Holland 1st consultation report ~2015 01 25

First United Methodist Church of Holland

CONSULTATION REPORT

January 25, 2015

Introduction We, the VCI consultation team, thank Rev. Lynn Pier-Fitzgerald, staff, lay leaders and the congregation of First United Methodist Church of Holland for the invitation to consult with this Body of Christ. The following observations and prescriptions are the result of this consultation team’s study of the following information: a) First United Methodist Church of Holland’s self-study document provided by its leaders, b) a MissionInsite demographic report of the area population, c) the 1/18/2015 ‘Mystery Guest’ report by Faith Perceptions (the result of worship visits from 12 persons from the community), d) worship videos, e) interviews with the pastor, staff and ministry team leaders, f) a focus group with members of the congregation, g) a meeting with the Church council, and h) input from the consultation workshop.

We are confident that God will use this assessment experience and consultation report, to help First United Methodist Church of Holland more effectively make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the community and the world.

Strengths 1. Wealth of Resources –FUMC of Holland has gifted, talented and smart people who have the ability to impact the neighboring community. These talented people are willing to take risks by exploring new ways to be the church in Holland, Michigan.

2. Friendliness – The Mystery Guests identified you as a friendly congregation. Friendliness was one of the highest rated categories in the Mystery Guest Report. Guests are greeted on Sunday mornings with kindness and sincerity. A guest noted the church was “definitely a very warm, friendly group of people making good first impressions!” Another Mystery Guest commented on the post-service atmosphere, “We enjoyed the company and small conversations following the service, and genuinely agreed the congregation was happy to have had us as guests.”

3. Youth Ministry – Youth Ministry is alive and vibrant! It’s clear the congregation believes youth are an important part of the church. The Consultation Team heard the youth feel like they have a place to belong. They are regular participants in worship, committed to hands-on ministry through annual mission trips and totaled over 1,000 hours of volunteer service last year. After only one visit, a Mystery Guest noted, “I sensed a real involvement with youth.” The dedicated youth rooms speak to the value you place on youth ministry. The Director of Youth Ministries is exceptional and passionate about showing youth the love of Christ. Her dreams and big ideas paint a picture for the future of the church.

4. Heart for Mission – The Consultation Team consistently heard that FUMC of Holland has a heart for mission. The church has a long history of financial support for both domestic and international missions. This is evidenced by the commitment to fundraising by the UMW and the generosity of the congregation. The church also sponsors yearly mission trips for both youth and adults. These opportunities minister to the needs of the world, while also creating space for God to change the lives of the participants. There is also passion to serve the local community through ministries such as Justice For Our Neighbors, senior meals and KidsHope.

5. Facility and Location – First United Methodist Church of Holland has a beautiful, spacious, and well cared-for building that sits prominently in downtown Holland. The modern sanctuary boasts flexibility and room enough to grow the congregation into a vibrant and healthy future. FUMC is the only United Methodist Church in Holland and thus, is a haven of United Methodist theology in an area dominated by the Reformed tradition. Community groups make use of FUMC, which could serve as a vital tool to build strong relationships and partnerships in your community.

Concerns 1. Lack of clarity around a unified and compelling outwardly focused vision – Documentation, interviews, focus groups, and the Saturday workshop, all confirmed the absence of unifying vision, values and goals. A clear and compelling vision answers the question of why the mission of the church matters. Shared ministry goals define the specific tasks to be completed to bring God’s vision into the First United Methodist Church of Holland

Page 1

Jan. 25, 2015

2.

3.

4.

5.

here and now. The current absence of shared vision and values results in a lot of busy work without much impact. This lack of ministry alignment creates burnout, hurt feelings, distrust and conflict. Vision provides clarity, calms anxieties and calls people to unite in focusing outward to become a fruitful congregation.

No identifiable pathway to discipleship or intentional leadership development – Serving on committees was identified as THE way to grow in this church. The leadership questionnaire in the SelfStudy identified there is no clear discipleship path. During focus groups and individual interviews, the Consultation Team heard a consistent yearning for spiritual depth. Persons need to connect to Jesus Christ, grow in their faith and become connected to other believers for support and accountability.

There is no expectation of spiritual maturity for leaders. Leadership orientation has focused on ministry tasks rather than leadership capacity. Leadership development insures a strong future.

Absence of accountability, transparency, and communication – In the Readiness360 report, interviews, focus groups, and workshop, one consistent theme was underlying, unresolved conflict and distrust. Keeping people informed in timely ways for the purposes of transparency, inviting collaboration and encouraging feedback are inconsistent, if at all. These combined practices over time have created a cultural tolerance that may be best described as the ‘left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.’ Leader interviews frequently surfaced an on-going frustration with the missing coordination of resources like ideas, time and people. Additionally, leaders and staff are not expected to develop specific goals by which their ministries can be evaluated. When there is no accountability, transparency, and communication, the impact of the Gospel through a United Methodist lens in the greater Holland area has been compromised.

