FCJ Database of Concerns and Prescriptionsindianaumc.s3.amazonaws.com/...FCJ-Database.docx · Web...

Fruitful Congregation Journey

Concerns & Prescriptions

Compiled January 7, 2014

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Table of Contents

1. AGING CONGREGATION (LACK OF CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRIES) – SEE ALSO UNTAPPED MINISTRY TARGETS.....................................................................................................................................6

(BROOK UMC 11/13)...........................................................................................................................6

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET UMC 11/13)............................................................................................6

(LAFAYETTE BROWN STREET UMC 9/13)....................................................................................7

(LINTON FIRST UMC 9/13)................................................................................................................8

(STAR CITY UMC 8/13).......................................................................................................................8

(WAKARUSA UMC 10/13)..................................................................................................................9

2. COMMUNICATION.............................................................................................................................10

(BARNES UMC 12/13).......................................................................................................................10

(CASTLETON UMC 1/13)..................................................................................................................11

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)....................................................................................................................11

(GRACE - LAFAYETTE UMC 9/13).................................................................................................12

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)..................................................................................................................12

(MT. AUBURN UMC 8/13).................................................................................................................13

3. DEBT..................................................................................................................................................14

(CASTLETON UMC 1/13)..................................................................................................................14

4. DECISION MAKING (INEFFECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR) – SEE ALSO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT..........15

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)....................................................................................................................15

(EMMANUEL UMC 10/11).................................................................................................................16

(GARY CHRIST UMC 5/12)..............................................................................................................17

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET UMC 11/13)..........................................................................................17

(WOODMAR UMC 9/12)....................................................................................................................18

5. DISCIPLESHIP PATH............................................................................................................................18

(ALBANY UMC 11/13).......................................................................................................................18

(BARNES UMC 12/13).......................................................................................................................19

(BLOOMINGTON FAIRVIEW UMC 11/13).....................................................................................20

(BROOK UMC 11/13).........................................................................................................................21

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)....................................................................................................................22

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(HERITAGE - LAFAYETTE UMC 10/13).........................................................................................24

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)..................................................................................................................25

(PERU MAIN STREET UMC 9/13)...................................................................................................25

(YORKTOWN UMC 11/13)................................................................................................................26

6. FACILITY ISSUES/INSUFFICIENT MINISTRY SPACE..............................................................................26

(CHURUSBCO UMC 8/12)................................................................................................................26

(LINTON FIRST UMC 9/13)..............................................................................................................27

(MCGRAWSVILLE UMC 1/13)..........................................................................................................27

7. FINANCIAL PLAN FOR STABILITY AND GROWTH (LACK OF)...............................................................28

(BARNES UMC 12/13).......................................................................................................................28


8. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (INSUFFICIENT PROCESS FOR)..............................................................29

(ALBANY UMC 11/13).......................................................................................................................29

(BARNES UMC 12/13).......................................................................................................................30

(BROOK UMC 11/13).........................................................................................................................31

(CORNERSTONE UMC 9/13)...........................................................................................................31


(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)..................................................................................................................33

(MT. AUBURN UMC 8/13).................................................................................................................33

(NORTH JUDSON UMC 9/13)..........................................................................................................34

(WAKARUSA UMC 10/13).................................................................................................................35

(YORKTOWN UMC 11/13)................................................................................................................35

9. LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE/STAFFING ISSUES......................................................................................36

(BARNES UMC 12/13).......................................................................................................................36

(CHURUBUSCO UMC 8/12).............................................................................................................37

(DECATUR UMC 2/13)......................................................................................................................38

(DEPHI UMC 2/12).............................................................................................................................38

(EDWARDSVILLE UMC 2/13)..........................................................................................................39

(LINTON FIRST UMC 9/13)..............................................................................................................40

(SOUTH BEND GRACE UMC 2/13)................................................................................................40

(STAR CITY UMC 8/13).....................................................................................................................41

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(TRINITY - KENDALLVILLE UMC 2/13) – Addresses Zero Based Staffing...............................41

(WALL STREET JEFFERSONVILLE UMC 2/13)...........................................................................42

10. MULTICULTURAL INCLUSIVENESS......................................................................................................43

(FORT WAYNE TRINITY UMC 10/12)............................................................................................43

11. STEWARDSHIP/FINANCES..................................................................................................................44


(NORTH JUDSON UMC 9/13)..........................................................................................................44

12. UNRESOLVED CONFLICT....................................................................................................................45


(FAIRLAWN UMC 9/13).....................................................................................................................46

(HERITAGE - LAFAYETTE UMC 10/13).........................................................................................46

(NASHVILLE UMC 11/12).................................................................................................................48

13. UNTAPPED MINISTRY TARGETS/CONNECTING TO COMMUNITY/LACK OF GROWTH........................48


(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)....................................................................................................................48

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)..................................................................................................................49

(MT. ALBANY UMC 11/13)................................................................................................................50

(MT. AUBURN UMC 8/13).................................................................................................................51

(YORKTOWN UMC 11/13)................................................................................................................52

14. VISION AND UNDERSTANDING OF CORE VALUES (LACK OF).............................................................53

(ALBANY UMC 11/13).......................................................................................................................53

(BARNES UMC 12/13).......................................................................................................................53


(BROOK UMC 11/13).........................................................................................................................54

(CORNERSTONE 9/13).....................................................................................................................55

(DANVILLE 11/13)..............................................................................................................................56

(FAIRLAWN 9/13)...............................................................................................................................57

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET 11/13)....................................................................................................57

(LAKEVILLE 11/13)............................................................................................................................58

(YORKTOWN 11/13)..........................................................................................................................59

15. WORSHIP EXPERIENCE.......................................................................................................................60

(DECATUR 2/13)................................................................................................................................60

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(DELPHI UMC 2/12)...........................................................................................................................61

(FIRST LOGANSPORT UMC 10/12)...............................................................................................61

(FORT WAYNE TRINITY UMC 10/12)............................................................................................62

(GRACE – LAFAYETTE UMC 9/13)................................................................................................63


(LINDEN UMC 4/12)...........................................................................................................................64

(MONTICELLO UMC 1/13)................................................................................................................64

(MT. ETNA UMC 4/12).......................................................................................................................65

(WAKARUSA UMC 10/13).................................................................................................................65

(YORKTOWN 11/13)..........................................................................................................................66

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1. AGING CONGREGATION (LACK OF CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRIES) – SEE ALSO UNTAPPED MINISTRY TARGETS

(BROOK UMC 11/13)CONCERNThe church survey, which members provided the Consultation Team, revealed that the number one concern is an aging congregation. Close behind that was the concern about the lack of children and young families in the life of the church. The Consultation Team concurs with these self-identified concerns and lifts them up as major issues for the church to address. While many persons talked about the lack of young families, no one has a strategic plan to reverse the decline of children and young families.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order to develop inspiring, relevant ministries with young families in the area surrounding the church, the pastor, coach and education chairperson will create a Ministry Team of five persons to work with Helene Foust, Associate Director of Student Ministries - Indiana Conference or the person she designates, by May 31, 2014.

The team will develop a plan for this ministry that will include the following components: a) Develop a strategy to reach young families in the Brook community; b) Identify and recruit a team of volunteers to lead the Family Ministry; c) Evaluate the existing Safe Sanctuaries Policy including its utilization.

This team will complete its work by December 31, 2014.

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET UMC 11/13)CONCERNVital and fruitful congregations include a sufficient number of children and youth along with their parents. Virtually everyone agreed that the lack of young people poses a significant problem for any long-term growth. While some efforts have been tried in the recent past, there are no positive sustained results and no current plans to target young families and their children.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order to develop inspiring, relevant ministries with children and youth in the area surrounding the church, the pastor, coach and education chairperson will create a Ministry Team to work with Helene Foust, Associate Director of Student Ministries - Indiana Conference or the person she designates, by May 1, 2014.

The team will develop a plan for this ministry that will include the following components: 1) Develop a plan to reach the children and youth in the neighborhood; 2) Explore the possibility of expanding the youth and children’s program on Sunday evenings in conjunction with the Neighborhood of Hope program; 3) Identify and recruit a team of volunteers to lead the Children and Youth Ministry; 4) Develop a strategy to expand the number of participants involved in current ministries; 5) Evaluate the existing Safe Sanctuaries Policy and its utilization; by July 31, 2015.

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(LAFAYETTE BROWN STREET UMC 9/13)CONCERNThe consult team clearly heard both a concern over the congregation’s shrinking size and a real desire to grow. Over the past three years, the community’s population (2-mile radius) has grown by approximately 1.3%, yet Brown Street UMC’s average weekly worship attendance decreased 19% (from 49 to 40).

The consult team also heard that the Brown Street UMC congregation doesn’t reflect those living in the church’s neighborhood, nor is it comfortable in reaching out to them. The community’s average age is 32 years old, while the Brown Street UMC congregation’s average age is 58 years (according to the self-study). The neighborhood is ethnically more diverse, and nearly 50% of households with children are led by a single parent. Some in the congregation expressed a concern for their safety when considering neighborhood ministry.

PRESCRIPTIONIt is the conviction of the consult team that God calls Brown Street UMC to focus on its mission to make disciples and to transform its community, including its neighborhood, rather than to focus on attracting people to their church to increase their worship attendance. The consult team believes, however, that if the church focuses on its mission, attendance will ultimately increase. In order to do this, the church will do the following.

The pastor and Evangelism Work Area, in consultation with the coach, will develop a strategy to reach and disciple those living within the church’s neighborhood. This strategy will include the following:

a) A clearly delineated target area (e.g. 5 block by 5 block area around the church) that will become the primary focus of the church’s outreach/discipling effort.

b) An initial assessment of this target area’s assets, needs, and dreams. This will be discerned through using tools such as leadership interviews (e.g. police who patrol the area, teachers at local schools, etc.), prayer walking, windshield tours (guides provided during the Visioning Workshop), as well as focus groups or one-to-one interviews with those presently being reached from this area (e.g. VBS families, Brown Street UMC attenders who live in the target area, Jefferson Centre Apartment Bible study participants, turkey dinner attendees, probation office clients, etc.)

c) Identifying bridges the church has already made into this target area, how these could be strengthened and/or expanded (e.g. Jefferson Centre Apartment Bible study, the probation office clients that use the church’s space, turkey dinner attendees, VBS families, etc.)

d) Identify gifts the church could provide on an on-going basis (e.g. praying for individuals/families, sharing a meal with individuals/families, serving as a “grandparent” for a single-parent family, providing extravagant generosity/hospitality that meets the needs of the families in the target area)

e) Identify the gifts and graces of those living in the target area and providing an opportunity for them to share their gifts and graces to the people of Brown Street UMC and their neighbors. (a resource person who has implemented this is Rev. Mike Mather of Indianapolis Broadway UMC)

f) Identify “persons of peace” (like Lydia), persons with influence in the community that God raises up and connects with the church

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g) Utilize the discipleship pathway (see Prescription 3) to engage those reachedh) Specific measurable next-step goals that are based on the above

This strategy will be presented to the Church Board for its affirmation and support by April 30, 2014. Then it will be implemented.

(LINTON FIRST UMC 9/13)CONCERNWhen asked the question “if you could change one thing about First UMC what would it be?” the overwhelming response was to increase ministry and outreach to families with young children and youth. While many are dreaming and hoping about what that would be like, there are no immediate plans for how that could happen.

PRESCRIPTIONThe senior pastor in consultation with the coach will appoint 6-10 people who will serve on a Family Ministries task force. The objective of this task force will be to determine the felt needs of young families in the church but also those in the community that are not connected to the church. In order to accomplish this, the task force will conduct interviews with the following:

a) Parents with children and youth that currently attend;b) Principals of the local schools;c) Director of the county’s children services department;d) Teachers within the school corporation;e) Neighbors, co-workers, relatives, etc. that have children and/or youth that are not

connected to a church;f) Other area churches’ youth leaders;g) Clients of the food pantry;h) Mental health providers in the area;i) Others:

Additionally, this task force should carefully review the findings of the MissionInsite and Faith Perceptions reports.

After interviews have been conducted the task force will meet to determine what they have learned regarding the needs or desires of young families. The results of this work will be shared with the Church Council by April 1, 2014 and a person shall be named chairperson of Family Ministries to build a team and determine the direction of such a ministry.

(STAR CITY UMC 8/13)CONCERNOver the past five years, the community’s population has experienced approximately a 3% decrease, while Star City UMC’s average weekly worship attendance decreased 54% (from 107 to 58). The community’s average age is 40 years old, while the Star City UMC congregation’s average age is between 55-60 years (according to the self study). The consultation team clearly heard a desire from the congregation to become a growing church and to reach younger people.

PRESCRIPTION

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In order to help the church to grow and to reach younger people, the following will be done:

The congregation will have a service of prayer and forgiveness to embrace God’s mandate for making disciples. This will be coordinated by Catherine Turcotte, FCJ prayer coordinator ([email protected]), in consultation with the pastor, and will be completed by December 15, 2013.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a hospitality team, by December 31, 2013, that will do the following:

a) Study the Faith Perceptions “mystery guest” report and identify key areas that need improved regarding hospitality.

b) Improve the church’s website and social media and establish a person(s) who will keep them up to date.

c) Develop a system to identify and welcome guests to worship and to follow up after their visits.

These will be accomplished by May 31, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a children’s outreach team that includes young parents, by December 31, 2013, to do the following:

a) Study the Faith Perceptions “mystery guest” report and identify key areas that need improved regarding children on Sunday mornings.

b) Explore with the church’s Trustees improvements that can be made to update the church’s children’s areas and to make the church more inviting to children. In order to do this, they will visit Delphi UMC’s children’s area and pick the brains of their children’s staff.

c) Coordinate a congregational prayer walk within Star City using the pray walk guide found in the Church Development section of our conference website (www.inumc.org).

d) Help the church develop and strengthen a children’s ministry that is intentionally targeting, engaging, and discipling children outside the church (e.g. Kid’s Club, VBS, etc.). This will include developing a plan to help strengthen their parents’ relationships with both Christ and the church.

These will be accomplished by May 31, 2014.

The Ad. Board will require that every outreach effort in the church (e.g. Kid’s Club, VBS, fish fries, church bazaar, Christmas Eve service, etc.) present an intentional action plan that explains how people will:

a) be invited (e.g. word-of-mouth, fliers, social media, etc.),b) welcomed (e.g. signage, greeters),c) identified—getting their contact information and whether they’re unchurched or not,d) be followed up (e.g. invited to another event, regular offers of prayer, matched with a

member and invited into their home for a meal or to sit with them in worship, etc.).Requiring such action plans would begin December 1, 2013.

(WAKARUSA UMC 10/13)CONCERNThe current ministries with children and youth seem to be connecting with a very small and diminishing number of participants. Many leaders we met with expressed concern about improving the quality and impact of these ministries and noted that currently there are no mid-week or summer opportunities for these age-groups. Mystery Guests reported confusion about the location of the Sunday morning opportunities for children and youth, and concerns about the

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location of the nursery and the lack of a check-in process. One said: "Due to the nursery location, I would not be comfortable with my child participating in the events offered." Without intentional, effective, safe, and inspiring ministries for children and youth, Wakarusa UMC will struggle to reach families with children.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order to develop inspiring, relevant ministries with children and youth, the pastor, coach and education chairperson will create a Ministry Team to work with Heather Olson-Bunnell ([email protected]) and Helene Foust ([email protected]), Associate Director of Student Ministries - Indiana Conference, by May 1, 2014.

The team will develop a plan for this ministry that will include the following components: 1) Evaluate all the current programming and location of these programs to determine their effectiveness in reaching their target audience; 2) Explore the possibility of hiring a part-time Children’s Ministry Director; 3) Identify and recruit a volunteer or team of volunteers to lead the Youth Ministry; 4) Develop a strategy to expand the number of participants involved in current ministries; 5) Evaluate the existing Safe Sanctuaries Policy and its utilization; 6) Visit three congregations of equal or larger size to evaluate their effective ministries; 7) Address childcare needs of younger adults participating in the life of the church; and 8) Align all Children’s and Youth ministries to the discipleship pathway by July 30, 2015.

2. COMMUNICATION

(BARNES UMC 12/13)CONCERNWhile the church’s recent implementation of a single-board structure will help to streamline decision making and potentially foster better communication, the church’s leadership development, planning and goal setting, management—including follow through—and communication are limiting the church’s ministry effectiveness. This is exhibited through the following:

a) (Other parts deleted as they related to leadership)b) inconsistent or a lack of communication both externally and internally. There is no

church website, exterior signage can be improved (Where’s the main entrance during the week? Sunday mornings? The parking isn’t visible from 30th Street.), and the mystery guests report indicated a low awareness of the church.

c) Furthermore, many interviewed by the consultation team expressed frustration of not knowing what was going on within the church. Leadership decisions would be made without any communication with the congregants.

d) Some key leaders lacked knowledge about the church’s financial situation. e) Getting contact information of worship guests and new members was also inconsistent

or absent. In at least one case, a person was a member nearly a full year before the church realized it didn’t have their address and phone number.

