River of Life United Methodist Church
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
River of Life United Methodist Church
OUR CORE VALUES
(Who we are—What we believe in)
Christ-Centered, Mission, Compassion, Prayer, Fellowship,
Spiritual Formation, Congregational Expansion
OUR MISSION
(Why we exist)
To make disciples of Jesus Christ by shining God’s light as a
Christ-centered, worshipful, service-driven family of faith,
seeking the transformation of the world.
OUR VISION
(Where God is leading us)
River of Life UMC: A source of the living waters of God’s grace
flowing into our community and the world.
River of Life’s Visioning Leadership Team (VLT) encourages you to read these materials before you attend
Consecration Sunday, November 19, 2017. This 5-year Vision Plan originated with a sense of God calling the
Church to a new future. The VLT went through a Spirit-filled & extensive process of research, data-collection
and analysis, followed by input from the congregation on Visioning Day in May, 2017. River of Life’s VLT
then utilized all of this background information to develop strategies and initiatives aligned to three
Strategic Goals to be implemented by 2022. We trust that this plan will be a helpful guide as we join to
envision the future to which God is calling River of Life United Methodist Church.
-1-
The Visioning Journey
STRATEGIC GOALS DISCERNMENT
The purpose of this Visioning Process has been to discern God’s unique vision for River of Life UMC
and to strategically align our ministry with this vision. The Visioning Leadership Team began meeting
regularly in late 2016. We utilized a model of “L3: Loving-Learning-Leading” as a means to develop as
spiritual leaders, working in a healthy group environment to foster transformative creativity together.
To accomplish the Visioning Process, we first employed an internal analysis mechanism
(congregational survey) to faithfully build upon our God-given identity, strengths, and potential, while
humbly and honestly acknowledging our limitations. We also used a powerful resource, Mission Insite, for
external analysis of the surrounding area (demographics, etc.) to provide focus & synergy to our outreach.
These efforts, bolstered by the 3L model, proved very effective at bringing clarity to this creative
work. After prayerful consideration of the internal & external data-gathering & analysis, and to be the most
relevant & immediate for our ministry in the near future, the following three strategic goals emerged:
Strategic Goal A: To Improve and develop our land and facilities, and increase the diversity of our
ministry offerings, in order to better serve our immediate neighbors.
Strategic Goal B: To increase outreach & build connection into the communities to our South-East.
Strategic Goal C: To increase our service ministries in St. Augustine and the surrounding areas.
These large-scale, “30,000 foot” concepts not only drove our congregation’s work on Visioning Day, but have
driven the Visioning Leadership Team’s work since that time. Each goal presents an array of opportunities
and/or risks toward carrying out the mission of River of Life UMC. Yet, together, they form the strategic
agenda that has shaped this planning process for the next five years for our Church.
STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES DEVELOPMENT
Input from the congregation was sought to develop the strategies & initiatives by which the strategic
goals will be accomplished. Over 80 members combined their desires, gifts, and knowledge on our Visioning
Day, May 7, 2017! Using a collaborative process, members met in small-groups to engage in directed
brainstorming to develop their own strategies & initiatives, which were then collected & combined for
everyone to consider. We used play-money to “Put our money where our mouth is,” as a fun yet effective
means to express support for personal favorites, and also to reveal unity of the congregational favorites. A
list of 20 strategies & initiatives that received the most votes were aligned to our three strategic goals.
These strategies & initiatives were taken by the VLT, in prayerful consideration, to begin to draft a
five-year Vision Plan. Where possible, the group identified strategies and initiatives that can be
implemented within the next year (2018) with current resources and refocused leadership. For more
extensive strategies and initiatives, our team considered implementation timeframes, concurrency of
initiatives, and the potential resources required to implement these new ideas. As a result, preparatory
steps for these more extensive strategies can be implemented in the early years, with full fruition by 2022.
In short, this plan demonstrates a faithful and intentional approach to implementing the work, while
increasing capacity as our congregation & resources grow. Fueled by the Holy Spirit, these will move our
facilities & grounds, ministry offerings, outreach & connections, and service to our surrounding area, toward
the God-sized vision captured within this Five-Year Plan. Along the way, the Vision Plan allows us to remain
focused upon and aligned to our congregation’s core values, while living-out our mission to fulfill this vision.
-2-
GOALS, STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES for 2018-2022
For presentation’s sake, the Vision Plan has been condensed back into a list of strategies and initiatives
under each of our three strategic goals. These initiatives have not been listed in any order to imply
importance or priority. The implementation of the plan will be a dynamic process over the next 5 years.
