The Vision of the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan

 

“Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable.”- 2 Timothy 4:2

 

“We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” - Romans 12:6-12

 

“If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!  For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission.” - 1 Corinthians 9:16-17

 

“Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also”. – 1 John 4:20-21

 

Our Beliefs

The First Presbyterian Church of Matawan is a reformed faith community that believes The Word of God, as revealed through scripture, prayer and corporate worship.

 

We thank God, our Father, for his love and tender mercies in our lives. We confess that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s plan for us. We acknowledge God’s greatest gift in the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ through whom we are forgiven and receive eternal salvation through God’s grace. We rely upon God’s Holy Spirit to continuously transform and empower our lives.

 

As believers, God has called us to be the Body of Christ and has given us special gifts.  In gratitude, we seek to use these gifts to proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to those around us. We also seek to show God’s love and compassion to all who are suffering. We seek to offer hope to those who are overcome by the stresses and difficulties of their lives.

 

We are one community and one in the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Our Mission Statement encourages us “…to extend Christian love, fellowship, education and worship opportunities…” to the families and individuals of our surrounding communities. We, as a church, recognize the need to proclaim the Word of God.

 

We believe as brothers and sisters in Christ's church, we are called to be active in service within the greater community in which we live. As we strive to generate connections within our own church, we are called to witness to our community; to accept as ours their hopes and challenges, their joys and sorrows. In so doing, we become part of their lives and they become part of ours. Together, we become a nurturing faith community, in which Christians find fellowship, friendship and support from others who share a common set of beliefs and values derived from our faith in Jesus Christ. We also believe that we are part of the larger missionary church, through which we participate in bringing God’s love and salvation to people all over the world.

 

Our Mission Context

Our church has over a 300 year-long history of serving God and our surrounding communities. Nevertheless, we are focused on the present and the future, and are not tied to long-standing traditions. We are a regional church that attracts members from many neighboring towns that span two counties. We are blessed to have a favorable and prominent building location that is visible to citizens well beyond the Matawan community. (About 60% of our members do not reside in the Matawan/Aberdeen Zip code.) Close to half (44%) of our congregation was raised outside of Presbyterian or other Reformed Protestant traditions. Education level is relatively high (over 70% have at least a Bachelor’s degree). Thus it is not surprising that we are a congregation that is diverse in theological perspectives; We believe we are not overly imbalanced towards any perspective. We live in a moderately affluent community and our congregation enjoys a family income above the national average.  We are also diverse in age, race, ethnicity; our members come from more than 20 different countries.  As a church family, we are known as friendly people, open to all and committed to welcoming new members. 

 

Due to the wide geographic distribution of our congregation, our post worship-service Fellowship Hour is very much appreciated as a way of connecting with other church family members, and it is invaluable as a way of reaching out to new and prospective members.  We have a strong Christian education program, from pre-school through Adult Education offered every Sunday morning before worship service.  We have an excellent Music Program, noted for its quality and scope, and for meeting our worship needs. Our music program is currently effectively and enthusiastically supported by a part-time Minister of Music.  In spite of our inability to financially sustain a pastoral support to focus on our youth, our youth programs are again thriving. Our “Lantern” is a highly acclaimed monthly church newsletter that is mailed to every member’s home. We support a number of primarily local mission causes and are always looking for new opportunities. Throughout the years, our music ministry, Church School, and various commissions have been able to expand their outreach through activities supported by the hard work of many strong and dedicated lay leaders.  All these are an essential part of our church ministry.

 

Unfortunately over the last eight to ten years, we have experienced an extended period of instability, and sometimes lack of Pastoral leadership. This period began when our Pastor announced his retirement in 2000. We then had an Interim Pastor who became terminally ill while serving us. Our next installed Pastor was only with us for a few months when his daughter was tragically lost in a car accident. Our congregation adjusted to this and provided active and caring support to the pastor and his family. However he decided that he needed to move closer to his other child. We now have another Interim Pastor. This has not kept our able leadership from sustaining and even improving some of our programs. However in this period we have suffered modest loss in membership and believe that some of our key goals from 2002 have been hampered. Some of these were; to add a full-time pastor to focus on our youth, grow our congregation in number, and to improve our financial situation. In 2006 we completed a focused effort to address growth. The recommendations are well documented in the “G.E.T. (Growth and Evangelism Task Force) Final Report”. As can be seen in this current Mission Study we have modulated our goals from 2002 to acknowledge our present reality.

