Congregational Mission Study Update

March 31, 2019

Mission Study Team

Congregational Mission Study -UpdateStudy Process

• Where are we?

• Where is God calling us to go?

• What leadership competencies does our next called pastor need to led us there?

Status

✓ Quantitive Data

✓ Survey – Hartford Instrument

✓ Survey – Four Question Focus Groups

• Leadership Attributes

• Next Steps

The Great Ends of the

Church

Book of Order F-1.0304

• The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;

• The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;

• The maintenance of divine worship;

• The preservation of the truth;• The promotion of social

righteousness; and• The exhibition of the Kingdom of

Heaven to the world.

First Presbyterian Church of Virginia Beach –Mission Statement

Inspired by the grace and truth of Christ, we nurture one another’s faith to do God’s work in the world.

The following ten values guide the leaders of our church as they prayerfully plan for our congregation’s future.

Values that reach up: Values that reach out:

- Worship - Ministries that serve the community

- Preaching - Congregational care

- Music - Financial Stewardship

- Prayer - Early Childhood Christian Education

- Bible Teaching - Family

Quantitive Data – Topics With Data

Organization – overall and staff

General financial information

Facilities

Church history

Church & community demographics

Hartford Survey

Hartford Survey - Responder Background

Taking the Survey: 342

Male – 39%

Female – 61%

Over 65 – 54%

Between 55 -65 – 16%

Under 55 – 30%

With children – 34%

College degree or higher – 87%

Relatively affluent

Giving Congregation

Use the web - 90%

Use email - 91%

Use social media –46%

Hartford Survey – Your Church Participation

• Of the responders 82% are active attendees, have been members for many years and actively participate in the life of our Church.

• 73% participate in one or more committees or groups in addition to attending worship.

• Our church is similar to so many churches in that the contributors are scattered in a bell shaped curve.

Hartford Survey – Tasks of the Church

The responders say more emphasis is needed on the on the following:

• 28% Share the Gospel with the unchurched• 25% Help members discover their own gifts for

ministry and service• 21% Participate in activities with other local

religious groups• 19% Helping members understand the use of

money, time and talent as expressions of Christian Stewardship

• 17% Helping members deepen spiritual relationship with God

• 15% Providing Worship in contemporary language and forms

Hartford Survey – Tasks of the Church

What we do best:

Our congregation is generally satisfied and 92% say that we are offering worship that provides a meaningful experience of God and Christian tradition.

Hartford Survey – Tasks of the Church

What needs to be strengthened: • Sharing the Good News of the Gospel with

others – 28%

• Discovering gifts for ministry & service – 25%

• Working with other religious groups – 21%

• Strengthening Stewardship of time, talent & money – 19%

• Deepening our personal spiritual relationship with God – 17%

• Providing Worship in contemporary language & forms – 15%

Hartford Survey –Organizational Characteristics

• 38% are concerned about our morale in our current situation.

• 35% see little differentiation between us and other congregations in the area

• 34% think we could better deal with disagreements and conflicts

• 28% think we could improve communications of activities within the church and its committees

• 28% want better open discussion on decision making

• 27% want to encourage trying new things

Hartford Survey -Identity• Our congregation has

strong denominational tie.

• We are comfortable and proud of our church and its unique qualities.

• We believe it has made a difference in the spiritual life of a large part of our congregation.

Hartford Survey - Worship

We are a highly social, well educated congregation requiring intellectually challenging and emotionally moving sermons.

Most prefer a traditional service but many seem to want a more relaxed worship style and music. At the same time there doesn’t appear to be a huge appetite for unfamiliar hymns.

Hartford Survey – Pastor - Tasks

The highest priorities seen by the responders:

• 97% Preparing and preaching inspiring sermons

• 89% Leading worship that is sensitive to the needs of our congregation

• 88% Emphasizing the spiritual development of our members

• 77% Visiting the sick and shut ins

• 71% Pastoral counseling

• 68% Administrative leadership

Obviously preaching is the number one priority on most everyone’s survey but the spiritual growth and development of the congregation are very high priorities as well. The next group in level of importance is counseling, visiting the shut ins and then the administrative leadership of our church.

Hartford Survey – Style of Minister

It is hard to discern a big difference in our responder’s preference for expertise in biblical and theological matters or strong spiritual development for they are fairly evenly split.

• We prefer a pastor with a relaxed interpersonal outgoing style

• We clearly prefer a thought provoking and challenging preacher

• We want someone connect the Bible to everyday issues

• We clearly welcome a pastor with new approaches as opposed to preferring the way things have always been done

• Generally we prefer a collegial approach to leadership and decision making.

Hartford Survey - Essential Qualities in our New MinisterOf forty-four qualities listed on the survey, these are top five deemed essential by over 60% of the responders.

• Is an effective preacher/speaker

• Maintains confidentiality

• Is mature and emotionally secure

• Is a compassionate and caring person

• Is a good leader

Hartford Survey - Dominant Role of Minister

In order of Essential and very, here is the order of importance our responders thought the following were the top five dominant roles of our Minister:

• Minister of the Word/Teacher of the congregation

• Celebrant/Worship Leader (is most at home in leading the congregation in worship)

• Friend /Fellow traveler (Warm and loving person who relates to us as an ordinary human being

• Spiritual Guide

• Church Administrator

Hartford Survey – Attraction to our ChurchWhat were the primary attractors that brought you to our church?

• The Minister

• Music program

• The Presbyterian Denominational tie

• Church’s reputation

• Friends were here

• Children and youth program

Hartford Survey – Attraction to our Church

What keeps you here?

• Worship style 59%

• Music Program 56%

• My friends 48%

• Minister 41%

Hartford Survey -Facilities

Generally the responders said our facilities were excellent to OK with office space being the only type of space that needs immediate attention

Four Question Focus Groups

Four Question Focus Groups

1. What is the very best thing about FPC-VB? (Top 3)

• Fellowship

• Traditional Music

• Traditional Worship Services

2. What do perceive are the critical needs of the church and how can we do a better job of meeting those needs?

• Grow Membership

• Youth Programs

• Facilities

Four Question Focus Groups

3. What are the most important qualities that you would like to see in our next pastor?

• Theological/Spiritual Interpreter

• Interpersonal Engagement

• Organizational Leadership

4. What are your hopes for the future of FPC?

• Grow Membership

• Mission/Outreach

• Fellowship

Next Steps• Mission Study Team

• Complete recommendations, documentation and summary report.

• Present to Session

• Information hand off to the Pastor Nominating Committee