Feedback from Town Hall Meetings

 

UCUMC recently held three facilitated town hall meetings to share the vision and listen to input for future planning from the congregation.  The input centered around the three topics or questions below.  This document contains the complete text of all comments heard in the town hall meetings and those comments written on cards.  The synopsis in the June Saltshaker reflected the major categories or themes of the discussions.  All of this information is being considered in planning the future of God’s church at UCUMC.  The W.O.N. in Christ Ministry Team is reviewing all comments, sending specific items to various ministry teams, and considering new initiatives.  The Youth Town Hall session comments are at the end of this document.

 

1) The Future We Believe God Has Planned for UCUMC

Welcome/Invitation/Offering Christ

•          Individually invite people to events and small groups

•          Reach out beyond our comfort zones to offer Christ to ALL – including all walks of life, invite homeless

•          Find out why some people not coming

•          Church without walls; reach beyond vertical/horizontal and location limits

•          Offer Christ to all

•          Support college campus ministry for the new campus being built (does not have to be monetary); for more details ask me.

•          Grow by reaching out to those without a church home

•          God is calling us to share our personal testimonies

•          Call forth/encourage/mentor/support Misti and young people for ministry

•          A vibrant, living, growing church offering Christ to all, flexible to address new needs proactively – offer Christ to anyone who appears plus specific efforts to reach the unchurched in our area

•          Offering Christ to all

•          The church is here for a reason – offer services to our community – Wed. supper to neighbors, free lunch once a month, offer Christ, here for them

•          Reach out to ACCD campus!

 

Bible Study/Spiritual Growth

•          Call us back to Scripture (letters to 7 churches etc.)

•          More emphasis on Bible study (you can’t witness if you don’t know the scriptures)

•          Increase our own spiritual depth to be able to reach out in faith to those around us

•          Develop a depth and genuineness in our faith – remembering it’s about God, not about us – as a foundation from which to offer Christ to others

•          Shepherding

 

Youth/Children

•          Youth ministry

•          Youth must be a priority

•          For youth, children programs being offered during the week – sports, other activities besides Sunday, homework help

•          More for younger children

 

Small Groups/Ministries

•          Grief support ministry, divorce recovery, parenting, singles ministries – promote in community

•          Group memberships – growth

•          Small group ministries

•          Obtain an outpost location away from current facility and provide small group activities to local community.  Find and provide what small groups need.

·         Sustain what we have going and make each group stronger.  Commit.

·         TAG and Homerooms are a great part of our Senior ministries – but we need to build them up more

·         Find a way to incorporate youth, children, and older adults together in programs

 

Outreach to Others

•          Help older people or anyone in need (not just members) – drive for groceries, doctor appts, bring to church, etc.

•          Provide literature/Bibles to RACAP & thru other organizations

•          Grow through outreach.

 

Facilities

•          We can expand church structure on the land we already have

•          Fellowship Hall – new or refurbish

•          Continued growth which could lead to new facilities even in a new place

 

Miscellaneous

•          Let younger generation take over leadership

•          Take action/implement/be responsible

•          It’s about the Spirit; we must be instruments of the Spirit of God

•          To heal this congregation

•          To practice forgiveness and offer forgiveness and love to each other as we accept forgiveness from God

•          Town Meetings will give us a roadmap for the future

•          Willing to risk, listen to youth, look to the future

•          Don’t look back except to celebrate – look forward to ALL new opportunities; don’t not try something just because it hasn’t been done before attitude.

 

2) What We Are Doing Now That We Should Keep Doing

Youth/Children

•          Great mentors in our church for the younger generation

•          Vacation Bible School and add follow up (invite)

•          Active preschool and kids day out program reaching out to the public

•          Preschool

•          Youth ministry (6 more mentions); please continue to strengthen

•          Youth and children – good programs needed for future growth

•          Preschool and KDO

•          Youth group

•          Youth activities

•          Supportive congregation for Youth

 

Spiritual Growth

•          Bible study – both youth and adult

 

Small Groups

•          Many small groups that benefit church members and those less fortunate (continue to keep those things balanced)

•          Homerooms (2)

•          Small group ministries/studies (4)    but need more and more help

•          Interest groups and service ministries

•          Growth in discipleship opportunities

•          Small groups – Emmaus, Homerooms, and open to new

•          Variety of great small groups – Emmaus, Homerooms, open to new groups

•          Small groups and ideas

 

Other Ministries

•          A lot of individual ministries being done to support and help others

•          Outstanding lay speakers (utilize more)

