Category Image Northaven UMC Leadership Council Retreat


A Summary of Results

The following is a summary of the ideas and conversation from Northaven's leadership retreat, held in this past December....

Things that delighted at NUMC over the last year:

Worship experiences
Arts
The organ
The choir
Creative use of space in the sanctuary
Ascetics of the sanctuary
Success of the capitol campaign- the spirit it showed
Spirit of cooperation
Youth and children ministries
A waiting list for VBS
New groups coming in to use the building
New folks coming
Feast of Beginnings
Black Tie
The adult mission trip
The timeline
Energy and enthusiasm of the new staff
Confirmands consecration

Things that surprised us at NUMC over the last year:

Openness of the NUMC people
Capabilities of the organ
The many talented folks and volunteers
That the landscape is looking so good
The time it takes to coordinate the calendar and activities
That we have already outgrown our space
Objection to a traditional creed for use in confirmation
That getting involved has made me feel more connected
Unrealistic expectations of the Leadership Council to take action on many things
The litanies for various events
The men’s group that brings together straights and gays
The acoustics and flexibility of the sanctuary space
The level of involvement in the Black Tie
Three staff leaving
Being in ministry again in the UMC
Discovering that it was hard to join NUMC and changing that with conversations
Large number of new people
The difficulty of getting people to wear nametags
The diversity and number of children
Higher utility costs

What are your concerns as we go forward:

1.Communication-
Communicating between overlapping programs
Measuring the cost of communication and administration strategy
Communication that is best positioned to recruit and retain members
Assigned to: Communications Commission, Membership Commission, and Task Force for evaluating cost

2. Spiritual Life
The need for spiritual integration as a community of faith. How do we foster discipleship?
Assigned to: Adult Education, perhaps a Spiritual Life Committee

3. Welcoming to diversity
We are an open church with a closed-minded/clique like worship service/experience. We are prideful of being outsiders and now scornful of others instead of welcoming.
Assigned to: Youth, children, worship- with the addition of youth members, membership, staff.

4. Meeting the projections of the Long Range Planning Committee
Attracting new members, engaging current members, attracting new money
Assigned to: Membership, Stewardship, Leadership Council, Program Council

5. Leadership of Social Concerns
Concern that past chairs of social concerns will help assure the effectiveness of social concerns this year.
Assigned: Social concerns and past chairs

6. Intimacy of the congregation
How do we keep our intimate, friendly feeling as our church grows?
Assigned to: Membership and worship

7. Acoustics
Concern over being able to hear throughout the sanctuary.
Assigned to Worship and Trustees, perhaps a task force

Other concerns:
8. Shared space between the COOP School and Sunday School
Assigned to: Education and Coop Board

9. The fear of a second worship service
Assigned to: Leadership Council and Program Council

10. Fear of being a one issue church
Assigned to: Social Concerns

11. The need for single adult ministries
Assigned to: Adult education

12. Emotional support for the staff
Assigned to: Staff Parish

13. The lack of members in their 20’s
Assigned to: Adult education, membership, perhaps a task force

14. Being welcoming to lower income folks
Assigned to: program council

15. How Black Tie funds will be spent
Assigned to: Leadership Council

Posted: Wednesday - January 24, 2007 at 03:32 PM           |

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