Forward in Faith
Our 100th Anniversary and the Future
It is also a time to look forward. Where is God leading us now? What is he calling us to?
Forward in Faith is name given to an extensive Strategic Planning Process, adopted by the Church Council, which will be part of our 100th Anniversary observance next year. This is congregation-wide project to work together to answer three big questions:
Forward in Faith
is an effort to move from “Here and Now” to “Then and There.” But this is a journey for all of us as week
God’s leading for our congregation. In
the course of this program, we will examine every aspect of our
ministry and
our mission. Together we will seek to
discern God’s will for
Forward in Faith will involve the entire congregation through presentations, surveys, forums, meetings, etc. But there are also opportunities for a higher level of involvement:
A group of people
committed to praying
daily for
A group of at least 25
people who
will lead the Forward in Faith effort.
This group will meet monthly throughout this process, in
addition to
outside activities and preparation. This
group will play a major role in shaping the future of
Resources
Forward in Faith PowerPoint
Presentations: Part
1 March 18th, 2007
Part 2 March 25th, 2007
Part 3 April 1st, 2007
The Mission of God Handouts: Part 1 March 18th, 2007
Part 2 March 25th, 2007
Part
3 April 1st, 2007
Forward in Faith
Strategic Planning Process
What is Forward in Faith
Strategic Planning Process?
It is an intentional effort to seek the answers to these questions: Who are we? Where are we going? How will we get there? The goal of strategic planning is to implement a ministry plan that flows out of the mission that Christ has given his church. It is an intentional process of taking forward steps toward being the church God has called us to be for the sake of His mission.
Where did Forward in Faith
Come From?
This need for this kind of process grew out of
discussions
among the Leadership Team, the Church Council, and the Board of Elders. The Forward in Faith process was introduced
by Pastor Mike based on his work with the Pastoral Leadership Institute
and his
doctoral classes with Concordia Seminary in
How is this different from
other programs we’ve seen in the past?
1. Prayer Foundation. The prayer ministry is a vital part of this effort. If we do not begin, continue and end with prayer, we are wasting our time. After all, it is God’s church we are talking about and God’s mission we seek to pursue. Please see page 1 for more about the Prayer Ministry.
2. A Process not a Program. This isn’t a church ministry program devised elsewhere that we’re trying to transplant here. Forward in Faith is a process that will facilitate the design of our own program. With God’s guidance, we will develop the vision for our congregation, and devise the strategy and ministries needed to achieve that vision.
3. Congregational Participation. There will be opportunity for all members to be as involved as they choose to be. Everyone can participate in the prayer ministry. The work of the Forward in Faith Leadership Team will be transparent, and those who are not on the team are always welcome to come to the meetings. There will be surveys, open forums, discussions, and, when appropriate, voting on the work that comes out of the Forward in Faith Leadership Team.
How can I be involved?
· Pray. You can formally join the prayer ministry, or just on your own use the prayer calendar, and support your church, its staff, and its mission with your prayers
· Read and Listen. Watch for information in the newsletter, bulletins, mailing, website, emails, etc.
· Participate. Take the surveys, talk to Leadership Team Members, attend forums.
Who is on the Forward in
Faith Leadership Team?
These are the members who have committed to be a part of this effort: Jay Adams, Michelle Arnold, Paul Bartelt, Debbie Bommersbach, Steve Dierker, Doug Draeger, Kathy Fitzgerald, Laura Lee Fitzpatrick, Mark Heine, Tom Hoff, Heather Huss, Tim Huss, Lauren Huss, Ron Johnson, Ruth Karsten, George Kernohan, Tim Kramer, Ed Mulsoff, Janet Peterson, Tom Peterson, Teresa Schmid, Stuart Smith, Dave Sneed, Chris Vecera, Dawn Wahlers, Joel Wahlers, Greg Welch, and Pastor Mike as facilitator
Forward
in Faith: Prayer
Ministry
Paul writes in Philippians 4 “In
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God.” As we enter our
100th anniversary year, we seek to put this encouragement
into
action in the form of ongoing, daily prayer for God’s work at
Of all the events and activities that we are planning for this anniversary year, none are as important and foundational as this one: that we daily approach the throne of grace, seeking God’s blessing and direction for our church. God has given us an incredible gift in the privilege of prayer, and has attached powerful promises when we come to him in faith. And when we engage in ongoing prayer this way, we find that not only does God answer our prayers, but we are blessed through spending that time our Savior.
You are invited to join with those who have committed to being a part of the Forward in Faith Prayer Ministry in praying daily for our church’s ministry. Each day, members of the Prayer Ministry are praying for:
As a help for our prayer lives, we have made available a Prayer Calendar. You can find it in the church entryway, and on the church website. This prayer calendar includes specific prayer intentions for each day of the month, often concerning events or ministries that are active that day. Upcoming issues of the calendar will also include staff lists, ministry lists, as well as places for your own prayer notes and journaling.
Living the mission God has given us begins not with our activities, nor in meetings, but in prayerful communion with our Lord and Savior. As we begin a new year, please consider making this resolution: Daily prayer for