Impact of Congregational Growth

 

Differing sized churches typically experience different group cultures and different patterns of ministry and relationship.  What works for one size just doesn't fit for another.  Over its history, Trinity has shifted through four milestones in size and is on the brink of a fifth.  Churches of up to 50 in worship operate as a family, with a few long-term lay leaders providing stability and direction.  Churches with 50 to 150 attending worship are described as pastoral size because much of congregation's life centers around relationship with the pastor.  The next level, program size, too large for everyone to be intimately connected with a pastor, has people making more connections through lay leaders who are involved in offering a variety of ministry programs.  Churches with between 350 and 500 worshippers are termed corporate and often have a large, professional staff in charge of developing many areas of ministry.

The fact that Trinity has successfully navigated each of these transitions is testimony to the congregation's resilience and adaptability because many factors exert pressure on groups to remain in their current category.  Since we currently have combined worship attendance of 550, we are likely facing another shift in the way we do ministry.  Staff will become more focused on equipping and empowering individuals and groups in the community as they respond to God's call to ministry.

Most likely, each of us have a "favorite" church size imprinted on our memory that tells us how things "should" be.  Perhaps it matches the church of our childhood, a church where we had a particularly significant experience, or the first congregation we were exposed to.  It is likely that those memories are not matched in our current experience since the Trinity/Pointe of Grace community has developed beyond what many have experienced before.  This means there may be feelings of disappointment when those old expectations aren't met and feelings of surprise and satisfaction as we encounter new and enriching opportunities that are available to us here.

It is useful to pay attention to these kinds of shifts in a community because shifts tend to mean that some things that are familiar are less evident while new possibilities emerge.  It is also good to notice what we particularly appreciate and recognize that we can take our own initiative to re-create some of those "favorite" experiences in new ways.

Some members of this community may be able to remember some of the shifts that happened at former developmental steps--things that decreased and new things that came.  If you do, and would like to share them, to help us understand how those changes happened, add your story to this blog. 

To add a comment, click on the  (#) comments link below and the page will open where you can read comments and add your own.

Where are we in the planning process?

Some folks have been wondering where we are in the planning process (formerly called Transition, now called Living into God's Future for Us).  In last week's entry (March 16, Living into God's Future) we discussed some of the motivation for planning.  This entry describes how planning is moving forward these days.

The graphic below pictures 3 distinct stages.  Currently we are engaged in the conversations represented in the left-hand column.  Staff and Mission council are involved in ongoing conversations to clarify existing needs and opportunities.  The circled "Re-visioning Ministry Conversations" are in process.  Core leaders of basic ministry areas met on March 5 to discuss our community's identy/purpose statement and begin clarifying the purpose of each ministry area.  Those groups are currently having follow-up discussions in preparation for meetings that will be held for each area, inviting constituency input and feedback.  Ministry leaders will develop preliminary plans, based on this feedback.  Congregational conversations are happening via this blog, the upcoming constituency input sessions for ministry areas and forums yet to be announced.

As activities represented in the first column proceed, we will move into a phase of discerning and describing a long term vision for Trinity, Lynnwood and Pointe of Grace.  Building on recent similar work, we will assess the community around us, look at current needs and opportunities, and open ourselves to the leading of the Spirit in order to plot the trajectory for ministry that we believe will characterize our community in the future.

The third column of the graphic represents the development of an organizational and resource plan for ministry.  Our community has already evolved into new ways of doing ministry and we need to develop the organizational systems that will support the complex network of ministries that exist and will emerge in the future.  We also need to organize our human resources (staff and volunteer) so all are liberated to maximize their effectiveness and plan for arranging and developing our capital resources (building, property, finances) in ways that will position us to move into the future we imagine God has for us.

When will this process be done??  That is good question.  Let me begin to answer with a joke that has often come to mind reflecting on this process. 

Question:    "Why do surgeons get paid so much more than auto mechanics?"

Answer:       "Because mechanics don't have to work with the motor running."

It's hard to predict exactly how long this will take because we aren't shutting down current ministry while we do it.  Existing ministries continue.  New ministries are initiated.  Staff continue to walk with community members through life's passages.  Life and ministry are happening now, even while we plan for the future.  But, acknowledging this reality, we can project that the Re-visioning Ministry conversations may be completed by sometime this fall and an organizational and resource plan may be completed sometime next spring. 

This blog will be a central place to keep updated on evolving developments and to keep connected to what is happening.  If you have questions about this planning process, you can post them here. 

To add a comment, click on the  (#) comments link below and the page will open where you can read comments and add your own.

Living into God's Future--What does it mean?

Trinity, Lynnwood and Pointe of Grace are in an intentional phase of seeking God's guidance in planning for future ministry.

One reason it is important to pay attention to God's dream for the future is that our present action is shaped by the future we expect.  The recent earthquake in Japan illustrates this.  Because that country lived with the expectation that earthquakes would be part of their future their current actions had prepared them so that damage was less than it might have been otherwise.  Even though we in the Pacific Northwest have been warned about potential future earthquakes, relatively few of us prepare for "the big one" that has been predicted.  In part, this may be due to the normal human behavior of assuming that our future will be something similar to our past experience.  So our present actions, based on past experience, actually re-create  the past, continuing our relative lack of preparedness. 

