Knowing Ourselves: The First Presbyterian Church Mission Study

Bidding farewell to a senior pastor of 27 years is not easy. Pastors and church members mutually shape each other, and we had, over nearly three decades, grown into a comfortable, custom fit here at First Presbyterian. We cherished our former pastor, as he cherished us.

Still, as you’ll read in these pages, the Holy Spirit has set something stirring inside us as a body – an openness to a new style of leadership that will make better ministers of us all, members and staff alike. We are ready, even eager, for spiritual challenge and growth. We long to bind ourselves even more strongly to each other, and, with those bonds strengthened, to turn outward and better serve our community and our world.

We have high expectations of our senior pastor, and we want our senior pastor to have high expectations of us. As a body, we have an abundance of gifts for ministry, and we have discerned a desire to expend those gifts more fully, to give of ourselves more completely as we learn, love, and serve together in the name of Christ.

The Mission Study in Brief

In March 2017, we assembled a ten-member team (see Appendix A for names) to explore the environment within and outside our congregation. Our goal was to answer three questions drawn from Gil Rendle’s book Journey in the Wilderness, which our Session studied together a few years ago. Those questions are:

(1) Who are we? (2) Who is our neighbor?(3) What is God calling us to do now?

Members of the team were chosen based on their strengths and gifts. They discerned which facets of the study they felt drawn to pursue.

Assemble church history Gather community and congregational demographics Compile financial and membership data Conduct community leader interviews Conduct “interviews on the street” Facilitate staff conversations Discern congregational goals Conduct a congregational survey Write the final report

Hands-on work commenced in April 2017 and was guided by the book Discerning Your Congregation’s Future: A Strategic and Spiritual Approach by Roy M. Oswald and Robert E. Friedman, Jr. Our work ended with the presentation of the Mission Study report to the Session on Oct. 8, 2017. What you are about to read are the vision and direction discerned from that work.

Past Informs Present: A Historical Perspective

Due to the abundance of fast-flowing water from Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, Neenah-Menasha attracted industrious Yankee entrepreneurs who put the river to work driving their flour milling equipment and later large papermaking machines. This attracted workers and other citizens to the twin cities. They lived in peace with the Menomonee and Winnebago Indians who also inhabited the area.

The First Presbyterian Church of Winnebago Rapids was chartered on Dec. 15, 1848, six months after Wisconsin became a state. The only other church in the area was the Congregational Church, established the year before. In the 1860s, a difference in doctrine swept the Presbyterian Church nationally. The issue was predestination, and two camps divided the national church into Old School and New School. In 1864 that issue, and the issue of slavery, reached Neenah. A group of about 25 New School members left the First Presbyterian Church and joined the Congregationalists. That combined membership chose to worship as the Second Presbyterian Church. The two Presbyterian churches reunited in the late 1860s as the First Presbyterian Church of Neenah, and in 1870, the Reverend John Chapin became the minister. He was responsible for church growth, a new building, and establishing the Brigade, a youth organization imported from Europe that is still a viable institution in Neenah, located next door to our church building.

Chapin’s concern about the boys out on the streets after curfew led him to introduce the Brigade, which embodied Christian principles. All boys who joined had to attend a church of their choosing. This led to one of our members purchasing an island for a camp, and others to lead and nurture the youth of Neenah-Menasha. The church has maintained a close tie to the Brigade.

We have a long history of welcoming the stranger. Under Chapin’s guidance, we took in people from Peshtigo, Wis., who lost everything in their great fire in 1871. We sponsored missionaries to Cameroon and Korea through World War II. We sponsored displaced persons after World War II, after the Vietnam War, and after the Serbian-Croatian uprising. We are now working to support a refugee family from the Middle East.

We have been fortunate to have key ministers like Reverend Chapin, who served our congregation for 33 years, at pivotal points in our history to shepherd us through trying times in world events. The Rev. Marquis during his 16 years saw steady growth of church activities, particularly that of the Sunday School and the work of missions. Our Sunday school program in the 1920s was a national model for Presbyterian Sunday schools under its superintendent, a member and local industrialist. We have continued to have a strong youth program that has encouraged our youth to learn about Christ in formal settings and through mission trips. Over the years our youth have traveled to Canada, Mexico, Kentucky, Detroit, New York, and Pine Ridge, SD. They have built sheds for Habitat for Humanity and helped our local neighbors with yard and household tasks.

Dr. Jones saw the congregation through World War I, creating a refuge during this time of storm and throughout his 16 years. Under Dr. Courtney, the Women’s Society was organized and the

Men’s Club was formed, creating fine fellowship and a chance to hear speakers of note. It was during this time Mrs. Babcock donated the Aeolian-Skinner organ to our church.

Attendance began to outgrow the building and talk of building a new church arose. The Rev. Dr. Peters arrived in 1944 and worked throughout World War II with the Board of Deacons to minister to the nearly 200 servicemen and women from this church with letters, magazines, and church bulletins and news. He left after only three years, but the new church building continued to be a topic of conversation.

The Rev. Bouquet arrived in 1947 and ministered to the congregation for 29 years. Under his leadership, we celebrated our 100th birthday, installed our first female elders, and realized our dream of a new church building. Thanks to the early entrepreneurs and industrialists who founded our cities, as well as others who came after them and who were active members and officers of our Presbyterian Church, we had ample financial resources. Our current church, built in two phases dedicated in 1951 and 1954, is a testament to their generosity. At that time, we were debt free and recipients of bequests to help us keep the mission of our church alive and well. Through our endowments, we are able to send youth to camps, pay some tuition for students at Carroll College and other institutions of higher learning, and offer grants to local charities, congregations, Presbytery, Synod, Presbyterian colleges, and world relief.