 

Thus, this is the face of The First Presbyterian Church of Matawan.

 

Reviewing our recent history, surveying the congregation, and conducting focus groups have provided a number of consistent implications for our new pastor.  It is important that candidates understand the challenges and opportunities of shepherding this congregation.  We have faced challenges associated with pastoral changes that include a modest decline in membership and attendance with commensurate financial stresses. Lay leaders, who have stepped up to keep programs running, care for one another, and create a positive vision for our future, are feeling some fatigue.

 

This community of Christians yearns for a boost in spiritual and organizational leadership that comes from sustained pastoral attention. There is a significant reservoir of talent and experience present to work in collaboration with the new pastor.  It is not a static situation, but very dynamic that will respond to energy, enthusiasm, empathy, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.  This presents a wonderful opportunity for a pastor to tend this vineyard and see the fruits of his or her labors to the Glory of God.

 

Our Vision

We seek to build upon our strengths that we might become a church that is known in the community to be alive with the Spirit, offering Christian worship, fellowship, education and mission opportunities to people of all ages.

 

We envision a church whose membership is growing in size and diversity, and in spirit and commitment because it is communicating the Christian gospel to people in a manner that is exciting, compelling and relevant; a church that is meeting the spiritual needs of those in our community; a church that is learning how to do evangelism in the 21st century. We see a church that is involved ecumenically and in the local community; a church that uses newspapers, radio, TV, electronic media, and bulletin boards to make itself and its programs known. We see a church that pays special attention to its new members, making sure they are connected to people and programs that will help them grow.

 

We envision a church that has a strong, stable and vital youth program that provides fun and fellowship for our youth while helping them to develop a mature Christian faith. We believe that such a program will nurture the future leaders of our church, provide outreach into the community and help us grow. We see a program that is supported by dedicated lay volunteers, but ultimately is led or strongly supported by a pastor, an associate pastor, or a staff member who has professional Christian training.

 

We envision a church that challenges its members to give sacrificially to God and the work of God’s church. We see a church in which stewardship is an essential and continuous calling; a church in which members see their time, talents and financial gifts as a means of enabling the mission and outreach of the church, thereby responding to God’s generosity and Christ’s call to discipleship. We see a church that through its faith, its giving and its growth achieves a financial stability that allows development of new programs and the staff necessary to implement them.

 

We envision a church in which all members find opportunities for spiritual growth towards being better disciples and a place to find Christian friendship and fellowship. We see a nurturing church in which all find a connectedness and sense of belonging; in which membership becomes much more than just Sunday morning worship attendance.

 

This is our vision.

Our Mission Statement

 

The Mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan is to be the Body of Christ and to glorify God. The church nurtures its members in faith and service and spreads the good news of God’s salvation to all people.

 

We will extend Christian love, worship, fellowship, education and other support to meet the changing needs of the community.

 

To these ends, we will reach out as a congregation by:

 

·        Sharing God’s gifts

·        Exemplifying God’s love

·        Seeking justice for all

 

 

Preamble to 2007 Mission Study Goals

 

In the context of our renewed mission focus, we are setting some specific Goals. These Goals below represent the consensus opinion across the 3 Focus Groups composed of church members as discerned by the Writing Team. While these initiatives do not encompass our entire church's ministry, they do focus our attention on key priorities.  (See Addendum for other priorities identified by church leadership).

 

 

 

                   

 

Enhance Spiritual Growth and Commitment is central to all of our goals as without spiritual growth, our other goals are hollow and are apt not to be met. Grow in Membership and Attendance generated the most congregational input as it is a critical measure of our vitality and ability to fulfill our Mission.

 

Key common themes run through these goals:

  • Growth and retention of membership
  • More connectedness and commitment of members
  • Spiritual growth of congregation.

 

A description of each goal follows. Each description further defines the goal, provides supporting rationale and includes recent history as appropriate. “Opportunities” may be suggested to help clarify intent or to motivate and “prime-the-creative-pump.”

 

To maximize success, we believe it is best for church leadership to:

  • Determine the relative priority of these goals along with other church business.
  • Designate a “champion” (person or church entity) for each goal.
  • Then proactively monitor progress and probe for obstacles.

