We've been talking for weeks (more like months, but whose counting) about the Fruitful Congregation Journey that we began back in the fall of 2010. I had the privilege of coming on board with the process when I arrived in April 2011. (I can't believe it's been almost 2 years already, either!) Now here we are at the end of Phase 2, a kind of precipice that isn't unlike the one Indiana Jones faced when he took a "step of faith" searching for the Holy Grail. It's time to decide what we are going to do. Are we going to accept the Prescriptions or not? Or the better question is "What should we do?"
Before we get to that answer (and I have one that I want you to hear), maybe it's best to start with the "why" question first.
The FCJ Process is one that started many years ago in an effort to help unhealthy churches grow healthy again and to help healthy churches to be even healthier, and become leaders for our Annual Conference. So, a ministry plan developed in our Indiana United Methodist Church to find a process that would do just that. The process had already been developed in Missouri through Rev. Bob Farr who "borrowed" the idea from Paul Borden, who has been Growing Healthy Churches among American Baptists out west for many years. (He also literally wrote the books outlining the process, Direct Hit and Hit the Bullseye.) Through Rev. Farr's partnership with the Church Development office in our Conference, the FCJ Process was created.
Why are we involved in the process?
It's simple, your leaders asked to be a part of it. Starting with Pastor Mark and the Church Council, an application was made to the FCJ Team for Newburgh UMC to participate and we were chosen. Phase 1 began in the fall of 2010 and concluded in May 2011. When I first came to Newburgh, not having been a part of the process, I began Phase 1 with a group of colleagues (pastors of similar sized churches across Indiana) in the fall of 2011, completing it in May 2012. At that time our Church Council decided to apply for phase 2 of the process and last summer we were again chosen and began the process. Phase 2 had many parts including a self-study, demographic report, survey among other things we've talked about before and we completed these studies prior to January 1, 2013 preparing for the Weekend Consultation.
In the simplest of terms, we invited the consulting team to share with us, to study the documents, to study and listen to us and give us some recommendations that would take our ministry to the next level; to help us become an even healthier church. This is NOT our Conference taking us over, nor is it "them" coming in and "telling" us what to do. It IS us seeking the best wisdom about the best practices in order to become the best church we can be. The FCJ Prescription Report is that wisdom document!
So...What should we do?
I've been helping grow churches for about 25 years. And when I came to Newburgh UMC, I started the process I've been doing for many years, gathering leaders to begin the visioning process to help us discern God's direction for us and then create a path for us to follow. We did that by doing our own self-study, ordering a demographic report and identifying our strengths and weaknesses. Then we took those findings and began creating a process to alter our course, to make us healthier and to get on a path to growth.
The FCJ Process is simply just another tool to help us get where we want and need to be. And the Prescriptions offered creates a clear path for us to follow to that end.
I've prayed hard over the prescriptions. I've thought about their demands on my time and on our resources. I've also recognized that everything written in the prescriptions has already been started to some degree. Our weaknesses and strengths are the same ones we discerned over a year ago. So what I believe is that this FCJ Journey and the prescriptions are the path we need to take because it's the journey we've already started. This process just helps us move a little quicker and utilize the resources of our Annual Conference.
I believe this is the path we must take. It's time to take a step of faith together.
I encourage an affirmative vote on the prescriptions on April 7th.
And then hold on because God has some amazing things to do with us and through us because of your faithfulness.
Peace ><>
Pastor Chris
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