CONTENTS
1
Charge from Council to the Strategic Planning Committee.
4
2
Charge to Council from the Strategic Planning Committee.
5
3
Introduction.. 6
4
Summary of Our Present Position and Condition.. 7
5
Five Year Vision.. 9
6
The Recommendations. 10
6.1 POLITY.. 10
6.1.1
We recommend that Council restructure the operating procedures for efficiency. 10
6.1.2
We recommend that UCC modify the current Council election process. 10
6.1.3
We recommend that UCC establish written policies for all areas involved in
the function of the church, including grounds and facilities, financial information, office information, and compliance issues,
among others. 10
6.1.4
We recommend that Council review the five year plan annually.
11
6.1.5
Council should initiate “Green” policies throughout the operations
of the church. 11
6.2 STAFFING.. 12
6.2.1
We recommend that UCC call a part-time ordained associate pastor. 12
6.2.2
We recommend that the position of Christian Education Director be staffed by
a person specifically trained and certified to do that ministry. 13
6.2.3
We recommend that the custodial positions for Hilltop and UCC be combined. 13
6.2.4
We recommend that a position of “Church Administrator” be created. 13
6.2.5
We recommend that UCC work to make sure that staff compensation is adequate
to ensure the best qualified candidates. 14
6.3 WORSHIP.. 15
6.3.1
We recommend the Worship Ministry explore possible ways to further expand the
seating capacity of the sanctuary. 15
6.3.2
We recommend that the Worship and Music Ministries explore ways to expand and
increase the music ministry of UCC. 15
6.3.3
We recommend that UCC consider addressing the conflicts imposed by Sunday morning
sports. 15
6.3.4
We recommend that the Student Ministry program be continued.
15
6.3.5
We recommend that UCC continue to explore ways to increase summer worship attendance. 16
6.4 PROGRAMMING.. 17
6.4.1
We recommend that the Ambassadors be charged with developing fellowship and
other programming that will meet the spiritual needs of UCC’s young adult members. 18
6.4.2
We recommend that a Shepherding Ministry be developed to help assimilate new
members. 18
6.4.3
We recommend consideration of additional small ministries.
18
6.5 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION..
19
6.5.1
We recommend that the Christian Education Ministry explore ways to encourage
parents to provide additional Christian Education at home. 19
6.5.2
We recommend that additional focus be placed on other age groups. 19
6.6 BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS..
20
6.6.1
We recommend that UCC investigate the possibility of modifying the Chapel so
that the space can be better utilized. 20
6.6.2
We recommend that UCC explore ways to increase our off street parking. 20
6.6.3
We recommend that a task force be established to develop a long range maintenance
plan for the parsonage. 20
6.6.4
We recommend that a multi-year building maintenance plan be put in place. 21
6.7 HILLTOP NURSERY SCHOOL..
22
6.7.1
We recommend that Council define the role of the Hilltop Nursery. 22
6.7.2
We recommend that Council consult Hilltop Ministry and ask the members to provide
a plan for capital expenditures. 22
6.8 OUTREACH.. 23
6.8.1
We recommend that UCC make a commitment to dedicating 10% of income to Outreach. 23
6.8.2
We recommend that UCC look at hands-on mission opportunities for those who
cannot commit to participating in the current summer Habitat for Humanity mission trip. 23
6.9 TECHNOLOGY.. 23
6.9.1
We recommend that a task force be established to explore ways for UCC to better
use technology to enhance its various ministries. 23
6.9.2
We recommend that UCC explore the option of leasing equipment as opposed to
purchasing. 24
6.10 STEWARDSHIP AND FINANCE. 25
6.10.1
We recommend that UCC encourage the congregation to work toward a Stewardship
goal of giving of 3% of income. 26
6.10.2
We recommend that an additional Finance Ministry be created to focus on issues
of budget while the current Stewardship Ministry focus on the annual stewardship campaign and overall stewardship education. 26
6.11 CONCLUSION.. 27
The Strategic Planning Committee
was formed by a vote of the Council in the spring of 2008. It was charged with
developing a five year strategic plan for the North Reading Union Congregational Church.
