FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Visions of an Exceptional Future for the Federated Church

& Preparing for the Call of Our New Senior Minister

Reported by

Bob Cannon

on behalf of the Federated Church Family and Friends that Gathered Together

on November 23, 2003

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Report

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Red Table Discovery

Green Table Discovery

Blue Tables Dreams & Visions

Yellow Tables Design & Destiny

Individual Data

Red Table Data

Green Table Data

Yellow Table Data

Executive Summary

Federated Church is a community of some 1800 members with a decidedly open and accepting feeling of family and home. We take great pride in our Youth Programs serving over 800? young people. We love variety in our services that include great sermons filled with challenging messages, humanness and humor. We have an active Mission & Outreach program that we support in the ChagrinFalls community, the greater Cleveland Area and the World. Our Music ministry is second to none. Our church includes many small groups in a broad variety of programs that helps us develop the feeling of connectedness, the feeling of a small church in the body of a large church.

We are blessed with great leaders in our ministers, our church staff and our committees and small groups. We are blessed with a giving membership; they freely give of their time, their talents, their support and their finances. We are also blessed with great facilities and a reasonable debt.

As we envision our future with a new Senior Minister, we want to build on our diversity. We enjoy a diversity of ideas, a diversity of need, a cultural diversity and an economic diversity. We are weak in racial diversity and that is, primarily a reflection of our community. We are an open and accepting congregation and we want to maintain, promote and build the diversity we have as we move forward.

We take pride in our “Mission & Outreach” efforts and want to expand on that as we move forward. We want to expand our outreach in the ChagrinValley, the greater Cleveland area and the World.

Our Youth Programs are incredible and we want them to be even more incredible as we move forward. The Youth are the key to our future as a church and as a community. We feel our programs are preparing the youth of this church to be citizens and members of the larger world giving and understanding from the Christian perspective. The youth have been instrumental in bringing adults to our church and to our worship services. We want this to get even better and better.

We mentioned the importance of Small Groups and broad programming to building the feeling of a small church even in what is a relatively large church. The small group programming also serves as a stepping-stone in developing connectedness and leadership throughout the congregation. We want to develop programming for everyone and keeping our facilities fully utilized is of great importance.

One of the historical characteristics of the church has been the Welcoming Spirit and vitality of the church. This is an integral part of who we are as a church community and we never want to lose this valuable Christian asset.

Our members are committed to finding a new Senior Minister who will help us build and lift up the Family Feeling, the Connectedness, the Welcoming Spirit and the Vitality that has been and will be FederatedChurch for many years to come. We want to continue to foster the openness that characterizes FederatedChurch. We want to be open, accepting and affirming of a diversity of ideas, culture, economic status, need, programming and race. We want to be open and learn more about how to bring the Holy Spirit into our lives and we want to grow in our spirituality and faith. We want to continue to invite those who “question and have doubts” to come explore with us We are a strong church and we are looking for a Senior Minister to join with us and lead us from our strong base to an even higher level of strength.

On Sunday, November 23, Dr. David Cooperrider conducted an “Appreciative Inquiry” for approximately 350 members of FederatedChurch. The event took place at the FamilyLifeCenter and was intended as a means to gather input from the congregation that will be used by the Search Committee to describe our church to prospective new Senior Ministers. That evening was filled with story after story of people’s most memorable moments within the church, people’s highest hopes and dreams for the future of our church, and visions of things to come. An amazing and heartfelt thing happened that evening: Everyone present knew at that moment that our strength lies in the members of this church, our visions are in the hearts of every member, and every member of this church is committed to a bright, Christ-filled future. People left with a feeling of energy, hope and enthusiasm for what the future holds for us as a church community.

Each participant was asked to respond to the following questions:

  1. To start I’d like to learn about your beginnings at the FederatedChurch. When did you first become part of or connected to the FederatedChurch family as a member of friend?

Based upon the completed questionnaires turned in at the end of the night, the membership in attendance broke down as follows:

2%joined Federated in the 1940’s

7%joined Federated in the 1950’s

2%joined Federated in the 1960’s

4%joined Federated in the 1970’s

9%joined Federated in the 1980’s

23%joined Federated in the 1990’s

10%joined Federated in the 2000’s

What most attracted you to connect/join with Federated? Can you remember your moment of decision—the moment you decided to become part of the community and congregation? Please tell me about that time and what most attracted you.

Are there any stories to put with this question? Why did people join?

