In February, at our Vestry and LCEM Board retreat, we discussed our hopes and concerns as the Episcopal
community in LaSalle County. We decided to follow a planning process developed by church consultant
Kennon Callahan called 12 Keys to An Effective Church. This material has been available for about
20 years and is in use at other parishes in the Chicago Diocese. It's been proven to be a practical
way of discerning needs and creating an action plan that is doable and brings success.
The LCEM has completed our initial study. Planning meetings
are now underway to develop a 3 year plan for our ministry. We've completed an assessment of our current
standing and will be developing our first draft in the next meeting or so. We'll be sharing the
initial draft of the
plan for effective ministry sometime soon this fall, discussing the details,
getting feedback and starting to implement some of the changes.
This may mean significant changes to our mission
and structure.
We hope that the brief outlines of the 12 Keys included here will whet your
appetite for more detail. If you would like to read the entire book (strongly recommended),
please look in the back of the church for a community copy to read and share. If no copy is
available, let us know. If enough people are interested in joining a study group that will
serve to expand upon the ideas generated in the initial study groups, we will try to provide
you with that opportunity as well. Contact either Steve Grzywa, Shanon Edwards, or Fr. Crist
for more information.
The Twelve Keys
Relational Keys
1. Specific, Concrete Missional Objectives
2. Pastoral and Lay Visitation
3. Corporate, Dynamic Worship
4. Significant Relational Groups
5. Strong Leadership Resources
6. Streamlined Structure and Solid,
Participatory Decision Making
Functional Keys
7. Several Competent Programs and Activities
8. Open Accessibility
9. High Visibility
10. Adequate Parking, Land and Landscaping
11. Adequate Space and Facilities
12. Solid Financial Resources
Every LCEM member is invited to actively participate in the planning part of the process,
which will begin shortly. However, participation requires understanding the 12 keys and the
results of our previous discussions on how the 12 keys apply to us in LCEM. So the LCEM board
is providing this forum in order to help bring everyone up to speed on those discussions.
This material will also be available in church each week. It's a lot of material to absorb,
so we'll focus on 2 keys each week until we've covered them all.
Every LCEM member is invited and strongly encouraged to participate in the development of
our long range plan, which is starting very soon.
Those of us who have been in the study groups are optimistic and excited about this process
and our future together. We believe that we have been called together to move God's plan for
LaSalle County forward. Please participate in the planning and be a part of the good things
that are happening here.
The twelve keys are divided into two groups: relational keys and functional keys. Putting it simply,
when a relational key exists in a parish community, it tends to increase people's satisfaction with
their church. When a functional key is missing in a parish community, the lack tends to decrease people's
satisfaction with their church. It's not necessary to have every single key done well in order to have a
successful, happy church, but you do need to have a number of keys present. In the planning
process, we'll be developing a plan that uses the twelve keys to build first from our strengths,
doesn't overtax our resources and develops our community toward the goal of being a missional church.
It is very significant that Specific Concrete Missional Objectives is the
first priority in Twelve Keys to an Effective Church.
The word mission means to be sent out. Mission, missions, missionary, all stem from the same idea of
being sent out with a task to be accomplished. The very word mission reminds us that the gospel is not
something we can keep to ourselves. We are always under Christ's invitation to take it out from the
center of our church and share it with others. A congregation which is self-interested and turns in
on itself has no sense of mission. It is not fully a Christian congregation.
Specific means that the local congregation has focused its mission on particular hurts and hopes
in the community. Some members are called by God to offer help and hope to people who are suffering
particular hurts, e.g., alcoholism, poverty, homelessness. These are specific. The congregation will
be partners with the wider Church in supporting national and overseas mission projects. And, it is
equally important that the congregation share in its local area as a people of compassion in practical,
unselfish mission with others.
Concrete means practical help actually given, not just planned or publicized. Planning,
research, prayer, and publicity may well precede the mission, but it is not concrete until action is begun.
Jesus calls us to very
concrete tasks "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, heal the sick." (Matt. 25:34-40).
The term missional includes help both to individuals in their need and to the social
conditions which caused the need. For example, a congregation may be concerned at the exploitation
of older persons in private nursing homes. It also should look at the legislation governing the
management of such homes, and seek to prevent further exploitation.
Objectives means that the missional tasks are stated in such a way that the people
undertaking them will know when they have been achieved. When the objectives are clear it will then
be possible to evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of the congregation's mission.
The invitation to mission is a call to all of us. The invitation to mission is a call to all of us.
Of the 5 M's of church: Mission, Management, Members, Money, Maintenance, is it clear
where our priorities lie? On what do our vestries and
LCEM board spend most of their efforts?
Where do our interests or passions lie in addressing human hurts and hopes? Some responses:
youth sports/activities, teaching life skills to mentally handicapped, cooking classes to young adults,
offering financial advice.