The goal champion is expected to:

  • Develop specific milestones (tasks with dates) and make targets visible to Session.
  • Then regularly communicate progress and obstacles to appropriate church bodies.
  • Seek guidance to find resources or other help when confronted with obstacles.
  • Remind congregation (e.g. via Lantern newsletter) of goal objectives and progress.

And the goal champion, in concert with other church leadership:

  • May modulate/redefine goals or time-frames, as might prove necessary after discussion.
  • Should encourage collaboration outside of individual church entity to generate more

      help and awareness, and to increase overall church connectedness and vitality.

  • Should seek the support of the congregation through prayer.

 

It is imperative that each serious candidate for our next Pastor be made aware of these goals, and be willing to embrace and actively support them.  However, action towards achieving these goals should be started now.

Grow in Membership and Attendance

 

Goal:  Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Mark 16:15.  Christ is alive!  We are called to be the Body of Christ in the Matawan area and we need to maintain our vitality.  To do so, we seek to grow in membership and attendance. Growth is a priority goal and we strive to do this through an emphasis on worship, evangelism, local mission, fellowship, and public information.

 

Explanation and Justification:  The Body of Christ is alive in Matawan First Presbyterian Church.  As a living organization, we continue to evolve and change over time while our core beliefs stay constant.  What we have experienced over the last 2 decades reflects the changes in the environment of our local community as well as our professional and lay leadership.  We believe membership and attendance are measures of our vitality as a Christian community.  Furthermore, strengthening our numbers and commitment enable us to fulfill our mission and be a dynamic positive force in our community.  As we see and understand these changes over time, we see significant opportunity for growth through this goal as well as the other 4 stated goals.

 

Over the last 20 years, there have been many changes in our church.  The Matawan area is dynamic with a highly mobile population.  In addition to having experienced numerous changes in pastors and interim pastors, many active lay leaders have relocated out of our area.  With these changes, we feel the loss of each departure.  As the size of the congregation has declined recently, we sense less excitement and enthusiasm in worship and have less talent and financial resources available for certain local missions and other church programs and activities.  Thus the initiative to grow is critical for every aspect of our congregation.

 

Our Mission Study in 2002 had membership growth of 30% as an initiative.  There continue to be many similarities today.  The major difference is that this goal is viewed as more important now and, along with Spiritual Growth, pivotal for all others.

 

With strong pastoral leadership and sustained focus, we are confident in growing our numbers, commitment, spirit, and vitality for several reasons.  The regional area we serve is growing by 3% with very high racial/ethnic diversity.  Community surveys reveal major concerns are dealing with stress (32%), companionship (17%), life direction (15%), a good church (12%), and spiritual teaching (9%).  Faith receptivity is average in our community and 35% of the population is not involved with any religious group.

 

Opportunities:  The recommendations to various church bodies contained in the 2006 GET Report will be the focus of this goal.  Rather than replace the excellent work over the last 2 years, our “Growth” initiative will review, reinforce, and reinvigorate it.  We will provide engaging, meaningful, reverent, and uplifting worship for our diverse community.  We will increase visibility in the community through public information efforts.  The ongoing music, youth, and local mission activities provide strong outreach into the community and information of interest to the public.  We will sustain and increase the program to immediately follow up with visitors to our worship services.  We will revitalize the mentor program for new members and increase spiritual growth and fellowship among current members as described in other goals.

 

We have a strong foundation.  With strong, stable pastoral leadership and consistent focus, we will grow!


Support and Promote our Youth Program

 

Goal: Our Youth Program is again strong. It is very important to our congregation per our recent congregational survey. Leadership is primarily provided by a small cadre of capable and dedicated volunteer lay church members. We need to proactively nurture and support this team and proactively seek out and groom additional leaders. Furthermore, we should promote our strong youth program in the community to attract new members.     

 

Explanation and Justification: Our Youth Fellowship Program is part of the Christian Education Commission. It focuses on junior and senior high school students. The teenage period can be difficult for youth and their families. It is a time when our youth are challenged by cultural forces and peer pressure, and they are freer to make their own decisions about Christianity and an active church-life. Many young people simply seem to get “lost” after they are confirmed; Confirmation class seems to mark the end, or a long interruption, of their church-life. A strong Youth Program is perceived as a good antidote.