PRESCRIPTION(First comments deleted as they pertained to leadership)

COMMUNICATION. To improve the church’s communication, the following steps will be done:

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mailto:[email protected]

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a task force by January 31, 2014, to review and assess the church’s communication process. Then the task force will develop a plan, process, and policies to strengthen healthy communication within the church. This will include, but not be limited to, how decisions are made and communicated by the various groups in the church, what and how information is shared, the areas of responsibility of each group, staff member, and each servant doing a ministry. The task force will complete its work within March 31, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a communication team of three persons by January 31, 2014, to evaluate the effectiveness of current communication within the congregation, as well as the community. They will research and explore healthy communication practices of large churches, and present a plan for recommended changes to the Leadership Team. They will pay particular attention to: a) e-mail, b) websites, c) bulletins/newsletters, d) pamphlets describing church ministries and outreach, e) posters and digital information boards, f) interior and exterior signage, g) potential technologies such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and external Wi-Fi. This team will utilize the input from the Faith Perceptions report, especially relating to signage and community awareness. The team will complete its work by May 31, 2014.

(CASTLETON UMC 1/13)CONCERNPeople expressed communication is poor primarily between leadership and the church body, committee to committee, and between each campus. There is an overall concern for lack of transparency, especially surrounding the finances and capital debt. Poor communication has created rumors, speculation, and misinformation which undercuts trust and ultimately impacts the level of involvement, giving, fruitful ministry, and the willingness to serve and lead.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor in consultation with the coach will select a team of 3-5 people by March 1, 2013 from staff and laity from each campus (at least one having a background in marketing and communication) to research and implement healthy and effective ways to communicate surrounding major decisions, general updates, finances and capital debt. Particular attention will be given to transparency, accountability, and effectiveness that use various forms of technology so that the church is not weighted down with more meetings just to share pertinent information. The team will review practices of other multi-site churches that demonstrate clear and concise communication, and present a plan for improvement to the Church Council by May 15, 2013.

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNThe need for an effective communication plan, both inside the church and to the community beyond the participants of the church, was mentioned repeatedly by the members and leaders interviewed by the FCJ team. One key leader said a major barrier facing the congregation was a lack of communication. Another leader offered, “We need a communication plan so people know what’s going on, know who is doing what, and we can give people a chance to get on board with our ministries and life.”

PRESCRIPTION

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The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will create a task force of 3-7 persons by February 15, 2014, to:

Evaluate the effectiveness of the current communication practices internally and externally. This will include:

1. Researching and exploring healthy communication practices of other, vital churches to learn and explore effective ways to communicate;

2. Developing a plan, process, and policies to strengthen healthy communication internally and externally. This plan will include how decisions are communicated, what and how information is shared from each group, staff member, leader and leadership teams.Paying particular attention to: a) e-mail, b) websites, c) bulletins/newsletters, d) pamphlets describing church ministries and outreach, e) posters and digital information boards, f) interior and exterior signage, g) potential technologies such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and external Wi-Fi.

This team will utilize the input from the Faith Perceptions report, especially relating to signage. The team will complete its work by July 31, 2014.

(GRACE - LAFAYETTE UMC 9/13)CONCERNThroughout the consultation, the team continually received feedback about the need for clearer communication about ministries, events, programs, plans, issues and decisions. There does not appear to be a clear, effective process for communication that inform and inspire either internally (within the church) and externally (in the community). This often leads to a “silo effect”, with ministry areas, staff, and leaders functioning independently, which makes communication to the entire church body more challenging, and ineffective in reaching the community.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will create a team by October 17, 2013, to review and assess the church’s communication process. The task force will develop a plan, process, and policies to strengthen healthy communication within and beyond the church.

This will include, but not be limited to, how various groups communicate within the church with best practices for communication. This plan will cover both internal and external communication needs to both inform the congregation about ministry opportunities as well as inspire the community to become involved at Grace UMC. They will research and explore healthy communication practices of large churches, and present a plan for recommended changes to the Administrative Council. They will pay particular attention to: a) e-mail, b) websites, c) bulletins/newsletters, d) pamphlets describing church ministries and outreach, e) posters and digital information boards, f) interior and exterior signage, g) technologies such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and external Wi-Fi. The team will complete its work and report to the Administrative Council by February 28, 2014.

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERN

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In an age of instant communication, the digital front door is ineffective and unable to promote the ministries of Lakeville UMC, and reach out to younger families. In addition, there is a confusing Facebook presence, and little use of other social media. This is one example of the lack of an intentional strategy to communicate and connect with those God calls us to reach. Other examples are inconsistent hospitality, difficulty finding the classrooms, and lack of communication amongst the committees and between the services. Care must also be taken to communicate with those who do not use digital communication.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach:

1. Will recruit a task force of 3-4 people to analyze interior signage, from a guest’s perspective. Signage should make it easy for children and their families to find restrooms, children’s classrooms and nursery without assistance. Recommendation and implementation needs to occur on or before April 1, 2014.

2. Will develop and implement a comprehensive hospitality system to greet, track, and intentionally connect all potential new persons to the ministries of Lakeville UMC, including those from the weekday children’s ministry, community service/missions contacts in the community, Sunday morning guests, youth ministry, etc. This system must also address Sunday morning hospitality before and after the worship services. This system will be in place and operating by September 1, 2014.

3. Will establish a Communication Evaluation Team of 3 persons by August 1, 2014, to evaluate the effectiveness of current communication within the congregation, as well as to the community. They will research and explore healthy communication practices of regional midsize and large churches, and present a plan for recommended changes to the Administrative Council. They will pay particular attention to: 1-website, 2 - bulletins/newsletters, 3- posters and digital information boards, 4-explore any unused technologies such as blogs, Twitter, and external Wi-Fi.

The Communication Evaluation Team will report their recommendations for implementations to Administrative Council on or before October 31, 2014.

(MT. AUBURN UMC 8/13)CONCERNThe consultation team commends Mt. Auburn for having a staff person dedicated to communication, and equipping that staff person with an up to date set of tools, including computer and software. External communication is a vital part of creatively reaching out to newcomers, and the MGW report affirmed your website and connection resources as being very effective. However, in a large church such as Mt. Auburn, communication can’t be left to just one person, no matter how committed and dedicated that person may be.

During the Friday evening focus group, and Saturday’s Leadership Workshop we heard that “internal communication needs to be improved, especially communicating change,” and the congregation indicated “Communication” as the number one area of concern in the FCJ on-line survey.

Effective communication will be vital to maintaining your strong sense of community.

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PRESCRIPTIONThe Communications Director, in consultation with the Pastor Jim and the Coach, will establish a communication team of 3-5 persons by January 31, 2014 to evaluate the effectiveness of current internal communication among committees, leaders, and the congregation, as well as external communication practices with persons outside the church. They will research and explore healthy communication practices of large churches, and present a communication plan to the Administrative Board for adoption by May 31, 2014. This plan will cover both internal and external communication needs to both inform the congregation about ministry opportunities and decisions, as well as inspire the community to become involved at Mt Auburn.

The team will also seek out and attend a social media bootcamp style training event, to facilitate more effective outreach through social media to younger generations.

This team will pay particular attention to effective communications using: a) e-mail, b) website, c) bulletins/newsletters, d) brochures, e) posters, f) digital information boards, g) interior and exterior signage, h) congregational forums, and i) potential technologies such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. This team will seek and utilize input from the congregation, as well as the MGW report relating to directions, websites, and external and internal signage challenges.

3. DEBT

(CASTLETON UMC 1/13)CONCERNThe consult team affirms the efforts being taken by the Generosity Committee to address the dark cloud of capital debt which hangs over virtually everything in the church. This has been consistently shared with the consult team during the interview process. The issues surrounding the procurement of this debt, the viability of repayment, and the lack of transparency in reporting the current status to the congregation has had a negative impact upon the church. This has created a “spirit of scarcity” which has resulted in the repeated squelching of creative ministries due to a resultant lack of funds (i.e. Family Life Center and sports fields). Therefore the capital debt is negatively impacting overall stewardship.

PRESCRIPTIONThe consult team affirms the work of the sub-committee of the Generosity Committee which is working on resolving the issues surrounding the capital debt. An insurance consultant has been contracted to evaluate the current situation. The committee will write a report to inform the congregation on the specifics of the debt and the progress toward a viable plan in a town hall meeting by April 15, 2013. The congregation will have the opportunity to hear updated information about the debt and current liability. An additional town hall meeting will be held by June 30, 2013 to hear and discuss the viable plan for the debt retirement. The plan to resolve the debt will then be voted on by the Church Conference. We recommend the team consult with Jennifer Gallagher, the Conference Treasurer, to help the team think through and clarify this issue.

The capital campaign giving of $400,000 a year will end in July, 2013. This giving has been used to pay toward the $1.3 million life insurance annual premiums. The policies funded by these premiums are the collateral for the capital debt. With a new debt reduction plan in place, a

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capital campaign will be held during the fall of 2013 to fund the plan. This is important because no principle or interest is being paid so the amount of the debt continues to increase.

The tithe giving to the Annual Conference will no longer be held in escrow. We affirm the decision to pay the tithe monthly to model to the congregation the importance of tithing. Church participants will be encouraged to tithe as they pull together to resolve this major issue.

In combination with the day of Prayer and Forgiveness in prescription 1, a 21 day Daniel Fast is recommended. The pastoral staff and willing persons can research this type of fast and challenge the church body to fast and pray for God’s deliverance.

4. DECISION MAKING (INEFFECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR) – SEE ALSO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNDanville UMC lacks an organizational environment through which decision making, go setting, accountability and evaluation stimulates growth and allows ministry areas to flourish. It was consistently noted that it is unclear how new ministries begin or decisions are made. When asked how decisions are made at Danville UMC, one leader replied “that’s a good question!” Others felt decision making at Danville UMC takes an unnecessary amount of time. In addition, the consultation team was unable to discover a clear path for leadership recruitment and development. The lack of structure in these areas hinders new ministry possibilities and leadership development.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order to create an environment through which decision making, goal setting, accountability and evaluation stimulates growth and allows ministry areas to flourish:

a. The coach will conduct an Accountability Leadership Workshop for church leaders by September 15, 2014. Following the workshop, a team made up of Pastor Jeanne, the chairs of Trustees, Finance, Ad Council, SPRC, Lay Leader and two at-large members under the age of 40 to explore a new accountable administrative structure to enable the church to accomplish its mission and vision. The new structure will be adopted by Charge Conference, 2014.

b. Pastor Jeanne, in consultation with the coach and the SPRC chairperson, will appoint a “Leadership Development Team” by December 31, 2014. This team will develop a comprehensive and intentional plan to evaluate, develop and deploy staff and leaders to accomplish the mission and vision of Danville UMC. Specific, measurable goals will be set for all staff and lay leaders by March 31, 2015. These goals will be directly related to the fulfillment of the mission and vision. Staff and ministry teams will receive regular (quarterly or annual) evaluations based on their accomplishment of the set goals.

c. The Leadership Development Team will schedule and support ongoing training opportunities in order to develop existing and new leaders, including a Culture of Teamwork workshop led by

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the coach by June 15, 2015. This will include shared learning through guided study of leadership books and materials such as FCJ resources, as well as scheduling and budgeting for regular leadership training opportunities (conferences, workshops, seminars) for staff and lay ministry leaders.

(EMMANUEL UMC 10/11)CONCERNThe consulting team was unable to discover a clear mission or vision for the ministry of the church. We affirm with the Church Council and staff there is no intentional expectation or process to develop new leaders at all levels of the church. The church is staffed for maintenance rather than growth, even though 58% of its budget is allocated to staff. The senior pastor has too many direct staff reporting to him and attends to too many operational issues, which minimizes his effectiveness and limits his time to focus on his primary responsibilities—preaching, visioning, and leadership development.

There is a lot of confusion in the organizational environment that stems from lack of clarity in the decision-making and planning process, along with uncertainty about lines of authority and who is responsible for what.

PRESCRIPTIONThe congregation understands that the day this consultation report is accepted (should that be the case), this congregation will adopt, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” as its mission (purpose) statement.

The congregation will have a day of prayer and forgiveness to embrace God breaking open the hearts of the congregation for the local unchurched. This will allow the membership to be fully prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. This will be led by Paula Gast (or someone she designates) in consultation with Pastor Jeff Buck, as soon as possible.

Also, the coach will conduct a Day of Visioning for the congregation, building on all the work done by the leadership and the Fruitful Congregation Team. The purpose of this day is to set clear God-sized goals as we discern how God wants to work through the congregation both individually and collectively to reach the growing number of unchurched people in the surrounding community. This day will occur on or before December 10. This visioning process will support and reinforce the church’s commitment to reach out by establishing a percentage of the mission field that Emmanuel United Methodist Church will target. Following the Day of Visioning, the pastor, in conjunction with the coach and the leadership of the church, will refine and expand the vision statement and God-sized goals. This statement will be presented to the congregation by March 13, 2012.

Upon adopting the mission and new vision, every ministry in the congregation must demonstrate how it will accomplish the mission and new vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a ministry audit. This audit must be completed by March 13, 2012. Any ministries not focused on the mission and vision will be given a year to rectify or be dissolved.

The senior pastor and coach will meet with the Staff-Parish Relations Committee to audit and realign the current staff positions for the sake of fulfilling the church’s mission and vision. This will include an assessment of the roles of the staff, the configuration of staff positions, and planning for future staff positions. The senior pastor and coach will see that all the church’s

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paid and unpaid staff develop an intentional system to multiply new leaders and team members. This will be completed by September 1, 2012.

The senior pastor and the coach will see that the church holds an Accountability Leadership workshop for all staff and leaders for the purpose of exploring simplified organizational structures with recommendation to the Nominations and Leadership Development Team for the year 2013. This will be completed by May 1, 2012.

(GARY CHRIST UMC 5/12)CONCERNThose interviewed described an inconsistent and sometimes frustrating decision-making process (e.g. what to do with the church van). Also voiced is a sense that at times members don’t trust the leadership’s decisions, and sometimes go around them when they don’t get their way. Leaders appear to be informally selected to fill positions, without consideration of their gifts and skills.

PRESCRIPTIONUpon approving a new church vision, the pastor and the coach will see that the church holds an Accountability Leadership workshop for all staff and leaders for the purpose of exploring a simplified organizational structure by October 31, 2012.

After this workshop, the pastor and Church Council chair, and lay leader—in consultation with the coach—will establish a task force (no more than five people) for the purpose of drafting a proposal for a new church structure. This task force will explore and evaluate alternative leadership structures, then evaluate the volunteer positions needed for the preferred leadership structure. This shall include a system to identify and develop new leadership.

This structure will also include the use of interns and other specialists identified by SBC-21. The task force will seek out and apply for funding for these positions from sources beyond the local congregation (e.g. North District, Church Development, SBC-21, other outside grants, etc.).

This proposed structure (b and c) will be presented to the Church Conference for adoption by December 3, 2012.

The church’s Lay Leader Selection (Nomination) Committee will identify and recruit the necessary volunteer leadership for the new structure and present a leadership slate to the Charge Conference on Dec. 3, 2012, for approval. Upon approval, the new leaders will take office January 1, 2013. The old structure and leadership will be disbanded at that time.

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET UMC 11/13)CONCERNThere is major confusion about how decisions are made and who is accountable for implementation and results. Some committees make decisions and enact them immediately while others take their decisions to the Church Council. Either way, major decisions are made without communicating effectively with the congregation, leading to a sense of frustration, distrust, and alienation. Secondly, there are too few prepared leaders for the ministry that lies ahead.

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PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will lead an accountability leadership workshop for the leaders of the church by July 15, 2014. Following the workshop, a team made up of the pastor, the chairs of Trustees, Finance, Church Council, SPRC and the Lay Leader will evaluate the administrative structure of Kokomo Main Street UMC that will help the church accomplish its mission and vision. In consultation with the District Superintendent, a new structure will be adopted at the fall charge conference in 2014.

Clear, measurable goals and job descriptions should be set for all staff (paid and unpaid) and ministry teams by December 31, 2014. The goals must be directly related to the fulfillment of the mission and vision. Staff and ministry teams will receive annual evaluations based on their accomplishment of their goals. The implementation of the model will be coordinated with the pastor, SPRC and the coach.

The team, in consultation with the coach, will visit three churches that have an effective system of developing new leaders. The team will then develop an effective, integrated system to help people new to the congregation become connected to the church and mobilized for ministry. The new system will also encourage persons already within the congregation to use their gifts and talents to mentor others, especially from the surrounding area, in making new disciples and developing the next generation of leaders. This plan will be presented to the Church Council for adoption by September 1, 2014.

(WOODMAR UMC 9/12)CONCERNOur team discovered that there is no clarity in the decision making process. The staff often makes decisions by default rather than intention. The committees and Church Council have difficulty making decisions in a timely manner. This ineffective structure inhibits the church from making decisions that can move the church to the next level.

PRESCRIPTIONThe Senior Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will offer an Accountable Leadership Workshop on or before September 15, 2013. Following the Workshop, the Staff Parish Committee and the Church Council will establish accountable procedures for both paid and non-paid staff no later than October 15, 2013.

5. DISCIPLESHIP PATH

(ALBANY UMC 11/13)CONCERNAlthough the church offers worship and opportunities for faith development (e.g. a Sunday school class, Bible study, and a new Life Group), there is not an intentional process to invite people into relationship with Jesus Christ and develop them into committed disciples. It was unclear to the Consultation Team how the congregation provides care for one another, including visitation by members and expressions of care in times of crisis and need.