The Strategic Planning Committee met monthly over the course of the next year and in April 2009 moved to weekly meetings
in order to complete its work. The members of the Strategic Planning Committee
included:
Nancy Parsons, Chairwoman
Carol Burdett
Pam Foye
Chuck Garlington
John Intorcio
Bob Mascola
Rev. Rick Hughes
After countless meetings and
hours of discussion the Strategic Planning Committee presented the following strategic plan to the Council in September 2009.
The Strategic Planning Committee
is fully aware that while this strategic plan may be adopted by the congregation that does not mean that every recommendation
in the strategic plan will be implemented. Some of the recommendations will be
modified as we move forward. Some recommendations may even fall by the wayside. That is to be expected. A workable
strategic plan is an organic entity; it should be reviewed and revised regularly and its strength lies in its ability to adapt
to changing circumstances.
In making these recommendations
the Strategic Planning Committee concentrated on developing strategies, not on tactics. Therefore, we did not spell out detailed
plans for developing and implementing the recommendations we have made. It wasn’t
within our perceived scope, for example, to determine how and where additional off-street parking could be located or what
it would cost. It will be the Council’s responsibility moving forward to
prioritize the recommendations and to assign those recommendations to the appropriate Ministries for further study and/or
implementation.
Having faithfully fulfilled
the charge that the Council gave it, the Strategic Planning Committee has prepared this Strategic Plan for the Council and
will then, like many of the prophets of old, quietly fade away – until God calls us to some other field of ministry.
Respectfully
submitted,
The
Strategic Planning Ministry
In this plan, the Strategic
Planning Committee has prepared a series of challenges and recommendations that should be the concern of Council for the next
five years. But we’ve provided more than that. We believe this plan should be considered a blueprint for the future.
The recommendations presented here will change most certainly but we have attempted to build a form that will outlast the
five year timeframe. This plan will only be as good as the people who are willing to “work” it. And so the first
recommendation this committee will make is a Charge to the Council. On behalf of the congregation, we challenge Council to
review this plan at least once each year.
We suggest that Council should
annually conduct an objective discussion of the present situation and condition of the church.
We recommend that Council
annually address the challenges presented in this plan, examining each to evaluate its continued applicability, what has been
accomplished, and what challenges remain to be fulfilled.
This plan is organic. It will
remain alive only if it is visited and updated regularly. A revised strategic five-year plan, analyzed and revised annually,
should be a primary task of Council.
We respectfully present a
suggested framework for this task.
Ever since people started
following Jesus Christ the church has been evolving. It wasn’t long after
the Spirit descended on the Apostles that the church faced its first crisis. With
so many people making the commitment to follow Jesus the Apostles were overwhelmed. So, the apostles gathered the faith community
together and made a decision.
Now in these
days when the disciples were increasing in number… the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It
is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you
seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole
gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and
Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their
hands-on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:1-7)
It was in this grace filled
moment that the office of deacon came into being.
Like the ancient church Union
Congregational Church is evolving and now finds itself at a pivotal point in its life. The growth that we have experienced
over the last ten years presents some wonderful challenges and important decisions that need to be made by the congregation.
As a way of understanding
the present and the future we would like to suggest that there are basically three kinds of churches.
- There are those that make things happen.
- There are those that watch things happen
- There are those that wonder what the heck happened.
It is our hope that this Strategic
Plan will help us be a church that makes things happen so that we can continue to meet the needs of our congregation, the
community around us and the wider world.
“Where
We Are”
Before embarking on a discussion
of the decisions that need to be made a short summary of where we are might be helpful.
Concurrent with the expansion of the sanctuary in 2000 Union Congregational Church has experienced a period of growth.
· Average Sunday morning attendance has increased from 182 to 228 (September – June).
· Sunday School participation has also increased and the school currently has an enrollment of 113 children.
· Sunday School volunteers have increased from six in 2000 to 32 in 2008.
· Total Pledging has increased from $125,704 in 2000 to $171,816 in 2009. These figures represent a slight increase
in real dollars when you factor in a 3% annual rate of inflation.
