Responses to Question 1 - "What are the unique contributions that
Trinity First Lutheran Church makes to this neighborhood?"
- School!!!
- offer Christ's love to a population in transition
- central geographic location
- only LCMS church in immediate area
- located in largest mission field
- a hub for missions
- a mission center catalyst
- outreach programs are multi cultural
- ethnic mission opportunities
- freely share campus - free of charge
- shares the theology of Grace
- Community of Faith - (Tuesday evening mission)
Other answers:
- a shelter from the worldliness of today
- a building that is equipped to facilitate missions
- presence
- garage sale
- friendliness of congregation
- Fall Festival
- Spring Musical
- Tom's all beef hot dog ministry
- Men's Saturday group
- Tuesday Family Praise and Worship
- African Service
- Sunday AM Worship
- tape ministry - Leo
- event site -- Cub Scouts, Ventura Village
- Bible preaching church
- gym
- stable neighborhood presence
- school library - resources for others
- oldest LCMS church in MN, unique for 150 years
- German Service
- always been a mission church
- wide variety of people and things happening here
- kids know they are safe here
- kids bring parents to church
- asset tot he community
- open door
- 7 ministries
- large building, hard to miss
- connected to summer Art Fair
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Responses to Question 2 - "How do you see God leading us to respond to
a spending deficit and a lack of personnel?"
- pray
- money follows mission
- God provides
- trust God to lead us to donors
- hire a facilities - office manager
- those who use share the cost
- each one reach one
- outreach
- talk with synod, district
- give assets to school
- share expenses with school
- merge with other congregations, ministries
- prepare a budget and evaluate expenses
- cut expenses and relocate
- redesign leadership roles to meet needs
Other answers:
- half time pastor
- don't be afraid to ask for help
- use our square footage better
- become energy efficient
- solicit for $$$
- reduce personnel / paid staff
- reorganize mission structure
- change Called positions to Missionaries
- increased volunteers - more participation
- change from congregation to mission
- rent out facilities - lease building
- services in basement during winter
- hire CEO or DCO
- see what funding is available from Synod
- consolidate boards and committees
- Board of Directors instead of church council
- inform congregation of finances
- fundraisers
- offer a service that appeals to the younger people
- change the constitution
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It is true, finances have always been tight. We don't have a budget per
se and we operate as a "faith-based" mission. God has not failed us yet.
praise God! |
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But... over the past year we've been given a much clearer view of our
financial standing - and it isn't pretty. Our current giving / spending
pattern does not appear to be sustainable. |
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Congregational President Katherine Doepke reports that we have approximately
20 active leaders (i.e. people who do at least 1 thing beyond attend
worship) and that we have 26 members over 80 years of age. We
have felt limited by the number of people who are willing and able to carry
out the functions that make a complex congregation run. |
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What shall we do if indeed we are no longer a viable congregation in terms
of living up to the demands of our present organization al structure and
fixed overhead costs? Yes, it appears as though Trinity First Evangelical
Lutheran Church is at a crossroads! And so we must ask: Is this a time
for drastic measures? |
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The Church Council would like your input and feedback so they can do
the research and planning that would be necessary to prepare options and
resolution(s) for the Voters to consider if drastic measures
are indeed necessary. Because the Council desires to do this listening,
the entire congregation is invited to a Forum for Congregational Dialogue
on Sunday, November 4th at 11:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. We
certainly won't solve this problem in one month - let alone one day - so we
promise to be wrapped up by noon. |
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The sharing will utilize a process of "brainstorming" so I should say
something about that. Brainstorming is a creativity technique designed to
generate a large number of ideas for the solution to a problem.
How does it work? Criticism, judgment, and evaluation should be put 'on
hold'. Instead of immediately stating what might be wrong with an idea,
the participants focus on extending or adding to it and so reserve
criticism for a later stage in the process. To get a good and long list
of ideas, unusual ideas are welcomed. Unusual ideas may open new ways
of thinking and provide better solutions than regular ideas. Good ideas
can be combined to form a single very good idea, as suggested the slogan
"1+1=3". |
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This Forum for Congregational Dialogue will NOT be a time in which we
"dream big dreams" of the future of our ministry, do strategic planning,
etc. We've done that before and are presently engaged in it. Instead, we
will brainstorm creative ideas and get feedback on the most pressing problem
at hand: our unsustainable giving / spending pattern. |
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Now, in order to prime the pump, I'd like to share my various brainstorms on
the topic. These brainstorms have been improved upon by my conversations
with the Elders and the Council. I invite you to improve upon them yourself.
Perhaps you will even mix 'n match! They are in no particular order (Note:
the first 4 help define the problem; the 11 that follow are creative
solutions to the problem.) |
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As I look at the financials I see that
TFL can afford a full-time pastor or the building - but not both. This
has been the case for some time, but we've only recently realized the
severity of the situation.
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In my mind, releasing part-time staff
(secretary, organist, Muslim Outreach) will not solve the underlying
issues - it would only be a band aid.
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Special appeals to fund ethnic church
planters, the general fund, or the facility can only be done so many
times and is not a long-term solution. On the other had, the school
enjoys a find reputation across the District as an unqualified success
and has proven to be quite "fundable". Praise God!
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The answer is not to give more. The
tenacious few who are left are perhaps the best givers per capita in the
whole state! I suspect that everyone is doing the best they can. You
can't squeeze blood from a turnip!
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Pray for large estate gift(s). The
interest on 1.5 million dollars will cover the entire package for 1
full-time pastor.
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Pray for an influx of wage-earners and
tithers in their 40s and 50s.
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Deed property to school and disband the
congregation. Would the school be able to manage the property? What
would be the fate of the new Church Plants?
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Deed property to school and congregation
is relieve of facility expense and the school graciously allows the
congregation to continue to worship here.
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Deed property to school and congregation
moves to a space suitable for its membership size (storefront, in a
home, in another congregation, etc.)
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Ask school to assume custodial expenses
(25-30K per year) and perhaps some for utilities.
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As Pastor Jake to go down to 1/2 time and
become a tentmaker (get a job outside of TFL). What would be the focus
of his 1/2 time work at TFL? The mission? Or the historic congregation?
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Release Pastor Jake altogether and get by
with a very part-time pastor to provide "hospice" care. (In my mind this
could be sustained for about 10 years and then TFL wouldn't be able to
afford ever the building anymore.) Perhaps the District or LINC Twin
Cities" or the current church planters could stay on and tackle the
mission.
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Re-visit discussions with the MN South
District or LINC Twin Cities to assume responsibility for the property.
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Does a suburban sister congregation want
an inner-city campus?
- Wait to see if CDP can come thru for us to re-develop our property
in a way that will generate some on-going revenue.
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Again, this Forum for Congregational Dialogue will be a time for
listening, sharing, and "taking temperatures." No votes will be taken. No
decisions will be made. If it is evident that the Holy Spirit of God is
leading us to take drastic measures, I anticipate that we'd have at least
one more Forum for Congregational Dialogue before a Voter's Assembly would
consider any proposed resolutions. You are an important part of Trinity
First. Your opinion matters . Your sanctified brainstorms are crucial! I
hope that you'll b able to attend and that your voice will be heard! |
For the Lost,
Rev. Jacob Gillard |