We discussed what our income provides us - food, shelter, comfort, safety. We have been
blessed and we have a sense of responsibility to share those blessings. Parting question: If we were
to close the doors to the church, what would we like to give back to the community?
We discussed mission ideas: vacation bible school, enhancing community meal outreach with
help to homeless - clothes, books, free goods list.
Nobody will be surprised to discover that visiting is high on the list of keys to an effective church. Visiting is central to the experience of Christianity. God himself is a visitor. "praise to the Lord, the God of Israel for he has visited and redeemed his people" (Luke 1:68)
The coming of Christ is the greatest visit of all. Visiting is the key by which many people will come into dialogue with God and find meaning and hope for their lives.
There is a desperate need for pastoral and lay visitation. Ministers are encouraged to visit widely in their parish.
In one denomination, the Council of Elders is required to visit regularly members and adherents. But no mention is made of elders visiting people outside the church. Note well, whenever the focus of visitation is within the church, one of the major sources of outreach in the community is lost
For visiting to be most effective, it should be shared between ministers and lay leaders. The visiting should be equally divided between church families, those in hospitals or homebound, and the unchurched families in the community.
We agreed this is a very important and desirable characteristic. Group members feel that pastoral and lay visits, if defined as community building, could include e-mails, phone calls notes and Foyer groups. In each of these situations there is opportunity to develop relationships and minister to each other.
We felt we do ok with members and not as well with non-members. There is an understanding that a part-time pastor cannot be expected to make the full range of pastoral visits as suggested for a full-time pastor.
Selecting and Seeking
- Easier to make visits in nursing homes, hospitals than homes
- Visits may need to be made to those who are alone
- Should be made by those who have the gift of visiting
- Although this may not be a key that we choose for early implementation, we should be constantly
aware of opportunities for more intentional visits in our relationships
Sharing and Shepherding
- Occurs through continuing, intentional conversations, relating with others
Winning and Working
- We are not winning, it's not up to us to win
- God works through us to win the person for Himself
It is evident that many people are in desperate need. People today in their work, in their marriage and family, in the single state, in the many forms of social life in which they move, in their scientific work, in their leisure hours often feel themselves at the mercy of forces from within and without themselves, which they can barely cope with, if indeed they are not completely overwhelmed.
In this situation it is of immense importance that the irreplaceable significance of the pastoral
conversation shall again be recognized as a commandment of the Lord and a blessing for innumerable people.
---- Heige Faber
Divine worship is the expression of our sense of the worth of God. Remember that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). That is how God expressed our worth to him. We can do no less than that. A Christian definition of worship can be no less than the offering of the whole of our life in the service of God. A service of worship then is sacramental; it signifies what the whole of our life is meant to be like.
The forms by which we offer a service of worship to God (the liturgy) is the gift to the Church of centuries of tradition and experience. We need to constantly review and renew our service of worship to make sure it assists the worshipers to know the presence of God with them in the best possible way, and to respond with the deepest compassion.
The two adjectives which characterize this sort of worship are corporate and dynamic. Corporate means whenever there is a strong sense of belonging, a strong sense of togetherness and community amongst the people who share in it. Dynamic means whenever the service stirs and inspires the people who participate in it and whenever profound help and hope are shared with and among them.
We would like our worship service to be energizing, to lose one's self, transforming and sustaining. Sunday worship is the start of the week and we'd like to walk out the door renewed, refreshed and feeling positive energy from our faith.
How we rate ourselves on the important characteristics of Sunday worship:
A congregation is more than an assembly of individuals who meet together for worship each Sunday. We are like a family where the care and love for one another continues through the whole week. The closeness of the compassion and community between members of the congregation is the chief witness to the reality of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the Church. One can be mutually caring for large numbers of people by helping every member relate to a small group within the larger congregation. A group can vary from three of four persons to thirty of forty persons. The emphasis is on the relational character of the group. Relational groups are characterized by the qualities of caring and sharing between members of the group. People discover a sense of roots, place and belonging. Groups in the church can have wide and varied purposes, such as Bible study, prayer, youth, missions, and committee functions. The tasks of the various groups in the church may vary but the fact is that in a significant relational group people matter more than programs, and broken hearts and human hopes have a higher priority than the tasks of the group.
Relational groups we already have: Foyer, Coffee Hour, breakfast clubs. We agree about placing people in community, not committees. Community meals allow members to work together and built relationships. COOL and the prayer chain permit caring and sharing. Despite this, we may not rate so well at taking care of our own. Timing is an important factor in determining if a new group is successful. What groups should we consider starting?
Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.It is important to notice how this fifth key is titled. It could have been called Strong, Resourceful Leaders. Instead this essential characteristic is identified as strong leadership resources. The implication is that every member of the congregation can be helped to exercise leadership. The primary task of a leader in the Church is to facilitate leadership in others. Hence the need is to speak of leadership resources.