· High level of lay involvement and participation - Frosty’s Fair
is a prime example with close to 100 people participating in various ways
· Successful Habitat for Humanity Mission trip with 30-38 high school youth and adults participating each year
Even as we succeed in many
areas there are some areas of concern. A few that come quickly to
mind:
· What can we do to address the advancing age of the Chancel Choir?
· How can the need for additional parking be addressed?
· With the public schools now offering preschool classes what does the future hold for the Hilltop Nursery School?
Our ability to answer these
and other questions will depend, in large part, on our ability to be creative and think outside the box. Three recent success stories can serve as examples of the kind of thinking that will be needed.
1. Four years ago our Christian Education
Ministry moved the annual Advent Workshop from Sunday afternoon to Sunday morning. The
decision was made when it became apparent that busy schedules made it difficult for families to make it back to the church
for the afternoon event. The result was an immediate success and made Advent
Workshop a great intergenerational event.
2. This past fall the adult advisors
to the Young Disciples decided to change the group’s meeting time which had always been on Sunday afternoon to Friday
evening. The decision was made because of constant conflicts with sports activities. The result was an immediate increase in participation.
3. Over the last few years a number of
our Ministries have made the decision to meet on Sunday mornings after the worship service.
The result overall has been positive. Attendance for those meetings by
and large has been good. The meetings also tend to be more efficient, lasting
no more than an hour. Downsizing the various Ministries and shortening the length
of terms to two years has had a positive effect in some, but not all, instances.
These decisions demonstrate
the ability to think outside the box and adapt to changing needs and realities. Because
of societal changes, churches today need to adapt and reinvent themselves in various ways.
That strength will be of great importance as Union Congregational Church moves toward its 300th anniversary
and its fourth century of ministry in North Reading.
“Where Do We Go From Here”
The Challenges
As the world around us changes
and as we ourselves change the challenge is to be a church that makes things happen.
So what are the challenges
and the questions that need to be addressed?
The Strategic Planning Committee
looked at the current landscape and received input from the various Ministries and members of the congregation. That data can be found in the attached appendix.
In
evaluating the data the Strategic Planning Committee relied on Five Core Objectives that they believed encapsulated the goals
for the next five years. These objectives serve as a filter to be applied to
recommendations and suggestions. Those core objectives are:
· To deepen our spiritual lives;
· To reach out and share the Good News;
· To offer community services;
· To provide a loving family home; and
· To remain financially viable.
Based upon the data and objectives
the Strategic Planning Committee would like to make the following recommendations to the Council and congregation.
Overarching question:
What is the governing structure that will best enable UCC to be responsive to the needs of the congregation and respond in
a way that makes the church a viable and vibrant community of faith?
Congregation members are showing
some reluctance to serve as Council members. We believe that some of this reluctance is born of frustration with the operating
procedures of the Council. It is our perception that the Council too often engages in matters of minutiae and forgets its
primary role, in addition to its diaconate duties, as that of “Board of Directors” for the church. The Council
must put emphasis on delegation to the sub-ministries and rely on them to work the details.
Currently Council members
are elected via a ballot that includes the names of all active members that is mailed each January to every UCC member. Some people do ask the Church Clerk to remove their names from the ballot. Others do not and then decline if they are later elected.
The result is that Council
members are frequently elected with a handful of votes to represent a congregation that currently numbers approximately 450
members. Alternative methods for refreshing Council membership should be investigated.
Much sensitive information
presently resides in the minds of a number of key people in the church. This is a fine and necessary thing, but it is also
important that the knowledge these key individuals possess be available to others in cases of emergency.
Here are some examples the
type of information that should be documented;
Facilities and grounds:
the locations of electrical boxes, etc (updated when new installations are made) schematics showing property lines and locations
of septic system and outdoor electrical lines.
Financial information:
Primary storage of financial records must be addressed. Provisions should be made to ensure proper security and availability.
Keys: Locations and
functions of all church keys, including lists of individuals authorized to use them; this includes the key to the safe deposit
box.
Office/Clerk information:
Church rosters and membership lists and individuals responsible (e.g. church secretary/church clerk)
As discussed in the introductory sections, this plan should be treated as a living document that will need to
be updated on a regular basis.
