STRATEGIC MINSTRY PLAN

TRINITY COVENANT CHURCH

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

“BECOMING A HEALTHY MISSIONAL CHURCH”

  1. THE FIRST ELEMENT OF OUR STRATEGIC MINSTRY PLAN IS TO BECOME A SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY CHURCH. THE FOLLOWING ARE STEPS WE ARE TAKING IN THAT DIRECTION:

First, a few definitions:

This emphasis on spiritual health combines an emphasis on emotional health and contemplative spirituality….

Emotional Maturity is concerned with such things as:

  • Identifying with and having active compassion for others
  • Being aware of how our past influences our present
  • Respecting and loving others without having to change them
  • Accurately self-assessing our strengths, limits and weaknesses and freely sharing them with others

Contemplative Spirituality is concerned with such things as:

  • Positioning ourselves to hear God and remember his presence in all we do
  • Practicing silence, solitude, and a life of unceasing prayer
  • Developing a balanced, harmonious rhythm of life that enables us to be aware of the sacred in all of life
  • Living in committed community that passionately loves Jesus above all else

The Plan:

Summer 2012: Staff reads Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS)

Fall 2012: Staff works through EHS curriculum together

Fall 2012: Sermon Series based on the Mission, Vision and Values of our church as developed by the Direction Team

Fall 2012: Introductory EHS Spiritual Life Class during the Sunday 9:30 education hour

Fall 2012-Winter 2013: New EHS Group leaders recruited

Fall 2012-Spring 2013: Existing CommunityLife Groups adopt EHS curriculum as they are ready

Winter 2013: EHS sermon series, beginning with Geri Scazzero from New Life Fellowship in Long Island, co-author of the workbook for Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, for the purpose of building excitement and encouraging us in our pilgrimage toward health

Lent 2013: “40 Days of Slowing Down” (Cultivating the spaciousness we need in our lives in order to grow spiritually) Includes worship emphasis and educational materials

Winter/Spring 2013: Formation of new groups who meet for the purpose of working through the EHS curriculum

Winter 2013: High School Youth group does their version of EHS

2013 and beyond: Formation of new CommunityLife groups of those who have completed the EHS curriculum

Assessment tool for those who have completed the EHS curriculum

  1. THE SECOND ELEMENT OF OUR STRATEGIC MINISTRY PLAN IS TO STRATEGICALLY ALIGN AND INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRINITY’S OUTREACH. THE FOLLOWING ARE STEPS WE ARE TAKING IN THAT DIRECTION:

First, a few definitions:

  1. What does it mean to ‘strategically align’ outreach?

It means that that every outreach furthers the vision of Trinity.

  1. What characterizes effective outreach?

Effective outreach communicates God’s love for the whole world in such a way that people are drawn to connect with God in an ongoing, deepening relationship and to connect with the community of the church. Our prayer is that people we touch will fully belong to God, and will become committed to each other and to God’s purposes.

  1. What does it mean to ‘increase the effectiveness’ of outreach?

It means to grow the number of people who experience God’s love outside the walls of the church and are invited to hear and respond to the gospel.

Our strategic plan to align and increase the effectiveness of outreach has four dimensions.

A Four Dimensional Framework for Outreach

  1. Communicate the Biblical and Theological Foundation for Outreach
  2. We believe the church is called to evangelize the whole world (Matt 28:18-20).
  3. We believe the church is called to transform society (Isaiah 58; Matt 5:14-16; Matt 25) by caring for individuals and communities.
  4. We believe every follower of Jesus is called to participate in the Great Commission to make disciples (1 Pet 3:15-17).
  5. We believe fulfilling the Great Commission happens as we live the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:29-31).
  6. We believe we are called to bear witness to the boundless riches of Christ to everyone, including those in secular authority (Eph 3:8-11).
  7. Create Structures to Support Outreach
  8. Leadership— Build an outreach team to support and guide ministries of proclamation, compassion, mercy and justice.
  9. Process— Create and oversee the process of discerning where God is at work around us as we respond with new ministries or change existing ministries. Incorporate principles of identifying community felt needs and asset mapping our congregation.
  10. Administration—
  11. Establish a Community Development Corporation.
  12. Create a team to oversee the Barnabas House Supportive Housing Ministry, its vision and administration.
  13. Fund intentional new outreach ministry efforts (see II.b.).
  14. Bear Witness to God’s Love for the World in the World
  15. Shepherd the church to fulfilling the vision and purpose of outreach (see I.) by the actions outlined in part IV.
  16. Call and encourage people to intentionally seek friendships with those who do not follow Christ (see I.c) so they may have natural and normal opportunities to share Christ with them.
  17. Intentionally connect outreach with the proclamation of the gospel & personal invitation to participate in community (see part IV). Allow people the freedom to “belong before they believe”.
  18. Ongoing Steps to Lace Existing and New Ministries to the Vision of Trinity
  19. Enlarge the missional potential of the Christmas Musical by…
  20. Intentionally inviting unchurched friends to sing in the choir
  21. Encouraging CommunityLife Groups to invite friends to the concert and host post-concert gatherings to build relationships with Christians.
  22. Encouraging people to invite their concert guests and members of the choir to accompany them on the Alpha Course.
  23. Connect families touched through MOPS to Trinity…
  24. Offer invitations to the Christmas Musical
  25. Offer invitations to Easter worship
  26. Offer free participation in Community Dinner Nights for families
  27. Seek to connect families touched through MOPS to BHF
  28. Seek to connect families touched through MOPS to Alpha
  29. Connect families touched through Building Healthy Families to Trinity…
  30. Offer invitations to the Christmas Musical
  31. Offer invitations to Easter worship
  32. Offer free participation in Community Dinner Nights for families
  33. Seek to connect families touched through BHF to MOPS
  34. Seek to connect families touched through BHF to Alpha
  35. Seek to begin Seeker Bible Study groups in the Spruce St. neighborhood
  36. Connect families touched through Sonshine Day Care to Trinity…
  37. Offer invitations to the Christmas Musical
  38. Offer invitations to Easter worship
  39. Offer free participation in Community Dinner Nights for families
  40. Seek to connect families touched through Sonshine to Alpha
  41. Seek to connect families touched through Sonshine to BHF
  42. Cultivate opportunities for people to volunteer with outreach ministries…
  43. Barnabas House
  44. MOPS
  45. Alpha
  46. Seasonal Sharing
  47. Leverage Seasonal Sharing with MACC families by inviting families to outreach events throughout the year such as…
  48. Christmas Musical
  49. Easter
  50. Alpha
  51. Leverage Seasonal Sharing by inviting families to ongoing ministries such as…
  52. MOPS
  53. uCommunity Dinner Night
  54. Sunday School & Worship
  55. Teach and model principles of outreach ministries so they can be expressed in the ongoing lives of individuals and the church.
  56. Offer a seminar “How to Love our Muslim Neighbors” — October 2012
  57. Offer a course “The What, Why and How of Building Healthy Families” at Community Dinner Night — Fall 2012
  58. Offer Church Evangelism Training via the Covenant “72” emphasis to help people understand the conversion process and the role of prayer— Fall 2013