At the same time, leadership is more than the role of only being an enabler in getting other people to lead. Leaders are those who effectively lead.
Discussion notes from our study group:
We discussed how a leader needs to be able to lead people into new directions. Church committees such as a community meal team or building and grounds committees should have a common vision and goals. Team building exercise may be a useful tool to develop effective cohesive groups. Leaders - are able to get a job closed out and finished, have a good balance of life skills, and can develop people to use their talents and experience. We feel that strong pastoral leadership is essential for our cluster. Of the 6 principles for strong pastoral and staff leadership, the four more important principles to us were: Competent Staff, low staff turnover, Consideration of total persons served vs staff size, and a Staff-Pastoral Ratio of 2:1.
Ideas to consider: LCEM kitchen aprons, total ministry, an office administrator
The structure of a church needs to be based on its mission. Structure should be a servant of mission. The planners of any structure best begin their task by first discovering the missional nature of the church, then its functions and finally its structure.
Review your decision-making processes. Solid decisions result from an input of wisdom, a sense of priorities, and character. Participatory means that the formal process of making the decision is preceded by wide, frank and informal discussion among all members. No attempt should be made to withhold information or be secretive. The decision should be made in a way so that it is possible for the majority to know that the decision is theirs, and they are willing to own it.
We discussed that in decision-making, we need our boards and committees to have appropriate decision-making authority. Also, in the past, we sometimes have avoided change because of fear of offending anyone. So, while we need to openly discuss issues, we also need to be able to move forward with decisions, even if not every single person can support the change. Our decision making structure within the LCEM has our part-time Sr. Pastor supervising a 5 boards and a secretary. This appears inappropriate for our size and leadership resources. We discussed the idea of streamlining structure in ways such as having 4 buildings and grounds committees reporting to a central board under the Sr. Pastor. The objective of making any change would be to allow us more time and resources to focus on missional objectives.
Renewal, after all, is about builders. Many people can introduce change for change’s sake and call it renewal. A builder, on the other hand, leads an organization toward renewal that outlives the presence of any single individual and revitalizes even as it changes. Go for simplicity in what is admittedly a complex world.
-Robert H. Waterman, Jr.
The introductory chapter points out that the first six characteristics of an effective church are
relational and increase the satisfaction of the members; the second six are functional and primarily
reduce dissatisfaction. We need to have this clearly in mind as we consider this key.
It is important to note that a congregation does not need all twelve keys in place. We will
function well with five relational keys and four functional keys.
The monthly newsletter listings of a church's programs and activities may look
impressive, but does not guarantee the effectiveness of the congregation in Christian mission. Busy
congregations may be just that: busy!
Programs and activities are best qualified by the adjectives several and competent.
Several doesn't mean trying to do everything every other church is doing. It means concentration on
a few programs the congregation can do well. While we may hope to give members a large menu of
activities, we may in fact be heaping upon them too much work and pressure.
It is decisive that the programs of the church be competent. They should be done at least as
competently as any secular organization. We must not accept lower standards because we are the church.
Quite the reverse! In all our church programs and activities the care of people must come first.
This is not a contradiction of the previous principle. Part of the care of people is to encourage
them to delight in excellence. If we are a busy church, this chapter deserves careful study.
This key is relevant to those congregations who meet in already established buildings. Most of us do not have much choice about location. Even congregations who are planning to build may discover that is difficult to obtain the most desirable location.
Whatever your circumstances, it is a chapter worth studying. Church buildings and sites are not sacrosanct. Many congregations have rebuilt on more suitable sites when they have realized that their present location is an impediment to their mission.
Surrounding communities are never static. Many congregations previously on the edge of population centers have discovered they will soon be in the center of a new development. Long-range planning means asking questions about population and industry movements ten and twenty years down the track.
The question of accessibility is not only about physical location, but also accessibility to the building, and the accessibility of the congregational leaders This study will have more relevance than you may think!
We doubt that many know we're here, i.e. what is the Episcopalian church in town?
The Episcopal shield identifies us. Signage could be improved to be more dynamic.
Accessibility challenges faced by our LCEM:
- Streator has a ramp but no accessible bathroom.
- LaSalle's hall is accessible but the church is not.
- Snow removal from sidewalks
Ottawa, Streator and LaSalle are on busy streets which should be a plus.
Ideas:
-- Offer open spaces to community groups, such as girl/boy scouts
-- Advertise more effectively
Professor Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase "the medium is the message." He claimed that the actual medium of communication often tells a message louder than the message itself. The central application of this principle for Christians is that the sort of person we are, and the sort of congregation we are, speaks louder than what we are trying to say.