  1. Thinking back over your Federated memories, what have been the real “high points” for you as a member or friend of this congregation ---memorable times when you felt best about Federated---times perhaps when you felt most inspired, challenged, engaged, or spiritually nurtured; times you were most proud about being part of this church family.
  2. Name some of the times that stand out for you as high points as a member of friend of Federated.
  3. Now can you tell me the story—in more depth—about one of the high point experiences? What happened? When? Can you remember the feelings you had? What was it about FederatedChurch that allowed you to have this experience?

Some of the stories included:

  • “Rally Day 03 – The feeling of being included as part of a family – the kids and their pride at being part of it all, the wide variety of activities that suit every type of person.”
  • “When joining Federated I was very welcomed and had an overwhelming feeling that it was time to join.”
  • “The time they rolled shopping carts down the aisle filled with food – They had shopped with money they had saved. Warm – exciting – and happy feeling.”
  • “High School experiences for youth w/ soup kitchen, being able to help thers, becoming aware of the need w/in the city and opening eyes to diversity.”
  • “Last day of VacationBibleSchool, children singing togetherness, smiles belonging. Encouragement to be involved.”
  • “Burying my parents and their funerals at the Church were at once both high and low points. It is a feeling of seeing and experiencing the circle/cycle of life.”
  • “Singing “Here I am Lord” following an impassioned sermon by David to be open to God’s calling and what He wants us to do – to act and feeling the spine tingle.”
  • “When I felt needy and just watched people coming down from Worship and the love in people’s eyes.”
  • “Watching my daughter in Christmas Eve pageant, knowing we’d made the right decision to raise her in a strong, loving Christian community.”
  • “The Ensemble prayer groups – prayers for Bob Marquart, fellow ensemblers and for myself. Being able to grieve with these friends when hopes and dreams for a son were challenged. My friends held me in prayer. I could cry while I sang and got knowing supporting looks.”
  • “Mark Simone was suffering with liver disease awaiting a transplant that would be costly. Fed raised a tremendous amount of money ($100k) to meet medical costs. This was the church coming together as a community to help someone in need. The depth of love shown created feelings of awe and wonder. Mark had his surgery on Easter. The next year he played Jesus in the Christmas Play.”
  • “ I recently met someone who said, “I think I know you” and the first thing I said was “I’m a member at FederatedChurch.” It struck me later that the first thing I defined myself by is Federated. I was proud that my church family is so important.”
  • “Freedom to sing and experience the Holy Spirit – That Cantata was so powerful, I felt I was with Christ.”
  • “Shelby’s and John’s Baptism – Dave Norling’s role and how entertaining he was during the process.”
  • “Being in Chancel Choir during Christmas and spring performances.”
  • “Transactional Analysis Weekend Retreat – I discovered a lot about myself that helped my family relationship.”
  • “Christmas offering made me feel how giving the Church is outside of the Church.”
  • “Dave’s account of facing his father’s death, how real it seemed. I could identify with his feelings, reactions and hopes. His talking evokes important emotions in me.”
  • “Building Committee meeting when I led the discussion saying – let’s go forward – listen to all and go forward.”
  • “Pixie’s memorial – the whole congregation seemed to come together and embrace each other.”
  • “I feel grateful to have met such good friends. We just moved into ChagrinFalls from Manhattan, N.Y. It was a HUGE change for me. I left family & friends and a profession that I enjoyed for 43 years. I thank FederatedChurch for their kindness and generosity.
  • “Thru circle involvement and StephenMinistry, I have found a very special family feeling.”
  • “Chairing the meeting where we chose the Christmas Eve offering.”
  • “Being part of a small group that is very supportive. Collecting food and gifts for one of ours who was out of work.”
  • “Receiving a Thank You card from the kids I taught. I felt maybe I made a difference.”
  • “Being allowed to teach Confirmation during Mark Simone’s illness; in particular the confidence others had in my abilities.”
  • “The first Gathering of Women Retreat was so moving – soul searching. The spirituality was unbelievable. I felt close to God and other women there.”
  • “Healing Service – I sensed light all around and I could feel God/Jesus touching me. I felt open and I felt other people’s acceptance of me.”
  • “Christmas Eve- when children returned home from college for Christmas. How special to have the whole family there.”
  • “Rally Day when my kids were singing up at the front, “We are the Church.” My little one got in the car and said, “If we don’t go to Church, it is just a building because people are the Church.”
    ”Preparing the IHN rooms the first couple of times they came. What a wonderful feeling to see the clean, warm rooms and food waiting to give comfort to a needy family to let them rest.”
  • “Cindy Woodie, our sign language interpreter came to Federated for the specific purpose of providing sign language. This was a job and she was actually grumbling, “here goes Sunday morning.” But after meeting with Dave she began to look forward to the service. Then she joined the church after years away from the church.”
  • The gathering of women a few years ago was absolutely one of the peak moments for me in this church. At the end of one of the evening small group conversations, we met in the Chapel for a prayer and healing service. I had been having lots of back pain from a car accident. The pain had been lingering for over a year. I was sitting in the pew with tears strolling down my cheek, Priscilla was talking us through a prayer, opening our hearts to the love in the chapel, pointing out where the angels were, and leading God’s healing light to us. At that moment, I felt the pain in my back tingle and move down my arm and the tingling sensation left out of my fingers. Leaving the chapel, I realized that the pain that had been in my back for over a year was now gone. The healing light of God was truly upon us in the chapel that night.
  1. Distinctive strengths and special qualities: Every Church today must change, transform and grow with God’s radical call---constantly. But vibrant congregations also, in the midst of change, know how to preserve the “positive core” of their special qualities and enduring strengths.
  2. Strengths you bring: Without being too humble what strengths or best qualities do you bring to Federated community? Please tell me about one example—one way that you have shared those strengths alone or in combination with others.
  3. Federated’ special or distinctive strengths: When you think about your hopes and dreams for the future of Federated there are things you would want to see our congregation keep and strengthen. What, in your view, are the 3 most important qualities or special strengths of FederatedChurch—those precious qualities and practices from our past and present that you want us to keep and preserve, even as we move into a new and changing future?