The Rev. Moore arrived in 1989 and saw the church building through an upgrade to fit the modern needs of our church families. This involved significant long-term planning and introspection on who we are and who we want to be. He served as our minister for 27 years, until 2016.

Our music connection with Lawrence University has been long and rewarding. Lawrence students sing in our choir in exchange for scholarships. We have had faculty playing our organ, leading our choirs and hand bells, and performing in special musical and organ offerings.

We are an open church, intentional on gender issues, and use inclusive language in our services. We continue to Learn, Love, and Serve and invite all to attend our church. This mission is relatively new to us as a church, but evolving.

And here we are in 2017, 169 years old, and still working to be a force of Christian stewardship and love in our community and the world.

Who We Are in Context: Demographics of Congregation and Community

Of the 368 household addresses on our mailing list, 246 (67%) are in Neenah’s 54956 zip code. One can understand our congregation in context by comparing U.S. Census and American Community Survey data for the 54956 zip code to data from two sources: (1) our congregation’s 2016 statistical report to the PC(U.S.A.); and (2) our 2017 Congregational Survey, conducted as part of this Mission Study. (Appendix B offers more detail on demographic trends in our congregation.)

These data suggest that, collectively, we members of First Presbyterian Church are:

Overwhelmingly white, like our community. Older than our community, like most mainline Protestant and Presbyterian

congregations. More affluent than our community, and more affluent than members of the PC(U.S.A.)

as a whole. 61% of PC(U.S.A.) members have a household income of $50,000 or more, according to the Pew Research 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study; 78% of our 2017 Congregational Survey respondents reported an income of $50,000 or more.

Demographic Measure Neenah 54956(2010 U.S. Census)

First Presbyterian(2016 Statistical Report)

% White 95.6 97.1% Black 1.5 0.0% American Indian 1 2.1% Asian 2 0.6% Hispanic 3.4 0.3% Age 25 and under 32.1 30.1% Age 26-44 27.3 22.5% Age 45-54 16.8 11.1% Age 55-64 11.8 12.7% Age 65+ 12.0 22.8

Demographic Measure

Neenah 54956(2014 American Community

Survey)

First Presbyterian(2017 Congregational Survey;

160 respondents)% w/ Household Income $50K-100K

37.6 41.7

% w/ Household Income $100K+ 22.8 36.1Note: The sum of race data for the 2010 U.S. Census is greater than 100% because some individuals identify as more than one race.

Making Meaning Together: Congregational Mission and Meaning Statements

Inspired by their reading of the aforementioned Rendle book, the Session in 2014 undertook an effort to write a mission statement – our first such effort since the mid 1980s. The process began with a Saturday retreat and unfolded over eight months, with pro bono support from and facilitation by professional writer and FPCN member Peter Tolly. We arrived at a “collapsible,” three-tier mission statement encapsulated as Learn, Love, Serve.

LEARN about Christian faith through worship and study.We praise and honor God through music, providing musical education for all age groups.We create an educational environment for all to learn and grow in faith.We welcome new viewpoints into our discussions of faith through challenging sermons and by being open and honest as a congregation.

LOVE our neighbors as Jesus taught.We invite and welcome persons of any age, ability, race or ethnicity fully into the life of the church, recognizing and respecting all sexual orientations and gender identities.We nourish a sense of community and belonging through a range of weekly group activities for all ages.We organize support for church members in times of need and celebrate together in times of joy.

SERVE God by serving others.We strive to make a tangible, positive impact worldwide through regular service projects and yearly mission trips for youth and adults.We commit our time and talent to the life of the church and toward the wellbeing of the community.We cherish ongoing traditions in the church while exploring new ways to show gratitude and generosity.

More recently, on a fall Sunday in 2016, some 100 members of the congregation gathered at round tables in the Fellowship Hall. Informed by a 170-year congregational timeline to which we’d all contributed over three weeks, interim pastor Terry Hamilton-Poore charged us with writing meaning statements at our tables. We took turns sharing our meaning statements with the full group.

Then the meaning statements were posted in the cloister – our main thoroughfare from the sanctuary to Sunday morning coffee and goodies – for three weeks of “dot-voting.” Members placed three stickers on the meaning statement(s) that most spoke to them. Each of us could vote for three different meaning statements, or we could place all of our dots on one statement.

With the votes of 133 members in, six meaning statements rose to the top:

1. We have a long history with refugees. Should we consider sponsoring a Syrian family? (41 votes)

2. (tie)a. When youth activities are strong there is energy and growth. (33 votes)

b. When relationships within the congregation flourish the church grows. We need more activities that allow us to get to know one another outside of worship. (33 votes)

3. The population of the church has changed and aged – we need to do more to grow/recruit new members. (32 votes)

4. Music is important to us. (27 votes)

5. We are just beginning to grapple with difficult issues, such as LGBT. We don’t really talk about them. (26 votes)

Other “honorable mention” meaning statements connect strongly to these top six:

Our church’s commitment and energy around local and international community is a strength we can use to grow, especially if we empower those we are helping. (12 votes) – Relates to 1

This congregation cares about people – especially children, the homeless and the less fortunate. (21 votes) – Relates to 1 and 2a

A lot of activities say “men” or “women.” We need more that are gender-inclusive, and more intergenerational activities. (11 votes) – Relates to 2b

Some groups in the church are underserved, such as singles, widows/widowers, divorced. (11 votes) – Relates to 2b

The church seems to have been slow to adapt to changes in family and culture. We need to learn how to accommodate changed dynamics so that more families can be involved. (19 votes) – Relates to 3

Not a lot of diversity in church – need to put a “welcome” face on our church, do more to drive diversity. (12 votes) – Relates to 3 and 5

It’s worth noting that we did not wait for the Mission Study to unfold before beginning the process of adopting a refugee family! That’s who we are as a congregation: When, mutually, we feel strongly about something, we make it happen with enthusiasm, skill, and grace.

