From the Pastor

 

March 2010

Dear Friends in Christ,

I wish I had all the details to share with you, but at “press time” we had not received them.  Sometime this month, you will be invited to share your thoughts and feelings about our congregation through a professionally designed and administered survey called “The Transforming Church Index.”  Your responses will be anonymous.

This is one of the first steps in Holy Spirit’s participation in the Missional Leadership Academy, an 18-month process designed by our synod leadership to help congregations in our synod become more effective in being used by God for God’s mission of transforming lives.  In order to change people, ministries must first manage and lead change from within.

“Too often churches are unable to reform and revise their approach to ministry.  Declining churches need to rebuild.  Stagnant ministries must pursue the next level.  Even growing congregations can struggle to keep up with the pace of change.  So why do so many churches fail to adapt?  How can ministries envision, implement, and evaluate effective change?  …  As a consultant to ministries across the country, Kevin G. Ford has helped hundreds of churches experience genuine change and growth.”  (From the back cover of the book, Transforming Church: Bringing Out the Good to Get To Great, by Ford.)

The Transforming Church Index will help us look at five key indicators of a healthy, vibrant congregation and provide a tool to measure our congregation’s progress after the eighteen months of participation in the Missional Leadership Academy.  This is a great opportunity for us to learn about our strengths and growth areas as a congregation and leadership team!  I hope you will look forward with excitement to your opportunity to participate in the survey.  It will be administered online.  For those who do not have internet access, we will be making computers available at the church for you to complete the approximately 40-minute survey.

 

            Your friend in faith,