•          Doing a lot very well

•          Missions (2)

•          Music ministries (2)

•          Music ministry – great choir

•          Our ministry is astonishing, but can grow even more with the commitment of all of us

•          See a need and meet it (i.e. Weight Loss)

•          Care Team

 

Welcoming/Friendliness/Outreach

•          Fellowship, support, welcome to newcomers

•          Making guests feel welcome; big improvement over several years ago

•          We are a friendly church

•          Welcoming; welcome new and old

•          Reach out to neighborhood

•          Welcoming/acknowledging visitors, not putting them on the spot

•          Powerpoint presentation

 

Worship

•          3 distinct worship services; variety of worship services

•          Worship styles

•          Worship and welcome

 

Pastors

•          A devoted pastor Myron who is working and praying diligently to pull this congregation together.  Also Sharon who is dedicated to serve as a supportive spouse

 

Miscellaneous

•          Listening to our members

•          Great staff

 

3)  What We Are Not DoingNow That We Need to Start Doing

LEADERSHIP

•          … church leadership (laity) to lead as group, not pastor’s vision or it will be gone when he leaves in 3-5 years

•          Grow leaders internally to continue small groups into the future

•          Plan for sustaining growth/maintaining ministries

•          Leadership development, especially for chair positions

•          Not planning for our future

•          Unity in our vision

•          Need new blood trained to take over many of our committees (3 year service helps some)

•          Call forth/encourage/support young people inclined to go into some type of ministry – start by supporting and encouraging Misti

•          Good communication

•          New signs visible to the public – too small

•          Need minutes from all ministry team meetings taken and share with WON team

•          Lay leadership and volunteers

•          We must unite and work together and plan the future

•          Need for focus in ministry

•          Look at the mission statement – long, cumbersome

•          Budget/ plan for future, set aside funds in advance with more business logic along with faith approach

•          Be brave, take action, step out in faith, put our skills and money where our mouths are – step up to the plate

•          Call forth/encourage/support younger people for ministry

•          Plan ahead for the basics – take care of those well in preparation for future growth

•          Come to decisions and move out and do it

•          Consult those involved before changing things relating to worship (esp thinking of changes relating to early service)

•          Church needs to live within its income and put money aside for future expenses.  Fact that we only have $200 in our building fund is not very funny.

•          Listen to our Senior voices in planning programs for youth and increased membership (or all programs?)

•          People would pledge more if they believed we were being more fiscally responsible with our buildings, etc.

•          If church is growing – you have volunteers, we need volunteers – not “too tired”, “did my time”, etc. – don’t know who you will impact

•          Make sure senior pastor or associate pastor attends all Senior functions.

 

WITNESS

•          Don’t use term “my church” or “our church”.  Church belongs to Christ, not to me or any of my friends.

 

Worship/Music

•          Not jumping around pages at 8:15 communion

•          Worship – print complete Sacrament of Holy Communion in bulletin or else let us read directly from UMH without having to switch between pages 7, 8, 17.

•          Use lay speakers, especially female leaders up front.  Bill Bennett’s health limits him but a lot of others are not used (wasted talent).  Reference Nov 06 Church Conference. 

•          Ensure pastor or associate pastor is always at Sunday worship services.

•          Don’t change worship services during the service.  (Scripture posted is not what is presented).

•          Include more actual traditional hymns during all services, i.e. Amazing Grace, Old Rugged Cross, How Great Thou Art etc.

•          Active involvement of young children at the 11 a.m. service can be a distinguishing factor of this service.

•          Alternative worship forms

 

Evangelism

•          Emphasize Gideon Bibles more – funeral, wedding, etc.

•          Testimonies/our stories of faith

•          Invite people to church

•          Open, friendly congregation

•          Events geared specifically to witness/outreach, i.e. musical dramas to present the Gospel message – can invite others – can hold these events at Christmas or Easter

•          “Mission outpost” storefront church, Sidewalk Sunday School, GO OUT (need volunteers)

•          Mission outpost/storefront church

•          Kim Buck to do a seminar with senior high youth to be ready to reach out with ministry to new ACCD campus

•          Church bus to bring children to church – use tools we have

•          I challenge each of us to invite neighbor kids to VBS – offer to bring them and then stay to volunteer. 

•          Invite kids we see to VBS, volunteer

•          Include young parents/couples – invite them to Mother-Daughter lunch or spaghetti supper etc.

•          Sunday bus service to homebound and nursing home folks; also to TAG meetings.  Hire someone if we can’t get volunteers.

