In-Focus

Recommendations

Overview
Church Values
Church Data
Revamp Communications
Children and Youth Ministries
Small Group plans

Church Values

Warm Relationships

Missional Service

These values reflect who we are as a church body

Church Data

After updating the records our current membership is 324

people
The average attendance over the past 6 months is 201.

Church Data

38% of our apportionments were paid for 2014

Church Data

Children and Youth

Ministries
Breakthrough Prayer
Find ways among staff, leadership, and childrens volunteers,

to regularly incorporate breakthrough prayer for our churchs

childrens and youth ministries into the ministry routine.

Improve Leadership in both ministry areas

Hire Youth minister and Childrens minister
Provide and obtain 100% of Safe Sanctuary training for staff,

volunteers, and potentially ADS teachers

Create a Youth Ministry Council and a Childrens Ministry Parent

Council
Create a Leadership Avenue for Youth
Create a plan to increase parent and adult involvement

Children and Youth

Ministries
Improve Worship opportunities for Youth and Children

Incorporate youth and children in worship services more

Observe Scout Sunday, incorporate Day School into worship

services more often, etc.

Make

WOW Worship more worship oriented instead of like a SS

class
Create a guideline for spiritual milestones for children and youth

for the use of church leaders and teachers

Ensure regular emphasis on stewardship for our children and

youth

Childrens and Youth

Ministries
Encourage Discipleship among Children, Youth, and Parents
Offer confirmation classes every 2 years or as needed
Break apart JrHigh and SrHigh Sunday School classes
Encourage milestones for parents and youth in the spiritual

development/future of their children, and provide resources to help

with faith formation
Provide information in a timely manner to parents/youth about UMC

camps etc. and encourage students to participate in these camps

Schedule and offer Connecting Events to foster building of

relationships among church members/families

Create a Childrens and Youths bulletin board for posting pictures,

announcements, etc. available for all congregation to view

Scheduling/posting calendars and activities far enough in advance to

notify busy families and recruit committed volunteers for upcoming

events

Children and Youth

Ministries

Outreach Opportunities to Families in the Community

Research possibility of starting an Upwards Sports program at Asbury year round
Consider making a walking prayer track on property available to community
Offer special programs and services that are family oriented to bring people in

(i.e. Breakfast with Santa)

Research possibility of offering/sponsoring parenting programs throughout the

year at Asbury for congregational members, Day School and families in

community
Routinely ask Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops to participate in

activities with church to incorporate these youth.

Improve Small Groups

Winter 2014- A meeting for current Home Group Leaders
February/March 2015- Sunday School worship emphasis
Spring 2015- Pastor begins small group for leadership team; in next 18

months, do something similar for potential church leaders

Spring 2015- Conduct a refresher training for Prayer Partners
April 2015- Ministry Moments for each Home Small Group
July 2015- 4-6 weeks training for new home group leaders and Sunday

School leaders
September 2015- Kick Off new home groups and Sunday School classes
Fall 2015- Introduce a bank of short-term small groups

Revamp
Communications
Communicating with Active Members
Communicate weekly via bulletin, screen, and

email/phone tree
Circulate monthly via Circuit Rider or twice
monthly via email. Also make available
through mail or at welcome center
Restart phone tree
Mailouts as needed
Determine active members preferred method
of contact

Have shepherds contact personally

monthly, with quarterly fellowship events

Revamp Communications
For Committees and Volunteers
Transfer responsibility of contact to committee members to

committee chairs, rather than office administrator

Committee chairs will be asked to email pastor and office

administrator first to schedule and prep meeting, and then

copy them on their communications to their team
General Communications
Obtain, Train, and Implement new membership and

attendance software
Create a display board for the main hall with Sunday School

information
Update and man welcome center weekly

Revamp
Communications
Communicating with Sporadic Attendees
Begin the Missing Member ministry under the

Membership Care Ministry

Send quarterly mailouts to let them know were thinking
of them

Communicating with Visitors

Initial contact within 72 hours
2 weeks out, 4 weeks out
A plan for when and how they should be encouraged to

become a member