Listening to Our Support Crew: Staff Conversations

It was important to us as members not just to honor our own voices in the Mission Study but also to lean in and listen with intention to our staff. After all, sometimes they know us and our needs better than we know ourselves!

To that end, our team facilitated a two-hour conversation with staff in June 2017. Eight full- and part-time staff took part. The conversation included:

Re-introductions around what drew, and draws, each person to their role Discussion of pastoral, program, and corporate churches (definitions to follow), and an

assessment of where we fit in those models Strengths, weaknesses and opportunities Discussion of what staff wish they could do more or less of to advance our mission Dot-voting on the meaning statements that resonated and didn’t resonate with them

We were gratified to hear many of our staff say the members are what keep them here – that they, too, feel a sense of belonging as part of the congregation. In a couple of cases, we heard that our congregation’s “potential” and “possibilities” are/were powerful for staff.

From there, we introduced the concept of pastoral, program, and corporate churches.

Pastoral churches (worship attendance of 50-100) have a sense of family. Their spiritual needs are met mainly by their pastor.

Program churches (worship attendance of 150-300) engage members in leading ministries and filling fellow members’ spiritual needs under the guidance of the pastor.

Corporate churches (worship attendance of 300+) have high-quality worship, multiple staff, and members who value the programming offered.

We then shared attendance information with the staff (see below) and asked in what category we fit as a congregation.

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 20160

50100150200250300

Average Worship At-tendance

One staff member responded with eloquence that we have the finances of a corporate church, but the worship attendance of a program church. This raised an anxiety felt by some: The staff is large for the number of members; will some lose their jobs? Concerns around member expectations and member fatigue also arose, since not all members see and understand that we’ve diminished in size and still expect the same level of programming as in the past.

Moving on from this exercise, staff identified the following strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities:

Strengths Financial endowments; “production value” (i.e., beautiful building and high-quality worship and choirs); sense of integrity; large and strong staff; value on education

Weaknesses Lack of diversity; too much reliance on endowments/grants; staff doing the work of members; orientation to the past; endowment shelters us from present realities; declining membership

Opportunities Youth involvement; Christian education; financial situation provides mission possibilities; doing more “uncomfortable” things could amplify mission and passion

Overall, our staff are eager to look outward and upward more than they look inward and downward. They long to get hands-on in the community in new and exciting ways. They wish they could spend more time with people and less time with paperwork. They also want to do “less of what we’ve always done” (particularly purposeless meetings!) and more of what will energize and change our membership and our community.

Among our meaning statements, they most endorsed these two.

When youth activities are strong there is energy and growth. When relationships within the congregation flourish the church grows. We need more

activities that allow us to get to know one another outside of worship.

With growth a component of both of these statements, discussion centered on the pressure staff feel around growing the church.

The meaning statement that had some staff scratching their heads was this one:

We are just beginning to grapple with difficult issues, such as LGBT. We don’t really talk about them.

For some, the concept of LGBT as a “difficult issue” was offensive. For others, this statement was permission-giving, indicating a readiness to go deeper with each other.

Exploring Our Surroundings: Community Leader and Member Interviews

We realize that what’s meaningful to us is only truly meaningful if it also has an impact on the world. For that reason, the Mission Study team placed a good deal of focus on inviting community members into conversations about the region’s needs and what a congregation like ours could do to meet them.

The team conducted one-on-one or two-on-one conversations with community leaders (see Appendix C for the invitation leaders received, and Appendix D for leaders’ names, roles and detailed notes), and casual “interviews on the street” with community members of various ages, lifestyles, genders, races, and points of view (see Appendix E for detailed notes).

As you’d expect, answers varied widely! Everything from downtown parking needs to drug use to mental health to parenting support was mentioned. Through it all, a few themes arose.

Healthy youth development is a major concern. Despite many great nonprofit programs in our community, many youth have little adult guidance and few positive activities to engage them. Community members cited the “breakdown of the family,” “fewer family values,” and the “need for more family time” as challenges. There is ample opportunity for our congregation, with its strong youth programming, to reach out and make a difference in partnership with schools, nonprofits, and other faith communities.

Housing needs continue to rise. Access to affordable housing is limited in Neenah, particularly for those moving to the area due to incarceration in the Oshkosh prison. There is much more poverty in the community than many realize. Homelessness is a real issue. Our nearest shelters are in Appleton, some nine miles to the north.

All in all, we heard what we already knew: that our community is a wonderful place with more assets than challenges, and that we have many opportunities, under the right leadership, to reach out, leverage our gifts and skills, and bring the light of Christ into our neighborhoods and communities.

Of Money and Ministry: The Financial State of the Congregation

Financially speaking, our congregation has an enviable challenge to address. With restricted and unrestricted endowments totaling nearly $11 million, we have ample resources with which to build the body of Christ, within our walls and beyond them. The challenge lies in what many of us perceive as an overreliance on endowment proceeds to support our annual budget, and a theory that the existence of the endowment creates a generosity-suppressing perception among our members that the congregation does not need our money.

A closer look at our most recently completed budget year paints a clear picture of our dilemma. In 2016, our operating budget was $1,067,435, with salaries accounting for 58% of expenses. [This percentage significantly exceeds that for all Protestant congregations (45%) and mainline Protestant congregations (49%), according to a 2008 study out of the Hartford Institute for

Religion Research.] Mission and outreach accounted for fully 24%, or about $250,000, of our expenses.

