Dear Church Family, A few days ago a pastor friend asked me, "What's your plan for Brentwood United Methodist Church." I said, "First, it can't be my plan alone. The leaders and the congregation have to be involved in whatever plan we develop. Second," I added, "We are currently working on a three-step process for prayerfully developing a plan." In this week's e-note, I'd like to tell you about that three-step process. 1. Develop Strong Teams: For BUMC to have a vibrant future, we must build strong teams. That will begin with the Coordinating Staff (senior staff). In the weeks to come, the Coordinating Staff will create a covenant for how we plan to work together. Part of that covenant will include holding each other accountable to spiritual practices like daily devotionals, financially supporting God's church, and maintaining healthy relationships. We will also clarify the role and expectations of each team member and hold each other accountable for achieving those expectations. We will then work on building stronger teams among the rest of the staff. Finally, we will work on building strong ministry teams throughout the entire church. This process of team building will be an ongoing and vital part of the future at BUMC.
2. Emphasis on Core Spiritual Practices. Throughout 2012 (and beyond), our church will focus on strengthening core spiritual practices. The staff and leaders of BUMC will do everything we can to help our congregation make progress in practicing the following spiritual disciplines that lead to vibrant Christianity and a vital church. • WORSHIP God daily and weekly • CONNECT to a group for Christian growth and support • SERVE in the church and/or community • INVITE and welcome others • GIVE generously to God's work These are not new and flashy practices. But they have been the bedrock of Christian discipleship and vitality for 2,000 years. During 2012 we will offer multiple ways for the congregation to dive deeper in each of these spiritual practices, which will serve as the foundation of everything we do at BUMC in the years to come. 3. Develop Foundations for Long Range Vitality. With the leadership of our SLI team, and input from other church leaders, we will spend the next year prayerfully developing a comprehensive plan for sustained, long-term vitality. Steps will include, but are not limited to: • Clarify our mission, vision, and core values • Formulate a MAP (Ministry Action Plan) for the next few years • Continue to strengthen the five core practices mentioned above • Continue to build strong ministry teams as mentioned above • Engage in prayerful annual strategic planning • Find ways to help strengthen other United Methodist churches
The above steps don't constitute a full blown plan for the future. But they provide a path to lead us in that direction. I look forward to partnering with you on this journey. I believe God has remarkable things in store for BUMC in the years ahead. Please make sure to bring your volunteer forms and pledge cards to church this weekend as we celebrate Thanksgiving, and as we consecrate these commitment forms. These documents are absolutely crucial to the future of BUMC. More than ever, we need you to be generous with both your time and money. If you cannot be here this weekend, please mail your commitment forms to the church, or complete them online by clicking here. Thank you for your overwhelming positive response to last weekend's service and message, "The Land Between." If you missed the service, you can hear the message by clicking here. Finally, it was good to receive the following thirty-two new members: Marshall Stricklin; Matthew, Laura, Connor and Christopher Gelfand; Billy, Leslie, Hudson and Maclean Copeland; Andrew, Jennifer, Andrew Jr. and Hudson Bissonnette; Shirley Clement; James, Paula, Alexander and Andrew Hordoin; Elizabeta Mikhel; Bruce and Christine Fenner; Erin Fenner; Robert, Laurie, and Anna-River Womack; Jeff and Natasha Stoneking; and Tom, Cathrine, Jake and Sarah Rath. Welcome to our church family. In Christ's Love and Service, Martin