 

Member Development

•          People have to take responsibility

•          More service by new individuals (fewer spectators) – volunteer, involvement, take on leadership

•          We as a church need to be accountable to each other and our Lord – as individuals being responsible, not just ministry teams taking care of everything

•          If you see someone missing for awhile, call them!

•          Vows – service

•          Act as though we truly love one another; leave egos at home

 

Facilities

•          Facilities critical – expansion and maintenance

•          Building fund promotion

•          Building/facility upkeep and improvement

•          Building ministry team

•          Improve/expand our facilities

•          Church building is falling apart.  Too many patch jobs with inexpensive materials and knowledge of how to make repairs

•          Fix up our church – roof, siding, A/C, safety, KDO

•          Could we have a 2nd pledge designated just for building maintenance and future needs.  (We did a separate pledge when we built the sanctuary).

•          To draw in youth – need gym with activities (outpost possibility)

•          Master facility planning – lots of ideas, no action

 

OUTREACH

Missions

•          Convenor to go back to Homeroom to ask people to bring specific items for RACAP

•          More financial support for missionaries from our church (such as Kim Buck, Jeff Painter) as part of mission outreach

•          Look at commitments we have made already – RACAP – not meeting our commitments

•          Focus on fewer missions – do fewer well rather than a tidbit to all and not making an impact

 

Neighbors/Community

•          Assist more with people in community – financial pressures and how to address

 

NURTURE

•          Find a way to include those members who have full time jobs during the day to participate in groups like UMW

•          More community activities – 4th of July, Memorial Day, Super Bowl, sports/teams, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christian Car Club

•          Visits to members who have quit coming to church.

•          Follow up on members who have not come for 3-4 Sunday services in a row.

•          We tend to want to divide, divide, divide by age and interest.  It is my experience that there is more growth and more of a feeling of community (at least for me) if we do the opposite.  I like “family” activities.

•          I pray that by now we have at least 2 or 3 people wanting to take the precious man to church and back home

•          Personal recognition to some old time volunteers who have not been mentioned (several were mentioned; note – some we have done already in the Ministry of the Month feature during the past year and others will be added)

 

 

Spiritual Growth

•          Increase emphasis on religious education – as a church and as parents

•          Senior Pastor is our leader and teacher.  Please start Senior Pastor Bible study.  Give us proper interpretation of the Bible as trained pastor.  Interactive for you and for us. 

•          More prayer ministries – learn more

 

Other Small Groups/Ministries

·         More for seniors, for college age

•          Small groups

•          Minister more to the bereaved – an organized effort to reach them

•          Need of a grieving program for loss of loved ones

•          Need of a mental health support group

•          Reach out to more folks for inclusiveness in small group programs

•          Do new small groups have to go through any process to see if the church should sponsor this idea?  We need to prioritize our programs.

 

Age Level Ministries (Children, Youth, Adults)

 

Children/Youth

•          More emphasis on children/youth

•          Need more young and children

•          Develop and implement a comprehensive children’s ministry

•          Encourage young adults

•          Build children and youth programs – kids is where it’s at, they bring the 20s/30s, church will grow

•          If kids are happy and we have programs for them, their parents will come

•          Something for college age members

•          Children’s ministry and young parents

 

Adults (including Seniors)

•          More for 20s and 30s

•          Too old of a congregation.  Need younger couples and children

•          Older ones are needed – experience, finances, extended family

•          Senior ministries

•          Senior programs/groups such as TAG – more special fun programs.

•         Reach out more to the older members – build up TAG attendance and get out more info on Homerooms.  These are both great supportive groups for seniors.

 

TOWN HALL – YOUTH SESSION (June 3, 2007)

 

Future God is Planning for UCUMC

 

·         Work with other Youth groups in the area

·         Mission trip to Illinois to work with Ms. Sheryl’s Youth there

·         Work with older people in the neighborhood – yardwork, housework, visiting

·         Once a month raffle for fundraising

 

Things We Are Doing Now That We Should Keep Doing

 

·         Youth ministry

·         Mission trips

·         Sunday School

·         Having fun

·         Weekly meeting

·         Worshipping God

·         3 worship services

·         Getting food

 

Things We Aren’t Doing That We Need to Start Doing

 

  • More mission trips – helping other people around the church – get off church grounds – minister to more
  • Do more with the little ones – more for the pre-Youth group
  • Put more youth [helping to lead] in the worship services – morning prayer, all services
  • More communion in Youth group
  • More fiscal training – Christian money management – do some financial class.
  • Sports – Dodgeball, basketball, football, softball – more youth to join our softball team.