Council should establish and encourage policies to reduce usage of energy and other resources, recycle cardboard,
glass, paper and other useful materials, and look for other ways to reduce our environmental impact.
Overarching question:
Are we adequately staffed to meet the current and future needs of Union Congregational Church and its members?
Before that question can be
answered, other questions need to be asked. Do we want to be staffed for growth
or maintenance? Do we want more opportunities to deepen our faith? Do we want greater pastoral care in times of crisis? Do we
want to reach out to those in our community? If we do, then the answer
to the staffing question may be obvious. Our pastor and the rest of our staff
work very hard to cover all the bases. That leaves very little time for new ideas
and opportunities for ministry.
“One full-time pastor and a full-time secretary can care for a
congregation of 125-150 in
average worship attendance.
A full-time secretary is one of the best financial investments a congregation
of this size can make. For each 100 worship attendees beyond 150,
congregations need one additional
program-staff member
or part-time equivalencies thereof.”
Herb Miller www.theparishpaper.com
November 2005
6.2.1
We recommend that UCC call
a part-time ordained associate pastor.
We believe that the addition
of an Associate Pastor for Congregational Life would aid the church in many ways. In addition to the ability to expand the
small group ministry offerings, an additional ordained pastor would offer other benefits including:
Expanded
Ministry And Mission
An associate pastor
could focus on small group ministries which would give people more opportunities to put their faith into action similar to
the successful Mom’s on a Mission ministry that our former student minister Martha Leahy ran several years ago. The
result would be increased spiritual growth
Integration
Of New Members
Focus on small group
ministries by an associate pastor would also give people who are new more opportunities to meet people and find a niche in
our congregation. Assimilation of people who are new is a big challenge in a congregation with 200 at worship every week. The result would be increased numerical growth and increased stewardship.
Preaching
An associate minister
could preach once a month which could potentially enrich the worship service by giving the congregation a different theological
perspective. An associate pastor who preaches once a month would also make it
possible for the senior pastor to do more visitations that week and focus on other aspects of ministry that get short changed
because of the need to prepare a sermon each week.
Pastoral
Coverage
An associate pastor
would ensure that there is always pastoral coverage in the event of an emergency. This
would also make it possible for both the senior pastor and associate pastor to enjoy stress free days off and vacation time
which would help avoid burnout.
Fewer
Substitute Preachers
An associate pastor
would mean that there would be a greatly reduced need to secure and pay substitute preachers when the senior pastor is away
on vacation.
Pastoral
Collegiality
An associate pastor
would bring new ideas that could be of great benefit to a church that is in the midst of a long pastorate that is now 17 years
and counting. The collegiality could also be of great benefit to the senior pastor
and help avoid burnout.
Our present and past Christian
Education directors are to be commended for their dedication and hard work. The
result has been a solid Christian Education ministry. Their success though has
brought us to a point where it appears that UCC will be better served if future CE Directors are certified and trained in
Christian Education. Such certification and training will not only allow them
to be a better resource to the teachers but it would also mean that the pastor would not need to be as involved in planning
events such as Children’s Sunday and the Summer Sunday School Ministry. That
would free the pastor up to focus on other needs such as pastoral calling.
Currently there are separate
custodians for Hilltop and UCC. As a result there are questions from time to
time about which janitor is responsible for what? Combining the positions when
there is a vacancy in the future would enable UCC to have a more full-time custodian who would be better able to meet the
needs of both Hilltop and the church.
It is impossible for the chairperson
of the House Ministry to be present every single day to oversee questions of maintenance.
Further, many of the administrative details of running the day to day operations of the church fall to the ordained
staff – pulling them from their more spiritual responsibilities. A Church Administrator, conceivably an expanded role
for a Church Secretary or Custodian, could have responsibility for the mundane operations of the church and provide continuity
between engagements by the volunteer ministries. A multi-year building maintenance plan might be another responsibility.
Statistics indicate that Congregational
Churches are going to experience a significant clergy shortage in the coming decades.
Only about five percent of mainline Protestant pastors are under the age of 35 - a dramatic drop from 20 years ago.
(Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, November 7, 2008)
According to the Massachusetts
Conference of the United Church of Christ (United Church of Christ News, February 2001):
· 55 percent of our ministers are between the ages of 46-65
· 27 percent are over age 65
The primary reason for the
looming shortage of ordained ministers is that most people attending theological school today are second career seminarians
who will complete their training at a more advanced age than those who would have followed a direct path to seminary. What
that means is that when the time comes for our current pastor to retire many of the seminarians who have been ordained over
the last ten or twenty years will also be retiring. The result will be a shortage
of ministers.
The implication is clear. The hiring of top pastoral candidates will become more and more difficult. The same is true for church organists where a similar shortage is occurring.
We therefore recommend that
UCC begin now to establish a record of competitive compensation to ensure our ability to attract the best candidates in the
future. The recommended salary ranges for ministers in the Massachusetts Conference
are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 - Recommended Cash Salary Ranges
Voted at November 2008 Massachusetts
Conference Annual Meeting
Number of
Years of Ordained Experience
0-150
$30,318- $44,872 $32,745- $48,511 $35,171- $52,148
150-300
$30,318- $47,297 $34,564- $51,239 $37,595- $55,787
300-500
$30,318- $49,723 $37,595- $55,788 $43,659- $64,276*
500-1000
$30,318- $53,362 $41,235- $61,244 $49,714- $73,978
+1000
$30,318- $54,574 $44,872- $66,702 $55,787- $83,075
*Recommended range for UCC with current pastor
The cash salary ranges do NOT
include housing, benefits, professional or any other expenses. In calculating
years of ordained experience, churches may wish to include other relevant life and work experience.
|
Overarching question:
Is our current Sunday morning worship experience providing a joyful and faithful foundation for those who attend?
Overall satisfaction with
the Sunday morning worship experience seems to be high based on the enthusiastic attendance. There are, however, some challenges
we recommend be addressed:
The increased attendance has
been a blessing but may, however, come with a price. We may be straining our
current seating capacity within the next five years and should prepare for that by exploring possible alternatives.
6.3.2 We
recommend that the Worship and Music Ministries explore ways to expand and increase the music ministry of UCC.
Music is seen as an important
part of the worship service yet the population of the chancel choir continues to dwindle. The music and Worship ministries
should work together to find ways to bolster this important aspect of our worship. Some questions that might be asked by these
ministries include:
- What can we do to recruit new and younger choir members? Should there be a designated recruitment advocate?
More frequent guest soloists and musicians?
- Should other types of music be included in the ministry beyond the more traditional forms now highlighted?
- Should UCC offer a number of different choirs that focus on different kinds of music? Some gospel, some contemporary praise, some instrumental?
Youth sports activities are
on-going competition for Sunday morning worship. With that in mind would it be
wise to explore the possibility of worship services held at alternative times?
The Student Ministry program
has to date brought new ideas to the worship service, a joy to the congregation, and a service to the seminarians. While we
recognize that being a teaching parish places an increased weekly load on the Pastor, we believe that the benefits of the
program merit this investment. We believe the church should continue to put effort into it.
UCC’s average Sunday
attendance (September-June) was 228 in 2008. Summer attendance increased as well
as illustrated in Table 2 - Worship Report on Summer
Attendance.
Table 2 - Worship Report on Summer
Attendance
Sunday Worship Attendance
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Jun 14 196
Jun 15: 110
Jun 17: 95
Jun 18: 88
Jun 19: 122
Jun 21 115
Jun 22: 156
Jun 24: 70
Jun 25: 93
Jun 26: 82
Jun 28 129
Jun 29: 105
Jul 1: 78 Jul 2:
39 Jul 3: 51
Jul 5 94
Jul 6: 102
Jul 8: 73 Jul 9:
89 Jul 10: 72
Jul 12 125
Jul 13: 108
Jul 15: 86
Jul 16: 62
Jul 17: 70
Jul 19 74
Jul 20: 71
Jul 22: 114
Jul 23: 89
Jul 24: 65
Jul 26 80
Jul 27: 62
Jul 29: 52
Jul 30: 60
Jul 31: 55
Aug 2 66
Aug 3: 53
Aug 5: 32
Aug 6: 47
Aug 7: 49
Aug 9 75
Aug 10: 82
Aug 12: 58
Aug 13: 94
Aug 14: 53
Aug 16 85
Aug 17: 58
Aug 19: 75
Aug 20: 64
Aug 21: 62
Aug 23 73
Aug 24: 100
Aug 26: 130
Aug 27: 89
Aug 28: 52
Aug 30 123 Aug
31: 72
Sep 2: 45
Sep 3: 52
Sep 4: 47
Avg: 103
90
75
72
65
|
UCC has made significant progress
in changing a long standing New England attitude that says, "We don't do church in the summer." Over the past 10 years our
summer attendance has increased from 30-35 to almost 100 on a Sunday morning.
