So, this applies both to the newsletter and this blog. Below, I've pasted in the October newsletter article I've written. I suspect it's too long, so once Joyce lets me know how much too long, I'll fiddle with it, but since I posted my July article, I figured I can just keep this going!
Also though, during October, I'll be doing a number of my blogs in relation to this new statement we came up with--providing the Church Council likes it too of course--so I invite you to check in frequently to see some of my thoughts on the various aspects of the statement (mostly how the words become actions) and to share your own thoughts and ideas!
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In early September, nearly two dozen leaders and members of the Calvary UMC family gathered to discern together where God is calling our congregation to go. Who God is calling us to be.
We knew that no such gathering is ever complete. Indeed, to try to determine some path for a large group without every single voice is necessarily inadequate. But we needed to start somewhere. Many of you took the time to complete a survey about your experience at Calvary. These results helped us identify both areas of strength and also areas for growth. A great deal of work remains to be done.
I wanted to share with you, however, what we did discuss and agree upon.
We learned some interesting things as we looked at demographic information about our area. Our retreat leader, William Chaney (our Annual Conference guide) provided us with four Percept demographic reports: 1 mile radius from the church, 3 mile radius, five mile radius and ten mile radius. Here are some highlights:
• We live in the midst of a community that is more diverse than most of the United States.
• Within a 1 and 3 mile radius of our location, we are surrounded by a large population of “Young and Coming” persons, generally between the ages of 25 and 48. These persons are not only younger, but also more educated and more affluent than the national average. Within the mile closest in to Cavalry, this difference is extreme.
• As the reports extend out into the 5 and 10 mile radius areas, the population looks more like traditional families, but still the report classifies a disproportionate segment of the population as “Affluent Families.”
• Our community’s focus seems to be mostly on “Hopes and Dreams” and while they do have some preference for a slightly traditional church style, they primarily seek recreational activities from a religious community.
• In all four of the reports, the largest age-class is that 25-48 group.
From the surveys that about fifty members of the Calvary community took, we were reminded that we have a lot more to do to improve communication within our church family. Many responses indicated that we have not helped the congregation be well-informed about what we are already doing. The surveys also identified some other areas for growth, including on-going discipleship growth and focus for all persons as well as actively and wisely pursuing the development of new programs that reach our congregation and our community. We have already begun developing plans to address these areas in the coming year, and we will share those ideas with you as details emerge.
Since beginning my time at Calvary, I have spoken with many of you who are excited about all the Calvary has to offer and who are anxious to see us really coordinate all our ministries well with a common vision and direction. Our discussions at the Visioning Retreat were a start. We came up with a new mission statement for Calvary. Benjamin Franklin is said to have declared, “Words may show a man's wit, but actions his meaning.” We are to be a people of actions, not just words. The statement we came up with summarizes, we feel, the sense of the congregation. However, it demands not emphasis on its words but rather serious prayer and discussion about its implications for all that we do. I invite you to join us during the month of October in prayer around these words as together we discern how God will make these words come alive in and through us.
Calvary United Methodist Church seeks and invites all to become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and our world.
To read and join in an online dialogue around this statement, visit Pastor Sarah’s blog: http://divinepassive.blogspot.com.
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