A Vision for Trinity's Future: What Are the Possibilities?

As we begin to anticipate with sadness our Youth Minister, Pat Jackson’s leaving Trinity as he pursues a call as Minister of Word and Sacrament toward the end of 2008, it’s also a time to consider “What are the Possibilities?” for Trinity’s future to grow deep and wide (in line with our denominational emphasis on spiritual growth of our members and numerical growth in response to our declining numbers).  I offer my vision.

Trinity is uniquely positioned to continue to thrive as a place where God actively works in our midst to glorify God, share Christ’s love, and make new disciples.  Without going into all that is right & healthy at Trinity (the list would be too long), the possibilities for deepening our spirituality and attracting others to God through our ministries have magnificent potential.  It’s time to capitalize on the solid foundations of our traditions and to look ahead proactively.

Our current long range plan states that our strengths are:

(1)  Corporate Dynamic Worship

(2)  Concrete Missional Opportunities

(3)  Significant Relational Groups

I offer observations about how we are doing with these strengths.

Our Worship Task Force, Worship Committee, Worship Planning Team, and Staff of musicians are in concert with me and have made significant contributions in bringing creative, Reformed worship with a variety of expressions to Trinity.  Our average worship attendance is 60.4% of our membership, which is a strong reflection that worship matters to our members.  Challenges remain for us to attract the unchurched and the seekers in our community who have no faith home.

A distinctive characteristic of Trinity’s tradition is our commitment to mission.  Our goal is to provide 25% of our budget to mission and we’re a “Five for Five” church – we receive the four special Presbyterian offerings and pledge mission support to the larger church.  We continue to offer a variety of concrete (hands-on) mission opportunities.  Our challenge is to maintain this high level of commitment to those outside our doors.

Relational groups are many and varied throughout Trinity, but have been structured mostly to meet ministry needs, rather than specifically for the relational aspects of gathering.  Relationships in groups are important, but peripheral to group goals.  Our challenge is to find that special facilitator who feels called to bring oversight and to create more small groups to meet relational and life needs.  In finding this coordinator, we will bring in people from the periphery of church life and assimilate new members.

Additional observations: 

(1) There is a significant core of Trinity members and staff deeply committed to Christ.  They live out their commitment to ministry through the church.  Their loyalty, passions, and awareness of needs motivate them to give and give and give of themselves.  Trinity has the potential to burn out a number of these folks.  We should consider broadening this core of commitment.  We should offer them more support in training, people resources, and clarity of expectations.

(2) Trinity offers a huge number of ministries for a church our size.  While it’s wonderful for us to be a permission-giving church as people come forward with their passions and creativity for new and more ministries, we should consider the people and financial resources available when considering adding to our commitments. We are in danger of spreading ourselves too thin in ministries, so that we may try to do too much and not do it well or thoroughly, with the additional danger of losing our focus.  We must return and return to our mission statement and Session-selected goals (2008 Goal is Radical Hospitality) to stay on target with our energies and our commitments to God and to each other.

(3) Session and our Board of Deacons are hard working groups of officers.  Elders are ordained to administrative oversight and decision-making responsibilities for the whole church.  Elders strive to maintain oversight of both their committees and church life as a whole.  But I observe them doing the work of the committees.  While recruiting committee members, defining the work of the committee to its members, and delegating the work of the committee is challenging, it’s appropriate to Elder leadership to strive more and more for this oversight role.  Being a leader who envisions, sets a course, and then delegates and sends forth others who share their passions is a challenge to Elders.  Deacons have the challenge of pastoral care for an increasingly aging congregation.  Their pastoral care for the older portion of the congregation is focused and responsibly loving.  But as this population continues to increase, Deacons are challenged to use non-ordained members to supplement this care – again a more administrative and organizational challenge necessary for them to prepare for the future.

(4) We have thirteen part-time staff and one fulltime pastor.  This doesn’t include our Financial Secretary and Treasurer – both fulltime volunteer positions.  All staff work hard - usually beyond their part-time job descriptions.  Although the congregation (both ordained officers and lay membership) does and should take major responsibility for the ministries of Trinity, staff leadership and support is essential and crucial for the present and for Trinity’s future to continue a healthy pattern of ministry and growth.

Currently we are adequately staffed for maintenance - to maintain our status quo.  We are not staffed for growth – both growth of our members’ spiritual walks and growth of the church with new life and new ideas that come with new members.  For the last four years and currently, we lose more members each year (death; moves; drop away) than we gain.

Session met July 13 to consider these strengths and challenges.  After fruitful and responsible discussion, Session unanimously voted to begin the process of establishing the position of Associate Pastor.  The next step in this process is to inform you and call a congregational meeting in August to vote to ask our presbytery to establish this position.  Please be in prayer about this important step in Trinity’s life and feel free to talk to me or any Elder about this opportunity.  Watch the Sunday bulletins for an announcement of the time and date of this congregational meeting.

Grace and Peace,

Shelley