The Summer Sunday School Ministry
instituted by our Christian Education Ministry is one reason why summer attendance has increased. The air conditioning of
the sanctuary has also helped. A continued focus on summer attendance will result in a deepening of faith and increased stewardship
among the congregation.
Overarching question:
Is our current programming adequate to meet the spiritual needs of the congregation?
One way of answering this
question is to say that you can always do more when it comes to programming and fostering spiritual growth.
We began to look at this question
is by focusing on the challenge of assimilating new members. A review of membership statistics over the past 16 years reveals
some interesting trends as shown in Table 3.
Table 3 - Annual Membership Change
From the Church Clerk’s Annual Reports
Year New Members Lost Members
1992
26
5
1993
21
17
1994
21
4
1995
16
18
1996
27
25
1997
17
13
1998
16
37
1999
26
11
2000
16
6
2001
24
44
2002
20
9
2003
16
22
2004
15
24
2005
41
49
2006
14
18
2007
23
10
2008
15
13
354
325
|
Despite receiving all of these
new members our total membership has remained relatively steady over the past 16 years.
Further study reveals three main reasons for the lack of net growth in overall membership:
· Members who die;
· Members who move to other parts of the country (includes many of our members who move away after graduating from
college); and
· Members who join and then are placed on the inactive membership list.
It is the last category that
can be best addressed. They, together with those who visit or even actively
participate in the church without becoming members, represent a population that may be underserved by our current programming.
If we can better assimilate these groups by offering them appealing and satisfying programming, we can continue to grow the
strength of our congregation.
One way of addressing these
groups is through the creation of more small groups. Data show those who join
churches and stayed found a small group, perhaps “five friendly faces”, where they could affirm their gifts and
make friendships with others in the church. For some it has been through a Bible
Study or Frosty’s Fair. For others it has been through teaching Sunday
School or the Habitat Mission Trip or serving on one of the church’s ministries. Those who didn’t find a small
group in the church were much more likely to eventually end up on the inactive membership list.
The addition of an Associate
Pastor for Congregational Life, as recommended in Section 6.2.1, would allow UCC to expand its small group ministries resulting
in overall spiritual growth and better member assimilation.
The need for small group ministries
makes sense. With an average Sunday morning attendance of 228 it can be difficult
for those who are new to join the church as a whole. Each person needs to find
a small group where they can meet people and grow to feel that they are an important part of the wider church community.
Currently UCC has significant
programming for children and teenagers and older adults. There is very little
though for our post-college members. Those who are in their early 20’s
have their own interests and needs. How can UCC reach out to that age group and
help them to remain an active part of the church?
With a congregation that averages
over 200 in attendance it is easy for those who are new to get lost even after they’ve joined the church. A Shepherding Ministry would have the duty to match people who are new to the church with established members
of similar age and interests. The goal of the Shepherding Ministry would be to
answer questions and help those who are new make connections and find ways to use their gifts.
New small ministries such
as a men’s bible study, a breakfast club, a running group, or whatever should be considered.
Overarching question:
The current Christian Education programs are comprehensive and popular. How do we maintain and grow these successful programs?
One of the challenges to the Christian
Education programs is space. These challenges are also considered in Section 6.6.1.
We have also recommended,
in Section 6.2.2, changes to the definition of the position of Christian Education Director.
The reality is that 30-40
minutes a week is hardly enough time to help children fully explore and grow in their faith.
With that in mind are there ways to use the Internet and other ways to encourage parents and their children to learn
at home?
The current CE programs concentrate
heavily on younger children. Additional programs aimed at older youth, young adult, and adult members should be further considered.
Outreach ministries, as recommended in Section 6.8.2, may also serve some of these needs.
Overarching question:
How can UCC best maintain and utilize its present space?
Because UCC has grown there
is a need for additional space. Currently our Youth Ministry has no place to meet other than a large and uninviting Fellowship
Hall. Even that space is unavailable though on some evening because of monthly
Cub Scouts meetings and other events such as Frosty’s Fair and the rummage sales.
Our Sunday School would also
benefit from space that it could call its own. Currently the 6-8 Grade Sunday
School class meets on the Fellowship Hall stage which means that as soon as people start arriving for coffee hour after church
the class is over.
A need for additional off
street parking is also an issue.
6.6.1
We recommend that UCC investigate
the possibility of modifying the Chapel so that the space can be better utilized.
At one time the chapel received
considerable use. In addition to summer worship services which were held in the
chapel, it was used for the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Service. Because of the growth
that we’ve seen in all of those services they are now held in the sanctuary. The
result is that the primary use of the chapel now is for the Sunday morning Confirmation Class.
Does it make sense to make
the chapel into a multi-purpose room? That could be achieved by installing a
curtain to section of the altar and removing the current pews which are generally held to be very uncomfortable. The addition of moveable chairs and other modifications might make the chapel suitable for a variety of
uses including a Youth Ministry Room and/or Sunday School Room. The goal
would be to make it possible to use the chapel to still be suitable for small weddings and other services when needed.
The chaos in and around the
current parking lots during times of high attendance make it clear that one of the needs for UCC is to explore ways to increase
our off street parking. Just as the expansion of the sanctuary in 2000 allowed
our Sunday morning worship attendance to grow, an expansion of our off street parking will make it possible for that growth
to be sustained.
The House Ministry is to be
commended for the job it does in maintaining the church building and grounds. With
such a large and old building to take care of little time is left for overseeing needed repairs and upkeep of the parsonage. At short term task force should be established to develop such a plan for implementation.
A plan for major repairs,
replacements, and improvements should be in place and updated on an annual basis. This might be a role for a Building Administrator
as described in section 6.2.4.
Overarching question:
what function does Hilltop Nursery School serve in relation to the church and to the community?
The Hilltop Nursery School
is presently in transition from one long-time director to a new director and there is an opportunity to clarify some important
issues. Before plans are made and monies are spent, we believe it is important to define the desired function and position
of Hilltop Nursery School.
We recommend that Council
create a description—or position—for Hilltop Nursery School—a vision of what Hilltop is to “be”
by the year 2015 and beyond. E.g. Should Hilltop be a faith-based nursery school? Should its primary function be to provide
income to the church? Should it be positioned as a me-too product for public kindergarten and other community pre-kindergartens
and day care centers?
The plan should include significant
capitol and major maintenance recommendations for the next few years. This plan should be updated annually to aid the church
in doing it’s planning.
Overarching question:
Can we increase our outreach efforts both in terms of dollars and hands-on contributions?
The argument could be made
that a healthy Body of Christ can always do more. Monetarily, UCC currently contributes
approximately 6% of its pledged income to missions based on $249,581 for 2008 Current Expenses, Mortgage Reduction and Major
Repairs and $16,053 for 2008 Outreach.
Current hands-on outreach
activities include the Summer Mission trip, clothing distribution on Boston Common, distribution of “rummage”,
participation in CCS, and so forth, yet our body of talents and abilities seems underutilized on an ongoing basis.
Studies show that people are
attracted to churches that are heavily involved in addressing the needs of the local and wider world. Though there is significant other giving for specific outreach activities (like the mission ship, the Heifer
Project, etc.), making a commitment to allocating 10% of pledge income to Outreach should be a goal.
Those opportunities could
include weekend mission trips or monthly mission opportunities at local Habitats for Humanity, soup kitchens and other organizations.
In the past the Youth Ministry
has worked with residents of the McGlaughlin House. Early Sunday evenings, though,
was not the best time for the residents due to a lack of staff. Would some stay at home mothers be interested in monthly activities
with some of the residents during the day? Are there retirees who would
like to take one Sunday afternoon a month and prepare the meal for My Brother’s Table?
Overarching question: How can advances in technology be utilized to foster communication among the membership
and enhance the ministries of UCC?
We recommend an ongoing “Technology
Ministry” that looks at ways to push our church’s technology forward. Can we allow access to church records from
remote locations? Better enable home Christian Education through providing access to educational materials? Can technology
be used to create weekly DVD’s of the worship service for shut-ins? Can
the Sunday morning worship service be recorded and broadcast on North Reading’s public access channel? These are just some of the questions that need to be explored.
The current office computer
is nine years old and needs to be replaced. Leasing would allow the office to
update equipment more regularly and keep abreast of advances in technology. A
financial investigation should be done.
Many of the questions regarding
stewardship and finance are being addressed by the ad hoc Financial Task Force that was appointed by the Council in the spring
of 2009. That task force is addressing questions involving budgeting, reporting
and personnel. As such, the Strategic Planning committee has concentrated its efforts in the Stewardship realm.
Overarching question: How can UCC increase its overall stewardship to a level that will make it possible
to implement the recommendations in this strategic plan?
When it comes to UCC’s
budget the same formula can be used that applies to all other churches:
NUMBER
OF PLEDGES x AVERAGE AMOUNT PLEDGED = TOTAL DOLLARS
A review of a couple of annual
reports provides some interesting figures.
PLEDGES
DOLLARS PLEDGED
AVERAGE PLEDGE
1994:
172
$84,596
$492
2008:
200
$181,134
$906
If we factor in a 3% rate
of inflation for this period the 1994 average pledge of $492 would amount to a 2008 pledge of $744. What that means is that there has been some real growth in levels of pledging over the years. Our stewardship
efforts have had some effect. We would challenge ourselves to do even better.
A review of the distribution
of pledges, as shown in Table 4 - Pledging by Range, suggests potential problems if
stewardship education isn’t made a priority in the coming years. The chart
below shows that a disproportionate amount of pledge income comes from a small number of people who pledge. The broader based our pledging is, the better of UCC will be.
Table 4 - Pledging by Range
|
Weekly Pledge |
Annual Pledge |
# of Pledges |
Cumulative $ |
Cumulative # |
|
$0-5 |
$5,844 |
41 |
3% |
22% |
|
6-10 |
21,809 |
51 |
12% |
27% |
|
11-15 |
14,548 |
20 |
8% |
11% |
|
16-20 |
21,360 |
22 |
12% |
12% |
|
21-25 |
31,472 |
26 |
17% |
14% |
|
26-30 |
1,500 |
1 |
1% |
1% |
|
31-35 |
5,200 |
3 |
3% |
2% |
|
36-40 |
5,870 |
3 |
3% |
2% |
|
41-45 |
6,700 |
3 |
4% |
2% |
|
46-50 |
15,100 |
6 |
8% |
3% |
|
>$51 |
53,684 |
13 |
29% |
7% |
|
|
$103,087 |
189 |
100% |
100% |
|
This
will be an unattainable goal for some and for others it may be too little. This goal is based upon the Biblical goal of a
tithe being 10% of income.
A single ministry with combined
scope is less effective at either. The two ministries should be permanently split
to allow increased focus.
This strategic plan contains
the committee’s thoughtful recommendations for the direction in which our church can constructively grow over the coming
five years. It contains, as well, the reasons for these recommendations. We expect Council will consider this plan judiciously
and will reconsider it annually. We understand that the plan will evolve and in five years may look very different from the
way it looks today. This is a good thing, for it would demonstrate Council’s thoughtfulness and willingness to engage
in planning for our church’s future. It will prove that the plan is organic and alive.
And now, having faithfully
fulfilled our task as charged, the Strategic Planning Committee delivers this document to Council, along with our hopes for
continued vitality and a growing spirituality over the next five years in the exciting life of Union Congregational Church.
Respectfully submitted,
The Strategic Planning Committee
September 3, 2009
