The UMC Vital Congregations Project

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The UMCVital Congregations Project

• A collaborative project of
• The United Methodist Church

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VITAL CONGREGATIONS

• THE VISION
• To fulfill the Mission of The United Methodist
  Church by equipping and empowering congregations
  to become vital and healthy congregations in
  their communities and in our world.
• Matthew 2818-20
• Matthew 2236-40
• Romans 12 The Body of Christ

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Call to Action Report
The Critical Adaptive Challenge To redirect the
flow of attention, energy, and resources to an
intense concentration on fostering and sustaining
an increase in the number of vital congregations
effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for
the transformation of the world. (p. 14)
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Metrics Research Study Found

• 16 Ministries/Strategies that were common among
  the 16 of churches noted as having indicators of
  vitality (growth-engagement-generosity)
• 4 Primary areas of effectiveness
• Engagement of disciples in small groups (which
  include children and youth ministries)
• High of congregation who serves as lay leaders
  who are effective, demonstrate personal faith,
  and rotate leadership.
• Lead pastors who focus on developing, coaching
  and mentoring lay leaders, are influential,
  goal-setters that inspire the congregation
  through preaching and have a longer tenure in
  that congregation.
• Worship that is contextual, mixed and relevant.

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Four Key Observations

• Our denomination is in need of more turn-around
  leaders.
• Our denomination has an adverse reaction and fear
  of metrics as a means of accountability.
• There is a serious lack of trust across the
  denomination.
• Our denomination has not been effective in
  reaching marginally churched and non-churched
  people.

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Setting Goals to Becoming Vital!

• The Call to Action Research indicated that there
  was a lack of measures and accountability within
  The United Methodist Church.
• The primary elements that drive structure and
  process effectiveness are clarity of
  responsibility (goal and role clarity), authority
  to carry out responsibility and accountability
  for results. (CTA Report p. 167)
• the lack of a Church-wide strategic plan or
  Church-wide strategic plans focused on the
  Churchs mission objectives are a symptom of the
  structures and cultural behaviors that get in
  the way. (CTA Report p. 174)

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A Vital Congregation IS

• GROWING (Over the past 5 years have shown
  statistical data of growth in Average Worship
  Attendance and Professions of Faith.)
• ENGAGING PEOPLE (Over the past 5 years have shown
  congregational engagement in multiple ministries
  including small groups, mission and outreach.)
• GENEROUS (Over the past 5 years have shown
  increases in stewardship and giving within and
  beyond the local church.)

Data from Call to Action research collected in
2010 by Towers Watson, Inc.
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A Vital Congregation HAS

• Inviting and inspiring worship
• Engaged disciples in mission and outreach
• Gifted, equipped and empowered lay leadership
• Effective, equipped and inspired clergy
  leadership
• Small groups that include children and youth
  designed to encourage, support and hold disciples
  accountable in their Christian walk.

Data from Call to Action research collected in
2010 by Towers Watson, Inc.
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The Metrics

• Set goals to reach the vision of becoming a more
  vital and healthy congregation based upon 5
  measurable indicators of vitality
• Disciples in Worship (Average Worship Attendance)
• Disciples making new Disciples (Professions of
  Faith)
• Disciples growing in their faith (Number of Small
  Groups Groups that meet together regularly in
  order to support, encourage and hold one another
  accountable in their relationship with Christ.)
• Disciples engaged in mission (Number of Disciples
  doing outreach in the community and in the
  world.)
• Disciples sharing their resources for mission
  (Amount of financial resources given to mission
  including World Service, etc.)

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Strategic Planning for vitality!

• Although structural change may be prerequisite
  to broader strategic planning, best practices at
  the Agency, Annual Conference and Local Church
  levels could at least be shared and
  disseminated. (CTA Report p. 174)
• The Vital Congregations Project is designed to
  EQUIP Annual Conference Leadership (Directors of
  Connectional Ministries, Conference Staff and
  Cabinets)
• The Vital Congregations Project is designed to
  EQUIP clergy and lay leadership in local
  congregations to reach their goals and fulfill
  the vision!

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The Strategic Plan

• Assess baseline health of every congregation.
  (Church Health History Community History and
  Needs Stories or circumstances that have
  affected the congregations health.)
• Current health assessment. (How is the church
  today? Clergy Leadership Lay Leadership - of
  Small Groups Average Worship Attendance-Mission
  Participation-Missional Giving)
• Set GOALS that lead to future health and vitality
  for each individual congregation.
• Goals collected and reported by Annual
  Conferences.
• Goals collected and reported at General
  Conference 2012!

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Vital Congregations are everywhere!
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UMCvitalcongregations.org

• Website resource designed to equip and empower
  leaders as they foster, sustain and nurture vital
  congregations in our denomination.
• SIMPLE
• USER-FRIENDLY
• EASILY ACCESSIBLE

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Our StoryKnow your churchs story

• Each congregation has a history a past that has
  affected where they are at today. Even the
  denomination has a history that has affected our
  health and vitality today. This webpage uses GBGM
  church profiles research to help a congregation
  see its historical report.
• Questions to consider when looking at historical
  reports
• Pastoral Leadership Was there a change in the
  lead pastor? How long did the lead pastor stay?
• What significant events in the church may have
  affected the worship attendance?
• What significant events in the community may have
  affected the data of the congregation?

