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MENDENHALL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
REVISION PLAN 2006 
 
Executive Summary
 
Our congregation and session members realized an examination of ourselves was necessary before we could begin the process of searching for a new Pastor. Our mission study was a result of the session members learning how healthy congregations function. Healthy congregations look toward growth, development, and the future rather than the past. We chose the ReVision model by Percept to help us find God’s vision for Mendenhall Presbyterian Church.
 
The ReVision Leadership Team consisted of:
 
Mary Barrett and Kathy Cumming – co-chairs, Paul Stadem, Dick Osmundson, Ivan Ferguson, Marilynn Ogden, Helen Brodin, Ann Enright, Gail Schrage, Pat Leonard, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Ann Elfond – consultant
 
Craig and Terri Marston provided the meals during Fellowship. 
We began a process of ReVisioning in February 2006, with 90 individuals encompassing 75 households completing the ReVision Context survey. Context is a brief, planning resource that presented us with important and comparable information about our community (which included North Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, and Fisher), our congregation, and our congregation’s programs and ministries. Nine Reflection Sessions were conducted over eight weeks with an average of 40 people attending each session. Fellowship was an important part of our sessions. At our initial meeting, the participants were divided into three smaller groups to facilitate discussion and the reshaping of our vision and mission. Three weeks were spent by the ReVision leadership team to identify and prioritize the critical themes and issues which emerged through the Reflection sessions. Final results were a vision statement, mission statement, three year initiatives and one year strategies.
 
What you are about to read is a compilation of the survey results presented in the context report, what was discussed by the participants in the reflection sessions and finally summarized by the ReVision leadership team. All of this is substantiated in the reflection session summaries. 
 
Vision is the fountainhead of everything we believe and do as a community of faith. Without clear vision, we will only wander, hoping for the best but uncertain of what the best looks like. In what follows we set forth what we believe to be the vision that must guide and direct Mendenhall Presbyterian Church in its mission and ministry in the 21st century.
 
Vision includes two conditions: what is today and what ought to be when God is done. The context of our lives, what is and what ought to be are always in conflict. While we will never see the gap between them completely close, the hope of this closure – and what that entire closure means – drives us forward in mission. Our desire is nothing less than to see the gap close in some qualitative way as a result of our efforts.
 
Both what is and what ought to be are reflected below in the sections “Our Beliefs” and “Our Mission Context.” The focus of our vision emerges from these two sections and, with it, a call to close the gap between them. 
 
 
OUR BELIEFS:
 
We believe that God’s best for people is to have wholeness; spiritually and physically. The mandate for our belief is stated in Matthew 25: 35 – 36
 
‘for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
 
 
OUR MISSION CONTEXT (SURVEY RESULTS)
 
Community is where we live and worship. We realize that our community and our church face many challenges. The community’s population is declining and our church population is in high decline. Racial and ethnic diversity is somewhat high in our community while it is very low in our congregation. 
 
Our community is made up of non traditional families with somewhat high education levels, average stress, with primary concerns of hopes and dreams. Our congregation is made up of very traditional families with somewhat high education levels, very low stress, with primary concerns being spiritual and personal.
 
The faith receptivity in our community is somewhat high, with very low financial support potential. Our congregation’s faith receptivity is extremely high with average financial support potential. Our congregation’s church style preference is somewhat more contemporary than the community.  Church programs preferred by both our community and congregation are recreational in nature. Our community is somewhat high in resistance to change while our congregation is somewhat low.
 
One part of the survey asked: How do we as a congregation feel about our various programs and ministries? The highest positive ratings were the choir, Presbyterian Women, youth group, property committee and prayer chain. The lowest ratings were Sunday Worship, adult education, special worship and catechumenate/confirmation. 
 
The programs presently offered by our church are found to be valuable by both the community and the congregation. In addition we should consider these programs which are desired but not offered through our church as reflected in our Context Report:
1.      Both the community and our congregation express a need for family activities and outings; and
2.      Both the community and our congregation expressed high importance for adult theological discussion groups.
  
 
OUR VISION STATEMENT
 
MENDENHALL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WILL REACH OUT TO PROVIDE FOR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS. WE WILL HELP MEET THESE NEEDS BY ASSISTING A LARGER PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH. THROUGH THIS GROWTH, PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE CHRIST AND ACHIEVE WHOLENESS.
 
 
 
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
 
 WELCOMING ALL, WE GATHER TOGETHER AS A CARING CHURCH FAMILY TO:
  • GIVE THANKS AND WORSHIP GOD;
  • LEARN AND LIVE THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS;
  • NURTURE FAITH AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH; and
  • JOYFULLY SHARE GOD’S LOVE BY SERVING OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY. 
      
 
OUR MISSION STATEMENT IN ACTION
 
During our ReVision Reflection Sessions, the groups identified our members and friends as commendable, with attributes of strong leadership and talented people willing to help. Mendenhall is doing good things. Our strategic planning is not meant to replace our current programs, but rather to use those successes as a base on which to build and expand our vision and mission further into our community.
 
