January 2015 Edition
www.grandrapidsfumc.org
Dear Friends,
tendance of 200, is now a membership vision that is inclusive and compelof under 200 and running 100 in wor- ling about our preferred future so that For years, I have ship on a good Sunday. our third-century in downtown Grand carried a card Rapids is even greater than our past? around in my In 2000, I was appointed to another For nearly a year now, a vision team planner that has congregation which wanted a young has been meeting, asking questions, requotes about vi- pastor (meaning under 50 years of viewing demographic data, listening to sion. age) who would bring new energy stories, reviewing the history of First and vision to the church. Within the Church, and working toward develSome people see things as they are and say first 12 months, we developed a vision oping a three-year strategic plan. We “why.” I dream things that never were and team of people who were thoughtful, have worked on a set of statements for say “why not.” George Bernard Shaw creative, forward-thinking, and pro- our mission, purpose, vision, and core cess oriented, while honoring the tra- values. We have identified SIX Critical Nothing in the world is as powerful as an ditions and marvelous history of the Success Factors that include spiritual idea whose time has come. Victor Hugo congregation. It wasn’t easy. Some enrichment, evangelism and hospitalDream no small dreams for they have no people got upset with either what we ity, worship, community outreach and were doing or what we were not doing. impact, congregational care, and adpower to move people. J.W. von Goethe But vitality and growth occurred as we ministrative resources. The problems of the world cannot possibly be worked through a visioning process. solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are We had some challenges – but all in I write all of the above to whet the limited by obvious realities. We need people all, we developed a ministry focus, de- congregational appetite! BECAUSE who can dream of things that never were. veloped leaders, worked together for … during worship on Sunday, JanJohn F. Kennedy the common good, and grew rather uary 11; Ron Nelson (our Chair of dramatically in our hospitality, spiritual the Vision Team) will be making a As I listened to the people of First development of people, an eclectic 15-minute presentation along with Church, particularly during the first six worship style, our care for one anoth- inviting the congregation to become active in a feedback process. We need months of informal ‘get-acquainted’ er, and our outreach. your ideas and dreams that will feed meetings, I heard again and again that the creative process with the goal of what First Church needs is a ‘compelNothing in the world is as finalizing a rolling 3-year plan of exling vision.’ powerful as an idea whose pansion, growth, and deepening our time has come. spiritual life together. I heard that phraseology through my Victor Hugo filter of experience. I heard that same Then, from January 11 through Februphrase from a congregation where I was assigned in 1996. We began the When I served as District Superinten- ary 15, there will be eight to ten opprocess of dreaming and creating a vi- dent, every congregation wanted a Su- portunities for people to engage in sion for that congregation. The vision perman OR Superwoman who would listening and talking about creative team was creative and unified. They be appointed to their church and possibilities for our future. You will proposed what they believed to be would bring a vision plan that would hear more as we get closer to the 11th. needed changes, but the congregation suddenly give new life to their church. But needless to say, this is a very imwas firm in their resistance to change. When we appointed a pastoral leader portant time in the life of our congreIt created tension within the congrega- that had the skills and experience to gation! I encourage you to make this tion, and the result was that a decision lead toward the development of a a priority to participate in creative diswas made to do the same old things new vision, the congregation often cussions. We need you! the same old way, while expecting dif- resisted changes that were introduced. Bob Hundley ferent results. After nearly 20 years Vision and change go hand in hand. Senior Pastor and 4 different pastors, the church that The question becomes: are we serious was 400 members with an average at- enough to develop a congregational
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Intentional Faith Development
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Compassionate Care
Extravagant Generosity 4
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1 Risk-taking Mission and Service
Passionate Worship
Radical Hospitaliy
Pastor’s Message
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