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Congregational Council
Seeks Reaction and Comments
to Draft Vision/Mission Statement
Trinity’s Strategic Planning Team, tasked by
Congregational Council, has solicited input and developed a
draft mission statement to guide our ministries here at
Trinity Church into the future. You are encouraged to give
us your reaction and comments over the course of the next
month.
This draft mission statement, if approved by
Congregational Council, is expected to be included on the
agenda for congregational approval at our regularly
scheduled annual meeting scheduled for January 25, 2009.
This mission statement will replace our current one which
has been used in our ministries over the past number of
years.
There will be several Temple Talks to communicate the
importance of moving forward at Trinity with this statement
to guide us. We encourage you to contact Team Co-Chairs,
Bill Foos and Douglas Bonsall, President Bob Frymoyer,
Pastor Hardy or any Council member to express your interest,
comments, and concerns, if any.
We will all be better prepared to carry out Christ’s
ministry here at Trinity accordingly.
VISION:
"Disciples in the making, making disciples"
(based on The Great Commission Matthew 28:19-20)
MISSION STATEMENT:
We seek to equip ourselves and others to share
the good news in our daily living as called disciples of
Christ.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES (precepts that will govern how the
mission will be accomplished):
While remaining true to our Reformation heritage we
will use the following principles in carrying out the
mission of Trinity Lutheran Church:
Empowered Leadership - Develop and foster an
environment that provides opportunities to grow and
empower leadership while providing witness and
service to God
Passionate Spirituality – Foster Christ-centered
spiritual passion
Inspiring Worship - Provide opportunities to
experience God’s grace through Word and Sacrament
Need–Oriented Evangelism - Identify and respond
to the needs of the local and global communities
through evangelism
Gift-Oriented Ministry - Provide a ministry that
helps individuals identify, develop and share their
spiritual gifts and talents
Loving Relationships - Demonstrate our loving
relationship with God and sharing it with one
another in all that we do
Functional Structures - Foster effective and
functional organizational structures
Holistic Small Groups – Utilize an intentional
system of small groups to foster community and
spiritual growth
Trinity Lutheran
Church began a strategic planning process to help set
our direction into the future. Members of the
congregation, as individuals or as part of group
brainstorming sessions in committee meetings and other group
meetings, were invited to respond to six questions:
1. Think back over our
congregation's history. What things have happened that
have contributed notably to God's dream for this place?
2. Who are the people
within the congregation that we are not presently
reaching?
3. Who are the people
outside the congregation that we are not
presently reaching?
4. What are Trinity's
strengths?
5. What are Trinity's
weaknesses?
6. If God has His way with
Trinity over the next 5 years, what would be different?
The results of all of the
responses were tabulated and presented at
a workshop
held on May 31, 2008, to which all members of the
congregation were invited.
Follow this
link to view the summary that was presented at the
workshop. Guided by the Strategic Planning
Committee and with the assistance of the Rev. David Fisher,
staff resource person from the Lower Susquehanna Synod,
workshop participants provided some of their visions for the
future ministry of Trinity Lutheran Church. Using
visions expressed, the Strategic Planning Committee developed a draft
VISION STATEMENT, "Disciples in the Making, Making
Disciples", that became the foundation for the
development of the draft mission statement and guiding
principles.
The
August 2008 Trinity Parish article entitled Disciples in
the Making, Making Disciples by Strategic
Planning Task Force Co-chair, Douglas Bonsall, provides a
summary of the history of our strategic planning process and
the expected outcomes for the process. |