Our three-year initiatives and one-year strategies will address ways for our church to move forward to implement our vision and mission. As we further develop existing programs and ministries, we need to evaluate if they help us fulfill our mission. New initiatives must grow out of our vision and be shaped by our mission statement.
  
 
THREE-YEAR INITIATIVES
 
1.      SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT:     Provide opportunities to involve the community and church members in spiritual development;
 
2.      COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:    Focus on community development efforts through our Mission Committee as an essential part of our ministry in the community; and
 
3.      OUTREACH / HOSPITALITY:       Increase awareness of and participation by Mendenhall Presbyterian Church within our community.
 
 
THREE-YEAR INITIATIVES WITH ONE-YEAR STRATEGIES
 
 
  1. SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT:     Provide opportunities to involve the community and church members in spiritual development
 
One-Year Strategies
 
    • Explore and Experiment with alternative worship services 
           >       Once a quarter have an alternative worship service.
           >       Create subcommittee under Worship Committee to visit other churches that are offering          alternative worship services.
    • Promote growth through various forums 
           > C      reate subcommittee under Christian Education committee to pursue building alternative         Christian education groups and opportunities. 
           > Begin to develop a comprehensive youth ministry with clear goals which reach out into the        community, and connect with the Presbytery of the Northern Plains resources and           programs. Establish goals with corresponding program and calendar of events for youth ministry through Christian Education committee. 
       
 
JUSTIFICATION
 
Our context report tells us that both our community and our congregation are higher than the national average in a preference for historic Christian religious affiliations and faith involvement. Our survey also told us our membership’s first concern, is in the area of spiritual and personal development. Recent statistics tell us that 60% of the population in the Midwest is not affiliated with a local church. We are a mainline Protestant Church located in a community that is receptive to faith involvement but may not have a church home. In relation to Youth Ministry, this particular area of the church’s mission was raised as an area of concern and in need of development during the nine congregational reflection sessions and it correlates with the needs of the community in relation to concern for families. Our efforts to provide programs and alternative worship services to meet the needs of people outside of our membership will help us to achieve our vision of supporting and enhancing the community’s spiritual lives. This initiative supports both our Vision and Mission statements regarding spiritual growth.  
 
  1. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:    Focus on community development efforts through our Mission Committee as an essential part of our ministry in the community
 
One-Year Strategies
 
    • Interview non-profit agencies in our community to determine unmet social needs
    • Develop criteria for participation in our community’s non-profit agencies
    • Expand activities and events that bring together our community and our church members 
        >      Strive for four activities in which the community can be invited to participate. 
       
 
JUSTIFICATION
 
There is work for Mendenhall to do as it relates to basic and social needs of our community. Our congregation rated community concerns as their second highest concern. The community, on the other hand, rated this as a lower concern, holding out “hopes and dreams” as their first and “basic needs” as the second. We must first determine what programs are being offered in our community and where the shortfalls occur.
 
We will find opportunities for Mendenhall to participate in programs to assist in a variety of ways to close the gap between what is, and what ought to be. Once basic needs are met, there will be increased potential for residents to go on to formulate “hopes and dreams” previously out of reach. Our Vision and Mission statements charge and challenge our congregation to live the teachings of Christ as set forth in Matthew 25:35-36. This initiative brings our statements and beliefs to life.
 
  
  1. OUTREACH / HOSPITALITY:       Increase awareness of and participation by Mendenhall Presbyterian Church within our community through the Christian Care and Outreach Committee
 
One-Year Strategies
 
    • Develop Mendenhall Presbyterian Church identity materials 
           >       Increase public awareness by reviewing existing ads in newspapers, radio and television;
           > Explore advertising in new media arenas;
           > Design a logo; and
           > Develop a website. 
    • Develop Welcoming Worship Wagon 
           >       Packet of the identity materials, as well as other information to be distributed to new    
    • Design programs that encourage the congregation to invite friends and neighbors to worship and fellowship activities 
           >       Offer training opportunities in visitation
 
 
JUSTIFICATION
 
It is important for Mendenhall to be a viable force in the community. This is a challenge because we are relatively unknown and difficult to find. Our survey indicated 56% of our membership is strongly involved in their faith, yet our Sunday morning worship attendance does not reflect such participation. Outreach and hospitality applies to both outside and within our congregation. A program of outreach and hospitality coupled with our commitment to community involvement and spiritual development will help to make Mendenhall more visible and viable within the community.
 
We strive to be recognized as a caring and giving congregation, welcoming people to embrace our vision. Such a reputation will entice our own membership to return to worship and church activities. These strategies move us from discussion to implementation. 
 
The first word of our Mission statement is “welcoming” and this initiative challenges our congregation to practice our belief as stated in Matthew, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.
 
Approved by Session: June 5, 2006
Approved by Congregation: June 11, 2006
       community residents and to visitors at Mendenhall. 
Copyright (c) 2008 Mendenhall Presbyterian Church   
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