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It is obvious the congregation truly cares about meeting the needs of the scores of children and adults the church is reaching through its many outreach ministries, however there is no intentional next step of connecting them to a relationship with Christ and the people in the church.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will identify a study which will engage a majority of the congregation in a participative focus on spiritual growth. This study will be completed by April 20, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put together a team by June 1, 2014, to create a clear discipleship path for moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming a fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The discipleship path will be designed for everyone, whether a non-believer or one who is maturing in their faith. This discipleship path will represent a lifelong process. The Team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model that encourages all persons:

1. to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ 2. to help them be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith3. to help them increase their biblical knowledge and wisdom4. to provide connection opportunities with other believers for support and accountability5. to help them discover their spiritual gifts6. to be in service to others for the purpose of the mission

The coach will provide a Discipleship Pathway Workshop by July 1, 2014, to assist in creating the above pathway. This new process will be adopted and implemented in the life of Albany UMC at all ministry levels (children, youth and adults) by December 31, 2014.

The Pastor, in consultation with the coach will establish a Member Care Team to develop a plan for providing care for one another, including visitation by members and expressions of care in times of crisis and need. This plan will be in place by April 30, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team by January 10, 2015. This team will develop an outward-focused strategy for the church to reach and form relationships with people in the community. This team will do the following:

1. take an inventory of all the points of contact that the church already has with its community

2. encourage members to intentionally learn the names of those identified above, and develop next-step actions to develop deeper relationships with them, such as offering to pray for them, inviting them into their homes for a meal, and spending time with them

3. develop bridge events to which these individuals can be invited into the life of the church

This strategy will be presented to the Church Council for adoption and implementation by June 30, 2015.

(BARNES UMC 12/13)CONCERNWhile the church does offer a number of worship opportunities, children’s worship during some of these services, a few adult Sunday school classes, and a couple of weekday Bible studies, there is not an intentional discipleship pathway that leads a person to doing the following:

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1. first connect to Jesus Christ and the church beyond the worship services2. grow in their knowledge of the faith3. become connected to other believers for support and accountability4. become active in service to others for the purpose of sharing the gospel as well as learn

to give generously to fulfill the mission

Further more, the church does not have an intentional process to evangelize and grow spiritually those being reached through its scouting, basketball, boxing, zumba, feeding, sports and other outreach ministries and community events.

Special concern was expressed by those interviewed over the church’s inadequate discipleship of children and youth, including both those outside and inside the congregation.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a task force to design a lifelong process that includes disciples maturing in faith as well as new believers. The discipleship pathway will align with the mission and vision and encourage all persons to:

1. connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ even beyond worship services2. be transformed through passionate worship, the study of biblical truths, and the

principles of the Christian faith3. connect with other believers for prayer, support, and accountability4. be involved in hands-on service to others for the purpose of the mission and stewardship

The task force will report its recommendations to the Leadership Team by August 31, 2014 for support and implementation.

Any ministry and community program that is done in the name of Barnes UMC is an opportunity to connect someone or move someone onto the pathway. Therefore, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a new ongoing ministry team that will be responsible for the connection and integration of newcomers into the community of Barnes UMC and its discipleship pathway. They will review and/or create:

1. a system for tracking those reached through the worship services, community outreach efforts (e.g. scouts, zumba, karate, boxing, basketball, feeding ministry, etc.) that gets their contact information and tracks their participation

2. the intentional development of relationships with them and church members and the use of bridge events to serve as “on-ramps” to the discipleship pathway

3. the criteria for establishing and remaining in relationship with ministries and community partner programs affiliated with Barnes UMC.

In order to more intentionally disciple children and youth, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a task force that will be responsible for designing and implementing a dynamic and attractive children and youth ministry, including, but not limited to, assessing the need for paid staff. This team will report their recommendations to the Leadership Team by August 31, 2014 for support and implementation.

The coach will lead the above three task teams in a discipleship pathway workshop prior to the start of their work. Upon the implementation of the above discipleship plans, the pastor and leadership will commit to communicating discipleship growth as an expectation of all members and will continually evaluate effectiveness.

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(BLOOMINGTON FAIRVIEW UMC 11/13)CONCERNThere is no clear system to grow disciples of Jesus Christ at Fairview UMC. The need for a discipleship path was a desire expressed throughout the weekend. Furthermore, some of the key components—such as small groups, Sunday school, and other discipleship practices—appear weak. As a result it is not clear how a person:

begins and grows in a relationship with Jesus Christ and the church, grows in his/her knowledge of the Christian faith, becomes connected to other believers for support and accountability, and becomes active in service to others for the purpose of sharing the gospel.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will schedule the presentation of a Discipleship Pathway Workshop by August 31, 2014. This workshop will allow church leadership to fully understand and create a process so that all ages and levels of spiritual maturity will have the opportunity to connect, move, and grow along a discipleship path.

Fairview UMC desires to have a system that enables people to: be transformed through passionate worship, study biblical truths and the principles of the Christian faith, connect with other believers for prayer, support, and accountability, be involved in hands-on service to others for the purpose of the mission and vision, re-affirm their church membership vows annually.

Any ministry program that is done in the name of Fairview UMC is an opportunity to connect or move someone onto the pathway. Therefore, appropriate leaders will be responsible for assisting persons to connect and integrate into the community of Fairview UMC. They will review possible offerings such as:

Curriculum and resources for Sunday school classes and/or small groups; Alternative times and locations for classes and fellowship (other than Sunday mornings); Opportunities for continuous short-term (6-,8-,12-week) studies; Newcomer connection and follow-up; Attendance tracking and follow-up; Membership class; Exploration of spiritual gifts and passion of all members; Support groups/classes.

A new discipleship pathway in its entirety will be adopted and implemented into the life of Fairview UMC at all ministry levels (children, youth and adults) no later than August 31, 2015. The pastor and leadership will commit to communicating discipleship growth as an expectation of all congregants and will continually evaluate effectiveness.

(BROOK UMC 11/13)CONCERNWhile the Consultation Team heard good reports and support for the outreach ministries of the church, many persons expressed a hunger for the continued spiritual development of those

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within the congregation and those who are new to the congregation. Someone phrased it this way: “We need to fan the fires of our faith.” The church lacks an intentional plan to help people grow in their faith.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put together a team of five people on or before June 30, 2015, to create a plan of spiritual development for those within the congregation as well as those served by the congregation. Just as every person within the church needs to grow in their commitment to Jesus Christ, the church must find ways to invite those whom they serve to join in a discipleship process. The team will explore the necessary opportunities for entry onto the discipleship path that could include small groups, Bible studies, prayer meetings, service opportunities, mission trips, and additional Sunday school classes.

The purpose will be to help each person discover where they are on their spiritual journey and assist them in moving forward to a deeper spirituality in their lives. This plan will encourage each person to:

connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith; use connection opportunities with other believers for support and accountability; be in service to others for the purpose of the mission; invite others to a relationship with Jesus and His church; and further discern his/her call to discipleship and leadership.

This new process will be adopted by the Church Council and implemented in the life of Brook UMC at all ministry levels by November 30, 2015.

As a sign of their commitment to growing in faith, the pastor, ministry leaders, and staff will each develop their own personal faith formation growth plan to begin November 30, 2015. They will adjust and change their plan annually. The pastor in consultation with the coach will assist the leaders in the development of these personal growth plans. Accountability will be held for the implementation of these plans through the regular staff meetings and Church Council meetings.

The leaders will become future mentors for the congregation as the congregation later engages in the same spiritual development process.

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNDanville UMC does not have a strategic process that engages and encourages people of all ages and stages of life towards a vital relationship with Christ and a life of disciple-making. Those interviewed felt this was notably lacking in the areas of children, youth and newcomer ministries. When asked how church members engage in faith discussions or simply invite those outside the congregation to church events, ministries or groups in the church, interviewees said “I don’t know,” or, “We don’t,” or, “I don’t think we can...or do.”

PRESCRIPTIONThe Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will create a Hospitality Team by January 15, 2014 to develop a more comprehensive welcoming system that tracks guests from their first visit to their ongoing connection on the discipleship pathway. This team will help each ministry area develop

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a follow-up system for any guests in their ministries or outreach events to ensure their ongoing connection to the life of the church. This team needs to complete their plan on or before March 31, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put together a team of 3-7 leaders on or before January 31, 2015 to create a clear discipleship path for moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to their next step in becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The discipleship path will be designed for everyone, whether mature believer or seeker. This discipleship path is understood to be a lifelong process. The Team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model (prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness) that encourages all persons:

to connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; to be transformed by studying the Bible and other spiritual disciplines; to be shaped by the principles of the Christian faith; to connect with other believers for support and accountability; and to be in service to others for the purpose of the mission.

(GRACE - LAFAYETTE UMC 9/13)CONCERNThere is no clear system at Grace Church to grow fully devoted, authentic disciples of Jesus Christ. There is no process to enable persons – new or long-time members – to discern where they are on their spiritual journey and what step(s) they could take to move them forward in their spiritual journey. A first-step in the Discipleship Path is hospitality which is how the Church welcomes new people and works with them to incorporate them into the “family” of the church.

The Mystery Guests almost without exception shared that such is almost non-existent at Grace Church. Typical comments included: “This appeared to be a very loving and friendly church environment; however that friendliness did not get directed to a new person like myself” or “People had their groups but I felt invisible.” Nine out of the eleven people who visited your church said they would not return.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put together a team of seven lay persons on or before January 30, 2014 to create a clear discipleship path for moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The discipleship path will be designed for everyone, whether a non-believer or one who is maturing in their faith. This discipleship path will represent a lifelong process. The Team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model that encourages all persons:

to connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; to help them be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith; to provide connection opportunities with other believers for support and accountability;

and to be in service to others for the purpose of the mission.

The coach in consultation with the pastor will provide a training session to enable a group of persons who will focus on the Discipleship Pathway to understand the process for developing a Discipleship Path plan. Following the workshop, this team will develop a written Discipleship Path for the church. This plan will be presented to the Administrative Council for adoption by

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September 1, 2014. This new process will be implemented in the life of Grace UMC at all ministry levels (children, youth and adults) following the adoption of the plan.

A specific component of the plan must be centered on hospitality, connecting new people with the existing congregation. The Coach in consultation with Pastor Lore will lead a Hospitality Workshop on or before August 1, 2014. Following the workshop, a hospitality component will be included and integrated into the broader Discipleship Pathway.

(HERITAGE - LAFAYETTE UMC 10/13)CONCERNThe consult team heard from many that there is a strong need for intentional faith development as a necessary foundation upon which to generate passion and hone skills that result in fruitful relationships with others for the purpose of connecting Jesus to them. Heritage UMC does not have a strategic process to move people through stages of spiritual growth. No clear path exists to help newcomers or regular attendees in becoming disciples who reproduce new disciples.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will schedule and present a Discipleship Pathway workshop by June 30, 2014. This workshop will allow church leadership to understand and create a process so that all ages and levels of spiritual maturity will have the opportunity to connect, move, and grow along a discipleship path.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a task force by July 31, 2014, to create a clear discipleship path, for moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming a fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ. This discipleship path will be a lifelong process designed for all ages that includes new believers and disciples maturing in faith. The discipleship path will align with the mission and vision and encourage all persons to:

connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, be transformed through passionate worship, the study of biblical truths, and the

principles of the Christian faith, connect with other believers for prayer, support, and accountability, be involved in service to others for the purpose of the mission, and annual recommitment of church membership vows.

Any ministry program that is done in the name of Heritage UMC is an opportunity to connect someone or move someone onto the pathway. Therefore, the team will review, explore, and/or create:

Curriculum and resources for Sunday school classes and small groups aligned to the pastor’s sermon;

Separating prayer meeting elements from worship and establishing a regularly scheduled prayer group;

Service projects that impact Heritage UMC’s neighborhood by connecting Jesus to those living in the neighborhood

Community needs survey to determine a land-use/facilities plan; New small groups; Opportunities for continuous short-term (6-,8-,12-week) studies;

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Systems and processes to form relationships with families of those attending activities (e.g. Egg Hunt, Vacation Bible School, Trunk or Treat, Breakfast with Santa);

Newcomer connection and follow-up; Attendance tracking and follow-up; Membership class; Periodic Exploration of spiritual gifts and passion of all members.

The results of this team’s study will be completed on or before January 15, 2015.

A new discipleship path in its entirety will be adopted and implemented in the life of Heritage UMC at all ministry levels (children, youth and adults) no later than May 15, 2015. The staff and leaders will commit to communicating discipleship growth as an expectation of all members and will continually evaluate if programming relates to the discipling process.

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNThere have been various ways Lakeville UMC has sought to educate and disciple the congregation. What the consultation team discovered was that if the pastor or a member had those gifts or passion, the opportunities would be provided. If those people were no longer able to lead, the class discontinued. Currently, many classes exist, but there is no clear “onramp” of how one would enter into the discipleship process, and no deliberate “handoff” to the next step in the journey. This lack of discipleship process has hampered the church by not laying the spiritual foundation to develop future leaders.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a team of three people by September 1, 2014. The team will create a clear discipleship pathway to help people move toward becoming fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The discipleship pathway will be a lifelong process designed for everyone, including new believers as well as disciples maturing in their faith. The discipleship pathway will align with the mission and vision and encourage all persons to:

connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ be transformed by studying the Bible and the Christian faith connect with other believers for prayer, support and accountability be in service to others for the purpose of the mission to make disciples to transform the

worldThis team will complete its work by January 1, 2015.

Additionally, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will provide a Discipleship Pathway workshop by September 6, 2014 to give direction to the Discipleship Pathway team.

(PERU MAIN STREET UMC 9/13)CONCERNThe consult team regularly heard lay leaders acknowledge the lack of a discipleship process. They expressed an inconsistency in the Sunday school program and a lack of small groups. The Mystery Guest Report indicated a lack of information regarding discipleship opportunities.

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PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put together a team of three lay leaders by May 31, 2014, to refine the proposed discipleship process that moves people from where they are on their spiritual journey to fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The discipleship process will be designed for everyone, whether a non-believer or one who is maturing in her/his faith and will be a lifelong process.

The team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model that encourages all persons:

to connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; to be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith; to connect with other believers for support and accountability; to be in service to others for the purpose of fulfilling the mission of making disciples; and to further discern his/her call as a disciple of Christ.

This new process will be adopted and implemented in the life of Peru Main Street UMC at all ministry levels by July 31, 2014.

(YORKTOWN UMC 11/13)CONCERNThere is no clear and well-owned mission of the congregation as its stated purpose, nor a vision that is the unique way Yorktown UMC will fulfill the mission. There are many programs and activities, but no clearly articulated strategic plan to accomplish God’s vision for this local church body. Several participants noted, “We need a vision that we can all get behind, that can help us know what to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to, and provide us with direction and focus.”

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team to develop a Discipleship Pathway. The coach will lead a Discipleship Pathway workshop for this team by June 1, 2014.

A clear discipleship path will be developed for moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming a fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The discipleship path will be designed for everyone, whether a non-believer or one who is maturing in their faith. This discipleship path will represent a lifelong process. The Team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model that encourages all persons:

to connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; to be transformed by studying the Bible and the principles of the Christian faith; to connect with other believers for support and accountability; and to be in service to others for the purpose of the mission.

This will be completed by September 30, 2014

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6. FACILITY ISSUES/INSUFFICIENT MINISTRY SPACE

(CHURUSBCO UMC 8/12)CONCERNAlthough the location and size of its campus afford Churubusco United Methodist Church the opportunity to expand for increased ministry, the church building itself is cramped and the interior furnishings are dated. There is insufficient classroom space for children, youth and adults and the size of the nursery does not allow for future growth. Numerous members expressed a desire in particular to expand the children’s and youth areas as a means of augmenting ministry and attracting young families. Staff offices and music rehearsal spaces are also pressed into close quarters.

PRESCRIPTIONThe Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a facilities team of not more than nine people by May 1, 2013, with equal representation from every (diverse) segment of adults represented in the church. This team will study the current usage of the facilities as well as envision the future space needs of the ministries of Churubusco United Methodist Church and the surrounding community. This facility team will visit at least five other congregations of equal or greater size, to learn how those congregations use facilities to increase ministry effectiveness on or before August 1, 2013. The facility team will also meet with the leadership of each ministry group that currently uses the facilities, to determine the current and future needs of those ministries on or before September 1, 2013. The facilities team will present a plan for implementation to the Administrative Board on or before October 1, 2013. The Administrative Board will receive the plan, make additional recommendations and present the plan to the congregation by October 15, 2013.

(LINTON FIRST UMC 9/13)CONCERNWhile there are exciting possibilities for the property next to the church building, there is an apparent belief that a new facility there could be the answer for attracting and connecting more people to First UMC and God. However, a strategic long-term plan for how to grow the church does not exist in order to support what that property could best be used for.

PRESCRIPTIONThe senior pastor in consultation with the coach will appoint a task force of 4-6 persons who will be responsible for laying out a strategic short and long-term plan for the current church properties as well as any facilities or land that could be used in the future. This task force should include at least 2 trustees, the Christian Ed and Youth coordinator and the finance chair.