Income in 2016 was $1,083,689, with the following breakdown – adult giving (48%); unrestricted endowment disbursement (46%); and loose offerings, parking lot rental fees, building use donations, and restricted endowment disbursements (6%). In other words, we drew nearly $500,000 in 2016 income from our unrestricted endowment.

This becomes troubling in light of our members’ collective giving habits.

Adult giving has declined for three years straight, from $755 per member per year in 2014 to $717 per member per year in 2016.

Pledges by new members ($368 gained per new member per year, on average) are not keeping pace with pledges lost when members die, move or otherwise leave the congregation ($1,510 lost per departing member per year, on average).

Our anticipated 2017 giving per member of $748 is below the national average of $1,049, despite the fact illuminated earlier that our congregation is, on average, significantly more affluent than a typical PC(U.S.A.) congregation and the surrounding community.

A detailed study of our finances, completed for a Session retreat held in October 2016, is fully summarized in Appendix F.

Discerning the Path Ahead: Congregational Goals

With all but the congregational survey complete, the Mission Study team brainstormed potential goals for our congregation. These goals were discerned from the meaning statements described earlier, along with the information gathered through all other facets of the mission study.

The team created goals in four categories: Strengths to build on Dysfunctions to address Mission in our community Aspirations for the future

In mid September 2017, 19 members of the Session and Mission Study Team gathered in our own “Upper Room” – the second-floor youth group meeting space – to discern 4-6 key goals from this list. Three walls in the room were labeled T (top), M (middle), and B (bottom). In advance, each person had prioritized goals individually with a T, M, or B (see Appendix G to read all potential goals considered). Then together we reviewed each goal, moving to the letter we’d assigned it so we could visualize the priority we’d collectively placed on that goal.

Persuasion was encouraged. Moving from one letter to another was allowed. Monologues, animation and laughter ensued. There was plenty of passion in the room, but no shouting or eye-rolling. We approached the exercise, led by the Spirit, with a spirit of cooperation and love.

A few observations:

There were strong feelings about the need for an outward focus, and equally strong feelings about the need for an inward focus. Our leadership was balanced in its vision of a future built on hands-on ministry (in which action drives spiritual growth) and spiritual nurture (in which spiritual growth drives action).

Our endowment and its role – positive and negative – in the life of the congregation cause considerable anxiety for our leaders. Perspectives vary and are strongly held.

Creating a sense of family, of belonging, and of community was a theme for many. Being called by name on their second visit to FPCN was a resonant experience that persuaded some to alter their priorities.

A not insignificant number of us recoiled at the use of the word contemporary in one of the goals. A good portion of us are staunch traditionalists.

Priority goals were determined by counting the number of individuals under each category (T, M, B); assigning a point value to each category (T=3, M=2, B=1); calculating total points for each goal; and determining that goal’s percentage above the average number of points in that category.

In this way, congregational leadership discerned the following goals, in rough priority order:

(1) Create a sense of family and belonging through frequent, intentional, intergenerational interactions, so that every child and adult has meaningful connections outside their own family.

(2) Break through our philosophical openness to diversity through an intentional movement toward real diversity in our congregation.

(3) Bring pledges and expenses into a healthy, sustainable balance, growing membership and giving to reduce the percentage of annual operating expenses covered by the endowment.

(4) Become a positive life force in the heart of Neenah, proactively using our large building and its park-like grounds to partner with others in meeting community needs.

(5) Increase our congregation’s size by developing a culture of invitation and nurture (recruitment and retention) that empowers all to grow and sustain our membership.

Taking the Temperature of the Congregation: A Congregational Survey

From late August through early September 2017, the Mission Study Team surveyed the congregation for perspective on the characteristics our members long for in our new pastor. We drew survey items from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research’s Pastoral Search Inventory.

Surveys were distributed and completed both electronically and on paper. A total of 164 individuals provided input. Survey respondents skewed older on average than the congregation; for example, 61% of respondents were in the 55-and-over age group, versus 45% of members. Results are tabulated in Appendix H.

The survey showed that our members are ready for an engaging leader who will challenge and encourage us to find our way forward as a congregation and guide us in discerning our own gifts for ministry. Our members express a prevailing preference for a senior pastor who:

Has a relaxed interpersonal style (91%) Has an outgoing personality (84%) Embraces new approaches, versus the way we’ve always done things (83%) Encourages lay leaders to make decisions (83%) and figure things out for themselves

(79%)

Collectively, we see ourselves as a prestigious church, strongly aligned with our denominational identity, that emphasizes gradual spiritual growth, rather than conversion or born-again experiences. We value certain roles as central in the work of our incoming pastor:

Minister of the Word/Celebrant. Powerful worship experiences matter to us. Above all, our senior pastor ensures that we learn, and grow spiritually, through worship.

We expect our pastor to craft carefully and deliver skillfully challenging, inspiring sermons that make us reflect on the world beyond Neenah. We also want our pastor to plan and lead worship sensitive to the needs of the congregation, and to involve members in leading worship.

It’s important here to note a marked and challenging divide in our congregation as regards worship. There exist simultaneously a desire for greater emphasis on use of contemporary worship styles, music, and language, and a strong belief that contemporary worship styles, music, and language receive too much emphasis.

It’s possible this divide could be bridged by offering a contemporary worship service on a day other than Sunday, since 37% of survey respondents said finding an alternative to Sunday worship needed more emphasis.

