Dear St. Paul’s Family,
We have entered a season of expectation and hope, looking ahead to God’s presence born anew in our world. As we anticipate all that God will do both in us as individuals and through us as a congregation, we hear God’s word to the exiles and claim its promise for ourselves”
Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19)
This is a simple formula: God acts, then we notice and respond. When God does something new, it is our job to perceive it. For nearly 150 years, the people of St. Paul’s have responded faithfully to the call of God to minister to the people around us, to build the kingdom of God, and to ensure the transmission of the faith for the people that will follow us. With our sesquicentennial celebration next year, the imminent pay-off of $750,000 in renovation debt, and new energy and momentum building with each passing week, it is our time to ask the question, “What’s next?” and listen perceptively for the answer that God provides.
I am excited that at the Charge Conference gathering last Wednesday evening, the church unanimously approved a process that will lead us to discerning God’s vision for the future and developing a plan to get us there. It approved the formation of a group called the 2020 Vision Team, which will listen to the people of this church, the needs and trends of the surrounding community, and the prompting of the Holy Spirit through prayer and study to develop a comprehensive plan that will answer the question, “What is God calling this church to look like by the year 2020?
The following is the document presented to and adopted by the Charge Conference as the framework of the 2020 Vision Team:
The 2020 Vision Team
Planning for the Future of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
The Purpose of this team:
The purpose of this team is to develop a comprehensive long-term strategic plan for the church, to be presented to the 2008 Charge Conference for adoption. This plan will include recommendations in areas including, but not limited to, programs, facilities, personnel, and resources.
The work of this team will include:
Where we are now:
• Comprehensive assessments of programs, facilities, personnel, and resources
• Current patterns in membership, worship attendance, and Christian education
• General spiritual vitality of the congregation and level of commitment to Christ
• An assessment of the needs of the city of Cherokee and the wider community
• A study of the demographics and population trends of our surrounding area
Where God is calling us:
• Develop a clear mission and vision statement that will shape our corporate life and prioritize our actions.
• Envision what this church will look like if we were fulfilling God’s purposes for this church and this community.
How we will get from here to there:
• Maintain open, regular communication with the congregation at every step of the process.
• Work in partnership with committees in the areas of Finance, Staff-Parish, Trustees, Worship, and Administrative Board in developing a plan.
• Produce a plan of recommended action steps, including timeline and budget implications in time for 2008 Charge Conference.
Limits of this team:
• Not an implementation team. This team will be responsible only for producing the recommendations. Administrative Board, Charge Conference, and the whole congregation will be responsible for implementation.
Again, by unanimous vote, the Charge Conference approved this framework, and the following people to serve on this team:
Linda Appleby
Linda Christensen
John Cook
Bruce Dagel
Sue Parker
Joyce Pyle
Keith Willis
Throughout the year, this team will turn to you for help in the discernment process. I suspect that we will be asking you to participate in church-wide surveys and small group feedback sessions. And we will rely on your prayers for clarity for this team we listen for God’s voice. Along the way, this team will faithfully keep you informed as to its progress and its discoveries.
As we journey into another season of hope and promise, we wait for the advent of God’s new work in our life together. These are truly exciting days to be the church!
Hope and Peace,
Magrey
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