Their work should include, but not be limited to, reviewing the following: Issues raised in the Faith Perceptions report (i.e. parking, signage, multiple entrances,

etc.) Future purpose of adjacently owned land; Formalized agreements with current parking lot owners; Potential off-site ministry possibilities.

A report of the task force recommendations and plans will be presented to the Church Council September 1, 2014.

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(MCGRAWSVILLE UMC 1/13)CONCERNMcGrawsville UMC is blessed with well cared for facilities and a campus with room to expand, but there is a clear need for evaluating both usage and planning to expand for growth. Hospitality and worship suffer from the lack of a clearly identified main entrance and insufficient parking. The hospitality area is cramped and not clearly marked. Mystery Guest Worshippers expressed concerns about locating both pre-school and weekend children’s ministry in the lowest level of an aging building. The youth center is an underutilized resource, often prioritized for the use of events rather than weekly youth ministries.

PRESCRIPTIONUpon adoption of the vision, the senior pastor, in conjunction with the coach, will appoint a team of 5-7 people by March 1, 2014, to conduct a comprehensive facility audit to assess:

the needs of present age-graded ministries; future usage of the building in light of emerging needs; the amount of parking needed to facilitate future growth; interior and exterior signage; ministry space needed for additional worship services and off campus ministries; future maintenance needs; and all future spaces needed to accomplish the vision.

This team will report back to the Church Council, with recommendations for the implementation of a 3-year facilities plan by August 31, 2014.

7. FINANCIAL PLAN FOR STABILITY AND GROWTH (LACK OF)

(BARNES UMC 12/13)CONCERNAlthough the church experienced a significant increase in worship attendance (going from 372 in 2009 to 547 in 2012), its finances have not grown at the same rate. Church leaders and members expressed to the consultation team a concern for the church’s income not meeting its expenses. The church is over extended financially. (See concern #3 above.) Additionally the church lacks adequate financial controls and oversight. Budgeted lines don’t exist for some expenditures, and some that do exist are overspent. There are no annual audits, a lack of attention to the ongoing capital campaign to pay off the church’s debt, poor communication of financial information, and a lack of an ongoing stewardship plan. The church also is not paying its full tithe to the conference.

PRESCRIPTIONThe Leadership Team, with guidance by the coach, will do the following:

conduct an audit of all the church’s finances by an outside auditor on or before February 28, 2014.

reactivate the capital campaign, with an outside consultant and steering team by February 28, 2014 and include acknowledgements (thanks) and encouragement for

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those who are giving and have made pledges, provide members with monthly progress reports, and consider preparations for a follow up campaign

develop plan for additional funding streams by May 31, 2014, such as considering selling assets, exploring community grants especially to fund the ministries serving the community (e.g. Center for Congregations grant), ministry fees and rental income, developing an endowment and planned giving program with the help of the United Methodist Indiana Area Foundation, and others

develop an ongoing stewardship training, with outside consultation including “7 ways of giving to the church” (in consultation with Olu Brown at Impact Church), for members by August 31, 2014.

develop, implement, and monitor clear financial controls by September 30, 2014, including budget line items that cannot be overspent or added later, preparation and review of monthly financial reports, explore and update new accounting software system that is more user-friendly than Peachtree Accounting system, transparent and regular communication of finances with the congregation, and others recommended by financial experts

(BLOOMINGTON FAIRVIEW UMC 11/13)CONCERNWhile there is no current debt, there is concern about the financial condition of Fairview UMC. The greatest concern is that the church has ignored its deficit for years which is unsustainable.

PRESCRIPTIONThe church finance committee and Treasurer should be commended for identifying the gravity of their financial circumstances and lack of a plan to deal with such. Therefore, the finance committee must commit to the following effort:

Investigate the specific rules and guidelines that may have been attached to two significant endowments the church maintains: the Fairview UMC (Fulk) Endowment and the Music Trust Fund,

Explore the possibilities of developing stronger funding streams, including building-use fee for groups using the facilities,

Develop strategies that highlight particular ministry needs that need resourcing outside of ministry line item budgeting (e.g. money or supplies for Trunk or Treat, Vacation Bible School, etc.),

Institute a year round stewardship campaign that emphasizes tithing as a discipline and a demonstration of faithfulness, and

Consider ways that will provide financial literacy for those inside and outside the congregation.

8. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (INSUFFICIENT PROCESS FOR)

(ALBANY UMC 11/13)CONCERNA new single- board structure has been put in place for the Church Council to enable better communication and efficiency, but there is no clear understanding of its purpose and how it

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should function. Roles are not clearly defined for laity and the pastor and there is no intentional process for developing leaders.

PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will conduct an Accountability Leadership Workshop for the pastor and leaders by September 1, 2014. Upon completion of the workshop, the pastor and Church Council, in consultation with the coach, will initiate an ongoing process for defining roles, planning that includes accountability and a clear communication pathway. This process will be reviewed and approved by the Church Council by October 15, 2014.

In order to develop the leadership, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a leadership development plan and initiate it by December 31, 2014. This plan may include the following:

Shared learning through guided study of books and teachings Spiritual-gift inventories The practice of spiritual disciplines—for example prayer, retreats, tithing, service, and

mission How to use a goal-setting process that supports the mission and vision Use of apprentices or vice-chair when appropriate Regular rotation of leaders on teams (e.g. 3-year terms)

(BARNES UMC 12/13)CONCERNWhile the church’s recent implementation of a single-board structure will help to streamline decision making and potentially foster better communication, the church’s leadership development, planning and goal setting, management—including follow through—and communication are limiting the church’s ministry effectiveness. This is exhibited through the following:

a low commitment to leadership training inconsistent or a lack of adequate management, oversight, planning and accountability a need for the intentional development of lay leadership, clearly defined roles and

expectations of each leader, and the delegation of ministry to them and accountability(See Communication for this info)

Furthermore, many interviewed by the consultation team expressed frustration of not knowing what was going on within the church. Leadership decisions would be made without any communication with the congregants. Some key leaders lacked knowledge about the church’s financial situation. Getting contact information of worship guests and new members was also inconsistent or absent. In at least one case, a person was a member nearly a full year before the church realized it didn’t have their address and phone number.

PRESCRIPTIONLEADERSHIP. The senior pastor in consultation with the coach and Staff Parish Relations Team (SPRT) will review the current senior pastor’s responsibilities and evaluate them in light of the mission and clarified vision. Together they will assist in aligning his time, gifts, and responsibilities and then present their results to the Leadership Team by March 31, 2014. Once

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approved, the congregation will be made aware of the job description and goals in written and verbal form.

The SPRT and Pastor Harrison, with guidance from the coach, will establish job descriptions for the paid and unpaid staff in alignment with the church’s clarified vision. The SPRT will also assess the need for any new staff positions and/or changes to existing staff responsibilities. Recommendations will be made to the Leadership Team within 60 days of the ministry audit (prescription #1).

Furthermore, the SPRT will develop a system of evaluating that will include the following: the senior pastor will be responsible for evaluating paid and unpaid staff for fulfilling their

job responsibilities and achieving ministry goals the SPRT will annually evaluate the senior pastor and—with the help of the senior pastor

—the paid staff

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will identify, begin training, and support emerging and seasoned leaders by June 30, 2014. This will include, but is not limited to, spiritual gift inventories, the practice of spiritual disciplines consistent with the discipleship pathway (prescription #5) and the use of youth and young adult apprentices where appropriate.

(See Communication for this info)

(BROOK UMC 11/13)CONCERNWhen asked how leaders are developed at Brook UMC, the Consultation Team heard that there is no intentional plan to develop new leaders for the ministry of the church. Without an intentional system to identify, recruit, train, mentor and launch new leaders, the mission and vision of the church will suffer.

The Consultation Team also discovered that the church has an administrative structure from the 1960’s that has too many committees and too many people serving on committees. The role of the Church Council appears to be receiving reports and granting permission to committees to proceed with their ministries. Currently, decisions about the ministry of the church are made without reference to the mission and vision of the church.

PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will lead an Accountability Leadership Workshop for the leaders of the church by June 30, 2014. Following the workshop, a team made up of the pastor, the chair of Trustees, Finance, Church Council, Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) and the Lay Leader will evaluate the administrative structure of Brook UMC and will adopt a new structure to enable the church to more effectively and efficiently accomplish its mission and vision. In consultation with the District Superintendent, a new structure will be adopted at the fall charge conference in 2014.

Clear, measurable goals and outcome-based job descriptions will be set for all staff and team leaders by December 31, 2014. The goals must be directly related to the fulfillment of the mission and vision. Staff and ministry team leaders will receive annual evaluations based on accomplishment of their goals. The implementation of the model will be coordinated with the pastor, SPRC and the coach.

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The team will explore different models of developing new leadership. The team will then develop a system to help people new to the congregation become connected to the church and mobilized for ministry. The new system will also encourage persons already within the congregation to use their gifts and talents to mentor others in making new disciples and developing the next generation of leaders. This plan will be presented to the Church Council for adoption by September 30, 2015.

(CORNERSTONE UMC 9/13)CONCERNA small percentage of the members are actively involved in leadership positions at Cornerstone UMC. While dedicated and diligent, they risk burning out unless new leaders are developed. Without an intentional system of leadership development to identify, recruit, train, and mentor new leaders, the mission will suffer.

PRESCRIPTIONPastor Mark, in consultation with the coach, will equip church staff and leaders to create an intentional system to develop and multiply leaders and teams. In order to accomplish this:The coach will lead an Accountable Leadership Workshop for Pastors, staff, Administrative Board, and other current and potential leaders by March 31, 2014 in order to develop helpful processes of responsibility, authority, and accountability to the Mission and Vision.The coach will provide a training workshop for Pastors, staff and leaders to help them

understand and implement their role of engaging additional people to be in ministry, thus expanding the number of people doing ministry. To accomplish this role, they will be equipped to effectively match each ministry with the gifts and talents of each volunteer.

This will enable leaders to invite, train, support, thank and evaluate persons who do ministry in various ministry teams.

This workshop will be held by April 30, 2014.

(GRACE - LAFAYETTE UMC 9/13)CONCERNFirst, there is confusion about how decisions are made and who is accountable to whom. Some committees make decisions and enact them immediately while others take their decisions to the Administrative Council. Either way major decisions are made without informing the congregation. This leads to a sense of distrust and alienation from the rest of the people. Second, there are too few leaders for the ministry that lies ahead. The consultation team discovered that people in leadership were not serving according to their spiritual gifts. The consult team also heard that there is a lack of leaders for current and future ministries. The church needs to get more people involved in doing ministry for the sake of making disciples and transforming the world.

PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will lead an accountability leadership workshop for the leaders of the church by April 1, 2014. Following the workshop, a team made up of Pastor Lore, the chairs of Trustees, Finance, Ad Council, SPRC and the Lay Leader will evaluate the administrative structure of Grace UMC toward enabling the church to accomplish its mission and vision. In consultation with the Superintendent, a new structure will be adopted at the fall charge conference in 2014.

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Clear, measurable goals should be set for all staff (paid and unpaid) and ministry teams by January 1, 2015. The goals must be directly related to the fulfillment of the mission and vision. Staff and ministry teams will receive annual evaluations based on their accomplishment of their goals. The implementation of the model will be coordinated with the pastor, SPRC and the coach.

The team, in consultation with the coach, will visit three churches that have an effective system of developing new leaders. The team will then develop an effective, integrated system to help people new to the congregation become connected to the church and mobilized for ministry. The new system will also encourage persons already within the congregation to use their gifts and talents to reproduce themselves in making new disciples and mentoring the next generation of leaders. This will be presented to the Administrative Council for adoption by April 1, 2015.

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNThere is evidence of some strong lay leadership, and the current structure is working hard at identifying new leaders. However, that same structure is neither effective in planning nor cohesive in clearly defining a system for training and mentoring those new leaders. Too few persons do the work and support the ministries. The current system (for setting goals, job descriptions, supervision and evaluations) does not marry accountability, authority, and responsibility to the leadership development and decision making process.

PRESCRIPTIONTo continue his own leadership development, the pastor will participate in his Peer Mentoring group, which is required for pastors in Step 3 of the FCJ process. The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will appoint a Leadership Development team, by January 1, 2015. This team will develop a comprehensive and intentional plan to develop and deploy leaders for the mission and vision of the church. This plan will explore the following three areas:A. Leadership development and training:

o Regular training and leadership opportunities for lay ministry leaderso Participating in the Accountability Leadership workshop led by the coach by February

1, 2015o The practice of mentoring others through the use of apprentice leaders or co-chairs,

and the rotating off of chairpersons and committee memberso Spiritual gift, personality profile inventories, and strengths resources

B. Alignment of all staff and leaders’ roles with the mission and vision according to Ministry Action Plan #1 above.This will be completed by March 1, 2015.

C. Leadership and staff practices: The regular practice of spiritual disciplines—for example, prayer, retreats, tithing, regular

worship attendance, service, mission, and demonstration of the “Fruit of the Spirit” The use of goal-setting and strategic planning, as well as accountability for the goals Developing leadership covenants Implementation of regular meetings for all paid staff Documented policies and procedures on how decisions are made

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Fruit-based job descriptions and regular evaluations of all paid and unpaid leadership positions

This will be completed by April 1, 2015.

(MT. AUBURN UMC 8/13)CONCERNMt. Auburn UMC enjoys a significant group of self-starters, led by the Holy Spirit, who continue to work diligently in their ministries, but risk burning out unless new, additional leaders are equipped to develop teams, and deploy new volunteers into the mission. Without a more intentional system of leadership development to identify, recruit, train, and mentor new leaders, the mission will suffer. A lack of this development will hinder the volunteers, the ministry teams, and the new ministries needed for the growth ahead.

PRESCRIPTIONPastor Jim, in consultation with the coach, will equip church staff and leaders to create an intentional system to develop and multiply leaders and teams. In order to accomplish this:The Pastors will implement FCJ Lay Leadership Development courses for at least 20 additional leaders. This course will develop leaders with a deeper understanding of how churches can best engage the mission field effectively. This course will begin by January 15, 2014.The coach will lead an Accountable Leadership Workshop for Pastors, staff,Administrative Board, and other current and potential leaders by March 31, 2014 in order to develop helpful processes of responsibility, authority, and accountability to the Mission and Vision.The coach will provide a training workshop for Pastors, staff and leaders to help them understand and implement their role of engaging additional people to be in ministry, thus expanding the number of people doing ministry. To accomplish this role, they will be equipped to effectively match each ministry with the gifts and talents of each volunteer. This will enable leaders to invite, train, support, thank and evaluate persons who do ministry in various ministry teams. This workshop will be held by April 30, 2014.

The consultation team affirms the intent to have leaders participate in the Shepherd training as well.

(NORTH JUDSON UMC 9/13)CONCERNLeaders interviewed by the consultation team expressed the lack of a clear and effective leadership development process. They could not identify an intentional plan to recruit, train, and empower future leaders within the church to enhance fruitful ministry.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will appoint a leadership development team, by September 15, 2014. This team will develop a comprehensive and intentional plan to develop and deploy leaders for the mission and vision of the church. This plan will include the following three areas:

A. Leadership development and training: Regular training and leadership opportunities for lay ministry leaders

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Participating in the Accountability Leadership workshop led by the coach by November 15, 2014

The practice of mentoring others through the use of apprentice leaders or co-chairs, and the rotating off of chairpersons and committee members

Spiritual gift, personality profile inventories, and strengths resources

B. Alignment of all staff and leaders’ roles with the mission and vision according to prescription one above

C. Leadership and staff practices: The regular practice of spiritual disciplines—for example, prayer, retreats, tithing,

regular worship attendance, service, mission and demonstration of the “Fruit of the Spirit”

The use of goal-setting and strategic planning, as well as accountability for the goals Developing leadership covenants Implementation of regular staff meetings Documented policies and procedures on how decisions are made Fruit-based job descriptions and regular evaluations of all paid and unpaid leadership

positions

This comprehensive plan will be completed by February 15, 2015.

(WAKARUSA UMC 10/13)CONCERNWhen asked, "How are leaders developed and decisions made at Wakarusa UMC?" the consultation team discovered that there is no intentional plan to develop and deploy persons for ministry. One member said, "I have said 'yes' to a leadership role, but I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not sure what is expected. We need some training and guidance." Several other members observed, "We spend too much time in committee meetings and not enough time in ministries." Without an intentional system to identify, recruit, train, mentor and launch new leaders, the mission will suffer.

PRESCRIPTIONWakarusa UMC will develop a Leadership Development Team to create a comprehensive and intentional plan to develop and deploy leaders for the mission and vision of the church for all age-level ministries. This team will be appointed by the pastor in consultation with the coach by August 1, 2015. This plan will include the following three areas:A. Leadership development and training which will include:

Regular training and leadership opportunities for lay ministry leaders; Participating in the Accountability Leadership workshop led by the coach; The practice of mentoring others through the use of apprentice leaders or co-chairs; The rotating off of chairpersons and committee members; and Spiritual gift, personality profile inventories, and strengths resources;

B. Alignment of all staff and leaders’ roles with the mission and vision according to prescription one above;

C. Leadership and staff practices:

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The regular practice of spiritual disciplines—for example, prayer, retreats, tithing,regular worship attendance, service, mission and demonstration of the “Fruit of the Spirit; "

The use of goal-setting and strategic planning, as well as accountability for the goals Developing leadership covenants; Implementation of regular staff meetings; Documented policies and procedures on how decisions are made; and Fruit-based job descriptions and regular evaluations of all paid and unpaid leadership

positions.