Spiritual Guide/Friend & Fellow Traveler. While we want our senior pastor to teach and inspire us, we also want her or him to walk beside us, share her or his insights, vulnerabilities, and doubts, and cast a light upon the spiritual path we walk together. Our senior pastor will emphasize our spiritual development – perhaps by integrating more silent prayer or meditation in worship, which 20% of survey respondents said needed more emphasis.

Church Administrator. For us, preaching, teaching, and spiritual leadership come first. Still, we recognize that, as a large congregation with a sizeable staff and significant financial resources, we need a leader who can organize our human and monetary resources for the greatest, most meaningful shared impact. We want a leader who will mobilize the many talents of our members and staff, making all of us ministers together.

Three “tasks of the church” topped members’ lists of activities needing more emphasis. They are:

(1) Helping members discover their own gifts for ministry and service(2) Participating in activities and programs with other local religious groups(3) Sharing the good news of the Gospel with the unchurched

A final open-ended question asked about the three traits respondents most wanted in our new pastor. This word cloud visually and verbally represents our collective hopes and desires.

Appendix AMission Study Team Members and Responsibilities

Steve Bork Community Leader Interviews; Congregational Survey

Tim Galloway Community Leader Interviews

Debbie Griffith Community Leader Interviews

Terry Hamilton-Poore Advisor

Erin Hollister Interviews on the Street

Anne Jones Financial Analysis

Margaret Lorenz Editor

Susan Morrissey Congregational History; Staff Conversations

Joshua Ranger Community Demographics; Congregational Survey; Graphic Design

Jack Speech Congregational History

Lisa Strandberg Team Leader; Congregational Demographics; Staff Conversations

Appendix BFirst Presbyterian Church Demographics from PC(U.S.A.) Statistical Report (2011-2016)

YearCategory 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Active Members 888 883 888 867 869 718Female Members 508 502 494 493 495 405Gains            17 and under 14 6 10 6 0 918 and over 12 14 1 8 13 9Certificate 10 4 17 5 10 6Other 13 2Losses            Certificate 4 2 6 3 9Death 11 12 11 17 19 19Other 11 15 19 20 2 149Net Gain/Loss 10 -5 5 -21 2 -151Average Attendance 285 285 #N/A 230 230 183Baptisms 10 13 4 14 10 9Age Dist.            25 and under 121 103 120 149 157 8826-45 246 264 233 219 221 20546-55 161 150 145 145 140 10156-65 128 133 128 125 125 116Over 65 232 233 262 229 226 208Christian Ed            Birth to 3 39 32 27 26 22 24Age 4 10 12 14 8 9 10Kindergarten 12 9 9 20 13 7Gr 1 16 11 9 7 20 15Gr 2 13 16 14 10 6 15Gr 3 21 14 16 12 10 6Gr 4 19 19 16 14 12 9Gr 5 11 21 19 16 14 9Gr 6 9 15 17 19 16 13Gr 7 19 6 12 15 19 13Gr 8 14 18 6 12 16 16Gr 9 9 16 15 7 13 13Gr 10 17 9 14 15 7 12Gr 11 14 16 9 14 15 6Gr 12 20 14 16 10 14 12

Young Adults 13 15 17 15 15 14Over 25 30 38 39 45 45 45Total Christian Ed 286 281 269 265 266 239Teachers/Officers 68 60 63 58 58 48Racial Ethnic Members            Asian 6 4 4 4 4 4Black 0 0 0 0 0 0Middle Eastern 0 0 0 0 0 0Hispanic 3 2 2 2 2 2Native American 14 14 15 15 15 15White 865 863 867 846 848 697Giving and Income            Potential Giving Units 612 609 614 610 621 518Actual Giving UnitsRegular Contributions $543,933 $558,501 $579,745 $563,446 $549,155 $535,667Investment Income $639,343 $691,284 $696,948 $743,148 $770,328 $790,740

Appendix CCommunity Leader Interview Invitation

Dear __________________,

I am a member at First Presbyterian Church in Neenah, and we are beginning the process of calling a new Senior Pastor for our congregation. Our church has always strived to use our resources to extend the work of the church beyond the sanctuary to the local community and the world. Locally, we continue to proactively support Habitat for Humanity, the Community Table, Snack Pack, and many others. We intend to sustain this type of support in the future.

One of the first steps in our search process is to better identify our church's mission in our community. We are reaching out to members of our community who have experience, understanding, and a familiarity of our community who can assist us in our search. We are asking if you have 20-30 minutes to meet with 2-3 members of our committee to discuss two main questions:

1. What challenges do you see in our community going forward?2. How can First Presbyterian Church with 700+ members, solid financial resources, and a large building with a central downtown location assist with these challenges?

We can meet at a location of your choosing, or can discuss this via a phone call if you prefer. I can be contacted by the e-mail addresses or phone numbers below.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to help us in our mission.

Sincerely,First Presbyterian Church Mission Study Committee

Debbie Griffith: debbiegriffith34@gmail.com (920) 540-2342Steve Bork: stevebork@aol.com (920) 745-8800Tim Galloway: timgalloway@gallowaycompany.com (920) 886-2303

Appendix DDetailed Notes on Community Leader Interviews

Interviewee Community Issue Church capabilityDean Kaufert-Neenah Mayor Downtown parking Owns parking lot

Mental Health issues, PTSD, resources lacking Partner with other groupsIncreasing heroin use Partner with RethinkLimited affordable housing for people moving to area due to incarceration in Oshkosh Assist with rehab and placementLimited activities for 12-17 year old youth Church could hold activities

Meeting spaceChurch building could be used for community activities

Laura Kemps-The Brigade

At-risk youth being missed in the system

Church members getting involved with Best Friends

Lack of support for kids with behavioral issues

Encourage opportunities at Technical SchoolsPartner in education

Underutilization of Brigade building and Boy and Girls Club facility in Menasha

Offer Joint programming with the Brigade

Amy Barker-Future Neenah

Church building could be used for various activities, meetings, etc. Assist with Loop the Lake trail system