Likewise, our church building is itself a message to those who pass by. Its architecture, its general appearance, the care we take of it, the attractiveness of its surroundings, the sign by which we identify it, all tell the passer-by or visitor something about our message.
This chapter is teaching us about the importance of the buildings we call church. It is also reminding us of the grapevine effect of human witness is word and action in the local community, and alerting us to the possibilities of other important avenues of public witness - the media. In our concern about reaching out to the unchurched this is a very important chapter for us to study.
Discussion notes from our study group:
Streator is close to downtown but there are a lot of empty buildings.
St. Paul's is on a truck route, busy street, but possibly not a good route for people who live
in the community.
Streator - No sign visible from Bridge St.,
Ottawa - No sign visible from Lafayette St.
Red doors are good Episcopal symbols, Ottawa has none.
Fr. John is involved in community. Who else in the LCEM is involved? Is their LCEM affiliation apparent?
How well are we advertised in local papers?
One of the easiest and economical changes would be small changes in the landscape.
We could have a Riverfest booth and involve youth.
Community meals are good grapevine visibility statements.
Does the national church help or hurt us in LaSalle County w/ controversial and liberal positions?
The ability offered by the church to park a car on firm ground, securely, and in reasonable distance of the church building is a prime pre-accessibility factor anywhere. After their house, the next major capital investment for people is usually their car. Where the church shows care and respect for their cars and for their safe and orderly parking, that congregation will be appreciated. In addition, of course, in our increasingly mobile society people will simply not attend a church if they have to walk three blocks or more. We may wish it was different, and recite how our granddad walked twenty miles to church and back every Sunday, but that was yesterday's reality. We have today's reality. A newcomer who may decide to attend our congregation to see what we are like but who cannot see safe and accessible parking, will just drive past! The landscaping and garden environment of a church building is important to give a clear message to the passer-by. The medium is the message again.
Discussion notes from our study group:We have some opportunities to improve access to our churches, such as bathrooms on the lower levels, uneven sidewalks. Landscaping improvements will give a much needed facelift. Ottawa's downtown is an asset. Church lighting is dark in Ottawa and Streator. Parking in LaSalle is a challenge. We could make sure newcomers know where they can park. Could we someday offer a driving service?
We, too, the people of England,Space and facilities are comparable to the house in which a family lives. A house does not make a home; people do. New space and facilities provide only a momentary source of satisfaction. But the enduring sources of satisfaction present within any congregation will come from the strength of the relational characteristics of an effective, successful church. The quality of mission and the quality of life together, shared with one another and with the community at large, determine the extent to which the space and facilities are a home or simply a house. Insofar as people discover community within a congregation, to that extent they will sense that this space and these facilities are home for them. Make sure the capacity of your Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Sunday School and parking are in balance or else the capacity of the smallest unit will determine the size of your congregation. Notice the principle that concludes the first section, The Mistake of Underbuilding. The principle is; the buildings serve the mission. Work through the long-range mission plan and consequent program of the congregation before committing the congregation to new building, or building extensions.
We thought of all our spaces that we will evaluate, where we hold Sunday School may be at the top of the list. (Ottawa)
Each station will need to perform an evaluation of space separately
Accessibility of the space should be considered at many levels, ramps, large print reading materials, restrooms, lower level access, side walks, curbs, snow removal, hearing impaired.
Lower levels can feel clammy in summer.
It may be a surprise to discover that this is key is the twelfth in order of priority, and not first or second. We need to learn this lesson. Many congregations, when they discover their financial resources are reducing, usually wonder how they can increase the giving through a fund-raising campaign. This chapter reminds us of a number of important principles which are critical for us to recognize.
Logically, there are only two ways to increase the giving of a congregation. The first is to ask those who are already giving to give more (the usual approach). The other way is to have more people who want to give.
The book emphasizes two principles about money: Money follows mission and People give to people. Following those principles can save congregations from making some bad mistakes. There are also some technical matters in this chapter. The book suggests either inviting a financially literate member of the group to help with these, or better yet, to attend to the principles and leave the financial technicalities for the planning stage.
Our financial discussion was short. We spent more time focused on the other key we studied that meeting. The general sense was that we agreed with what the Twelve Keys book said. Money provides us with essential needs; food, shelter, safety, and comforts. We believe we have a responsibility to share, but focusing on money wasn't a high priority at this time. When we begin planning specifics, we then will need to make sure that the financial resources exist to carry out plans.
Righteous God: you have taught us that the poor shall have your kingdom, and that the gentle-minded shall inherit the earth. Keep the church poor enough to preach to poor people, and humble enough to walk with the despised. Never weigh us down with real estate or too much cash on hand. Save your church from vain display or lavish comforts, so that, traveling light, we may move through the world showing your generous love, made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
- Prayer for the Offertory
