BRAZIL FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

FRUITFUL CONGREGATION JOURNEY CONSULTATION REPORT

November 10, 2013

Introduction

We, the Fruitful Congregation Journey (FCJ) consultation team, would like to thank Rev.Steve Loft, lay leadership and the congregation ofBrazil First United Methodist Church for the invitation to consult with this body of Christ. The following observations and prescriptions are the result of this team studying the following information: a) Brazil’s self-study document provided by its leaders, b) completion of the FCJ on-line survey by your members, c) Interviews with the pastor, staff, and ministry team leaders, d) a focus group with members of the congregation, e) a meeting with the Church Council, f) a MissionInsite demographic report of the area’s population,g) input from the Faith Perceptions Mystery Guest Worshipper Report, and h) input from the Saturday workshop.

Our prayer is that God will use this assessment experience and consultation report in order to help BrazilFirst to more effectively make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the community and the world.

Strengths

1. A HERITAGE OF EXPANSION AND INFLUENCE

In the early days, the town of Brazil, Indiana was strategically located on the corridor of Highway 40, the National Road, and it was a stopping off point for wagon trains going west. The main attraction was the coal fields and the discovery of pottery clay which provided a boon to the population and economy. The early leaders of Brazil First took advantage of this opportunity to expand the ministry of Jesus Christ in Clay County. It was a ministry expansion that was relentless and quite extraordinary: from a log home in 1839 to the current facility in 1900; and in 1911 the ministry included a Sunday School with a membership of 4,897 people that included all age-levels. This extraordinary expansion tells a story of a church focused on including new residents, who came looking for a new life, in the community of God's love.

2. GENUINE FRIENDLINESS TO NEWCOMERS

Today, Brazil First, while significantly smaller than at its peak, continues to be warm and inviting to newcomers. The Mystery Guests who visited Brazil First expressed great appreciation for the welcoming responses they received from the congregation on Sunday mornings. This newcomer hospitality was received as warm, friendly, and genuine. In fact, Mystery Guests reserved their highest marksfor the friendly church atmosphere, especially following the worship services. It is obvious that a desire continues to exist at Brazil First to welcome and appreciate new arrivals.

3. CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER

The members of Brazil First enjoy and depend upon the care and support of the loving people of the congregation. The consult team repeatedly heard expressions of appreciation for deep, personal relationships in the congregation. When asked, "What is the best thing about Brazil First?" frequently the response was "the genuine people," or "the generosity of the people," or

" the love of the people here." Clearly, God's love is incarnate in the members' lives, and many have found the nurture, support, and encouragement to be something they have learned to expect and depend upon in daily living.

4. MISSIONAL GIVING

Brazil First is responsive to opportunities to share with people in need. Giving financially to ministries that support and encourage the poor of the community, for instance, is a powerful example of generosity. The annual "Faith Promise" ministry, supporting area missions, provides the congregation tangible ways to make a real difference in people's lives. These outreach missions include: Habitat for Humanity, Serving on the Streets, Youth for Christ, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 14th & Chestnut Community Center, missionary support, and several others. In addition, there are other self-supporting missions like Coats for Kids, the Shawl Ministry, the Emergency Food Pantry, the Light House Mission, UMCOR, etc. Each is a tangible way to express God's amazing love and the members of Brazil First obviously want to express it.

5. PRESCHOOL AND SOUP KITCHEN

In addition to financial "giving" to missions, Brazil First has also created several ministries in order to meet human needs in the community. One of those ministries is the Open Hands Preschool, a ministry that currently touches the lives of 55 preschool children and their families each week. The preschool staff is focused, creative, engaged, and creates learning opportunities for spiritual growth. They also express warmth and welcome to the parents and many of these families whom are unchurched. Also, the Soup Kitchen has become an outstanding mission that people depend upon. The Soup Kitchen team serves an average of 70 persons each week from Clay County, some of them homeless. Feeding the hungry is a tangible and profound way to demonstrate God's love and a heartfelt concern for people who are struggling.

Concerns

Brazil First UMC’s greatest areas of concern are as follows:

1. Lack of UNIFYING vision

The consult team commends the congregation of Brazil First for adopting the mission of the United Methodist Church, which is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” However, the church lacks a clear, compelling, God-given vision that directs how the mission will be uniquely carried out by Brazil First. The lack of vision robs the congregation of a sense of direction and prohibits adequate evaluation, goal-setting, and long-range planning.

2. Lack of leadership development

In the absence of an established vision, Brazil First has an ineffective process for recruiting, developing and empowering ministry leaders. Roles, responsibilities and expectations are not clearly defined which results in confusion and frustration. With no clear vision by which to measure ministries, evaluation either does not happen or does not serve to advance the mission and vision.

3. INCOMPLETE DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS

The consult team applauds the leadership of Brazil First in their efforts to begin a discipleship pathway that helps people move through an evolving process of spiritual growth. The team recognizes that this pathway is a work in progress and will be complete when it provides opportunities for spiritual growth and ministry for all ages at all stages of their relationship with Christ.

4. Declining ATTENDANCE

Two of the greatest concerns heard throughout the consultation weekend have been decline in worship attendance and participation of children and youth. The present ministries fail to meet the needs of many in the surrounding culture, especially with regard to families with children and youth. Furthermore, there is no indication that a plan exists to reach and connect those target audiences to Christ and the life of the church.

5. Ineffective communication

Throughout the consultation weekend, many people expressed ineffective communication within the church as a concern. There are no clearly established policies for communication between committees, ministry teams, leadership, and the congregation. In addition, the mystery guest worshipers reported the ineffectiveness of external communications (signage inside and outside the church, website, social media, and print publications.)

IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE ABOVE CONCERNS, BRAZIL FIRST MUST WORK TO IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING NEXT STEPS:

Worship Service

The congregation will have a Worship Service of Prayer and Forgiveness on Sunday morning to embrace God’s mandate for making disciples. This will allow the membership to be fully prepared for the Lord’s vision for the future. This will be led by Catherine Turcotte or someone she provides, in consultation with Pastor Steveby DATE

Core Values Assessment and Discernment

The church organization must have a set of values that provides it with a common and consistent sense of direction. These core values serve as glue and a guiding force that hold a visionary ministry together in the midst of transition. A ministry’s key values or beliefs are the shaping force of the entire institution. Values are the basis for all your behavior, the bottom line for what you will or will not do. Therefore, prior to working on the prescriptions the coach will provide training for the congregation to access and determine what your church’s biblical core values are. This training will be held and values statement written before DATE.

Prescriptions:

Conclusion

We, the consultation team, want to thank you for the opportunity to serve your congregation through this Fruitful Congregation Journey assessment process. Our prayers and hope for your congregation is that God will use this process to help your church become more effective and fruitful. May God give you courage and strength as you move forward.

- Dave Neckers, Lead Consultant

- Ann Handschu, Coach

-Herb Buwalda, Consultant

- Sheila Wilimitis, Consultant

Town Hall Meeting Dates:

Church Conference Date: