The Congregation Meets -- Part 1

The congregation works with a study group to put together a "resume" for the church that says who we are, where we are going, what we need.  Here's week one of the congregation working together. 

Maybe 18-20 people plus me. 

Who we are is partially, not totally, our past.  So we went through the church’s history – the good, the bad, the ugly, and the good!  Some neat things to remember.  The Charles departure being the big blip on the radar screen.  Everyone is not going to know everything about that or agree.  Unfortunately, I guess for many of us, life isn’t always without loose ends.  That's the way it is.  Accepting that and moving on is important I believe.

We did touch on the congregation’s viability given shrinking size and finances against aging membership.  Continuing forward for any real length of time will require ministry that acquires a certain amount of participating members (show up and give) against expenses. 

So to do neighborhood ministry that doesn’t net members is doing ministry but there will be an expiration date for the church.  However, if more of the church was rented, for example, that would carry expenses and the membership could stay the same or shrink.  Or, if the congregation moved into just Flanniken Hall, for example, for the six hottest months, it could have a smaller membership because there are smaller expenses.  This same thinking can continue with regard to staffing … the same or less members can continue if the staff expenses shrink – less secretary, custodial, security, music, pastoral expenses.

Of course, we lowering expenses tends more to be talking about sustaining than growing.  Regrouping and conservancy can lead to growth at some point.  Or it can be how to prolong maintenance. 

Where are the likely sources of new members for Cocoa?  This is a key question.  Many noted how the community is changed and the inside membership is different than the neighborhood make up.  So will the immediate surrounding zip code be a source of new members?  Bud Timmons got us going in one thoughtful direction in observing Asbury Arms, the retirement center next door, is expanding it operation.  It would do that based on a good or expanding market of senior citizens. 

Consider this -- The potential new members leads us into considering then the profile and skills necessary in a pastor to reach them.

Hope this is helpful to someone.