If we believe that God has an intention for the world that different from our current experience, then we must look out into that future and make God's vision our own, here and now, so that we do not simply recreate an (hopefully) improved version of the past but take actual steps toward creating the new future that is God's intention.  The graphic represents the impact of bringing both our past experience and wisdom and an inspired vision of the past into our present.  This generates progress toward a new future. 

Ministry area groups spent some time imagining God's dream for the future in order to inspire their work.

You may click here to access a guide for your own prayerful reflection on God's intention for our world.  Or you may click here to get a simple tool to start conversation with your children about God's dream for the world.

If you use these tools, we'd welcome you to share some of what you imagine you would see and hear in a world where God's dream for the world was made visible. 

To add a comment, click on the  (#) comments link below and the page will open where you can read comments and add your own.

Ministry Area Purpose Statements

On Saturday, March 5, approximately 60 leaders gathered for 4 hours of creative conversation to begin articulating the purposes of broad ministry areas at Trinity, Lynnwood and Point of Grace.  They talked about our community identity—making space for people to recognize and join in what God is doing in the world—and drafted purpose statements for each area. 

A next step in this process will include inviting broad input about each ministry area from people throughout our community.  Each group will schedule its own input session, which will be facilitated to allow a “download” of community perspective that will inform its planning.  Watch for announcements here and in What's Happening to learn dates for areas where you'd like to contribute your perspective.

As you review these purpose statements, remember that they are works in progress and may still be subject to further edits as these groups continue to reflect on how they make space for people for people who recognize what God is doing in the world and want to discover and assume their unique roles in partnership with God.

Facilities Board

Overseeing of the planning and carrying out of maintenance, cleanliness, safety, and alterations to the physical plant, to provide a facility for all who join Trinity in their various ministries so that the dreams and visions of those wishing to minister to those in need can have a base from which to operate.

Mustard Seed/Huddle

The purpose of Mustard Seed small groups is to provide a flexible structure for engaging inward, upward and outward to those who share a common interest so that they can channel that interest into God’s mission and ministry including opportunity for worship, outreach and developing community.

Worship

Create a system of opportunity for people to use their individual gifts so that the worshipping community can encounter GOD!!

Pastoral Care

The purpose of Pastoral Care is to identify, invite, train, equip, and support people for service to others so that we all recognize the presence of God’s love in Christ in our relationships.

Mission Council

The purpose of Mission Council is to provide oversight and leadership in partnership with staff so that we can use our talents, resources, and gifts to support wise investments in people’s lives.

Endowment Fund

The purpose of the Endowment Fund Committee is to provide oversight of the Endowment and Foundation funds so that people who seek to leave a legacy are aware of the opportunity to them to return to God some of the wealth that has been provided to them, so that others may be empowered in their Christian mission to others.

TLCW

Purpose of TLCW is to empower women to recognize their unique role in the world and the need to further God’s work.  Also building a relationship with each other as we care for the needy of the world, home and abroad.

Administration

The purpose of Administration is to provide opportunities within appropriate systems to volunteers and staff so that Trinity’s ministries are supported and enabled.

Faith Formation
The purpose of WAY student ministries is to provide and create faith communities, faith-forming programs and events, and fulfill the baptismal promises of parents for middle and high school students and the adults who work with them so that students are able to serve, worship, grow and learn in and through relationships with each other and with God.

Global Engagement

The purpose of Global Engagement is to provide information, energy, resources and opportunities to the faith community and interfacing community so that needs are identified and responses may be taken by engaging the responders and recipients in healthy processes and outcomes.

Local Engagement

Neighbors in Need (means Saturday Morning, Cold Weather Shelter, Neighborhood Youth Alliance)

-          We create opportunity for people who want to joyfully express their compassion through service to their neighbors in need.

-          NIN enables us to live out and share our faith with others.

 Blogs are meant to be interactive.  If you'd like to engage with these purpose statements online, we invite you to indicate what excites you or what makes you curious about the content of these draft statements.

To add a comment, click on the  (#) comments link below and the page will open where you can read comments and add your own.  

Stories of Making Space

We manifest God’s dream

as a community that makes space for people

--to recognize what God is doing to meet the deep needs of the world

                      and

--to discover and assume their unique roles in partnership with God.

This description of the identity and purpose of Trinity-Lynnwood and Pointe of Grace summarizes a pattern revealed at all levels of our community.

1. People notice how God might desire to change the world.
2. They begin to imagine a way to employ their gifts to cooperate with God and answer Christ's call to be the Gospel at work in the world.
3. God's dream of increased love, compassion and justice in the world is made more visible.

We believe there are many stories that demonstrate this pattern--probably yours! 


Think about times when you have experienced or witnessed people taking advantage of the space allowed at Trinity-Lynnwood and Pointe of Grace to make the love and grace of God more visible in our world.  Post a brief description of that experience.  If your story includes others who should give permission before you share it, please check with them first.

To add your story, click on the  (#) comments link below and the page will open where you can read stories and add your own.