The most important qualities or special strengths reported were as follows:

Youth Programs37%

Great Sermons, Services / Challenging28%

Mission & Outreach27%

(If combined with Community)37%

Music26%

Small Groups / Breadth of Programs19%

  1. Images of an Exceptional Future---Your Hopes and Visions of Federated in 2010. Engaging in envisioning provides an opportunity to listen carefully to God’s call and the call of our times. It is an opportunity to push the creative edges, to do new things, and to wonder and pray about our ministry’s greatest potentials—both internally as a church and externally in our ministry in the world.
  2. Let’s assume that tonight, after the meeting here, you go into a sound sleep and when you awaken it is seven years into the future—the year is now 2010. While we were asleep many exceptional things happened—miracles happened—and the FederatedChurch became something you would most like to see for yourself and friends, for children, for our community and for our world. Now you awaken. You go into the FederatedChurch of 2010 and you get a panoramic view. You are moved and proud in a heartfelt way. It’s the kind of FederatedChurch and community you most want to be part of—one that is living God’s call in fresh, vibrant, meaningful and powerful ways. So now, please share some highlights of what you see in this vision of 2010: What do you see happening that is vital and good? What is happening that is new, different, or better—things that “bring to life” our greatest potential.

The most common visions for the future included:

Diversity32%

(diversity of ideas, need, culture, race)

Mission & Outreach27%

Youth Programs26%

Small Groups and Breadth of Programs15%

Welcoming Spirit & Vitality13%

  1. What is it that most excites you about your vision of Federated in 2010?
  1. Transitions—we have all experienced transitions and probably have ideas that can help make our congregation’s transition a successful and positive one.
  2. Of all the things you have shared with me tonight, what do you most want a future senior minister to know about our congregation—the Federated family?

As we approach the transition to a new Senior Minister, the things that are most important for that person to know are:

Connected / Family Feeling16%

Openness13%

(to diversity, ideas, challenges etc.)

Spirituality / Growth11%

Welcoming Spirit / Vitality11%

Diversity11%

(We are diverse and want more diversity)

  1. What, in your view are the steps we—as people of this congregation—can do to make this transition healthy and successful…
  2. What is the smallest step we could each personally take that would have the biggest impact?
  3. What is a bigger or bolder step we can take as a Church—in groups or as a community to make this transition healthy and successful?
  1. Dave and Priscilla said in their letter:

“This is not easy because we love this place of grace and all of you”.

What, at this early phase of transition, would you most want to say to Dave and Priscilla—as it relates to how you feel about them and our relationship with them, as well as how it relates to our transition ahead?

After everyone had answered the questions individually, the participants were paired with someone they didn’t know and each interviewed the other for 25 minutes and then the roles were reversed. The idea in doing these interviews was to go deeper into the stories and ideas of each person. At the end of the second 25-minute time period, Dr. Cooperrider had everyone re-assemble in tables of eight. At each table there was a Discussion Leader, a Timekeeper, a Recorder and a Reporter. At the table, each person introduced themselves (from question 1 and 2)—Who they are—and one memorable “highpoint” experience at Federated.