Strategic Ministry Action Plan - Berwyn UMC

1 Strategic Ministry Action plan Berwyn United Methodist Church 140 Waterloo Avenue Berwyn , PA 19312 November 2008 Berwyn UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Strategic Ministry Action plan November 2008 Page 2 of 41 Version , 10/31/2008, BUMC Strategic Ministry Action plan Table of Contents 1. 3 Background .. 3 2. Mission and Vision 4 3. Journey and Process .. 5 Church Vitality 5 Programmatic Brainstorming .. 6 Local 7 4. Strategic Direction .. 9 Short 9 Long Strategic Direction Alignment with CVI Strengths ..11 Strategic Direction Alignment with Local 5. Ministry Action plan Recommendations .. 14 Strategic Direction Realization Examples ..14 6. Resourcing .. 21 Modest Resource Moderate Resource Significant Resource 7.

2 Ministry Action plan Recommendations by 23 Administrative Board ..23 Adult Council ..24 Children's Church & Society Committee ..26 Communications ..27 Evangelism and Finance Membership & Congr. Men's Group ..31 Missions Staff Parish United Methodist Worship Committee ..36 Youth Lay Pastoral Leadership ..39 All Committees and Leads ..40 All Berwyn UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Strategic Ministry Action plan November 2008 Page 3 of 41 Version , 10/31/2008, BUMC Strategic Ministry Action plan 1. Introduction The primary purpose of this Strategic Ministry Action plan is to establish a focus and direction for the Ministry of Berwyn United Methodist Church for the next five years or more.

3 Background In the mid-1990s the leadership of Berwyn United Methodist Church developed a Strategic plan called Vision-2000. Out of that work came new initiatives including a Mission Statement, plans to improve our physical facilities, a focus on arts and music, and enhancing membership caring and outreach. Following that Strategic plan , we embarked on significant programs such as the building expansion and renovation, the caring committee, the Stephen Ministry , and integrating fine arts into worship. Many of the objectives of the earlier Strategic planning were accomplished. With those successes already benefiting the organization, Berwyn United Methodist is positioned to set new objectives, new goals and make new plans that establish the purpose of this community of Christians.

4 Berwyn is ready to set objectives commensurate with the strengths of the membership, with respect to worshiping God and acting as a body of Christ in the community and the world. Berwyn UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Strategic Ministry Action plan November 2008 Page 4 of 41 Version , 10/31/2008, BUMC Strategic Ministry Action plan 2. Mission and Vision Statements When Berwyn United Methodist developed the Vision-2000 plan , we developed the following Mission Statement which remains our mission statement today: The Mission Statement is what we believe we are here for and why we exist. A Vision Statement establishes the direction for achieving our mission. Building on our mission statement, the congregation and members comprising a Strategic Planning team in 2007 developed a Vision Statement that provides a picture of what BUMC will strive to be in the future as a guide around which to form our programs and organize our efforts.

5 Berwyn United Methodist Church Vision Statement With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will strive to be a caring and transforming community of faith that embraces sojourners at all points of their journey. We will provide opportunities to discover and use our gifts to serve Christ. We will focus on spiritual development and growth. We will accept a range of theological diversity through a variety of means including multidimensional worship experiences, and diverse opportunities for fellowship, education, sharing and outreach. We will be advocates for peace and justice. Berwyn United Methodist Church Mission Statement God calls Berwyn UMC to be a community of Christian believers that: Invites Nurtures Encourages Service Berwyn UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Strategic Ministry Action plan November 2008 Page 5 of 41 Version , 10/31/2008, BUMC Strategic Ministry Action plan 3.

6 Journey and Process Coincident with Berwyn United Methodist fulfilling many of the objectives of the Vision-2000 Strategic plan , the bishops of the United Methodist Church at their meeting in the Fall of 2005 adopted an initiative for 2005-2008: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World. One of the programs sponsored by the UMC General Board of Discipleship is the Church Vitality Indicator (CVI), a starting point building on inherent strengths of a congregation. Church Vitality Indicator The Church Vitality Indicator is a congregational assessment tool to identify and build upon a congregation s strengths, energy, interests, and current Ministry . CVI consists of two parts: 1. Surveying the congregation to identify our church s strengths.

7 2. Identifying influencing characteristics that motivate Berwyn United Methodist Using results from a survey and an influence diagraph, the CVI provides an impact report that helps lay and clergy leaders understand the state of their congregation and plan for the future. The goal of the CVI process is to identify the strengths of each congregation in order to build stronger ministries around what is already working well. Knowing the strengths through the CVI, church leaders can discover where and how to invest their congregation s energy and passion for the future. The knowledge gained from the CVI helps focus congregational resources on the areas of Ministry that will produce the most results. CVI surveys were made available to the congregation in May, 2007 on paper and on the web.

8 Committee chairs and members in leadership positions were invited to participate in reviewing the survey results and in a process of discerning the influences of those strengths at Berwyn . Cross-correlation of the surveys and the influences were inputs used to derive the unique vitality indicators for Berwyn United Methodist Church. The indicators below are strong at Berwyn . 1. Experiential Worship: Meaningful worship services in which a wide variety of people experience the presence of God. Berwyn UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Strategic Ministry Action plan November 2008 Page 6 of 41 Version , 10/31/2008, BUMC Strategic Ministry Action plan 2. Evaluation System: The leaders of the congregation regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of worship.

9 3. Individual Commitment: Committed to developing their relationship with God and living faithfully every day. 4. Care Giving: Worship opportunities that provide comfort, safety, nurture, and renewal, as in healing services, intercession, communion, petition, and commissioning. 5. Mission & Outreach: God s call within the gathered church to be sent out as the scattered church and seeking God s will, direction, and focus to prioritize their work in the world. 6. Welcoming/Inviting: Attention to the worship details that forge an overall impression so that newcomers are comfortably a part of the experience 7. Visionary Leadership: The pastor and other leaders talk about the vision of a community that worships and lives a spiritual life together.

10 Programmatic Brainstorming Church leaders who participated in the CVI survey review and influences discernment process continued to meet as the Strategic Planning Team throughout 2007, exploring their personal faith from a number of aspects such as: BUMC Vision Ideas (what will we look like in 5 years, possible dream) BUMC Purpose Ideas (Why is Berwyn UMC here? What is our reason to exist?) BUMC Values Ideas (what are the fundamental principles and priorities?) BUMC Strategic Direction Ideas (Expected Outcomes, Goals, Systems, Evaluation) Ideas Related to Focus Areas: How do we leverage these strengths and focus areas to be a more effective Ministry to enhance growth spiritually and numerically? The Strategic Planning Team held brainstorming sessions, developing ideas relating to each CVI strength area and how Berwyn can grow programmatically in those strength areas.