A Visioning Morning
for St. Mark’s United Church
On Saturday morning, April 16th, 20 people from St Mark’s came together to dream about the future. Bob Lockhart lead those present through a “visioning exercise”. What follows below is how we went about the task and what we wrote down on “post-it notes” and on newsprint. All of the post-it notes and newsprint has been saved. Bob was asked to transcribe the thinking of the group but not to edit the material.
Assumptions about the task before us:
Proverbs 29:6 "where there is no vision, the people perish” KJV
“If you do not work to shape your future, someone else will do it for you.”
In the scriptures through visions and dreams God speaks and guides God’s people. Eg. Abraham, Jeremiah, Mary, Joseph, & Paul.
Assumptions about a vision.
It should be:
- Desirable: appeals to and inspires members of a congregation, broad enough to allow others to fill in blanks.
- Feasible: comprises realistic and attainable goals.
- Focused: is clear enough to provide guidance in decision making.
- Flexible: is general enough to allow individual initiative and alternate responses in light of changing conditions.
- Imaginable: conveys a picture of what the future might look like.
- Communicable: is easy to understand and communicate.
1st Question:
Before thinking about the future, what is that you like about St. Mark’s and hope will continue on into the future?
- Al’s Music + (8)
- Choir + (2)
- Sermons + (2)
- Quilting – the social
- Support from others
- Sunday Worship - participation
- Community + (3)
- The interior of the church - the wood
- Men’s Group
- Coffee and social after church
- Greetings in worship - the passing of the peace
- Events St Mark’s hold - like the men’s dinner.
- Feeling of being at home.
- Catering for dinners - working together as a family.
- God’s presence in worship
- Groups in the community being able to use the church
- Sense of security
- Family Community
Identifying our vision for the future - within the next five years.
Step I: Silent Brainstorming:
5-8 min: Work alone to answer this question:
“You have been away from this congregation for 5 years. You return and are floating over St Mark’s in a hot air balloon. What do you see? or hope to see happening?”
Write each thought down on an individual “post it” note - one thought per note. The thought contains enough information that someone else will understand your thought without you having to explain it.
Once you have completed your list of thoughts, place your post it notes on the wall.
Step II Reading and Sorting (8- 10 min) (in silence)
a. Once all the post it notes are on the wall, read all of them silently to yourself.
b. Begin to group them into themes/common dreams.
c. Feel free to move a post it note to a different group if you think it belongs.
Step III Naming the Clusters 5-10 min
The Facilitator works through each cluster and verifies that the post it notes are in the right group.
b. The group gives a name to each cluster.
c. We will not belabour this part. We will work quickly through the post it notes..
Step IV Sub-divide interest/task groups to work on each cluster. (3-5 min.)
Step V In Small Interest/ Task Groups (20-30 min)
a. How might we move forward to have this vision become real?
In five years, I would like to see:
Post it Notes grouped and called: Property:
- Solar panels on the roof generating all our electricity for the church and manse and feeding the excess back to the grid.
- Paved parking lot.
- All bills paid and we are operating in the black.
- Church more accessible - eg. office
- Properly placed hand rails on the steps to the alter area
- Energy audit of the church
- Research energy possibilities
- Maintain the parking lot with long term goal of complete repaving in the future.
- Bills - continue with fund raising efforts.
- Need willing helpers.
- New ideas always welcome.
Post it Notes grouped and called:
Ecumenical Activities, Community Development and Church Growth
- Church attendance will be as good as it is now.
- Full dynamic celebrating worship
- Programs for all ages
- St. Mark’s is glowing. Many families are arriving to attend the service, many young families are excited to be included in this church community.
- Open to everyone - lots of people
- Pews full
- Saturday evening worship service
- More people in church
- Inter-faith centre
- Community use of the building
- Building being used multi-purpose
- Outreach in the community
- Talent show for fun - ceilidhs - fun activities square dancing
- Welcoming committee for new people to the church/town
- New families join the church
- Shared use of sanctuary
- One church for all religions
- Group of 10 Ecumenical Quilters has grown to over 50 Quilters from all churches in the area.