 

We see our youth as a vital part of our congregation, not just as the “future.” Thus we need to sustain focused programs appropriate to their needs. This goal is an opportunity for us to follow through on the commitment we made at each child’s Baptism; to support his or her growth as a Christian, especially at this challenging and critical juncture in his or her life.

 

A strong Youth Program can help us meet our other top priority goals: 

·        Grow in Membership and Attendance – The mere existence of a Youth Program is an important factor to consider when choosing a church to join. In the 2002 Community Demographic Survey (part of our 2002 Mission Study), local community members consider “Youth Social Programs” as their top priority factor in selecting a church. We are aware from our New Members’ Classes that families have chosen to join our congregation because it has a youth program, even though their children are brand new babies!

·        Enhance Spiritual Growth and Commitment – Keeping our youth engaged in a Christian-oriented safe and nourishing program goes a long way towards nurturing their spiritual growth.  We believe that we offer this. However, we acknowledge that we presently lack adequate pastoral resources to support our Youth programs.

 

In the 2002 Mission Study our top priority goal was to “add a professional Christian leader primarily to address the needs of our youth.”  In 2007, we acknowledge that we simply cannot afford to do this until we achieve a significant measure of growth (in fact we have lost membership in the last 5 years). Thus a top priority 2007 Mission Study goal is indeed focused on membership growth; and when we are successful in achieving this, it will enable us again to focus on our “dream” of being able to afford such a pastoral resource.

 

We have occasionally been able to bridge the pastoral support gap with a Seminary Intern (full-time) or a Seminary Student (one day/week). Unfortunately the latter doesn’t provide sufficient time to be a net positive, and the prior has been a hit or miss proposition each year. Neither approach provides continuity from year-to-year.

 

We can be proud of our current youth programs. In the 2007 Congregation Survey, “youth-oriented programs” was one of the top 3 “most appealing programs to your family.” More specifically our Youth Fellowship Programs were ranked as “Very Important” to 74% of respondents as this was ranked number two after Sunday Worship! Our youth seem to agree; in 2007, 8 of our senior highs applied and got accepted to attend the PC-USA Triennium event; we have had no more than 3 for at least the last decade.

 

We are now primarily relying on lay leadership, with some guidance from our part-time Minister of Worship and Music. Our dedicated lay advisors have grown into their roles and are now quite capable and confident in running our weekly Youth Fellowship Programs (one for junior highs, one for senior highs), and doing much more (e.g. sponsoring Coffee Houses, Open Microphone Nights, lock-ins, retreats, Youth Sunday, participating in community mission projects). Many of these events require and receive the active support of various church Commissions.

 

Opportunities: We look to our church leadership and new Pastor to proactively and regularly ask what can be done to support and promote our youth programs. Issues include:

·        Provide more spiritual direction to the Youth Fellowship Groups (a key issue).

·        Determine other gaps or resource requirements.

·        Make training resources available to lay leaders as needed.

·        Develop future lay leaders by asking them to participate in specific youth activities.

·        Reinvigorate the Youth Council/Advisory Board that includes selected parents.

·        Have regularly scheduled dialog between lay leaders and Commissions and Pastor.

·        Promote our strong Youth Fellowship Program and more of our youth-oriented events in the community. This will help us to grow (see 2006 GET Report recommendation “Promotion of Youth Events in the Community” for more).


Nurture Each Member

 

Goal: To ensure regular communication with, nurture, watch over, and support each member of our church family.

 

Explanation:   From the moment a person is embraced into the family of our church, either through baptism, transfer of membership or profession of faith, we make a commitment to nurture and watch over them in their personal and spiritual growth.  While assimilating into our church family, many may choose to become involved with the life and work of the church, while others may choose not to or are unable to.  Our 2007 Survey indicated that 54% of respondents are “strongly involved”, 34% are “somewhat involved” and 12% are “not involved” in church activities.  Regardless of their level of involvement, which we aim to increase with virtually all our stated goals, following through on our commitment to each member is vital to a growing church.  We must therefore, ensure that we increase regular communication with our members, providing a nurturing and supportive environment and actively addressing member attendance and participation.

 

Justification:  This goal to proactively reach out to each member of our congregation is important to the success of our other four goals.  In support of our goal of growing our membership and attendance, we must first ensure that our current members recognize and feel that they are vital to our church family.  This can be accomplished through increased communication, explicit support of current and new members, as well as follow up with members whose attendance and participation has diminished.  Concerted efforts in this direction should address retention issues and also promote a positive, healthy and vibrant congregation which will be a magnet to those looking for Christian fellowship in our area.