Bland Worship - We affirm that this congregation already provides two worship times. That said, the Mystery Guest Report, worship videos, and interviews raised several significant concerns. The team heard that worship is boring, rote, and “stuck in a rut.” Some members expressed embarrassment to invite friends. We were told that members come to church to see their friends rather than to worship God. Worship is suited to some of the persons already attending. However, your worship is not effectively reaching guests and newcomers. One mystery guest stated, “This church seemed pretty boring. There was … no joy, no singing. There wasn’t much praise.” Another said, “The congregation wasn’t truly engaged.” People are “yearning for consistent contemporary worship.”

Transactional vs Relational Community Interactions – FUMC of Holland is reaching out to the community in numerous ways. The consultation team commends you for sending thousands of dollars each year to support ministries both locally and around the world. As good and necessary as these outreach ministries are, they appear to be “transactional.” There is not an intentional approach to the community that brings persons into a relationship with Christ and integrates them into the life of the church. The community surveys revealed that most of the neighbors had not heard of your church or had any impression about the church. One of the persons interviewed who knew nothing about the church is the parent of a FUN School child. Outreach in any form, whether financial or hands-on, needs to be relational (ministry with) and not transactional (ministry to).

Prescriptions* To address the above concerns, First United Methodist Church of Holland will implement the following prescriptions.

1. Clear, Unified Vision and Ministry Alignment A. The consultation team confirms that First United Methodist Church of Holland claims the denominational mission statement as its own, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

B. The congregation will complete, in consultation with the coach or her designee, a Worship of Spiritual Renewal to embrace God’s mandate for making disciples by April 12, 2015. This will prepare the congregation to fully receive God’s call to its future.

C. The coach will facilitate a ‘Visioning’ workshop for the congregation no later than May 17, 2015.

The purpose of this workshop is to begin the process of identifying how God wants the First United Methodist Church of Holland

Page 2

Jan. 25, 2015

congregation to uniquely live out its vision, accomplish its mission and identify its core values. The vision and values will be affirmed by the Church Council by July 1, 2015.

D. By August 30, 2015, the coach will facilitate the ‘Goal Setting’ workshop to establish strategic ministry objectives and goals that align with the mission, vision and values.

E. Every ministry in the congregation must demonstrate how it will accomplish the mission and vision.

To that end, the leaders will conduct a ministry audit aligning the church’s ministries with the vision.

The pastor, in consultation with the coach, shall recruit 3-5 people to facilitate this audit by March 15, 2015. A possible resource is The Complete Ministry Audit by Bill Easum. Ministries will be evaluated by their faithfulness to the mission and vision and their fruitfulness (results). All ministries must be in alignment by January 1, 2016. Any ministries not in alignment will be celebrated and dissolved at that time. The ministry audit findings may require realigning of all resources including but not limited to financial, leaders and staff, and facility. All aligned ministries will set annual objectives and goals to live into the mission and vision. A suggested resource is Six Questions Every Leader Should Ask by Andy Stanley.

F. Immediately following the ministry alignment, the pastor, staff and leaders shall engage in annual long range planning. The results of this planning session will be shared with the congregation and used in establishing goals and strategies.

G. Create a regular feedback loop through town hall meetings to be held at least quarterly beginning no later than July 15, 2015.

2. Identifiable Pathway to Discipleship and intentional Leadership Development A. Pathway Team - The pastor, in consultation with the coach, shall name 3-5 persons to form a Pathway Team on or before March 15, 2015. The purpose of this Pathway Team is to create an intentional design of spiritual formation moving people from where they are on their spiritual journey to becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. The discipleship design will be a lifelong process for everyone, non-believers, new Christians, and those maturing in their faith. Full implementation complete by January 1, 2016.

This faith development plan shall be based on a United Methodist model that encourages all persons, regardless of age: 1) to connect and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ; 2) to help them be transformed by studying the principles of the Christian faith and United Methodist theology; 3) to provide connection opportunities with other believers for support and accountability; 4) to be in service to others for the purpose of the mission of the church; and 5) to become a spiritually mature leader of the church Suggested resources are A Disciple’s Path by James Harnish and Deeping Your Effectiveness: Restructuring the Local Church for Life Transformation by Dan Glover and Claudia Lavy.

B. Leadership Development and Multiplication - FUMC of Holland lacks an intentional process of leadership development and multiplication to broaden its volunteer base, engage new people in ministry, and improve ministry effectiveness. The pastor, in consultation with the coach, shall name 3-5 persons to form a Leadership Development Team by March 15, 2015. A suggested resource is Ultimately Responsible by Sue Nilson Kibbey. The plan will be submitted to the Church Council for feedback by October 1, 2015 and begin implementation by February 1, 2016.