This comprehensive plan will be completed by October 1, 2015.

(YORKTOWN UMC 11/13) – Addresses Zero Based StaffingCONCERNWe affirm Pastor Cindy and the church leadership for beginning the process of streamlining the leadership structure of Yorktown UMC. However, because the church does not have a clear vision, it is not apparent what that structure needs to look like, as well as what staffing and leadership positions are needed. The pastor and some leaders do not have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, again due to the lack of a clear vision, the practice of setting goals and holding leaders accountable is absent.

There is also a lack of intentional lay leadership development and lack of a process to identify, raise up, train and deploy new leaders.

PRESCRIPTIONThrough coaching, leaders will learn to plan around the new vision and begin to implement the type of strategic planning that is essential for a congregation to be fruitful in all of its ministries. Ministry teams will be held accountable to goals, and an evaluation process will be implemented. Goals for all ministry teams will be established by October 31, 2014. Any ministries that do not align with the mission and vision of the church should be re-aligned or discontinued.

Yorktown UMC will then review staffing needs. The pastor, SPRC, in consultation with the coach, shall conduct a “Zero-Based” staffing evaluation. This is a way to avoid the temptation of protecting current positions in order to focus on accomplishing the mission and vision. This evaluation must be completed by October 31, 2014.

The next step will be to establish clear, “fruit-bearing” (outcomes), vision-centered job descriptions for each position - paid and unpaid. These job descriptions will provide a more objective basis for evaluation, accountability, and supervision. This must be completed by December 31, 2014. The pastor shall then conduct regular evaluations of the staff in the fulfillment of their goals and ministry responsibilities of the respective staff and ministry areas. The SPRC will continue to work with the pastor in the annual evaluation process of staff.

The final step will be to assess current staff in relation to the staffing evaluation and job descriptions developed in order to consistently align staffing with vision. This will be completed by February 28, 2015.

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In order to develop the staff and leadership, the pastor -- in consultation with her staff, Administrative Council, and coach -- will develop a leadership development plan and initiate it by September 30, 2014. This plan may include the following:

Shared learning through guided study of books and teachings Spiritual-gift inventories The practice of spiritual disciplines—for example prayer, retreats, tithing, service, and

mission The use of an approved goal-setting process that supports the mission and vision Use of apprentices or vice-chair when appropriate Regular rotation of leaders on teams (e.g. 3-year terms)

9. LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE/STAFFING ISSUES

(BARNES UMC 12/13)CONCERNBarnes’ effort to establish additional off-site congregations is commendable. However, the church is overextended financially and some people are under-utilized or are in the wrong area of ministry. At this time there are limited finances, staff support, and servant leadership (i.e. volunteers) to fulfill the ministry focus at the 30th Street location.

PRESCRIPTIONPastor Harrison, in working with the church’s Staff-Parish Relations Team (SPRT) and District Superintendent (DS), will take a three-month study leave for the purpose of rest, training, and renewal. In consultation with his coach, Pastor Harrison will identify and visit a number of vital, thriving churches that are doing ministry similar to Barnes UMC, and will read and study writings related to ministry at Barnes UMC.

In consultation with the coach, the church will suspend its efforts to be a multisite church by March 31, 2014. The senior pastor will implement the plan, in consultation with Church Development/FCJ staff, to re-deploy the talents and abilities of the associate pastors at the 30th Street site in alignment with the vision and as a part of prescription #3 by no later than April 30, 2014.

Church Development/FCJ staff will re-assess the funding associated with the current multi-site activities and develop a plan to consider a future restart of the project complete with a funding strategy and a communication plan consistent with prescription #3 (Strengthen Leadership, Management, & Communication).

(CHURUBUSCO UMC 8/12)CONCERNThe consultation team discovered that there were no clear lines of authority or accountability, therefore:

The church is inadequately staffed for mission and ministry. The administrative structures are cumbersome and ineffective. There is little intentional expectation and limited goal setting. There is no process to develop new leaders.

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PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will hold an Accountability Leadership workshop for all staff and leaders for the purpose of exploring simplified organizational structures. A task force of 3-5 leaders, with at least one person with human resource experience, will bring recommendations to the Administrative Board by February 28, 2013 for approval.

To build an understanding of the function and responsibilities of the SPRC, a workshop will be conducted by the Coach. The SPRC chairperson and coach will ensure this is completed by November 15, 2012.

The senior pastor in consultation with the coach and SPRC chair will convene a task force of 3-5 people. The task force will audit and realign the current staff positions for the sake of fulfilling the church’s mission and vision. This will include an assessment of the roles of the staff, the configuration of staff positions, and planning for future staff positions to be done by April 30, 2013. Job descriptions will be created or rewritten to include goals for ministry areas, aligned with the congregation’s mission and vision.

The senior pastor and coach will see that all paid and unpaid church staff will develop an intentional system to multiply and train new leaders and team members, including benchmarks to assist in evaluating progress. This will be completed by June 30, 2013.

(DECATUR UMC 2/13)CONCERNWhile strong lay leadership is demonstrated the current structure is ineffective because planning is not cohesive nor is there a clearly defined system for identifying, training, and mentoring new leaders. Too few persons do the work and support the ministries. The current system (for setting goals, job descriptions, supervision and evaluations) does not appropriately marry accountability, authority, and responsibility into the leadership development and decision making process. One exception is SPRC and their model for rotation and training of new leaders.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order to develop the next generation of leaders, under the direction of the pastor a spiritual gifts inventory will be administered to the whole church by September 30, 2013. The results will be given to the Lay Leadership and Development Committee to be used as an intentional tool to raise up new leaders. By 2014, the new pastor, in consultation with the coach, Administrative Council chair, and lay leader—will appoint a 6-8 person faith formation team to develop a clear, simple process for growing people in Christ-centeredness and the formation of their faith. This process will include an umbrella of small group offerings for seekers, newer believers, persons returning to church and the Christian faith, as well as seasoned Christians seeking greater accountability. The process will be adopted by the church’s Administrative Council in 2014. The team will work closely with existing committees, staff, and ministries to put these offerings into place beginning 2014.

As a sign of their commitment to growing in faith, the pastor, ministry leaders, and staff will each develop their own ministry action plan to begin 2014. They will adjust and change their plan to begin annually in concert with job descriptions, and goal setting. The pastor will assist the leaders in the development of these action plans. Accountability will be held for the

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implementation of these plans through the regular staff meetings and Administrative Council meetings.

The pastor and Staff-Parish Relations Committee, in consultation with the coach, will adapt any existing staff job descriptions to clarify the authority and lines of accountability. The pastor will supervise and meet with the staff on a regular basis, leading them in setting measurable goals and hold them accountable toward achieving them. The pastor will be held accountable to these tasks by the SPRC in 2014.

(DEPHI UMC 2/12)CONCERNDelphi UM Church is blessed with staff and leaders who are dedicated to the church. However, the church’s ministry will be more effective by deploying staff and leaders in an intentional way that supports the fulfillment of the vision. A shift will be necessary for current staff and leaders to move from “doing” ministry to developing new leaders and teams for ministry. When this doesn’t happen, we steal ownership for that ministry (and with it, passion and commitment).

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor and Staff-Parish Relations Committee, with the help of the coach, will conduct a staff audit which will include a review of job positions and descriptions, aligning them with the church’s mission and vision. Furthermore, each staff person will develop results-based job description, in conjunction with the pastor, and reviewed by Staff-Parish Relations Committee by October 31, 2012.

Beginning no later than November 1, 2012, the pastor will hold staff meetings at least twice a month, where goals and objectives will be monitored.

The pastor, staff, Staff-Parish Relations Committee, and Church Council, with the help of the coach, will develop a behavioral covenant that all the above will commit to. The pastor and coach will select a development tool, such as Peter Steinke’s Healthy Congregations, to help raise the staff and leaders’ effectiveness in working together in open healthy ways, and engendering trust, cooperation, and healthy communication. This will be done by May 15, 2012.

The pastor and coach will see that all the church’s paid and unpaid staff develop an intentional system to multiply and develop leaders and teams. This will be completed by March 1, 2013. This system may include the following:

Existing staff and leaders recruiting new leaders and forming ministry teams; Recruitment will be based on gifts, talents, strengths, skills, and interests; Growth in leadership skills through study and practice of spiritual disciplines; Goal setting and accountability that furthers the church’s mission and vision; and Appropriate on-going training for all leaders and servants.

(EDWARDSVILLE UMC 2/13)CONCERNThe leadership structure of the Edwardsville United Methodist Church is cumbersome, repetitive and lacking accountability. There are no staff meetings, consistencies in hiring practices and

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communication policies. One member described the structure as “over-committee’d.” Planning is not cohesive and no clear goals are present. The current system does not marry accountability, authority, and responsibility into the process of leadership and decision-making. The current policies sometimes inhibit efficiencies in the ministries of the church.

PRESCRIPTIONThe Senior Pastor and Coach will conduct a workshop for staff (paid and unpaid) and the Administrative Council, based on Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to help raise the staff and Administrative Council’s effectiveness in working together—dealing with conflict in open healthy ways, dealing with the tendency of staff operating in “silos,” and engendering trust, cooperation, and healthy communication. This will be completed by November 1, 2012.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will do an audit of the church staff making recommendations for its reorganization and alignment with the church’s mission and vision. This recommendation will be given to the Staff Parish Committee and the Administrative Council for implementation by January 1, 2013.

To improve communication across ministry lines and to unify the staff around the vision the pastor needs to be in monthly staff meeting with those reporting to her for strategic planning, goal sharing, and implementation of the ministry by both paid and unpaid staff.

All Staff and ministry leaders will be expected to set annual measurable goals that show how people are being led to Jesus Christ through their ministry (numbers), how they are developing new leaders (numbers), and how their area will grow (percentage). They will also set any other goals that determine ministry effectiveness. Results towards these goals will be reported to the Administrative Council and staff parish relations, and used in their annual evaluations. This will begin January 15, 2013.

The senior pastor and the coach will hold an Accountability Leadership workshop for all staff and leaders for the purpose of exploring simplified organizational structures with recommendation to the Administrative Council by March 31, 2013.

(LINTON FIRST UMC 9/13)CONCERNThe consultation team sensed “overwhelming busyness” on the part of those serving the church. The practice of giving authority and responsibility to ministry leaders and holding them accountable is inconsistent. Too much time is spent in meetings which impacts the ability to serve in ministry. Setting goals, establishment of strategies, and evaluation are lacking. There is no intentional process for recruiting, training and empowering new leaders.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order to free leaders to be involved in ministry instead of meetings, the coach will hold an Accountability Leadership workshop by February 28, 2014, with all leaders for the purpose of exploring simplified organizational structures. Following this workshop, the pastor, in conjunction with the coach, will assemble a Leadership Structure task force of 3-5 leaders by March 5, 2014. This task force will bring the recommended structural changes to Church Council by April 15, 2014 for acceptance.

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The pastor in consultation with the coach and Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) will review the current pastoral responsibilities and evaluate them in light of the mission and new vision. Together they will assist in aligning his time, gifts, and responsibilities and then present their results to the Church Council by April 30, 2014. Once approved, the congregation will be made aware of the job description and goals in written and verbal form.

(SOUTH BEND GRACE UMC 2/13)CONCERNINFORMAL STRUCTUREOutreach Generations

PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will hold an Accountability Leadership workshop by May 15, 2013, for all staff and leaders for the purpose of exploring simplified organizational structures. Following this workshop, the pastor, in conjunction with the coach, will assemble a Lay Leadership Structure task force of 3-5 leaders by May 1, 2013. This task force will bring recommendations to the Administrative Council by October 1, 2013, for approval.

The senior pastor in consultation with the coach and Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) chair will convene a task force of 3-5 people by November 1, 2012. The task force will audit and realign the current staff positions for the sake of fulfilling the church’s mission and vision. This will include an assessment of the roles and responsibilities of the staff, the configuration of staff positions, and planning for future staff positions to be done by June 1, 2013. Job descriptions will be created or rewritten to include goals for ministry areas aligned with the congregation’s mission and vision.

The senior pastor and coach will see that all paid and unpaid church staff will develop an intentional system to multiply and train new leaders and team members, including benchmarks to assist in evaluating progress. This will be completed by July 31, 2013.

(STAR CITY UMC 8/13)CONCERNThe consultation team heard numerous leaders indicate their frustration in carrying out their responsibilities. One asked: "Why should I accept this position when I'm not given authority?" Another used the words "being suffocated" in their position by not being allowed to carry out what they and their team had planned. Being "frustrated" in their position was stated often.

Although the church uses a large-church structure, decision-making many times is done informally—more like a smaller church, more like a "tribe." With a smaller-church or tribal system, decisions usually need the approval and support of the key family(ies). Neither decision-making system is good nor bad, but a church can’t function with both at the same time without causing leaders to become frustrated and discouraged.

PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will lead an Accountability Leadership workshop for all church leaders by January 31, 2014.

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The Ad. Board, in consultation with the coach, will debrief following the workshop and explore ways to streamline and improve the church’s leadership structure.

The coach will lead a Teamwork workshop for the Ad. Board, by May 31, 2014, to help its members understand the keys to developing healthy working relationships.

(TRINITY - KENDALLVILLE UMC 2/13) – Addresses Zero Based StaffingCONCERNTrinity Church is a community of action within the church and within the community. However, these actions have no unified vision, which causes actions to be disconnected, at times in competition, and lacking a clear, direct connection to the mission of Jesus Christ. As several participants noted, ‘We need a vision that we can all agree on and get behind.” In the absence of this unified vision, it is not possible to assess lay leadership, ministry, staffing, or facility need and use.

PRESCRIPTIONThe congregation understands that the day this consultation report is accepted (should that be the case), this congregation will adopt, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” as its mission statement.

There will be a Service of Prayer and Unity (a) celebrating the rich tradition and foundation upon which the Trinity Church ministry is built, as well as (b) the joys and opportunities of reaching a new generation of Christ Followers. The heart of this prayer service will be the mission of “making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” This will be led by Paula Gast, or a person she designates, in consultation with the Lead pastor, by March 31, 2012.

Also, the coach will conduct a Day of Visioning for the congregation. The purpose of this day is to discern how God wants to work through the congregation both individually and collectively to reach the surrounding community. This day will occur on or before April 15, 2012. This visioning process will also include a percentage of the mission field that Trinity Church will take responsibility for reaching for Jesus Christ, and will create a congregant plot to facilitate the congregation reaching its mission field. Following the Day of Visioning, the pastor, in conjunction with the coach and the leadership of the church, will create a vision statement. This statement will be presented to the congregation by May 15, 2012.

Upon adopting the new vision, every ministry in the congregation must demonstrate how it will accomplish the vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a vision and ministry audit. Any ministries not focused on, and fruitful for, the vision will be given a year to adapt in order to fit fruitfully the vision or be dissolved. This audit must be completed by July 31, 2012.

With ministries aligned with the vision, Trinity Church is now ready to review staffing needs. Lead Pastor, SPRC, in consultation with the coach, shall conduct a “Zero-Based” staffing evaluation. This is a way to avoid the temptation of protecting current positions in order to focus on accomplishing the mission and vision. This evaluation must be completed by August 31, 2012.

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The next step will be to established clear, “fruit-based,” vision centered job descriptions for each position, paid and volunteer. These job descriptions will provide a more objective basis for evaluation and supervision. This must be completed by October 31, 2012.

The final step will be to assess current staff in relation to the staffing evaluation and job descriptions developed in order to consistently align staffing with vision. This will be completed by November 30, 2012.

(WALL STREET JEFFERSONVILLE UMC 2/13)CONCERNThe staff and key laity at Wall Street are providing great leadership to the congregation. However, Wall Street UMC is understaffed, and lacks an organizational environment through which goal setting, accountability and evaluation stimulates growth and allows ministry areas to flourish.

PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will conduct a workshop for the Pastor, SPRC, and other staff/key leaders to introduce the Accountable Leadership Model before November 30, 2013.

Model:Church Council – role is governancePastor – role is leadingStaff (paid and unpaid) – role is managingMembers – role is ministering

In light of this model, the Pastor and coach will ensure that key leaders (in keeping with their passions and gifts) maximize their effectiveness in ministry, in alignment with the mission and vision. Wall Street UMC will implement the model by February 28, 2014. This alignment will include:

Creation of new job descriptions, Appropriate continuing education for paid and unpaid staff, Implementation of a performance evaluation system linked to fulfillment of goals, linked

to Wall Street’s values, mission and vision, and Evaluate the need for additional staff to stimulate growth.

In order to develop the next generation of leaders, the Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will identify at least five potential leaders by May 31, 2013. They will be asked to commit to participating in the leadership development system. This system may include the following:

Shared learning through guided study of books and teachings, Spiritual-gift and personality profile inventories, The regular practice of spiritual disciplines—for example prayer, retreats, tithing, regular

worship attendance, service and mission, The use of regular goal-setting and holding one another accountable to achievement of

the goals, The practice of having apprentice leaders or co-chairs.

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This system will be adopted and instituted by the Administrative Council and staff by January 31, 2014.