 

Opportunities:  In our 2002 Mission Study, we envisioned a church that “pays special attention to its new members, making sure they are connected to people and programs that will help them grow.”  The Visitation program, run by the Deacons, targets and is successful at reaching out to our members who are sick and have a special need; as is the Deacons’ College Care Program which keeps us in touch with our students.  Ideally, the Parish Program is a vital communication and nurture vehicle used by the Deacons to reach out to members, as well as follow up with members who have been absent regularly from worship services.  The Parish Program however, needs more specific guidelines and dedicated attention not only by the Board of Deacons, but also by the Pastor and Commissions of our church to build stronger reciprocal relationships. 

 

The Shepherd Program, run by the Nurture Commission serves to assist new-member assimilation and retention by providing a well-matched personal link to an existing member.  The New Member Shepherd Program which was also a focus of the Growth and Evangelism Task Force provides the avenue for introducing new members to opportunities that best fit their interests or needs and areas where they can contribute their skills and talents.  This Program, however, needs a stronger foundation that includes a training session with written guidelines of expectations of the Program and the assigned Shepherds, as well as opportunities to meet Parish Leaders and Commission Chairs. 

 

Another important program developed a few years ago by the Education Commission is the Confirmand-Mentor Program, which seeks to nurture our young adults as they become members of our church and begin their spiritual journey.  Mentors provide an important adult connection to confirmands as they begin to define their relationship with God and within the church family.   Further development of this program to include follow-up communication with confirmands after confirmation may assist with monitoring of their attendance and participation in church activities, while supporting our goal to strengthen and promote our Youth Program.

 

The goal to nurture each member through increased communication and contact, and consistent monitoring of attendance can be achieved by better follow through and more specific guidelines for follow-up of programs, as well as strong pastoral leadership/involvement. 


Increase Member Connections

 

Goal: Connect each member to their church family and Christian faith through a meaningful relationship with other members.

 

Explanation: Our church has a diverse membership across a variety of attributes including age group, township and school system, and family situation. While some members are involved in different activities and through personal relationships, others have not made that connection and have no anchor to keep them personally involved with other Christians and motivate them to continue to grow.   By making sure that every member has chances for a personal connection to others in the church we can help them with their own personal Christian journey by sharing their joys, cares and concerns and being aware of changes in their lives and supportive of their needs.

 

Justification: There have been a number of initiatives undertaken over the last few years to try and connect our members with each other and provide fellowship and support, with various amounts of success. Given such a diverse set of members it can be hard to find activities and opportunities that appeal to everyone, and many people do not have the time to participate in activities outside of their family, career or school lives. Without that personal connection to a person or people in the church, however, it is easy for members to drift away without notice and to lose touch with their church family and God. This situation has been further aggravated by the lack of continuous pastoral leadership that knows our congregants and is able to help facilitate the connections by bringing together people with similar situations. This lack of connectedness can directly relate to retention of young families that have a myriad of conflicting activities and to the care and nurture of our existing and new members.

 

We have a weekly Fellowship Hour, held directly after the service, where members have an opportunity to meet and chat. Another group that has started recently is the 6 ˝ Club, a monthly Deacon-sponsored dinner where anyone is invited to come and share a meal and conversation. This new opportunity has had success in bringing together a small group that would not ordinarily have a chance to socialize in an informal setting. Other activities that offer fellowship include the Progressive Dinner (for singles and couples), the Church Picnic and the Advent Dinner (both of which include special activities for young families).

 

There are some activities that have been tried in the past.  Some of these may need to be re-invigorated or new activities developed to meet those needs. Fellowship Groups were specifically called out both in the GET report and the 2002 Mission Study as an initiative to provide social interaction and a spiritual focus, targeting groups that needed more opportunities for connections. A few years ago there was an independent initiative to form small groups that met weekly for fellowship and bible study, but they slowly faded out and membership was spotty. Sharing groups were also a part of our church many years ago and members found that they helped them to forge connections to others that still remain. Other activities targeted at families are now inactive, including a Mothers of Preschoolers group (some effort is underway to restart this), a Harvest Carnival at Halloween, Outreach Choir drama for Junior Highs and drama activities that involved adults and children of all ages. For adults there were activities such as a Bowling League, Movie night, and Friends and Fellowship outings that have also been discontinued.