Downtown parking lots, etc. do not get much attention Church could assist with clean-up dayMore poverty in Neenah than most people realize

Interaction with SNAP and local social workers

Emily Bennett-High School Teacher Neenah schools losing their prestige

Church can be more welcoming to youth

High school kids being pressured in directions they may not want to go

Supporting LGBTQ groups, supporting Gay/Straight Alliance

BullyingTechnical schools treated as a last resort

Begin having services with more modern music

Steve Morton-business owner Insufficient multi-family housing

Lacking the philanthropic families which used to support NeenahExcessive health care regulationLack of understanding of the millennial generation

Peter Kelly-United Way CEO Access to affordable housing

Participation in "Rock-the-Block" community activities

Homelessness

the Housing Partnership and Habitat for Humanity could be of help in directing us to help people break the cycle of poverty by improving home values through renovation

Youth performance-3rd grade reading scores

to work collaboratively with various youth oriented groups like the Brigade, Youth GO, Best Friends, Boys and Girls Club, and the Scouts

High incidence of possible child abuse

Mental Health – we need to reduce the stigma, increase the access to care, and raise awareness for earlier diagnosis relative to mental health.

Access to affordable health care

work on the poverty, social equity, affordability, and keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible

Better Parents – regardless of type – traditional, single parent, LGBT parents – we need to encourage and support parents particularly in the first three years which are critical in brain development

Theresa Pichelmeyer – President/CEO Valley VNA

Need to become involved in advanced care planning at an early age

The local advanced care coalition could help faith based communities facilitate learning and teaching congregations how to promote these ideas.

Need to be able to recognize early onset of dementia and then being able to support those diagnosed.

The VNA can offer training to faith based communities through their Purple Angel program so that staff and parishioners can recognize the symptoms.

Faith based communities might have

a better chance than other community volunteers to support those who, due to pride or mental state, don’t want to accept that they need help in their home with meals, cleaning, and personal needs

Officer Stu-Neenah Police Food for the hungry

Just. Good. Food. And other food drives

Neighbors to the police station come there to use the phone and bathrooms

Methamphetamine usageHelp to raise money for another canine patrol dog

GangsDriving issues: texting, drunk and drugged drivingDomestic abuse

SuicideCare packages for those in need--unsure what they would includeHe also stated the church building would be ideal for Police/SWAT team training

Terri Beth Wood-Coolidge School 3rd grade teacher

Kids know so much about the things their parents are getting into-drugs, etc.

Lack of respect in the communityWe need to teach respect and responsibility

Lack of acknowledging their responsibility in their community

Spend time with kids teaching them how to use the library, how to respect people in the city, how to enjoy the parks, etc.

Kids are getting deprogrammed to work hard as they are given everything Try to change the "me-first" attitude

No one says please or thank you anymore

Need to teach everyone to be productive members of the community--how to get people to do the right things.

People are taking without giving back

Appendix EDetailed Notes on “Interviews on the Street”

Interview (Demographic)

What enjoy/like about Fox Cities

Problem/issues in the Community

How can a church help with these issues

At Concert Lunch in Park3 (50-60 y.o.'s) ; 1 college age

safety, entertainment, leisure, kind/helpful people

increasing crime, less family values, drug use, and poverty

provide parental support/mentorship; homeless shelter; community food

young momsnice community, like Doty Island; great and kid-friendly

Neenah/Menasha rivalry (thinking one area not as good as other)

bringing things back to churches for helping (more outreach and reliability from church instead of government)

Fritse Park interviews

Woman in 30s, 1 child (8?)

sense of community, fairly safe, lots of family fun activities

heroin epidemic, breakdown of family, lack of places for teenagers to hang out safely

creating a safe place for all to worship and teaching morals and values

Foster parent, woman in 30s

diverse opportunity for things to do; community activities

as a parent of 3 special needs kids, the support is "archaic" (even with best intentions); as a vegan, people's views on what is healthy is behind the times (diets and animal welfare)

huge opportunity for churches to educate and make better decisions on animal welfare (care for all living beings on earth)

Kindergarten teacher, mom of young kids

great place to raise kids (families)

Appleton offers more charters than Neenah (may be helpful to have more choices offered to fit learning styles); crime has increased slightly Promote kindness

Neenah Farmers MarketBorn and raised in area; couple in their 40s; members of First United Methodist

Always something going on, feel safe; love the seasons

lack of parent involvement to get things to happen, more family time needed and valued, kids are less disciplined

Being welcoming for new people to church and area. Would like an opportunity for churches to do joint youth activities together.

Group of 5 (2 adults, 3 college aged young adults) Past First Pres member*

lots to do for different ages (ex: PAC) scenic and green good place to raise a family

Lack of acceptance for diversity (all matters of what makes up diversity)

open and affirming church, not to be judgmental programs for youth (a safe place for them to go and be themselves

3 women (around 70s), members of St. Margaret Mary

sense of community, clean, not much, crime, things to do (esp. in summer) mostly friendly people

want more activities for all seasons, roundabouts, unemployment?; cushions for the bench they sit at during Farmer Market

cushions for their bench, special activities for, community and church youth; take turns helping at the warming shelter in Appleton

Local salon business owner, mom of young child safe, family friendly more music and arts to be offered

creating a good sense of community as a church family- meeting others with "like interests"

2 local teens; 1 foreign exchange student from Norway (lived here since Aug 2016)

events like farmers market- to get a feel for community and enjoy simple pleasures of life and people in it. All 4 seasons and cheese curds (exch. student)

too many cops (not enough trust with them); some people too judgmental (all generations- but comes from parents sometimes, who instill it in their kids); not enough acceptance

more open to all views, not judgmental (felt judged at her church, is not interested in attending much); youth group opportunities where values of respect and love can be instilled and they can bring that home to their parents.