10. MULTICULTURAL INCLUSIVENESS

(FORT WAYNE TRINITY UMC 10/12)CONCERNAn African American congregation (Carry the Word), a growing Hispanic worship service (Principe de Paz), two distinct worship services (contemporary and traditional), and families with biracial grandchildren or children are all present in Trinity UMC’s building, yet they all seem to operate separately as individual silos rather than a blended model for ministry. Several persons raised concerns to the consultation team about the prejudice within the membership as a cause for this lack of integration. There also appears to be a genuine lack of understanding, cooperation, or relationship between the traditional and contemporary services.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will create a Multicultural Team with representatives from each of the four services that meet in the building (Trinity UMC’s traditional, contemporary, and Principe de Paz and Carry the Word church). This team will be established by October 31, 2013.

This team will plan four church-wide social events with activities (food, games, music) for children, youth, and adults. Each service will be the focus of one of the events that will be held throughout the calendar year 2014, to build bridges among groups within the Trinity UMC building.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will devise a plan to video-record special events (baptisms, weddings, confirmations, celebrations of life, special music, etc.) so that edited highlights can be shown during all services. A process for video recording, editing, and using highlights will be in place by August 30, 2013.

11. STEWARDSHIP/FINANCES

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET UMC 11/13)CONCERNThe current financial position of the church in tenuous with less than a few months of operating cash in reserve. While it has taken less than a decade to deplete the cushion necessary to sustain a viable church, the combination of marginal stewardship, a reduction in membership, and a very large and aging infrastructure has brought about the current financial position.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, SPRC chairperson, trustee chairperson, and finance chairperson, in consultation with the coach, will review the 2014 budget by February 1, 2014 to assure that it is a balanced

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budget. The consultation team recommends that the church move to a simplified structure whereby the day-to-day operating expenses, including utilities, are kept within a single operating fund.

The Pastor will continue to work with Kent Millard, the Indiana Conference Director of Generosity and Gratitude or the person he designates. The Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put a plan together for a fall program to help the church practice extravagant generosity by August 15, 2014. This plan will use the Consecration Model to help people embrace the joy and privilege of tithing as a means of helping to grow God’s kingdom. This plan will conclude with a Consecration Sunday experience led by Kent Millard or a person of his choosing, on or before October 1, 2014. The congregation will be invited to indicate what they plan to give to God in 2015 to a single operating fund. This plan will also include classes on financial literacy through offering a faith-based financial workshop such as Good Sen$e or Financial Peace University to the congregation at least annually, beginning by January 1, 2015.

(NORTH JUDSON UMC 9/13)CONCERNThe church struggles to have enough resources (time, talent and finances) to fulfill its mission and ministry. It is evident that there are not enough people committed to hands-on ministry or biblical tithing. This situation is a reflection of the:lack of mission and visionabsence of an intentional discipleship processneed for better communication and teaching about tithing and systematic giving

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor will contact Steve Burris, the Associate District Superintendent of the Northeast District by April 30, 2014 to enlist his assistance. The pastor, in consultation with the coach and Steve, or his designated representative, will put a program together to help the church practice extravagant generosity by August 15, 2014. The program will use the Consecration Sunday model to help people embrace the joy and privilege of tithing their time, talents and finances as a means of helping to grow God’s kingdom. This plan will conclude with a Consecration Sunday experience led by Steve Burris by November 30, 2014.

North Judson UMC will offer Financial Peace University (or a comparable program) in the fall of 2014 and in the spring of 2015 to assist families who need to develop healthy financial practices.

12. UNRESOLVED CONFLICT

(BLOOMINGTON FAIRVIEW UMC 11/13)CONCERN

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The consultation team discovered through its interviews with church leaders that several unspoken and unresolved issues of conflict are present in the congregation. These include the following:

the future direction of the church, perceived hurt and ambivalence, acceptance of differing preaching styles and worship experiences, how to incorporate contemporary aspects into worship (music selection, dramas and

instruments), and unclear and inconsistent communication (written, social media, etc.) practices, and difficulty in how to embrace, respect, and understand racial and gender diversity.

It was shared in many different ways that “a lot of conversations are happening but we are not communicating,” which is at the heart of most of these conflicts.

PRESCRIPTIONBy March 31, 2014, the Ad Council will develop a leadership covenant for its team that each member will be expected to sign and live out. This covenant may include such things as regular worship attendance, meeting attendance, professional development, intentional communication, healthy conflict resolution, tithing, participation in a discipleship pathway, and prayers. This covenant will be revisited annually.

By April 30, 2014, all church members will renew their church vows in a service of membership renewal where they will rededicate their commitment to Christ and His church. Adopting this practice annually should become a part of the church’s calendar.

The pastor in consultation with the coach will make provision to have a covenant-based training to deal with race and gender diversity for the congregation. This training will be offered by July 31, 2014.

The coach will facilitate the Creating a Culture of Teamwork Workshop to help deal with conflict in open, healthy ways, as well as engendering trust, cooperation, and healthy communication. Participants will include staff, Ad Council members, and others identified by the pastor, in consultation with the coach. This will be completed by August 31, 2014.

Additionally, the pastor in consultation with the coach, will establish a Communication Evaluation Task Force by February 28, 2014 that:

Will evaluate the effectiveness of current communication within the congregation, as well as the community. They will research and explore healthy communication practices of other churches, and present a plan for recommended changes to the Ad Council. They will pay particular attention to: 1-e-mail, 2-websites, 3-bulletins/newsletters, 4-pamphlets describing church ministries and outreach, 5-posters and digital information boards, 6-newcomer materials, 7-signage, 8- any unused technologies such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, InstaGram, and external guest Wi-Fi.

The Communication Evaluation Task Force will report their recommendations to Ad Council on or before April 30, 2014.

(FAIRLAWN UMC 9/13)CONCERN

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There is no doubt that a dark cloud is hovering over this church at this time. Although conflict resolution has been attempted, it has not been successful. We recognize that serving in the church can be difficult at times and God expects us to move out of our comfort zones. Serving the church however should enrich discipleship and fruitfulness not the extreme burden it has become for most leaders in this church. A lack of forgiveness and grace is hindering the effectiveness of Fairlawn.

PRESCRIPTIONIn order for this congregation to be able to move forward towards a fruitful future, it must deal with the hurts and wounding of the past. The coach in consultation with the District Superintendent will arrange a conflict resolution for the church training session. The pastor and all persons in leadership should consider this to be a mandatory training opportunity. Following this training, with the assistance of the District Superintendent, a Time of Healing and Repentance Ceremony will be conducted for the congregation. Special effort should be made to reach out and include those who have recently left the church or those that have chosen totemporarily remove themselves from participating in the life of the church. This act of worship should occur before April 10, 2014 and could be a part of the Lenten journey with the focus on hope and new life.

(HERITAGE - LAFAYETTE UMC 10/13)CONCERNAlthough the Heritage UMC family is a friendly, loving community who will rally around those facing difficulty, the consultation team discovered there are multiple layers of unresolved conflict and frustration within the body. The unresolved conflict was discovered in the online survey, the written FCJ report, and heard repeatedly from those interviewed. Furthermore, the lack of job descriptions and a basic understanding of the roles of those in leadership resulted in frustration of not only “what am I supposed to do,” but also “where does my responsibility start and another leader’s end.”

PRESCRIPTIONThe congregation will have a service of prayer and forgiveness to begin the process of reconciliation and to seek unity in the spirit of Jesus Christ. This will begin a healing process and help the membership to be more spiritually prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. Catherine Turcotte, or someone she provides, in consultation with Pastor Barb will lead this service by January 15, 2013.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a 4-6 week sermon series in the spirit of old time revival. The issues to address are, but not limited to the biblical model of:

healthy confrontation forgiveness reconciliation unity

The senior pastor and coach will select a development tool, such as Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to help raise the leadership’s effectiveness in working together—dealing with conflict in open healthy ways, and engendering trust, cooperation, and healthy communication. This will be completed by March 31, 2014.

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Heritage UMC will develop a Leadership Development Team to create a comprehensive and intentional plan to develop and deploy leaders for the mission and vision of the church for all age-level ministries. This team will be appointed by the pastor in consultation with the coach by December 15, 2013. This plan will include the following three areas:A. Leadership development and training which will include:

Regular training and leadership opportunities for lay ministry leaders; Participating in the Accountability Leadership workshop led by the coach; The practice of mentoring others through the use of apprentice leaders or co-chairs; The rotating off of chairpersons and committee members (including the Administrative

Board); and Spiritual gift, personality profile inventories, and strengths resources;

B. Alignment of the pastor’s and leaders’ roles with the mission and vision according to prescription three below;

C. Leadership practices: The regular practice of spiritual disciplines—for example, prayer, retreats, tithing, regular

worship attendance, service, mission and demonstration of the “Fruit of the Spirit; " The use of goal-setting and strategic planning, as well as accountability for the goals; Developing leadership covenants; Documented policies and procedures on how decisions are made; and Fruit-based job descriptions and regular evaluations of all leadership positions.

This comprehensive plan will be completed by March 15, 2014.

(NASHVILLE UMC 11/12)CONCERNThe consultation team discovered through its interviews with church leaders that several unresolved issues of conflict are present in the congregation. These include whether to incorporate contemporary aspects into worship (music selection and instruments), whether to equip the sanctuary with multi-media capabilities (screen or wall projection), how to embrace differing theological approaches (issues surrounding the Reconciling Movement and essentials of the faith), and how to be welcoming to younger generations and still preserve the quality and condition of the church building.PRESCRIPTIONThe coach will facilitate the Creating a Culture of Teamwork workshop, based on Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to help deal with conflict in open, healthy ways, as well as engendering trust, cooperation, and healthy communication. Participants will include staff, Church Council members, and others identified by the pastor, in consultation with coach. This will be completed by May 30, 2013.

13. UNTAPPED MINISTRY TARGETS/CONNECTING TO COMMUNITY/LACK OF GROWTH

(BLOOMINGTON FAIRVIEW UMC 11/13)CONCERN

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For the congregation of Fairview UMC, as most other churches, Jesus’ command “to go” was not the driving force for ministry for many years. Therefore, the neighborhood and other demographics were not considered significant mission fields for the church. There is no formal strategic plan for developing relationships and/or connecting with others outside of the congregation, including those that non-church programs bring into the facility (e.g. Children’s Corner Co-op, scouts).

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team to lead this outreach. This team will have its first meeting before June 30, 2014, and begin to lay out the following activities for the church:

Offer two community-focused events, not for Fairview UMC members, but to reach new people and build relationships with the community, and

Explore the possibility of an alternative worship service that attracts and engages those in untapped ministry fields.

The team will plan and facilitate these events for two years and will develop an evaluation tool that aligns with the discipleship pathway.

(DANVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNDanville UMC is located in one of the fastest growing counties of the United States, and yet over the last several years the congregation has shown a decline in worship attendance. At the same time the congregation has multiple opportunities to reach new persons for Christ during the year when the community is invited onto the property or through events out in the community. We could not find an intentional plan to connect with persons in the community. One church leader said, “We are serving people but we aren’t reaching the people we’re serving.”

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in conjunction with the coach, will assemble a team of 5-7 people by May 31, 2014 for the purpose of reaching the target populations identified through the visioning process. Demographic resources such as MissionInsite will be helpful in determining the population groups, including their spiritual and personal needs. This team will explore all aspects of reaching the target populations: strengthened worship services, needed staff, critical ministries, and facility development.

When target populations have been identified, the team will visit at least three other churches to learn about effective methods for reaching those populations. If helpful, the coach or Church Development Team will provide ideas or workshops to assist in the evaluation and redevelopment of worship experiences at Danville UMC. All of this to be done in order to more meaningfully connect with persons from the target populations in the identified mission field God calls Danville UMC to reach.

The resulting evangelism plan will be presented by this team to the Administrative Council for consideration, referral and action by October 31, 2015.

In addition, it is important to note that people - not just programs - reach people. To do this effectively it will be necessary for the congregation to embrace the mission of evangelism in

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everyday life and through personal relationships. Special attention will be given to leveraging the ongoing community outreach events (For instance, "Faith in Action Day," "Shared Blessings Food Pantry," "Community Thanksgiving Dinner") for the purposes of inviting, welcoming, and joining new friends on the discipleship path. The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop workshops and training events to equip members to reach new people. Some resources like, “Contagious Christian,” or “Walk Across the Room,” as well as other resources like “The Gathered AND Scattered Church,” will be considered for this training.

An ongoing Evangelism Training Team will be appointed by the pastor when the plan is approved by the Administrative Council to train, nurture, and expand this critical ministry to reach new people for Christ through all ministry areas of the church.

(LAKEVILLE UMC 11/13)CONCERNLakeville UMC is an aging congregation, with a desire to reach new families; however there is no coordinated effort to get the church “outside the building” and into the “mission field” of the surrounding community where about 51% of the population do not consider themselves as “spiritual persons.” Additionally, although there is currently a renewed emphasis on ministry with youth, there are uncharted opportunities for further connection with youth in the community, and those “on the margins.”

PRESCRIPTIONA Season of Prayer will be held in the Spring of 2015, from the first Sunday of Lent through Easter Sunday. The purpose of this season is to call the church to pray

for its mission to reach new people for Christ for the community for individuals for the congregation.

This season of prayer will begin with a Day of Prayer on the first Sunday of Lent and will be led by Catherine Turcotte or someone she provides.

By May 1, 2015, the pastor, Evangelism Committee, and Youth Coordinator, in consultation with the coach, will develop an intentional outreach process that includes the following:

assess and identify community needs reach people by meeting these needs develop bridge events to which these individuals can be invited into the life of the church connect people in the church to those reached, developing ongoing relationships similar

to those relationships the existing members are presently modeling invite them into the discipleship process, which may include small groups

This strategy will be presented to the Administrative Council for adoption and implementation by November 15, 2015.

(MT. ALBANY UMC 11/13)CONCERNAlthough the church offers worship and opportunities for faith development (e.g. a Sunday school class, Bible study, and a new Life Group), there is not an intentional process to invite people into relationship with Jesus Christ and develop them into committed disciples. It was unclear to the Consultation Team how the congregation provides care for one another, including visitation by members and expressions of care in times of crisis and need.

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It is obvious the congregation truly cares about meeting the needs of the scores of children and adults the church is reaching through its many outreach ministries, however there is no intentional next step of connecting them to a relationship with Christ and the people in the church.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will identify a study which will engage a majority of the congregation in a participative focus on spiritual growth. This study will be completed by April 20, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will put together a team by June 1, 2014, to create a clear discipleship path for moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming a fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ. The discipleship path will be designed for everyone, whether a non-believer or one who is maturing in their faith. This discipleship path will represent a lifelong process. The Team will discern a faith development plan within a Wesleyan model that encourages all persons:

to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ to help them be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith to help them increase their biblical knowledge and wisdom to provide connection opportunities with other believers for support and accountability to help them discover their spiritual gifts to be in service to others for the purpose of the mission

The coach will provide a Discipleship Pathway Workshop by July 1, 2014, to assist in creating the above pathway. This new process will be adopted and implemented in the life of Albany UMC at all ministry levels (children, youth and adults) by December 31, 2014.

The Pastor, in consultation with the coach will establish a Member Care Team to develop a plan for providing care for one another, including visitation by members and expressions of care in times of crisis and need. This plan will be in place by April 30, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team by January 10, 2015. This team will develop an outward-focused strategy for the church to reach and form relationships with people in the community. This team will do the following:

take an inventory of all the points of contact that the church already has with its community

encourage members to intentionally learn the names of those identified above, and develop next-step actions to develop deeper relationships with them, such as offering to pray for them, inviting them into their homes for a meal, and spending time with them

develop bridge events to which these individuals can be invited into the life of the churchThis strategy will be presented to the Church Council for adoption and implementation by June 30, 2015.

(MT. AUBURN UMC 8/13)CONCERNMt. Auburn UMC has a good system for welcoming newcomers upon their first visit. According to the MGW report, 13 of the 15 guest indicated that they would make a return visit based on their experience that Sunday morning. Newcomers are referred to the welcome center by

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Greeters and Ambassadors, where the host can answer any questions they may have. If the newcomer gives their address they are delivered a information packet within four days. After a second visit a CD of piano music is mailed. Occasional emails are sent after subsequent visits.

All of this provides a great foundation of hospitality that is affirmed in the MGW report. But newcomers are not consistently connected beyond the initial efforts of hospitality. Your weekly average of nine newcomers results in a worship attendance increase of about 25 annually. This means that approximately 460 newcomers results in 50 persons attending worship half the time, or about 11% become regular attenders – which is average.

With a great system of newcomer connection the church will discover that approximately 115 (25%) newcomers will become regular attenders, and almost 80 of those newcomers could account for seven new Life Groups.

Connecting newcomers into new Life Groups is the key to newcomer connecting. Without that focus, most newcomers will silently slip out the back door.

PRESCRIPTIONPastor Jim, in consultation with the coach will select a Connection Team by October 31, 2013 to develop a clear process for welcoming, identifying, following up, listening to, connecting and discipling new persons to become fully devoted and missionally-focused disciples of Jesus Christ.

This process is outlined in the book, The Race to Reach Out. This process will beimplemented by February 28, 2014.