 

Opportunities: This goal is targeted at finding ways to connect members to each other and put a more personal face on our church, with the purpose of membership nourishment and retention. The goal can be met by increasing focused opportunities for members to gather together for spiritual growth and fellowship (particularly groups that need special attention) and by encouraging all members for the need to seek out opportunities to connect with other members on a personal level.

 

In order to address the goal of connecting our members there is a need to:

·        Examine current and past activities that target bringing members together and determine membership areas that are not being adequately addressed or need attention.

·        Develop a targeted set of new or revitalized initiatives and work across pastoral and lay leadership to reach out and find those that can take benefit from the new opportunities (and discontinue any current initiatives that are not effective and consume leadership resources).

·        Motivate each member of the congregation to take responsibility for reaching out to others that they have contact with and who just may need such a personal connection.

Enhance Spiritual Growth and Commitment

 

Goal: As the church represents the body of Christ we strive to be a church family who continues to seek God and grow to maturity in the image of Jesus Christ, deepening our faith and walking with the Lord.  We need to find grace and grow spiritually to equip ourselves both personally and as a congregation for the call to do God’s work.

 

Explanation: Spiritual growth is not a goal that can stand alone.  Instead it is one that is interwoven through all aspects of our church community and personal faith journey.  However, to achieve growth in these areas this goal needs cultivating.  To be the church described by our Mission Statement necessitates strong leadership, both pastoral and lay, to drive and nurture our spiritual needs.

 

Justification: The 2002 Mission Study cites that 32% of the congregation was concerned with stress.  In the 2007 Survey it became the second greatest concern at 47%.  When Christians are so focused on seeing their own limitations and struggles, this is an indication that spiritual needs are not being met.   We must concentrate on these needs, identifying various groups within our congregation and community to better understand how to help in times of need.   It is in the understanding of these needs that Christians can actively pursue growth in their personal lives.  As in the 2002 Mission Study, we want to be a church that is not only meeting the spiritual needs of those in our community, but also provide all members opportunities for spiritual growth.

 

Indicated by the congregants in the 2007 Survey, over 40% seek adult fellowship opportunities, bible study discussion, and prayer groups.  Yet, that is not reflected in the number of people who attend the current opportunities in bible study and adult education.  Smaller groups or circles scheduled at different times may reach more of our congregation.  Also, it is noted that more deliberate, personal invitation and pastoral leadership has increased attendance in the past.

 

The 2007 Survey shows 32% concerned with finding life direction.  As we come to know God and Jesus as our Savior, we grow in the knowledge that our eternal future is secure.  People grow spiritually when we pray for them.  A prayer chain that was once in place is being revitalized.  Parishes are set up through the Deacons to more personally reach out to the members of our congregation.  However, there continues to be a strong, but overworked, nucleus of people who are very focused on the work of the church.  This base needs to expand, matching opportunities to congregants. 

 

Taking care of our Christian spirit includes promoting wellness in our lives.  For instance, we have had positive participation in events such as blood pressure screenings, blood drives, and stress workshops.  These initiatives, and others, should continue.

 

Also, the 2007 Survey tells us that 31% are concerned with finding spiritual teaching.  A strong leadership towards spiritual understanding will help us see past roadblocks in our earthly lives and “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”  (Colossians 1:9-10) A portion of this teaching is in promoting good stewardship.  Our church commission has worked hard to educate the congregation in this area, however meeting our budget is still a struggle.  Stewardship itself is not just in giving monetarily, but also in the commitment and giving of ourselves and our time.   More structure or support would be valuable in management of such skills as Christians.

 

In addition, the church has previously provided Lenten devotional study guides written by our own members.  Their use, though positively received, was not kept up consistently.  It allowed members to know each other on a spiritual level that might not have been otherwise shared.  This concept should perhaps be implemented in other Christian studies, such as Advent, Pentecost, and summer devotions.   

 

Children who are provided with rich spiritual growth opportunities will be more motivated, more confident, and more giving of themselves.  This can be witnessed by the ambitious activities of our current youth and the strength and devotion of the lay people guiding them.  These efforts should continue to have an opportunity to flourish and grow.  Children without such opportunities don’t know all things are possible for those who believe (Mark 9:23) losing motivation, purpose, and hope.

