Transcript Making Your Church a Vital Congregation

Central District of the Indiana Conference
The United Methodist Church
Complement to our DNA
Membership Vows
• Prayers
• Presence
• Gifts
• Service
• Witness
Five Fruitful Practices
(Imagine Indiana)
• Intentional faith
development
• Passionate worship
• Extravagant generosity
• Risk-taking mission and
service
• Radical hospitality
5 Vital Signs of Vital
Congregations
• Disciples engage in
growing their faith
• Disciples worship
• Disciples give to mission
• Disciples engage in
mission
• Disciples make new
disciples
Why Vital Congregations?
 We have the language and the practices for making
disciples in the Five Practices.
 We have what it means to be a disciple stated in our
membership vows.
 Vital Congregations now gives us the tools for being
held accountable for making and being disciples.
Vital Congregation Measurements:
# of small
groups
Engaged in
growing their
faith =
Prayers =
Intentional
faith
development
Ave worship
attendance
Worship
regularly =
Presence =
Passionate
worship
$$ given to
outreach
Share by
giving in
mission =
Gifts =
Extravagant
generosity
# engaged in
mission/
outreach
Engaged in
mission =
Service =
Risk taking
mission
# professions
of faith
Help make
new
disciples =
Witness =
Radical
hospitality
Why set goals?
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Provide clarity and focus to ministry for the Mission
Give the congregation shared vision for the Mission
Move the church forward toward the Mission
Create greater accountability of the Mission
 Each number represents a soul
Timeline
 Now
 Meet with Leadership Team
 Set Goals
Timeline
 Charge Conference in November
 January 2012 begin online reporting
 VitalSignsUMC.org
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Share your story and successes
Learning best practices from others
Peer to peer support and sharing
Easy to use and understand
Open, accessible and evolving
 March – Bishop’s meeting
 April – General Conference
Critical Dates
 Your charge conference
 Goals presented
 January 2012
 Reporting begins online
 Every Monday
What is to be reported?
 # in weekly attendance at worship service(s)
 # of Professions of Faith
 # of Small Groups (including Sunday school &
Bible study)
 # of people participating in Outreach locally and
globally
 $$ given toward Mission
Plan for Mondays
 You’ll get an email every Monday reminding you to
report your data (Starting 1/2/12)
 Talk with key leaders/volunteers/admin staff
 Who will count and report worship attendance?
 Who will track the number of Small groups?
 Who will track the number participating in
missions?
 How/when will the above be reported?
 Who will enter the data on Mondays into the Vital
Signs webpage?
How To Set Goals
 Start with a time of prayer and discernment
 Enter into worship praising God for the opportunity to
participate in God’s Mission.
 Study the Scripture to see clearly what the Church is to
do and to be. (See next slide)
 Respond by clarifying where God is already at work in
the church you serve and where God is calling you
forward.
 Set your four-year goals in each of the five goal areas.
(Make the goals realistic yet a stretch)
How to Set Goals, Con’t.
 Scriptures:
 Acts 1:8 – the scope of the Mission
 Acts 2 and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
 Matthew - The Great Commission
 Matthew - The Great Commandment
 Matthew 22:36-40
 I Corinthians 12 – the church as a healthy body
 Ephesians 4:10-13 – all have spiritual gifts from Christ
 Galatians 3:26 – all are welcome
 Micah 6:8 – God expects righteousness and justice from God’s
people
Action Steps:
Establish Action Steps that are SMART
 Specific
 Measurable
 Attainable
 Relevant
 Time-framed
Examples of SMART Action Steps
 Worship Attendance:
 (Name) will find at least (number) greeters every week.
One will welcome people at the entrance, one will move
around the room engaging visitors or newer attendees,
proactively helping them as needed, one will___.
 (Name) will make contact with every visitor by (when).
 (Name) will train the volunteer greeters.
 All of the above will be done to assist in reaching our
goals for 2012.
SMART Examples
 Professions Of Faith :
 Invitations for professions of faith will be offered at least
____/year from the pulpit and through Sunday School
Classes, youth group, and Small Group Bible Studies.
 All leaders will be asked to invite any attendees to make a
profession of faith and attend confirmation.
 Adult and Youth Confirmation/Membership classes will be
offered at least (how many times?)
 (Name) will evaluate our progress/effectiveness in this area
every 3 months and make adjustments as needed.
 All of the above will be done to assist in reaching our goals for
2012.
SMART Examples
 Small Groups/Sunday School/Bible Studies:
 We will host two 4-week studies as
outreach/discipleship opportunities.
 One in March on “Relationships” after Valentine’s
Banquet. One in October on “Finances.”
 Groups will meet in homes or at the church. Guests
will be invited to attend Sunday Worship.
 (Name) will evaluate progress/effectiveness in this
area every 3 months and make adjustments as needed.
 All of the above will be done to assist in reaching our goals
for 2012.
SMART Examples
 Outreach in Mission:
 We will celebrate the outreach we’re currently doing by
having a member share about his/her experience during a
Sunday Worship Service each quarter.
 We will invite our congregation and new members to
participate in at least one outreach event each year.
 We will participate in the District’s Great Day of Serving with
our cluster in our community.
 We will ask our congregation for new ideas on outreach
and mission locally, regionally and globally.
 All of the above will be done to assist in reaching our goals for
2012.
SMART Examples
 Giving to Mission:
 We will celebrate the giving we’re currently doing by having
a member share about our mission partners during a
Sunday Worship Service each quarter.
 We will have an article in the church newsletter about “Your
Giving: God’s Work” highlighting where our giving dollars go.
 We will have a bulletin board with mission giving
opportunities and information.
 We will invite (Name)to talk about mission and giving
opportunities.
 All of the above will be done to assist in reaching our goals for
2012.
Fruit: A Vital Congregation
 Worship Attendance
 Professions of Faith
 Small Groups
 Mission & Outreach
 Giving toward Mission
Remember…