Older couple (60s-70s) members of St. Paul Lutheran

friendly, clean, great education

not as safe as it used to be, with diversification; cultures need to be "co-mingled" so there aren't a lot of problems like in the big cities

being active in community, outreach and spreading God's love, making our churches name known- not being afraid to tell people who we are and what we believe

Farmers market vendor from Hmong community

along the Fox River, likes how the communities come together, and there is more involvement

has not seen many problems or challenges ??

Older gentleman (mid 60s?) St Margaret Mary's member safe place to live

drug use is up and too many breweries are here now

try to keep staying involved with community to keep it safe and friendly

Middle-aged gentleman; works in advertising for Post-Crescent

Diverse- not too big or small of a community, low crime, great place overall construction pray

Male in 30s, very passionate about helping community

Neenah-bike friendly, Menasha-same friendly vibes, Appleton- likes Houdini Plaza, Oshkosh-???

wants to have bikes for rent, huge homeless pop. (esp. in Appleton)- get more for Homeless to DO

more homeless outreach to connect and care about them (create homeless shelter or at least provide lunch/meals for them at church

*Side note: former First Pres member, left because was not feeling included, uncomfortable feeling of hierarchy

Appendix F

Our Finances in Full: A 10-Year History and 5-Year Vision

First Presbyterian Church was the beneficiary of a $1 million bequest from the estate of C. B.

Clark in 1951. This donation seeded what is now called the Unrestricted Endowment, with

funds to be set aside and reserved for the “special needs” of the church. Over time, additional

bequests have grown the Unrestricted Endowment. It is now valued at over $10.2 million.

There is also a much smaller Restricted Endowment, created prior to 1940 and consisting of a

number of gifts and bequests with specific restrictions for use. The Restricted Endowment is

valued at $1.2 million.

The Unrestricted Endowment has had average annual growth of 2.1% over the last 11 years, with

growth closer to 4.0% when you discount the effects of the Recession of 2008-2009.

2016 annual income for First Presbyterian Church was $1,083,689. Income is made up of three

buckets – Adult Giving (48%), an allotment from the Unrestricted Endowment (46%), and All

Other (6%). The All Other category primarily includes Loose Offerings, Parking Lot Income,

Building Use Donations, and Schaefer Trust Income. In 1996, we began pulling 6.5% of the total

value of the Unrestricted Endowment (based on 3 year rolling average) to fund operating

expenses. In 2004, this was reduced to 5.0% where it has remained until 2017 when it was raised

to 5.25% to cover a budget shortfall. After four years of growth following the Recession (+3.0%,

+5.8%, +3.6%, and +3.5%), the total amount of annual pledges has declined the last 3 years (-

3.0%, -2.1%, -2.7%).

Adult Giving declines have been driven by four factors:

1. Decline in giving per member ($755 in 2014 vs. $717 in 2016 – 5% decline)*

2. Dollars per lost pledger ($1,510) not made up by dollars per new pledger ($368)

3. Overall slow decline in percent of charitable gifts given to churches (50% to 32%)

4. Varied level of stewardship campaign effectiveness

*Adjusted for new membership roll of 718

The decline in giving per member is hypothesized related to the belief that with the Endowment,

large pledges are not as critical for our church. In fact, it was recently pointed out at the 2017

Annual Congregational Meeting that our anticipated 2017 giving per member of $748 is below

the national average of $1,049. As a result, the Endowment has been contributing a growing

proportion of income.

First Presbyterian Church 2016 annual expenses were $1,067,435. The annual budget is made up

of 10 categories that roughly correspond to the church’s committee structure. These include

Mission & Outreach, Membership, Worship, Christian Education, Gratitude & Generosity,

Building & Grounds, Staff/Parish Relations (SPRC), Administrative, Music, and All Other. Over

70% of expenses are made up of SPRC (48%) and Mission & Outreach (24%). Building &

Grounds and Music make up the next two largest areas of expenditures.

Expenses have been growing at a higher rate than Income over the last 10 years [+1.3%

Compound Average Growth Rate (CAGR) vs. +0.9% respectively]. Of the categories tracked

consistently over the last 10 years, Building & Grounds (+1.7% CAGR) and Administrative

(+1.5% CAGR) have driven the growth. Over the last 6 years, since Music was tracked

separately, expenses have grown at a similar rate (+1.3%), with the highest growth rates in

Worship (+5.4%), Christian Education (+5.2%), Building & Grounds (+3.0%), and

Administrative (+2.6%). Interestingly, the two largest categories, Mission & Outreach and SPRC,

have had below-average growth rates both at the 10 and 6-year horizons.

A key premise going into the Session Retreat analysis was that while overall the church is in a

strong position financially given its large endowment, strategically located building and parking

lot, and large membership, there were opportunities to strengthen our foundation and clarify our

financial strategies and goals. Some questions raised by the analysis include:

Where do we want to be in 5-10 years? What is our vision?

What is the purpose of the Endowment? Should it be used for purposes other than

covering a growing portion of our annual expenses?

Should annual giving/pledges align with annual expenses? If so, what would inspire

increased giving?

What would it look like if our spending aligned with our meaning statements?

The building has ongoing capital expenditure requirements beyond the annual budget.

Should we use the Endowment to cover those or fund via capital campaign?

