Introducing our visioning process

Here is a copy of the email I sent out this week to our church-wide email list. If you are a regular attender at PCF and didn’t receive this email, please contact info@pcfchurch.org and ask to be placed on that email list.

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Dear PCF,

I am writing on behalf of the Elders to let you know about a five-month visioning
process we have recently entered upon. Each of you is a valued part of our church,
and the Elders want you to know about this visioning process for two main reasons:

1. so that you can participate in this process by providing input
2. so that you can support the work of the Elders with consistent prayer.

Three factors have led the Elders to conclude that a visioning process is important
for our church at this time:

1. First, as we continue to pray and think and lead our church toward adopting
covenant membership, it has become increasingly clear to us that a clear vision for
the church, and a clear mission statement, is crucial to the membership process. If
we aren’t able to articulate to prospective covenant members who we are and where we want to go, that’s like asking someone at Logan Airport to get on a plane, and then deciding where the plane will land (Miami? Seattle? Montreal?) after the plane is in the air!

2. Second, our interaction with the budget committee and our involvement in the
budget process in December 2008 has convinced us that a clear vision must precede a budget. Jim Deignan did a great job of asking for ministry visions from each of the
ministry leaders, as part of the budget process. This made the budget process about
much more than money. People are more motivated to give generously when they have a clear sense of what they are giving to.

3. Third, we have met recently with the committee tasked with doing something with
the old building on the front of our property. Our interaction with that building
committee has underlined for us that any short-term and long-term decisions we make with regard to our facilities must be driven by a clear and overarching vision of who we want to be as a church, and what our mission is.

So, we see a visioning process as crucial for our covenant membership discussion,
our budget, and our buildings. These are just three areas that a clear vision and
mission statement will very much help. We’re confident that a clarified vision for
PCF will help us as a church in many other areas – not least in moving us toward
greater engagement with our community.

Our visioning process will consist of several parts:

- in the months of February and March, we will be receiving input from your ministry
leaders on the Council of Ministry. We’re asking each leader to answer the following
two questions: Who are we as a church? Who do we want to be as a church?

- on Monday, March 2, at 7pm, we’ll have an All-Church Gathering in order to
consider these same two questions as an entire body of believers. We very much want you to come to that All-Church Gathering. But that will not be the only opportunity for you to offer feedback. Throughout this visioning process, the Elders will value phone calls, emails, and personal interactions with each of you so that you may provide as much input as possible.

- during the week of March 9-15, the Elders will release me from all pastoral
responsibilities so that I can take a full week to think, pray, fast, read, and
write to gain greater clarity on where the Lord wants us to go as a church.

- on the first Saturday of April, the Council of Ministry will meet together as an
entire group. This will provide me an opportunity to share with them some of what I
have learned on my week away, and to once again receive feedback from the entire
Council of Ministry.

- beginning on April 19 and running until June 21, I will preach an eleven-part
sermon series on Acts. This series will provide an opportunity for all of us to
focus together on the character of God, how he worked in the earliest days of the
church, and how he intends to work in and through PCF.

- On the first weekend of May, the Elders will get away on a prayer and planning
retreat. We will assess the work I’ve done, consider the input from all Council of
Ministry leaders and all members of the congregation, and will be guided through a
visioning process.

- On Sunday, June 28, I will conclude the sermon series on Acts by sharing the new
PCF vision and mission statements.

I’m thankful for each of you, and the many contributions you make to PCF.
Please be in prayer that God would use this visioning process powerfully, and give
us great wisdom and insight into his purposes for us.

I anticipate much interaction with you about this, and trust that God will be
working among us.

Stephen

Posted by Stephen Witmer on Feb 19, 09:37 AM