaza Develop and update policies & procedures |
Here is the little secret, our priorities can be summed up as EVANGELISM! I know that can be a scary word and one with a lot of baggage. I use it intentionally because evangelism is ultimately about invitation, welcome, and hospitality. It is a word that has been hijacked by many Christians who believe in works righteousness, but evangelicalism can actually be traced back to Martin Luther. It literally means “the good news” and what is the good news other than an invitation to realize the salvation of Jesus who is welcoming all people into him, where all are served and cared for (i.e.. hospitality!).
Church, you are going to hear this word a lot this next year, so I encourage you to hear it with different ears. Attempt to avoid the cringe! Let us be proud of who we are (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and let us boldly proclaim it and share it with others! Why not invite people to experience and enjoy the things we love about this little church in the plaza! It is going to be an exciting year. May we turn to God in hope knowing that any growth comes from a holy place given to us as a gift from God to glorify the one who is the “Good News!”