Aldersgate Experience
In this issue:
Pastor’s Message Connecting Wednesday Dinner Birthdays Thank you KNOWING Summer Sunday School Wednesday Night Studies Vacation Bible School Wisdom & Grace Event LOVING Sunday Worship Men’s Event “Rewired” Music Notes UTH Updates Wednesday Afternoon Prayer Service Weekday School Ministries Love Your Neighbor CONDUIT IHN GROWING Trustees Corner Construction Update Financials April Acolytes, Altar Guild & Nursery Schedules April Lay Schedule
Connecting, Knowing, Loving, Growing 3 3 4
April 2012
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Beginning on April 24th delegates from every United Methodist Conference around the world will join together in Tampa, Florida to make decisions about the United Methodist Church. This gathering, which takes place every four years, is called General Conference. Some important changes are being proposed. Some will pass, and some will not. But I hope you will join with me in bathing the Conference in prayer from April 24th-May 4th. For more information about some of the proposals that will be debated at General Conference go to the official United Methodist Church website, which is www.UMC.org. One of the things that every church in the denomination is being asked to do in anticipation of General Conference is to make goals for the next four years. These goals came as a response to the 2010 Call to Action Report, which you can also find on UMC.org. The United Methodist Church is working at “developing existing churches and starting new vital congregations so that we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” (Vital Congregations Planning Guide, p. 3) A study that reviewed the statistics of 33,000 churches found that nearly 5,000 over a five-year period were growing and engaging a greater percentage of their membership in worship and ministry.
They were engaging disciples in worship, in making new disciples, in growing their faith, and in giving generously. It was not only that these things were occurring; but they were evident at a significantly higher rate than in other churches and the vital congregations – no matter what their size, location, or ethnicity – demonstrated growth over a period of several years. So, we are being asked to measure those areas in bold above. “The entire denomination is being invited to redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” (Call to Action Report, p. 14.)
Over the next four years, and perhaps beyond, we will be looking intently at the following five statistics: 1) Average Worship Attendance 2) Professions of Faith 3) Small Groups 4) Members in Mission 5) Dollars Given to Mission Every church in the entire denomination has been asked to set goals for these areas and keep track of the numbers for the next four years. Obviously, we won’t simply create a set of numbers and hope we meet the goals. Instead, we will have to be intentional in making plans to achieve these goals. I often hear people complain about tracking numbers; but in reality, we are tracking people.