Transcript Slide 1

Pure in Heart
Left to right: Mark Akridge, Taccoa First UMC
Elaine Latore, Wesley Chapel UMC
Marlena Salters, Impact UMC
Donna Alexander, Hogansville First UMC
Jamie Weaver, Epworth UMC
Back row: Ben Green, Acworth UMC
Pete Fleming, Five Springs UMC
Key Vital Congregation Ministry
Strategies
Key Ministry Strategy Number 9:
Vital pastors use their influence to increase
participation of others in order to accomplish
changes in the church.
Key Ministry Strategy Number 10:
Vital pastors motivate the congregation to set and
achieve significant goals through effective
leadership.
Key Ministry Strategy Number 16:
Vital churches use more multi-media in
contemporary worship.
Group Process Steps
1.
Study the Vital Signs initiative through the
Call to Action Steering Committee Report,
the Conference website and the umc.org
website.
2. Develop additional questions to better
define each of our three key ministry
strategies, twelve questions in all.
3. Conduct interviews with our pastors to
determine their responses to our
questions.
4. Develop a composite video and a written
summary of their responses.
5. Prepare our report.
Toccoa First UMC
Pastor John Brown
Vital Sign #9: Vital Pastors use their
influence to increase the participation of
others in order to accomplish changes in the
church.

Toccoa First changed the order of worship
in the traditional service to make it more in
line with the order of worship in the Book
of Worship and the hymnal

Ministries and programs have been
effective – rather than change, Toccoa
First has explored ways to make sure
these programs are efficient and effective
as possible

Changes being made to the physical
building
Vital Sign #10: Vital pastors motivate the
congregation to set and achieve significant
goals through effective leadership.

The pastor has to be a visionary and
lay out a clear vision for what God has
in store for the church

The pastor can help people be the best
servant of Jesus Christ that they can be

What difference would it make to the
community if our church was not here
anymore?

If leaders articulate a clear vision then
the congregation can connect the dots
– it gives meaning to all that we do and
gives people passion for ministry
Vital Sign #16: Vital Churches use more
multi-media in contemporary worship.

Toccoa First has a full multi-media
presentation at one service and it’s our
most well attended service

Multimedia is important but if there’s no
message then it’s irrelevant
Five Springs UMC
Pastor Ann Fleming
Vital Sign #9: Vital Pastors use their
influence to increase the participation of
others in order to accomplish changes in the
church.
I conduct a congregation-wide planning session
every six months.
I try to be open to and to encourage ideas from
the congregation.
I always involve the congregation in
implementation of changes.
Vital Sign #10: Vital pastors motivate the
congregation to set and achieve significant
goals through effective leadership.
In
order to set realistic goals, I always
inform the congregation of conference and
denominational matters, such as the Vital
Church initiative.
The
pastor must build trust through her
or his actions.
At
Five Springs we jointly set clear goals.
The
pastor must involve the people in the
pews. They are in the community.
Follow
Paul’s example.
Vital Sign #16: Vital Churches use more
multi-media in contemporary worship.
This small (50 members) rural church does
not routinely use multi-media in worship.
We do provide visual aids when possible.
We have established a good audio system.
We use various media (videos, Internet) in
small groups.
We use social media for outreach.
Acworth UMC
Pastor James Gwin
#9 Vital pastors use their influence to increase
the participation of others in order to
accomplish changes in the church by:


Adapting to the unique period of growth and
challenges for the church.
Taking periods of transitions (staff changes ex. youth
director) and turning into a positive



Recognizing the need to handle transition periods differently
than in the past.
Ex. For interim period bring in persons outside the youth
group to direct so that vital leadership would not get “burned
out” and be fresh to help during the transition after the arrival
of the new youth director.
“A wise pastor will identify key “influencers” in the
congregation and start a dialogue regarding the need
to recognize and initiate change.



Don’t wait on congregational leadership to respond for pastor’s
guidance
Use “education and motivation as tools”, in an open,
transparent, respectful way.”
Avoid “manipulating and trying to “out-flank” the other side
leads to long-term distrust and less than ideal results.
#10: Vital pastors motivate the congregation to
set and achieve significant goals through
effective leadership by:

Open effective communication as important leadership
quality



Recognizing that helping to achieve a goal is a critical
step in vitality.





to educate, motivate, persuade, equip, and empower others to
“own” goals and work toward achieving them.
done one-on-one through a personal connection based on trust.
Reaching or progressing toward a goal builds momentum, trust
in leadership, and ownership by all.
Achieving one goal makes the congregational “self-esteem” go up
and there is an overall improvement in confidence in achieving
future goals.
Likewise churches will decline if they are not motivated to keep
moving toward a goal.
You cannot be a vital congregation without achieve a goal – or
many goals. It is the desire to do better that breathes life into a
congregation.
Recognizing that good leaders can and will help a
group


Focus on what is important, negotiate the unexpected, and
organize in a way to make clear progress toward a goal
A great leader, can do this while rising up other leaders.
#16 Vital churches use more multi-media in
contemporary worship by:

Increased use of “home made” videos and “social
media” for communication





Using visual aspects of video and or photography such
as nature scenes to convey a liturgical season of or
segue into a sermon theme.
Using videos posted at the church web-site “Welcome
to AUMC”, post announcements, and present
testimonies.
Using pictures “photos of faces” are powerful as well as
videos



Has had a direct, positive impact that builds excitement and
resonates with worshippers under forty years old.
And some would never see or experience can become a part of
worship whether it is going on an Africa Mission or seeing
children laughing at VBS.
activity comes alive to convey the sights, sounds, energy,
enthusiasm, and spirit of a church event and the participants in
a way that cannot be by just saying “we had a great VBS last
week”.
Using less PowerPoint (Media Shout) slide show –
useful but limited in impact.
Continue to look ahead and improve by upgrading and
Wesley Chapel UMC
Pastor William Bert Neal, Jr.
PASTOR NEAL’S REVIEW
VITAL CONGREGATION
 START UP CHURCH - LONG
EXISTING CHURCH
 CHURCH INVOLVEMENT/INPUT
 EVANGELISM
 ATTRACT YOUTH/ YOUNG ADULT
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Impact UMC
Pastor Olu
Brown
ALL THREE KEY MINISTRY STRATEGIES
We must make sure that the right people are
in the right position
One of the most significant leadership
qualities is vision
Great leaders know how to delegate
Lay people are essential to the vitality
of the church and must be committed to
change
Leaders must be instrumental in
connecting the dots to facilitate change
At Impact, ideas are filtered through
the Leadership Team first to assess the
possible need for adjustment before
implementation
There must be a renewal process,
one should constantly set new goals
Epworth UMC
Pastor Lisa Dempsey
Location,
location, location

Leadership is vital

A small church can be vital
Hogansville UMC
Pastor John Alexander
#9 Vital pastors use their influence to
increase the participation of others in
order to accomplish changes in the church
by:


First – make sure your approach does no
harm.
Second – always use the congregation
where ever possible to help bring about
change.
Third – consistently and methodically
use
scripture, experience, and reason to
initiate the needed change with the help
of

#10: Vital pastors motivate the
congregation to set and achieve
significant goals through effective
leadership by:

The ability to form relationships.
Through servant hood because the
better
you serve, the more God raises you up
to
leadership.


It is the role of the leadership to help
others to “connect the dots”.
#16 Vital churches use more multi-media in
contemporary worship by:
Using social media to attract potential
youth
and younger members