 

Increased success in this goal will more clearly be seen in the increased success of our four previously stated goals.

 

Opportunities:  The following summarizes key suggestions offered above:

  • Identify various groups within the congregation on which to focus specific study content
  • Be sensitive to providing appropriate, personal invitations to join bible studies, adult

education, and other activities to support spiritual growth.

  • Schedule more Pastor-led adult education series opportunities
  • Maintain wellness activities and add new ones
  • Ensure continuation of the prayer chain
  • Continue and build upon our church school and youth group programs
  • Personal reflection devotional guides from congregants

 

Lack of faith limits spiritual growth, imposes our own restrictions.  However, as in Matthew 17:20, if we have faith as a mustard seed we can move mountains!

 

 

Addendum to the 2007 Mission Study Report

 

On Saturday, June 2, 2007, there was a joint meeting of Elders and Deacons to review, discuss, and receive the 2007 Mission Study report from the Writing Team. The objective of the Writing Team was to discern the voice of the congregation regarding our church’s top five goals. After two hours of discussion, there was a motion to receive the 2007 Mission Study Report. It was received unanimously. The church leadership endorsed the goals presented.

 

The Writing Group acknowledges that other topics were expressed by the congregation, but not to the extent to be included as a goal. In addition, the leaders are aware of other important priorities and issues that require our church’s attention. Thus the following addendum is provided to the Report.

 

 

Mission

 

Our church has a long history of participation in mission, both local, and global. It is through our ministries to others that we look outward as a church and as individuals so that we can be a church for the community and not a church just for ourselves.

 

One way that we can be the Body of Christ, as we say in our Mission Statement, is to reach out as a congregation and serve those in need in our community and in the world. Some of the ways we are already doing this is through our ecumenical community Food Pantry, Mission Matawan, Refugee Resettlement Program, and the CONNECT gift program. We are a five-for-five church participating in five PCUSA special donations each year.

 

It is important for our church leadership to encourage this kind of outward-looking attitude. This will help bring vitality and a depth to our spiritual lives as we work together for others.

 

 

Budget and Finances

 

As a mid-size church, we have struggled recently with our budget.  We carry significant fixed expenses for paid staff that includes a Pastor, part-time Minister of Music, Office Manager, and part-time Custodian; and also for the running and maintaining of our building.  We strive to contribute 10% of our budget to Unified Mission Giving, although in recent years, we have had to reduce that to 7.5% due to budget pressure. We also maintain a high level of activity and programming in support of our local communities.

 

For several years, our annual stewardship campaign has focused on “Growth in Response to God’s Gifts” and has been positively received.  One of the highlights of this campaign has been the personal stewardship testimonies of 3 different members each year and the use of focus groups to educate and encourage discussion on the topic of Christian giving.  The effort has also been made to encourage a continual focus on stewardship throughout the year and for our congregation to understand the broad definition that includes giving of time and talent as well as financial contributions.

 

In spite of this effort by lay leaders, contributions are not sufficient to meet our ongoing expenses and to take advantage of some critical opportunities such as increased support for Youth.  Many members have significantly increased their giving but we have lost a number of large gifts through moves and deaths and the total number of gifts has been reduced. We need strong pastoral support and guidance to grow our membership and enhance stewardship awareness so as to strengthen our financial position.

 

 

Sunday School and Christian Education for Children

 

Five years ago when we did our Mission Study we noted our church was made up of a core group of families with small children. In this mission study we found that those children had now grown into teens, and that the numbers of families with small children was no longer significant. This is evidenced in our Sunday School rolls at the lower age levels, where the numbers have shown a sustained decline. 

 

We need to bring in and retain new young families to return to a vibrant and growing elementary church program at those early years. Both the low numbers of children and the difficulty obtaining Church School teachers (often parents) have led to several classes being combined, making it difficult for both students and teachers having such a large age span in the classrooms. 

 

We have an opportunity as a church to focus on this need. Our children will soon populate our Youth Group and other youth programs and keep them vibrant as well.  These younger children in our community and church need to be encouraged in the faith. Not only do we as a congregation have an obligation to nurture and guide their spiritual wellness, but they also enrich ours.  Children are God’s gift to us and should be treasured as such.