Depending on how we answer these questions, there are trade-offs to consider. If the church uses

the Endowment to fund major repairs, and continues to rely on the Endowment for operating

expenses, there will be less income from the Endowment available to cover expenses.

Conversely, if the decision is to lessen reliance on the Endowment for income, and Adult Giving

does not increase, this may require a reduction in operating expense, requiring reduced

programming or less staff. The decline in Adult Giving, the need to cover large capital

expenditures, and the strategic use of the Endowment will be significant issues for the next

Minister to help resolve.

The Session Retreat in March 2017 began the process of starting to formulate our thoughts

around these strategic issues. The Retreat began with an overview presentation of the financial

analysis covered here. The Session was then asked to provide their individual viewpoints on

many of the questions raised above. Small groups took each question and its viewpoints and

consolidated them into a summary of feedback on each question that was then reviewed as a

team. While time was limited at this meeting and we were only able to scratch the surface of

many of these large, complex issues, some preliminary direction was received which could serve

as a starting point for our next Minister.

A draft vision statement was developed based on a composite of vision statements generated at

the Session Retreat:

First Presbyterian Church of Neenah strives to be a growing, inter-generational, diverse

church that energetically pursues purposeful mission, integrated with the community, in a

financially self-sustaining manner.

In addition, consensus of the Session members at the Retreat around potential “BHAGS” (Big

Hairy Audacious Goals) for the Church centered on the following two areas:

- Growing the congregation (size, giving, younger age, mission participation, and faith)

- Making a significant difference in one area (e.g., refugees, feeding the hungry)

There was not consensus on how to inspire increased giving though several potential approaches

were identified including more focused initiatives that are compelling and create passion, more

transparency with the congregation on church spending and financial needs, and more visible

results of efforts in Worship, Mission & Outreach, and overall spending. Finally, guidance was

provided to the Finance Committee including some preliminary principles around the

Endowment:

- Reduce the dependency on the Endowment for operating expenses from 47% to 25%

over the next 5 years.

- Maintain the Endowment at a minimum of $10 million, with willingness to give towards

compelling special needs.

- Establish a capital reserve with the recently acquired Schroeder gift to cover future large

capital needs for the building and grounds.

Appendix GGoal Discernment Exercise

With all but the congregational survey complete, the Mission Study team gathered to brainstorm a long list of potential goals for our congregation. These goals were discerned from the meaning statements developed and ranked by the congregation, along with the information gathered through other facets of the mission study: community leader interviews, interviews on the street, staff conversations, demographics studies, and a financial state-of-the-congregation.

The team created goals in four categories: Strengths to build on Dysfunctions to address Mission in our community Aspirations for the future

Your task now is to quiet yourself to discern prayerfully how to prioritize the goals within each category. You’ll first do this exercise individually, and then engage in a group discernment process on Sept. 17. Your individual responses will form the basis of your participation on Sept. 17. Please bring your responses with you to the gathering. Together we’ll arrive a 4-6 priority goals for our congregation to embrace in the first five years of our new senior pastor’s ministry with us.

(1) Please read 1 Peter 2: 4-5, 9-10.(2) Reflect on the scripture’s connection to this exercise.(3) Prioritize goals by placing a T, M, or B (Top, Middle, or Bottom) in the Priority

column next to each goal, following the specific instructions for each category.

STRENGTHS-BASED GOALS

Please choose one Top (T), two Middle (M), and two Bottom (B) goals in this category.

Priority GoalBuild upon historically strong youth programming to attract community youth, starting with friends of members’ own children and their families.Become a positive life force in the heart of Neenah, proactively using our large building and its park-like grounds to meet community needs.Align the boundless possibilities of our endowment resources and our human capacity with a collective aim to address a specific, significant, yet-to-be-identified issue over time (i.e., mental health, heroin addiction, youth mentoring, etc.)Transform our excellent music program into a powerful outreach ministry and a key differentiator of our congregation.Create a deep sense of belonging within the congregation, in which every child and adult has at least one church “buddy” or meaningful connection outside their own family.

DYSFUNCTION-BASED GOALS

Please choose one Top (T), two Middle (M), and one Bottom (B) goal in this category.

Priority GoalExtend the reach of our strongest programs (youth, music, education) into the community, to shift from self-serving to other-serving.Bring pledges and expenses into a healthy, sustainable balance by shifting the portion of the annual budget covered by pledges from 45% to 75%.Reduce dependency on an outsized, endowment-underwritten staffing model by engaging members in greater volunteerism and giving.Build a contemporary committee/ministry structure that aligns with our mission, vision and goals.

MISSION-BASED GOALS

Please choose one Top (T), one Middle (M), and one Bottom (B) goal in this category.

Priority GoalEnergize and mobilize our congregation by weaving hands-on, relational mission work into the fabric of our collective life.Build active, hands-on partnerships with nonprofits and other experts to address community issues around youth and housing.Develop a cohesive adult education curriculum that combines the study of scripture, spiritual development, and education/action around community issues of focus (youth, housing).

ASPIRATION-BASED GOALS

Please choose one Top (T), two Middle (M), and two Bottom (B) goals in this category.

Priority GoalReduce the average age of our congregation.Create a sense of family through frequent, intentional, intergenerational connections, particularly one-on-one interactions (i.e., confirmation mentors, parents’ nights out, etc.).Explore/audit our culture, environment, website, and publications for hidden or overt biases.Break through our philosophical openness to diversity through an intentional movement toward real, visible diversity in our congregation.Increase our congregation’s size by developing a culture of recruitment and retention that empowers all to grow and sustain our membership.

Thank you! Remember to bring your responses with you on Sept. 17.