3. Overall Accountability A. Staff Teambuilding and Accountability 1) Each staff person will submit his or her current job description to the pastor by April 15, 2015 for review by SPRC. The pastor will submit her job description and those of the staff by May 1, 2015 directly to SPRC. 2) The pastor will lead a staff study of Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to help raise the staff effectiveness. a) in working together, First United Methodist Church of Holland

Page 3

Jan. 25, 2015

b) dealing with conflict in open healthy ways, c) dealing with the tendency of staff operating in "silos," d) engendering trust, cooperation, and healthy communication.

This study will be completed by May 1, 2015.

3) Within four weeks of completing the study, staff meetings will be restructured to include setting of goals and objectives, and holding each other accountable.

B. SPRC (Staff-Parish Relationship Committee) Oversight and Support 1) In tandem with the staff, SPRC will complete the study Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by May 1, 2015.

2) The pastor and Staff-Parish Relations Committee will review current job descriptions supplied by the pastor and staff by July 1, 2015.

3) The pastor and Staff-Parish Relations Committee, with the help of the coach, will conduct a staff audit which will include a review of current job positions and descriptions by October 1, 2015.

4) In consultation with the coach, the Pastor and SPRC will develop new job descriptions which align with the church’s mission and vision by December 1, 2015.

5) This staff alignment plan will be fully implemented by June 1, 2016.

6) The pastor, in conjunction with SPRC, will conduct semi-annual evaluations for the first year and annual evaluations thereafter, of each staff member with accountability based on fruitfulness aligned to the vision and mission of FUMC of Holland. These will begin January 2016.

C. Policy Governance FUMC of Holland will deliberately embrace policy governance as its new “permission-giving” organizational plan in consultation with the coach. Policy governance calls for established boundaries within which the pastor functions with the responsibility and authority to lead the church. In policy governance, the pastor is accountable to the governing board for ministry progress. The move from a representative Church Council to policy governance shall include the following steps.

1) The pastor and the Church Council Chair, in consultation with the coach, shall name a Governance Task Force of 3-5 people to study effective policy governance board structures that support relevant and timely ministries. This team shall orient itself to its task and begin its work

by October 1, 2015.

2) The coach, or her designee, shall facilitate the VCI two-part workshop, Accountability Leadership and Policy Governance Boards, for all current and incoming leaders and interested congregants by April 1, 2016.

3) The Task Force will present a restructure plan to Church Conference no later than fall, 2016. A suggested resource is Stephen Ross' Leadership and Organization For Fruitful Congregations (2014). A resource person is Rod Kalajainen, pastor, Redeemer UMC, DeWitt. A supplementary resource is John Kaiser's Winning On Purpose.

4) Draft a re-structure plan and a transition plan to single board policy governance for approval by the District Superintendent and the Church Conference no later than July 1, 2016. These plans will include transition provisions in accordance with The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.

5) The pastor, in consultation with the coach, shall facilitate an initial and on-going training for ministry team leaders and board members by December 15, 2016. The topic of this annual training shall focus on effective ministry teams.

6) This Policy Governance Board shall be fully operational with the 2017 slate of officers.

4. Leveraging the Sunday Morning Experience Preparing for guests involves planning for their experience from the street to their seat. The following intentional process will be implemented to guide and welcome guests. To improve the quality of worship and create contact points with God: First United Methodist Church of Holland

Page 4

Jan. 25, 2015

A. All worship and education ministries leaders will prepare for their assigned tasks to effectively accomplish their part of creating consistently passionate and inviting worship experiences. The following teams will be recruited no later than April 1, 2015, by the pastor, in consultation with the coach.

1) Create a Worship Design Team of 6-8 people to evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of the current worship schedule and styles. The team shall be inclusive by age, gender, paid and unpaid leaders. The goal of this team is to optimize the worship experience for multiple audiences. It is recommended this team include the pastor plus persons with skills in the areas of visual arts, drama, technology, music, and learning styles.

2) Create a Welcome Team of 3-4 people to foster a welcoming culture in the congregation and coordinate staffing of the Welcome Center during church events.

B. Worship and Education leaders shall become learned about all aspects of worship and its role in the life of a healthy, vibrant United Methodist community of faith. The worship leaders include those named to the Worship Design Team, Welcome Team, Marketing Team, representatives of the Trustees and other persons who prepare for or lead worship. Education ministries leaders include all staff who make discipleship of all ages happen. They shall jointly accomplish the following.

1) A workshop on meaningful worship that connects a variety of people with God and with each other. The coach or her designee will conduct this workshop no later than May 1, 2015.