STRATEGIC GOAL A:
To improve and develop our land and facilities, and increase the diversity of our ministry offerings,
in order to better serve our immediate neighbors.
Develop Operations Team to align ministries to values, mission, and vision.
Develop Communications Team to improve communication to congregation and community.
Increase and diversify ministry offerings (e.g. Discliping Small-Groups, Fellowship Groups, Community
Groups, Multiple Worship Services, Westminster Woods ministry).
Build-out to reach-out (e.g. Increase visibility, Pavilion, Playground, Sports Field and Sports ministry).
Develop, plan, fundraise and begin construction on new building(s) by 2022.
Establish partnerships with local schools in close proximity to River of Life (Julington Creek Elementary,
Fruit Cove Middle School and Creekside High School).
Enhance Children’s Ministry.
STRATEGIC GOAL B:
To increase outreach and build connection into the communities to our South and East.
Develop Communications and outreach strategies to the Southeast area (e.g. Social media, targeted
marketing, neighborhood outreach & events in the community).
Representation at community events in the Southeast area (e.g. Relay for Life, Clean Up Community,
Habitat for Humanity, Outreach & ministry at sports fields).
Research and develop a “Fresh Expressions” Ministry in the Southeast area (e.g. “dinner church”).
Establish partnership with schools to the South and East (e.g. Durbin Creek Elementary, Bartram Trail
High School, Nease High School).
Sponsor a local sports team intentionally in the Southeast Area.
Plan and develop a ministry in the World Golf Village area.
STRATEGIC GOAL C:
To increase our service ministries in St. Augustine and the surrounding areas.
Develop a team to connect leaders with existing local ministries and develop new service initiatives.
Restore ministry initiatives to provide meals and clothing for homeless people and families (e.g.
Ministry-in-Action Sunday, Dining with Dignity, etc.).
Develop ministry involvement with St. Francis House Youth services.
Develop a partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Host an addiction support group needing space to meet in JCP.
Create ministry to support youth & families of military personnel.
Identify, plan and complete: a Local; a Regional; and an International missions trip.
-3-
NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THE VISION A REALITY!
Now, we have arrived at this pivotal moment as a Church. We have sought the Lord’s guidance
throughout the whole process, while doing diligent and extensive research. As a congregation, and certainly
as a Visioning Leadership Team, we have felt the inspiration and unity of the Holy Spirit, as we have prayed
together, worked together, played together and shared ideas together. And so now, we present to you this
prayerfully-considered, God-honored, Jesus-blessed, and Spirit-filled Vision Plan for our next five years of
ministry, 2018-2022, at River of Life UMC.
We encourage you to prayerfully consider how you might make this vision a reality by offering your
time, talents, and treasure. Please join us on Sunday, November 19—and throughout the years to come—as
we consecrate this Plan and ourselves to God, Commit ourselves to make it happen, and celebrate this new
and exciting journey of mission & vision to which God has called us at River of Life UMC.
In service to Christ and our Church,
The ROL 2016-2017 Visioning Leadership Team
Sean Warrington, Chair Lisa Hetland Mark Oberdeik
Fonda Mosal, Chair Rick Kane Jim Radney
Aimee Andrews Jennifer Kane Rob Rose
Margaret Askew Heidi Karl Jerry Skufe
Shelby Askew Becky Kimball Barbara Skufe
Karen Clem Dusty Locke Frannie Sperry
Marcie Dennis Maylene Moneypenny Christine Wentzel
Pastor Tony Fotsch
Some glimpses along the journey...
Strategy & Initiative ideas - ready for us to
Core Values Day conversations & voting Visioning Day groups developing some great ideas
“put our money where our mouth is”!
Your VLT
hard at work,
even in the
Pumpkin Patch!
A Note from Pastor Tony - as we complete one journey and look forward to the next
River of Life family and friends, as we complete this arduous process of Visioning together, I am
overwhelmed with praise to our Lord, who has offered us this opportunity to seek His vision through Jesus
Christ and the uniting power of the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful to the members of our Visioning Leadership
team who have given so much to this task, and have done such amazing work together. And, I’m so proud of
us at River of Life in this process. Yet, I am most excited to see what will come to fruition as we commit
ourselves to this Vision Plan, faithful to God and offering all we can to the great future before us!
-4-
You can also read