The Director of Adult Education will develop at least four new Life Groups to provide for the discipling process of newcomers. These Life Groups provide an outstanding way of helping newcomers come to faith in Jesus Christ, experience care and belonging, be engaged in service and invite friends to become a part of the new group. The leaders of these new Life Groups would potentially come from existing Life Groups. These new groups will be implemented as needed across the next 12 months.

(YORKTOWN UMC 11/13)CONCERNYorktown UMC is commended for taking ministry outside its building (e.g. the monthly Community Dinner and Trunk-or-Treat). The church is also commended for opening up its building to the community (e.g. scouting, Alzheimer’s support group, Financial Peace University, Antique Car meetings, etc.). Yet, the people of Yorktown UMC are missing opportunities to build relationships with and disciple those being served.

While there is an openness to the utilization of the building, it can be difficult for people to know where the building is, what door to enter (some have found entrances locked on Sunday morning), and how to navigate the hallways to find the appropriate meeting or gathering space. The hallways of the church building seem to be used as storage spaces and give a cluttered appearance. All of this can send mixed messages of hospitality.

PRESCRIPTIONPastor Cindy will recruit a team to analyze interior and exterior signage, including guest parking, from a guest’s perspective. Signage should make it easy for a guest to find restrooms, nursery,

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and sanctuary without assistance. The team will analyze possible signage or other means of creating awareness of the church location within the community and with guests. Recommendations should be made to the Administrative Council by January 15, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a task team by February 1, 2014. This team will develop an outward-focused strategy for the church to reach and connect with the community. This task team will do the following:

take an inventory of all the points of contact that the church already has with its community, through programs (such as the monthly Community Dinner, VBS, Sunday morning, Harvest and Chicken Noodle Dinners, Alzheimer Support, scouts, etc.) and members’ relationships (neighbors, work/school and social acquaintances, etc.);

encourage members to intentionally learn the names of those identified above, and develop next-step actions to develop deeper relationships with them, such as offering to pray for them, inviting them into their homes for a meal, and spending time with them;

develop bridge events to which these individuals can be invited into the life of the church;

conduct a communications audit to evaluate all existing communication methods, including the website, as well as other effective ways to communicate to the community.

This strategy will be presented to the Administrative Council for adoption and implementation by June 30, 2014.

14. VISION AND UNDERSTANDING OF CORE VALUES (LACK OF)

(ALBANY UMC 11/13)CONCERNAlthough there has been an intentional effort to increase awareness of the mission of the church, it is not well-known or utilized to guide the church. There is a need that was expressed for a clearly defined mission and vision, and a way to live them out, as the ministry of the church currently lacks accountability and a common purpose. The current lack of clarity and alignment around a mission and vision for the church prevents effective support, accountability and evaluation of the laity, leadership, ministries, programs, and pastor which limits the fulfillment of the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

PRESCRIPTIONThe day this consultation report is accepted (should that be the case), the congregation will reaffirm and communicate the mission of Albany UMC, which is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”.

The congregation will have a worship service of prayer and forgiveness, to embrace God’s mandate for making disciples. This will allow the membership to be fully prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. By January 31, 2014, Pastor Clive, in consultation with Catherine Turcotte, will establish a date for this service.

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The coach will conduct a Core Values Workshop followed by a Visioning Workshop for the congregation. These workshops will be completed by March 31, 2014. Following the workshops, the pastor, in conjunction with the coach and the leadership of the church, will create a small team to discern the core values and vision for the church. Upon adoption by the Church Council, the results of this process will be presented to the congregation by June 15, 2014.

After the core values and vision are presented, the coach will conduct the Transitioning the Vision to Ministry Workshop to align all the church’s ministries to the vision.

(BARNES UMC 12/13)CONCERNAlthough the church has a vision statement, members desire a clearer picture of the specific direction and objectives of the church. Due to this lack of clarity and a lack of intentionality around the vision, the church’s leadership and resources are not fully focused on the fulfillment of the vision.

PRESCRIPTIONUpon the adoption of these prescriptions (if this should be the case), the congregation will adopt as its mission statement the United Methodist Church’s mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” It will also need to clarify its vision to move Barnes UMC toward accomplishing the mission. The senior pastor and coach will conduct the FCJ vision workshop and additional training unique to the Black church context, in consultation with Church Development/ FCJ staff, in order for the congregation to understand the importance of vision. This FCJ workshop, which will include an outline of the training content and coaching plan for the entire Step 3 process, will take place before March 31, 2014. The clearer vision that is realized as a result of this process will become the catalyst and direction for the church’s ministry.

Through coaching and the implementation of a ministry and staff audit led by the Leadership Team, SPRT, and senior pastor, in consultation with the coach and Church Development/FCJ staff, leaders will learn to plan around the clarified vision and begin to implement the type of strategic planning that is essential for a congregation to be fruitful in all of its ministries. The audit will be completed by June 30, 2014. Ministry teams will be held accountable to goals and an evaluation process will be implemented. Goals for all ministry teams will be established by September 30, 2014. Any ministries that do not align with the mission and vision of the church should be re-aligned or discontinued.

(BLOOMINGTON FAIRVIEW UMC 11/13)CONCERNWhile the consultation team applauds the leadership for recognizing the need for a vision and began the process of creating one, the work of discerning God’s vision for Fairview UMC has yet to be completed. This vision will be essential as the church navigates how to impact the community and make disciples of Jesus Christ.

PRESCRIPTION

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The congregation understands that the day this consultation report is accepted (should that be the case), this congregation will adopt, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” as its mission statement.

After the Worship Service of Prayer and Forgiveness has taken place the pastor in consultation with the coach will schedule and conduct a Values Workshop and then a Visioning Workshop for the congregation. The purpose of the Visioning Workshop is to dream of how God wants to work through the congregation both individually and collectively to reach the surrounding community. The vision should embrace John Wesley’s three rules, “do no harm, do all the good you can, and stay in love with God.” These workshops will occur on or before March 31, 2014. Following the Visioning Workshop, the pastor will name a visioning team that will work to discern God’s vision for Fairview. The vision will be presented to the Ad Council for acceptance and then presented to the congregation by June 30, 2014.

Upon adopting the new vision, every ministry in the congregation must demonstrate how it will accomplish the vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a mission and ministry review. Any ministries not focused on the mission will be given a year to adapt in order to align to the mission statement or be discontinued. This review must be completed by November 30, 2014.

(BROOK UMC 11/13)CONCERNThe church has a vision statement printed each week in the worship bulletin. However, no one could clearly articulate the statement or tell how the vision was used to give direction during a decision-making process. In fact, the church does not have a vision at this time, only a vision statement. The church needs to focus on its mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and discern God’s specific, unique vision for the church that will be so compelling that the congregation will center on the mission and vision and seek to become a more fruitful congregation.

PRESCRIPTIONThe congregation understands that the day this consultation report is accepted (should that be the case) this congregation will affirm its adoption of the United Methodist Church’s mission: “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

The congregation will have a worship service focused on prayer and forgiveness to become focused and unified in mission, and begin to seek unity in the spirit of Jesus Christ. This will help the congregation to be more spiritually prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. This will be organized by the coach and the pastor and conducted by February 28, 2014.

The coach will conduct two coordinated workshops on Core Values and Vision for the congregation by March 31, 2014. The purpose of these workshops is to help the congregation define the values and discern the vision that will guide future decisions and ministries of the church.

Following the Core Values and Visioning workshops, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a leadership team of five to seven persons who will lead the process to define the values and discern the vision. This will include redrafting the current vision statement to reflect God’s vision that will guide the ministries of the church. This redrafted vision will be presented to

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the Church Council for discussion and adoption by May 31, 2014 and then presented to the congregation.

Upon adopting the new vision, ministry leaders will demonstrate how each ministry will accomplish the mission and vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a ministry audit to evaluate all ministries for their faithfulness and fruitfulness to the mission and vision. Any ministries that are not faithful to the mission and vision will be dissolved; any ministry that is faithful but still not fruitful will be modified and re-evaluated for fruitfulness. All continuing ministries will set goals and objectives in alignment with the mission and vision. This audit must be completed by September 30, 2014. All new future ministries must demonstrate how they will be aligned to the mission and vision and have a plan for fruitful ministry.

The Consultation Team recommends that the church discontinue the Contemporary Worship Service and form a task force to explore the possibilities of an alternative worship experience that aligns with the church’s adopted mission and vision. We know that some individuals have invested themselves heavily in this service and that commitment is not minimized but is deeply appreciated. The reality is that the Contemporary Service has not developed into the service it was intended to be. This service began in 2007 but even its strongest supporters admit that it has not attracted the audience it was seeking.

(CORNERSTONE 9/13)CONCERNCornerstone UMC is a community of action, actively serving the many surrounding communities. However, there appears to be no shared vision or a clear, direct connection of your ministry activities to the mission of making “disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” When you are clear about how to connect your mission and vision, you can more readily and consistently align your resources to produce fruitful ministry.

PRESCRIPTIONThe congregation will have a day of prayer, repentance and healing during a Sunday worship service. The purpose of this day is to embrace God breaking open the hearts of the congregation for the local unchurched, and prepare them for the Lord’s vision for the future. This will be led by Catherine Turcotte, or someone she provides, in consultation with Pastor Mark, no later than October 31, 2013.

Upon acceptance of the prescriptions, Cornerstone UMC will embrace the mission of every United Methodist Church stated in the UM Book of Discipline: “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

Pastor Mark and the Coach will conduct a Day of Visioning by November 30, 2013 to assist the congregation in clarifying and affirming their vision and providing a focused plan (of reaching the community) to guide Cornerstone into the future. This vision plan will be affirmed by the leaders that participate in this vision workshop, by December 15, 2013. The days between the Day of Prayer and the Day of Visioning will be utilized by the people of the congregation as a call to prayer and fasting for this plan.

(DANVILLE 11/13)CONCERN

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While Danville UMC is strategically located in a growing area, members and leaders consistently spoke to us about a lack of a congregational vision and direction. One leader said, “I think we’re drifting. There’s no focus. No target.” A second leader observed, “We have great people and groups doing great things, but are we using our resources wisely…do our efforts have the impact we were hoping for?” When asked what is ahead, what the plan is, no one had a clear answer. Without being able to answer questions such as “Who are we?” and, “What are we about?” and, “Where are we going?’ and, “What are the priorities for this chapter in our ministry?” the church will risk ministry drift, confusion over use of resources, and a reduced impact on the community and world for Christ.

PRESCRIPTIONThe date these prescriptions are adopted, Danville UMC embraces the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

The congregation will have a day of prayer and forgiveness during Sunday worship to embrace God's plan for the congregation and for the local unchurched. The service will prepare the membership for God’s future vision. This will be led by Catherine Turcotte, or someone designated by her, in consultation with the coach and Pastor Jeanne Winter on or before February 15, 2014. The days between the Day of Prayer and Vision Workshop will be utilized by the people of the congregation as a call to prayer and fasting for this vision for the congregation.

Values Assessment and Discernment: The church organization must have a set of values that provides it with a common and consistent sense of direction. These core values serve as glue and a guiding force that hold a visionary ministry together in the midst of transition. A ministry’s key values or beliefs are the shaping force of the entire institution. Values are the basis for all your behavior, the bottom line for what you will or will not do. This training will be held and the church’s values statement written before May 15, 2014.

The coach will conduct a Visioning Workshop by March 15, 2014 to assist the pastor and leadership in clarifying in providing a more focused vision of reaching the community to guide Danville UMC into the future. The vision will be presented to the Administrative Council for approval by May 15, 2014. Upon approval, this vision will be communicated to the congregation.

Upon adopting the clarifying vision every ministry in the congregation will demonstrate how it will accomplish the mission and vision. To that end the leaders will conduct a ministry audit aligning the church’s ministries with the vision. This audit will be completed by October 31, 2014. Ministries will be evaluated by their faithfulness to the mission and vision and their fruitfulness (results) and intentionally aligned with the mission and vision. Any ministries not faithful and fruitful will be given a year to rectify. After one year any ministries still not faithful and fruitful to the mission and vision will be dissolved. All continuing ministries will set goals and objectives in alignment with the mission and vision.

(FAIRLAWN 9/13)CONCERNWhile many feel strongly about their love for one another the consultation team feels that you have lost your identity as well as your connection to your biblical core values. Additionally, while many might know the mission statement of the UMC “To make disciples of Jesus Christ” there is no demonstration that there is a plan for how to connect with people in order to build

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relationships that allow discipleship to flourish. We found no evidence that the mission is the driving force for how decisions are made.

PRESCRIPTIONThe mission will continue to be “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” but will be more intentionally a part of the decision making process within the church. Additionally, the church organization must have a set of values that provides it with a common and consistent sense of direction. These core values serve as glue and a guiding force that hold a visionary ministry together in the midst of transition. A ministry’s key values or beliefs are the shaping force of the entire institution. Therefore, the coach will provide training for the congregation to assess and determine what your church’s biblical core values are. This training will be held and values statement written before February 28, 2014.

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET 11/13)CONCERNSeveral consistent themes emerged during the consultation weekend that had to do with three key questions: (1) Who are we? (2) Why are we here? (3) What are we trying to accomplish? All of these questions have to do with our core values, the mission of the church or the vision of the church and what God is calling us to do now. Without a clear and compelling identification of the core values, the mission and vision of a fruitful future, our ministry efforts will be disjointed, unfocused, and haphazard, which will result in confusion, conflict and ineffectiveness.

PRESCRIPTIONThe congregation understands that the day this consultation report is accepted (should that be the case) this congregation will affirm its adoption of the United Methodist Church’s mission: “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

The congregation will have a service of prayer and forgiveness to become focused and unified in mission, and begin to seek unity in the spirit of Jesus Christ. This will begin a healing process and help the membership to be more spiritually prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. This will be organized by the coach and the pastor and conducted by February 2, 2014.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will plan a conflict management process with an outside consultant for church leadership. This process will focus on getting at the heart of lingering conflict so that the congregation will let go of the past, learn to have productive conflict, and be prepared to embrace a new and exciting future. This process will be concluded by June 30, 2014.

The coach will conduct a Core Values Workshop for the congregation by March 15, 2014. The purpose of this workshop is to help the congregation define the values that will guide future decisions and ministries. The core values will be established by May 15, 2014.

Also, the coach will conduct a Visioning workshop for the congregation. The purpose of this workshop is to begin to dream of how God might work through the congregation, both individually and collectively, to reach the surrounding community. This workshop will occur by May 30, 2014. Following the Visioning workshop, the pastor, in consultation with the coach and the leadership team of five to seven persons, will discern, together, God’s vision for this church today. They will then recraft their current vision statement to reflect God’s vision that will guide the ministries of the church. This recrafted vision will be presented to the Church Council for

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discussion and adoption by July 31, 2014. The vision will be presented to the congregation by August 15, 2014.

Upon adopting the new vision, ministry leaders will demonstrate how each ministry will accomplish the mission and vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a ministry audit of all existing ministries to evaluate ministries for their faithfulness and fruitfulness to the mission and vision. Any ministries that are not faithful to the mission and vision will be dissolved; any ministry that is faithful but still not fruitful will be modified and re-evaluated for fruitfulness. All continuing ministries will set goals and objectives in alignment with the mission and vision. This audit must be completed by January 31, 2015. All new future ministries must demonstrate how they will be aligned to the mission and vision and have a plan for fruitful ministry.

(LAKEVILLE 11/13)CONCERNWhen asked to articulate the vision of Lakeville UMC, leaders were unable to do so. The current vision does not go far enough in assisting the church to reach out to the surrounding community. A clear unifying vision of what God is calling this congregation to become will help align its ministries, energy, and money to effectively and efficiently live into the “next steps.” This will also help the leaders and congregation to know what to say “yes” to, and what to say “no” to, and which path to follow in moving forward.

PRESCRIPTIONThe consultation team applauds this congregation for taking the first step by adopting the mission statement of The United Methodist Church which is, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The United Methodist Church and the Fruitful Congregation Journey is grounded in this mission.

The congregation will have a service of prayer and forgiveness to become focused and unified in mission, and begin to seek unity in the spirit of Jesus Christ. This will continue the healing process and help the membership to be more spiritually prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. This will be led by Catherine Turcotte or someone she provides, in consultation with Pastor Brian by January 15, 2014.

The coach will conduct a Values Workshop for the congregation by February 15, 2014. The purpose of this workshop is to help the congregation define the values that will guide future decisions and ministries.

Also, the coach will conduct a Visioning workshop for the congregation. The purpose of this workshop is to continue to dream of how God might work through the congregation, both individually and collectively, to reach the surrounding community. This workshop will occur by March 15, 2014. Following the Visioning workshop, the pastor, in consultation with the coach and the leadership of the church, will create a vision which will guide the ministries of the church. This vision will be presented to the Administrative Council for discussion and adoption by May 5, 2014.

Upon adopting the revised vision, ministry leaders will demonstrate how each ministry will accomplish the mission and vision. To that end, the leaders will conduct a ministry audit of all existing ministries to evaluate ministries for their faithfulness and fruitfulness to the mission and vision. Any ministries not faithful and fruitful will be given up to one year to rectify and align. Any

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ministries that are not faithful to the mission and vision will be dissolved; any ministry that is faithful but still not fruitful will be modified and re-evaluated for fruitfulness. All continuing ministries will set goals and objectives in alignment with the mission and vision. This audit must be completed by January 1, 2015. All new future ministries must demonstrate how they will be aligned to the mission and vision and have a plan for fruitful ministry.