2) Study Worship Ways by Thomas Bandy (2014) to be completed no later than August 1, 2015.

3) Review the January 18, 2015 Mystery Guest Report from Faith Perceptions, identifying areas of concern related to all aspects of worship by May 1, 2015.

C. Worship Design Team Assigned Tasks 1) Short term tasks: (implemented within 6 to 24 months) In conjunction with or shortly after accomplishing the joint tasks of sections A. & B. above, the WDT will accomplish the following. a) Develop worship services providing experiential and participatory worship that are inspiring and uplifting and connect diverse groups of people with God. This will begin no later than Advent 2015. Possible resources include Starting a Second Worship Service by Charles Arn and your subscription to Marcia McFee’s WorshipWorks. b) To further enhance the inspiring nature of worship, the pastor will participate in continuing education to hone her message content and delivery skills to be more relevant to diverse generations. This continuing education shall also address heartfelt ways of applying the message to a Spirit-driven life. This continuing education shall occur no later than August 1, 2015. c) Study together The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services, by Constance Cherry to explore the role of worship in the life of the faith community by August 1, 2015. d) Visit at least 3 churches of similar size that are reaching young adults under 35 years of age.

These visits shall be completed no later than August 15, 2015. e) Solicit feedback on WDT findings from the congregation through town hall meetings and the Church Council by January 15, 2016.

2) Long term tasks: (implemented in 2 to 4 years) a) Identify the desired target audiences for multiple worship experiences. b) Determine the best presentation and delivery worship style for each target audience. c) Explore an ideal schedule of multiple worship experiences during the weekend for spreading the Gospel. d) If a change in schedule is warranted, develop a plan for implementation. The implementation will begin no later than fall 2016.

D. Welcome Team Assigned Tasks In conjunction with or shortly after accomplishing the joint tasks of section A. & B. above, the Welcome Team will accomplish the following: First United Methodist Church of Holland

Page 5

Jan. 25, 2015

1) Train greeters and ushers about the MissionInsite target Life Segments to help them better understand anticipated guests by fall 2015.

2) Hone best practices of welcoming behaviors to improve their processes of meeting and greeting new guests. These best practices for welcoming behaviors will be fully implemented before Advent 2015. The team will evaluate their effectiveness quarterly.

3) Lead annual church-wide hospitality trainings to create and re-enforce a consistent culture of hospitality and welcoming. This training will center on the premise that hospitality is everyone’s responsibility. The first of these annual trainings will be scheduled on or before August 15, 2015.

A resource is Fusion by Nelson Searcy.

E. Create a Marketing Team by March 15, 2015, of 2-3 people named by the pastor in consultation with the coach. This team is responsible for developing and implementing an on-going comprehensive plan for marketing all ministries of the congregation. Begin the work no later than July 1, 2015. A resource person is Renee Brott, Communications Director, FUMC, Grand Rapids.

5. Relationship Building and Community Interaction FUMC of Holland has demonstrated a tendency to default to transactional (ministry to) approaches to outreach. The following will assist you in moving toward a relational (ministry with) model. The Outreach Ministries Team will: A. Read and study Get Their Name by Bob Farr, Doug Anderson and Kay Kotan by May 1, 2015.

B. Study the one and five mile radius MissionInsite reports to understand who your neighbors are, what they need, and how FUMC can be in relationship with them to be completed by June 1, 2015.

C. Develop an implementation and evaluation plan based on the study by July 1, 2015.

D. Based on the findings of the MissionInsite reports, the team will plan and carry out 4 to 5 Bridge Events intended to build relationships that will open the door to faith conversations. The bridge events must be intergenerational, to ensure participation of all ages. The first of which shall be completed no later than fall 2015.

E. Following each event, the team will evaluate how successful it was in drawing participants and connecting them with the congregation. These events and the evaluations will be completed by fall 2016.

Conclusion We, the consulting team, want to thank you for the opportunity to serve your congregation through this Vital Church Initiative assessment process. Our prayers and hope for your congregation are that God will use this process to help your church become more effective and fruitful. May God give you courage and strength as you move forward.

Lead Consultant: Tonya Arnesen Directive Coach: Naomi GarcĂ­a Scribe: Patricia Bromberek Writing Team: Laura Witkowski, Laure Mieskowski, Nicholas Holton Town Hall Meeting Dates Thursday, January 29 at 7 PM, Lounge Sunday, February 1 at 9:40 AM, Lounge Tuesday, February 3 at 7 PM, Conference Room Sunday, February 8 at 9:40 AM, Lounge Church Conference Date: Sunday, February 15, 2015 with combined worship at 9:30 AM, vote follows worship. *Note: Prescription deadlines may be adjusted in consultation with the assigned VCI coach.

First United Methodist Church of Holland

Page 6

Jan. 25, 2015