- Parking lot and street is full on Sunday AM
- Interdenominational event for youth and adults
- Coffee House for adults
- Ecumenical Activities, Community Development and Church Growth:
- Specific Action Steps suggested by task group
- Invitation to other Faith Groups to meet together for: Bible study or Book Study
- Inter-Faith Panel Discussion on challenges facing the Church.
- Renew the Coffee Drop-In for young mothers, fathers, seniors.
- Ecumenically organized lunches for community.
- Success marked by higher profile and appreciation of the church.
Post it Notes grouped and call:
Welcoming Community/ Seniors and Adult Ministry:
- One church used by all at different times.
- Adult study group exploring the scriptures - what it says to us?
- The church hall used each day by Seniors who enjoy playing
- The printed Contact is eliminated and replaced by the blog
- People in the congregation that are not in the group after church are then feeling welcome and are enjoying themselves in the group.
- We have a minister who participates with the congregation
- Programs for Seniors
- People of different Protestant denominations are meeting together and discussing their faith ideas with one another.
A. Welcoming Community/ Seniors and Adult Ministry
Action steps suggested by task group.
- Communication
- Welcome all for coffee after church
- Events for publicity to one person
- A visible minister
- Co-ordinator of Community Events
- An energetic minister
- PR person: pictures, articles, interviews to reach out to the community, newspapers local media, bulletins, posters, BLOG-no printed contact.
- Social media used to promote church
B. Seniors and Adult Ministry
Action Steps suggested by task group
- Drop-in centre for Seniors (Day time and Evening)
- Exercise Class
- Card Play
- Scottish Square Dancing
- Morning Coffee
- Info Session Workshops
- Quilting, Knitting, Wood Working
- Computers and Photography
- Access Grants available for Seniors programs
- Health Issues Workshops
- Interdenominational Faith Discussion Groups led by Ecumenical Leaders.
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Post it Notes grouped and called Music - Al is still playing.
- Music guest as part of the service (ie. guitar, flute solos).
- If Al retires we find a musician that can raise our spirits as he does.
- In five years we will probably have a change in Organist/choir director. How do we continue the music ministry that we appreciate so greatly?
Action Steps suggested by Music task group
- Our congregation values the music ministry as it exists. We want to keep as much as we can.
- Encourage young pianists/organists
- Keep track of other pianists/organists
- CD of Al playing
- Accompaniment CD’s
- Tie the service together
- Other musical guests: Students from band program
- Other genres of music; guitar, rock
Chimes:
- Get the outdoor speakers working again
- CD of Al playing the chimes
- “Expert” in our sound system to replace Jim McLean.
Post-it notes grouped and called Ministry with Children:
- We hear babies talking
- After baptism reach out to families on a more frequent basis - to come to special events.
- Many children in the Sunday School
- A space for parents and children to watch the service
- A children’s choir
- Many children streaming out the door after church
- Sunday morning families of all ages coming to church
- There are many young families coming to church
- Young families in church
Post it notes grouped and called Ministry with Youth
- An active youth group hosting events for youth in the community/area
- There are computers in the Sunday School and for adults to learn about their faith
- Lots of kids learning about our faith
- Youth meet before and after church at least once a month-themes
- Young peoples musical groups to do a service monthly
- Young people come to church with their families.
- The more young people are participating in worship and activities during the week.
Action Steps suggested by the Children and Youth Task Group
- Welcoming Committee to reach out to new families (work with Real Estates Companies)
- After baptism-actively invite and nurture relationships.
- Make Church comfortable for young families:
- use the balcony as a space for families (by) sliding glass (barrier), play space, rocking chair.
- Approach families who had children baptized: What are their needs? What would bring them here?
- Do needs assessment Community/Ecumenical Youth Group
- Initial event: Sept/Oct
- Build youth group
- Leadership training
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Step VI. Each task group shared their ideas
Time allowed for questions of clarification
Step VII Sharing the ideas with congregation
We were not authorized to make decision.
How then might these ideas be shared?
- leave the newsprint on the wall for those who attend on Sunday.
- type up posted noted and newsprint (Bob)
- share ideas with the Official Board.
- post ideas on the Blog
- Bob to use material in a couple of sermons
- share with new minister.