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GOAL-SETTING

• Set goals to reach the VISION based upon the 5
  measurable indicators of vitality
• Disciples in Worship (Average Worship Attendance)
• Disciples making new Disciples (Professions of
  Faith)
• Disciples growing in their faith (Number of Small
  Groups Groups that meet together regularly in
  order to support, encourage and hold one another
  accountable in their relationship with Christ.)
• Disciples engaged in mission (Number of Disciples
  doing outreach in the community and in the
  world.)
• Disciples sharing their resources for mission
  (Amount of financial resources given to mission
  including World Service, etc.)

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The Goal-Setting Card forEach Congregation
People and Ministry
2008
2009
2010
2012
2013
2014
2015
Disciples worship Average worship attendance
Disciples make new disciples Number of people who
joined by profession of faith
Disciples engage in growing as a disciple Number
of small groups, Sunday school classes and Bible
studies.
Disciples engage in mission Number of people
from the congregation engaged in local, national
and international mission/outreach activities
Disciples give to mission The total amount given
by local church to other organizations for
support of benevolent and charitable ministries
(this amount includes apportionments paid and
support for all United Methodist and non-United
Methodist organizations active in work such as
advocacy, education, health, justice, mercy,
outreach, and welfare anywhere in the world)
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Districts, Conferences and General Conference

• A report of every congregations goals will be
  compiled by District and by Conference.
• Conferences will be invited to set goals based
  upon the congregational goals.
• The Conferences Goals will be offered at General
  Conference as a gift to God to fulfill the vision
  of more healthy and vital congregations
  throughout our denomination that Make Disciples
  of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the
  world.

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VitalSignsUMC.org

• http//vitalsignsumc.org/
• DASHBOARD Allows congregations to track
  progress towards their goals for health and
  vitality.
• Congregations receive a weekly email to record
  their metrics.
• Weekly recording of data that will be directly
  linked to GCFA.
• Everyone in the connection can view data.
• There will be a place for congregations to share
  weekly success stories via the website.
• Leaders can celebrate milestones for the
  congregation regularly!

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PROPOSED TIMELINE

• The UMCVitalCongregations.org website will be a
  resource available to all congregations beginning
  July. We believe you will find this to be a great
  resource for congregations and conferences. It
  will have the following tabs
• a.       Our story a brief history describing
  how the Wesleyan tradition began as a movement to
  help Christians live their faith through the
  means of grace and spreading scriptural holiness.
  It describes that today we are living in
  paradoxal times, some congregations highly vital
  and growing some congregations declining.
• b.      The Call to Action We are called to
  grow vitality and address our adaptive spiritual
  challenges. This tab will describe vital
  congregations, our adaptive spiritual challenges
  and the Call to Action report.
• c.       Setting Goals This tab will have
  everything a congregation needs to set goals. A
  planning guide, information on goal setting, why
  these goals are critical to vitality, past
  statistics for the goal areas for each
  congregation, district and conference, a chart
  for churches to input their goals, and a site for
  district superintendents and conference staff to
  review if a church has completed their goals and
  how their goals compare to their track record.

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Timeline continued for UMCVitalCongregations.org

• Reaching Goals This tab will be live in the
  fall and will provide processes and resources to
  help churches of all sizes reach their goals,
  including modules for reaching goals for Worship
  Small Groups Missions Generous Giving.
• Best Practices Resources and stories of how
  vitality has been achieved by congregations and
  conferences. Churches will learn about ministries
  and programs of other churches and conferences as
  well can learn about what other conferences are
  doing to increase vitality in congregations. This
  tab will be live in November 2011.
• Church Dashboard A site in which churches can
  enter their weekly progress and conference staff
  can follow the weekly progress of their churches.
  This site will be live January 1, 2012.

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2012-2016 TimelineCulture Shifting

• Between January 2012-2015 leadership (including
  Bishops, District Superintendents, Conference
  Leaders, Clergy, Laity and congregations) will
  work together using resources, sharing resources
  and developing resources to help every
  congregation REACH their goals for becoming
  healthier and more vital congregations.
• Each year congregations can evaluate their goals,
  celebrate their successes and re-adjust goals as
  needed at each charge conference.
• Leaders will highlight and celebrate successes,
  offer congregations challenges to continue to
  move towards vitality and strive towards health
  in each congregation.

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Your churchs health and vitality Depends on YOU!

• Church vitality can not happen without YOU!
• Acts 2 The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and
  the birth of the Church.
• 1 Corinthians 12 The healthy church is one body
  and it is the body of Christ.
• Ephesians 410-13 Christ has gifted the church
  through a variety of gifts.
• Galatians 328 All are welcome in the body of
  Christ.
• Luke 1025-37 We are called to be like the Good
  Samaritan.
• Micah 68 Righteousness and justice are the
  expectation for Gods people.
• Luke 417-21 Jesus announces his ministry,
  which is a calling for the body of Christ TODAY!