(YORKTOWN 11/13)CONCERNThere is no clear and well-owned mission of the congregation as its stated purpose, nor a vision that is the unique way Yorktown UMC will fulfill the mission. There are many programs and activities, but no clearly articulated strategic plan to accomplish God’s vision for this local church body. Several participants noted, “We need a vision that we can all get behind, that can help us know what to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to, and provide us with direction and focus.”

PRESCRIPTIONThe date these prescriptions are adopted, should that be the case, Yorktown UMC will embrace and live out the mission of the United Methodist Church, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The congregation will have a Service of Prayer and Forgiveness during both Sunday worship services. The purpose of this day is to embrace God breaking open the hearts of the congregation for the local unchurched, and prepare them for the Lord’s vision for the future. To accommodate this, Pastor Cindy will contact the FCJ prayer coordinator, Catherine Turcotte, who will provide someone to lead this service. The Service of Prayer and Forgiveness will be held no later than February 1, 2014.

The church must have a set of values that provides it with a common and consistent sense of direction. These core values serve as glue and a guiding force that hold a visionary ministry together in the midst of transition. A ministry’s key values or beliefs are the shaping force of the entire institution. Values are the basis for all your behavior, the bottom line for what you will or will not do. Therefore, prior to working on a new vision, the coach will provide training for the congregation to access and determine what your church’s biblical core values are. This training will be held, and values statement written, before March 30, 2014.

The coach will conduct a Day of Visioning workshop by April 15, 2014, to assist the congregation in discerning and clarifying God’s vision (of reaching the community) to guide Yorktown UMC into the future. Following the workshop, the pastor, in consultation with the coach, will form a task force who will develop the vision statement for the church. The days between the Service of Prayer and Forgiveness and the Day of Visioning will be utilized by the people of the congregation as a call to prayer and fasting for this vision for the congregation. The vision will be presented to the Administrative Council by May 31, 2014.

NOTE: Yorktown UMC will need to discern whether God is calling it to intentionally reach young families. If it is, it will need to align its resources to support such ministry and do it with excellence.

Through coaching, leaders will learn to plan around the new vision and begin to implement the type of strategic planning that is essential for a congregation to be fruitful in all of its ministries. Ministry teams will be held accountable to goals and an evaluation process will be implemented. Goals for all ministry teams will be established by August 31, 2014. Any

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ministries that do not align with the mission and vision of the church should be re-aligned or discontinued.

15. WORSHIP EXPERIENCE

(DECATUR 2/13)CONCERNWhile the Sunday morning experience (worship, Sunday School, fellowship) strives to enrich the faith journey of all persons, this is undermined by a lack of coordination, consistency and focus, as evidenced by the Faith Perceptions report, interviews, focus groups, and Saturday workshop participants. Sunday morning music rehearsal limits Sunday school participation and the overall ability to effectively prepare for worship and to welcome newcomers.

PRESCRIPTIONFaith Perceptions report indicated a need to evaluate Sunday morning worship experiences. The pastor in consultation with the coach and Church Development will establish a team including three non-staff persons with gifts and passion for worship (one responsible for technology during worship) by January 15, 2014 to:

Review the Faith Perceptions report and evaluate Sunday morning worship experiences so that relevant worship components meet the needs of both emerging young adults as well as those who find traditional worship meaningful.

Conduct a Worship Planning and Development workshop by February 28, 2014, in keeping with the mission and vision of the church.

In order to strengthen the Sunday worship experience all musical rehearsals will be moved to a time other than Sunday mornings by April 1, 2013. This will allow for the appropriate preparation for worship, welcoming newcomers and avoid shortchanging the 8:15 worship experience. Additionally, the coach will conduct a Safe Sanctuaries: Children, Youth, and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy workshop to be held by July 30, 2013 (before VBS). Decatur First United Methodist will create a new policy written within 2 months of the workshop. All persons working with children, youth, and /or vulnerable adults all paid staff, all Administrative Council members, and representatives of all groups meeting (volunteer or paying rent) will be required to attend. This workshop will share the 2011 policy adopted by the Indiana Conference.

(DELPHI UMC 2/12)CONCERNWe celebrate that Delphi UM Church’s sanctuary at the 11:00 am worship service is at near capacity (which is 280 at 80%, and the largest service is averaging 240), as is the parking lot (which accommodates around 260 people at 80%). Due to the church’s strategic location, future growth, and the congregation’s desire to grow, this concern needs to be addressed to continue reaching more people for Jesus Christ through worship. Although there is a commitment to worship arts, there is a need for a more fully-developed planning process to fully realize that potential.

PRESCRIPTION

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The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a comprehensive worship design team, with a designated leader, that meets weekly to plan creative worship centered on the theme of the message and sensitive to the unique styles of each service. This team will utilize music, drama, visuals, technology, testimonies, and other creative arts. This team will be responsible for developing sacred ambience of the worship space. This team will include at least three non-staff persons with gifts and passion for worship (one responsible for technology during worship) in addition to the pastor and Director of Worship Arts. This team will meet regularly with the coordinator of hospitality ministry to communicate and coordinate well. This team will be established by May 1, 2012.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will appoint a launch team by April 30, 2012, for a new worship service on Sunday morning. In order to effectively start this new service the launch team will need to do the following: identify and research their target population; develop strategic pre-launch activities (prayer walks, surveys, social gatherings); study churches which have launched similar worship experiences successfully; determine style, music, and time; and identify, recruit, and train the worship leadership and volunteers. The team will also utilize key resources including a “Successfully Starting a New Worship Service” document from the Conference Church Development and worship consultants. This service will be launched no later than Advent of 2012.

(FIRST LOGANSPORT UMC 10/12)CONCERNWorship services must be intentionally designed to speak to the specific population groups a congregation is seeking to reach. Some Mystery Guest Worshipers, while deeply appreciative of aspects of the worship services and the Sunday morning experience (e.g. friendliness, pastor's sermons, music), were confused by the service plans. Who is First UMC trying to reach? What are the intentional relevant ways to do that? What will communicate God's message to attenders to make it more likely they will discover God's voice for their lives in relevant ways?

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach and Steve Clouse, will develop a plan to refocus the worship services at First UMC to be completed by November 30, 2013. One of the keys of this worship refocus will be to intentionally develop worship components that are meaningful and relevant with the needs of both emerging young adults, as well as those who find traditional worship helpful.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a worship design team, with a designated leader, that meets regularly to plan creative worship centered on the theme of the message, and consistent and sensitive to the unique needs of the populations of each service. This team will:

utilize music, drama, visuals, technology, testimonies, and other creative arts as available and appropriate.

develop a relevant ambience of the worship space consistent with the population targets and worship experience.

include at least three non-staff persons with gifts and passion for worship (one responsible for technology during worship) in addition to the pastor and key music staff.

This team will be established by January 1, 2014.

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(FORT WAYNE TRINITY UMC 10/12)CONCERNThe mystery guest worshippers stated they were not clear on where to park, worship times, if children’s ministries were offered and how to find information about the church. The Faith Perceptions report indicated poor hospitality and music in both worship services. The report averages were among the lowest received in this conference, especially in the area of hospitality where there didn’t seem to be a consistent plan in place for welcoming and tracking guests.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team by February 15, 2013, to refocus the Sunday morning experiences at Trinity UMC. One of the keys of this refocus will be to intentionally develop worship components that are meaningful and relevant with the needs of both emerging young adults, as well as those who find traditional worship helpful.

This team will: engage Steve Clouse from the Indiana Conference Church Development team (or a

person he designates) to conduct a Worship Planning and Development workshop by April 30, 2013, for the purpose of visioning how existing and new worship experiences could enhance the mission and vision of the church.

utilize music, drama, visuals, technology, testimonies, and other creative arts as available and appropriate.

develop a relevant ambience of the worship space consistent with the population targets and pre-worship, worship, and post-worship experiences.

include at least three non-staff persons with gifts and passion for worship (one responsible for technology during worship) in addition to the pastor and key music staff.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a Hospitality Team by February 15, 2013, that will create a process that will attract, welcome, identify, listen to, respond to, connect with, and disciple newcomers. This will include hospitality beginning in the parking lot including bilingual exterior and interior signage. This will include a new methodology of greeting, ushering, and a system for registering guests. The coach will lead a Hospitality Training workshop by April 30, 2013.

(GRACE – LAFAYETTE UMC 9/13)CONCERNThe consultation team heard repeatedly that the congregation is pleased with the music and preaching in the worship services. Mystery guest worshipers appreciated some aspects of the worship services, but overall they rated their experiences in worship mostly from "poor to very poor." While Pastor Lore's messages received higher marks, some elements of worship did not appear to always connect the worshipers to Christ and the Christian life. Some guests also sensed that the congregation was not inspired or engaged in the worship experience. While there were some positive comments, overall we heard things like, “It didn’t have much appeal for me” and “They (the congregation) didn’t seem very excited about worship.”

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor in consultation with the coach will develop a worship planning team by April 1, 2014, whose purpose will be to enhance the worship experience at all worship services and explore

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alternative worship styles. The team will review the Mystery Guest Report and identify issues that need to be addressed. The team will address those issues and make the appropriate changes to enhance the worship experience by July 1, 2014.

This team will also explore a worship service as an avenue to potentially reach a younger demographic. The team will pay particular attention to media, sound, use of space and integration of worship arts to create relevant, enhanced worship services. A report by this team will be presented to the Administrative Council by September 1, 2014.

(KOKOMO MAIN STREET UMC 11/13)CONCERNPassionate worship demands effective coordination. Although the team heard appreciation from the congregation and the mystery guests about the music, preaching, and the overall worship experience, the consultation team identified several areas needing attention. They include, more effective planning, enhanced space utilization for both worship areas, and an identifiable worship leader/song leader.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor in consultation with the coach will establish a worship planning team that includes at a minimum, the Pastor, Praise Band Director, the Instrumental Music Director, and the Choir Director, by July 1, 2014. This team will do the following:

select and participate in worship design training; identify and utilize a worship consultant; design passionate worship services for target groups, identified in the church’s newly

adopted vision, that are consistent for each target group, and establish the appropriate worship times including possibly Sunday evenings;

develop an ongoing practice of advanced worship planning so that text and general themes are communicated at least six months in advance with weekly worship walk-throughs utilizing a cue sheet (written worship planning guide), including on-line worship planning resources for this purpose.

The above items will be completed by November 1, 2014.

(LINDEN UMC 4/12)CONCERNDuring the weekend interviews and mystery worshipper reports, it is clear to the consult team that neither worship service is of a quality the congregation and/or visitors expect. In both services, the congregation is rarely engaged or inspired during the worship experience.

PRESCRIPTIONA worship evaluation team of 4-5 people will be appointed by the senior pastor in consultation with the coach no later September 15, 2012.

Review the secret worshipper’s report and note areas of concerns related to all aspects of worship.

Hold a “Passionate Worship Workshop” led by Steve Clouse focusing on worship experiences that connect people with God and with each other. This workshop will be

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held no later than November 1, 2012 and be attended by the worship committee and any other persons that lead in worship.

Form a worship planning team charged with the responsibility to plan on-going passionate worship experiences based on the above training. This team will have representation from both services and will begin to meet by November 15, 2012.

The worship planning team along with the senior pastor will establish the times of worship. The consult team believes that it may be advantageous to switch the times of the two worship services so that traditional will be at 8:30 and the contemporary service will begin at 10:45. The consult team does not recommend collapsing to a single worship service.

Evaluate and improve the appearance of the sanctuary utilizing paint, lighting, banners, etc. in order to enhance the atmosphere of the space by the beginning of Advent 2012.

(MONTICELLO UMC 1/13)CONCERNThe consultation team heard consistently that worship experiences were difficult to describe and lacked impact and the “wow” factor that helps worshipers worship God that equips them for their faith journey throughout the week. The team also heard that worship experiences lacked the passion that would attract and retain guests Some church members said they didn’t know what to expect one week to the next in worship, especially at the 10:30 service.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor in consultation with the coach will establish a worship planning team by April 30, 2013. This team will do the following:

select and participate in worship design training; identify and utilize a worship consultant; design passionate worship services for target groups, identified in the church’s newly

adopted vision, that are consistent for each target group, and establish the appropriate worship times;

identify and utilize a preaching workshop for the pastors; develop an ongoing practice of advanced worship planning so that text, general themes,

and preacher are communicated at least six months in advance with weekly worship walk-throughs utilizing a cue sheet (written worship planning guide).

The above items will be completed by December 1, 2013.

(MT. ETNA UMC 4/12)CONCERNFor many people the front door to a relationship with Christ and a local congregation is the worship hour. Newcomers who come to Mt. Etna are looking for that passionate, authentic, and excellent opportunity to hear God’s voice and be inspired and transformed to live for Christ.

The mystery guests who attended worship at Mt. Etna were, in large part, unsatisfied and uninspired by their experiences. To move forward, involve more people in God’s Kingdom, the worship experience must become more up-to-date and meaningful to newcomers who attend on Sunday mornings.

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PRESCRIPTIONBy July 1, 2012, the Pastor, in consultation with the coach, will develop a Worship Planning Team, with a designated worship leader, that meets weekly to plan creative worship centered on the theme of the message and sensitive to the unique styles of each service. This team will utilize music, drama, visuals, technology, testimonies, and other creative arts. This team will attend a Worship Planning Workshop on August 5, 2012 led by a Church Development Staff Person. The team will analyze the Faith Perception Mystery Guest report to determine a plan for improving the worship experience by August 15, 2012. This team will be responsible for developing a sacred ambience for the worship space.

A technology review will be done by a professional sound person to assess ways to provide a distraction free worship experience. This will be done by October 1, 2012.

The Pastor and Ministry Leadership Team in consultation with the coach will explore the possibility of additional ministry opportunities on Sunday morning by examining and defining the target audience through Mission Insite demographic studies of the area surrounding Mt. Etna by August 5, 2012. This will be included in the Worship Planning Workshop.

(WAKARUSA UMC 10/13)CONCERNLeaders and members spoke about the importance of the Sunday morning experience at Wakarusa UMC. However, they also shared concerns about timing, design, quality, and leadership of worship, as well as childcare and Sunday school ministries that need strengthening. Several persons commented about the lack of participation in Sunday school and small groups. There is considerable confusion around the purpose of offering two worship services with different styles, and significant disconnect between “early service people” and “late service people.” There is a sense of grief that multiple services mean “we don’t know everyone or see the young people.” Several persons said, “The schedule doesn’t work.”

PRESCRIPTIONWakarusa UMC needs to develop a Sunday morning schedule and a strategic plan to reach population groups, providing high quality worship in multiple styles, encouraging fellowship time and hospitality, and supporting Sunday school/small group/faith development time. To this end the pastor in consultation with the coach will establish a Sunday Morning Planning Team by September 15, 2014 to oversee the improvement of the Sunday experience.

This team will do the following:1. Review the current Sunday schedule, worship experiences, fellowship opportunities, and Christian education groups, and make a report to the Administrative Council by September 15, 2014.2. Identify and utilize resource persons, as needed, to review the current worship experience and outline keys to improvements that will:Help the congregation live out its vision in making disciples of Jesus Christ and reaching identified population groups by examining the following areas:

a. SCHEDULE Develop a schedule by January 1, 2015 that will enable Wakarusa UMC to live out its vision in providing inspiring worship that effectively speaks to people, welcomes new guests, and encourages small group/ Sunday school opportunities;

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b. WORSHIP Engage the pastor and Theme Team in training experiences (either workshops or in work with a consultant) that further develops a proactive worship planning model, strengthens preaching and worship communication for consistency and connects all aspects of worship in an effective, consistent, and transforming way for all worship services by January 1, 2015. c. HOSPITALITY Establish a Radical Hospitality Team of 3-5 persons to manage the development, recruitment, and deployment of a team of ministry partners who intentionally express hospitality and welcome newcomers on Sunday morning, as well as connecting those newcomers to next step ministries on the Discipleship Path. This team will attend or host a Radical Hospitality Workshop by February 15, 2014 to develop new methodologies and plans for greeters, ushers, parking lot ministers, and a process for the registration of guests. This team will be generated out of the workshop.

(YORKTOWN 11/13)CONCERNThe consultation team heard a desire within the congregation to grow the attendance and spiritual depth of their Sunday morning experiences and to take the quality of those experiences to the next level.

PRESCRIPTIONThe pastor, in consultation with the coach, will establish a team to take the 9:20 worship experience to the next level of quality and effectiveness. An additional team will be established for the 11:30 worship experience. A third team will be established to address the concerns of the children on Sunday mornings, and the church’s Nurture Team to address hospitality and newcomer connections for Sunday morning. All teams should reference the Mystery Guest Worshipper report. All teams will be established by August 1, 2014.

These teams will focus on making worship a meaningful spiritual experience - with a focus on hospitality, appropriate seating needs and space usage, music and instrumentation for each worship experience. The teams will take advantage of available worship workshops, specialists, and will visit other churches to evaluate best practices. These reports and recommendations will be given to the appropriate staff person and / or team by December 1, 2014.

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