From the Pastor’s Pen: Goals
For those of you who missed the 2011 Annual report, I would like to share with you my goals for the coming year along with an explanation of each:
In 2012 I intend to:
- Increase average Sunday worship attendance by 15% from 64 to 74.
One of the things the Synod told me is that on average a congregation’s worship attendance goes down 15% during the time when it is without a pastor. I looked at the ELCA’s Congregational Trend report (by the way you can look at the trend report of any ELCA church by going to the ELCA website and clicking the “Find a Congregation” button) and that was indeed the case. In the time between Pastors Kiesling and Olson-Smith attendance fell from 91-74. Likewise, in the time between Pastor Olson-Smith and me it fell from 74-64. I don’t intend to let this change be the new normal. I hope that even naming this trend will put “a bee in people’s bonnets” and encourage more regular worship attendance. (Suggestions for increasing worship attendance are also very welcome!)
- Take on the discipline of Evangelism as my Lenten devotion and encourage the congregation to do the same.
Typically we think of Lent as a time to give something up, a time of mourning, a time of preparation for Easter, perhaps even a time of purgation. Well, this year I am personally taking a different approach. I’m assuming the world is already giving up, mourning, yearning for Easter, and fulfillment. What better way to raise up, bring joy, proclaim Easter, and fill people with good things than to be in a 40 day habit of bring the good news about Jesus to others?!? I will encourage you all in a habit of Evangelism as well. One way I will do this is by including invitational post-cards in the bulletins during Lent.
- Familiarize myself with the ebb and flow of a whole church year as the ordained leader of St. Stephen.
I’m still new at this pastor thing and new to this community of faith. I need to keep asking myself “and what did I learn from that?”
- Work with the Social Ministry Committee to set up several new fellowship opportunities (eg Tuesday Pub Theology and Faith in Film)
The tentative date for the first Pub Theology is Tuesday the 7th of February. The Subject will be “What is Church?”
- Move forward with the Building Committee in discerning the structural needs of the congregation and implement them.
We’ve covered a lot of ground and the ELCA’s regional building and finance guy will be coming to talk with the Church Council in February.
- Explore with the Evangelism Committee new ways to witness to the communities in which we live.
We have mainly been focusing on inactive members, but I think we can expand our efforts.
- Work with Christian Ed and Worship and Music committees to increase youth participation in worship
During my interviews to be pastor here one of the things St. Stephen said was important to us was attracting and keeping young people in church. At my internship church we did a program called Youth Involved in Worship. Here we are finding our own way of doing this.
- Examine alternative sources of revenue (eg $2,000 tax credit, $9,000 escrip, etc).
I have been dabbling at finding ways to save or make money for St. Stephen and if they were to all pan out I think we could save/make $14,000. Now, I hasten to add if we were to get this money it wouldn’t be for squirreling away in a bank, but for use toward ministry and furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Peace,
Pastor Chris
