Healthy Transitions
 

February 5, 2012

                                                                                                                           

“Hello!” from the Transition Team                                                        

Our group met with Pastor Sproul for the first time on January 8th.  Our focus was on understanding the role of our group, and how we could best support the Congregation through this transitional period.  The discussion, as you can likely imagine, was broad ranging.  Two main themes emerged:

  • Effective communication is essential for us, as a Congregation, to move from where we are today, to a yet-to-be-defined common vision of ourselves.  As we need to be sure we are talking and listening to each other, the Transition Team is committed to creating easy and consistent ways for you to reach us, and for us to share our activities with you.  So . . .
    • The first thing we need to do is make sure you know who we are.   To help, we’ll be posting a picture of each of us, with a brief bio, on the bulletin board and in upcoming Newsletters, beginning in February.
    • We then need to be sure you have a way/time to speak with us and share your thoughts.  To help on this front, we will
      • Host the coffee hour once a month, beginning on February 12th.
      • Include our contact info in our bios.
      • Conduct surveys in key areas affecting our Congregation to help ensure we have heard from anyone and everyone possible.
    • We also need to ensure we are communicating with you in ways that work, providing consistent and to-the-point updates on our work, where we are  in the transitional process, key milestones, and next steps.   To that end, we will:
      • Provide brief periodic updates in the bulletin
      • Make brief announcements/updates at Services
      • Provide monthly summaries in the newsletter
      • Share our activities at the monthly coffees we host
      • Leave printed copies of our Newsletter notices in the narthex.
  • Understanding your thoughts about CTK’s weekly Services is of primary importance. Specifically what do you find most meaningful at your preferred Service, and what could be improved upon?  This may seem like a small point in the overall scope of our work, but your thoughts on this front tell us much about who we are now, and where we want to go.  These views are the hub of what will shape our future direction.  Although they are not all that will help guide us, they are a significant factor.   As such, we will:
    • Create a survey designed to help elicit and capture your thoughts on our current Services.
    • Distribute the survey at Services and our Coffee Hours beginning February 12th. 
    • Communicate the findings to you and how we believe they help to shape our needs and future.

Communication is a two-way street.  We need your input so the members of our Congregation can help each other as we begin our transition.  The more we all learn about the processes of change we are beginning, the more our Congregation can benefit.  We would like to thank you in advance for joining with us to help set the future of our congregation.  Please give careful thought and consideration to the surveys and questions that will be asked.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us on the Transition Team.  We are all in this together and we ask God’s help to guide us.

Respectfully,

The Transition Team

Deb Coppins                djcoppins@gmail.com                       774-217-1160

Linnea Grealish            lgrealish@batterymarch.com              508-528-7231

Jim Holmes                  jim.holmes@mpi.com                        774-233-0297

Jim Ward                     profjward@comcast.net                     508-528-0052

2011 FALL SURVEY REPORT - Pastor Sproul

INTRODUCTION:

Nearly 80 confirmed members of Christ The King Lutheran Church (CTK) of Holliston, Massachusetts, attended small group “cottage” meetings from late October to late November 2011. At the end of the 90-minute or so meeting a questionnaire was distributed. 40 people have returned the completed response form as of December 7, 2011. It seems to be a representative sampling of active members. We thank everyone who attended and more so those who took time to answer the questions.

The responses naturally evolved into three identifiable groups: a) 7 youth, b) 20 people who have have joined since the contemporary service began, and c) 13 are those who were attending before the contemporary services started here. The letters with each set of responses refers back to these groupings. A number following a response indicates the number of individuals giving essentially this same answer.

WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE COMING TO CTK ?

  1. to be with other youth - 2; fun - 3; likes small community; likes ushering; good connection between youth and adults; nice people at CTK - 2; warm community - 2; spiritual teachings; likes being part of bell choir; meeting people from different towns

  2. being with other younger adults & families who come here - 3; contemporary service - 7; warm, friendly, family atmosphere - 8; religion/my faith/need for God - 6; location; children’s programs including Sunday School - 2; kid friendly - 2; pastors - 5; blends denominational backgrounds; opportunities for adults to serve others - 6

  3. cradle Lutheran - 4; spiritual home/place to affirm faith - 4; warm family feeling/friends - 5; worship & hearing God’s Word - 4; pastors - 4; Sunday School for kids; my commitment to God; able to serve the Lord here; closest Lutheran church to my town

WHAT HAS CAUSED THE DROP IN SERVICE ATTENDANCE OVER THE PAST 7 YEARS ?

  1. (not asked of youth)

  2. no idea - 3; people moved away without being replaced - 6; poor preaching and no spiritual nourishment; lacking adult education/small groups - 3; some concerns with pastors; busy-ness of Sunday schedules - 5; loss of vibrancy/stagnant/apathy/burnout - 6; less connection now than before with other people here; too many people not involved beyond sunday morning - 3; weak outreach/evangelism efforts - 3; fewer kids & weaker Sunday School - 3; culturally less support for church; difficulty dealing with the office staff creates a barrier to entry

  3. people moving away without other Lutherans transferring in - 7; too many other time commitments - 2; we’re not friendly/welcoming enough - 4; lack of evangelism/outreach - 3; lack of adult programs especially education - 3; too heavy on finances/buildings - 3; lack of opportunity for lay leadership; Sunday School during church times; differences of opinion; maybe not getting enough out of coming (meaningful message, sense of comfort, etc.)

WHAT HAS CHANGED THE MOST OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS? (asked of youth only)

  1. no idea; staff changes (Abby, Pastor Janisko, VBS leadership) - 3; Pre-School; Confirmation and Youth group are better than Sunday School; fewer people in my age group come

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT THE MOST? (asked of youth only)

  1. my learning; pastoral mismatch to congregation - 3; budget - 5; people leaving because of Pastor Janisko retiring - 2

WHAT IS CTK BEST KNOWN FOR IN THE COMMUNITY?

  1. (not asked of youth)

  2. don’t know - 6; not that well known - 2; Blessed Beginnings - 9; tag sale - 4; “the church in the middle of nowhere”; church services & music - 6; easter egg hunt - 4; 5K race - 2; community service (IHN, Stephen Ministry) - 5; facility & rentals - 4;  youth and kids activities - 2;  “outreach” - 2;  support for Calumet

  3. don’t know/not known - 6; Pastor Janisko - 5; Pre-School - 3; welcoming/friendly - 4; contemporary service/praise band - 3; Sunday worship; music program - 2; serving needs through IHN; great facility; only Lutheran church in area; summer outdoor chapel service

WHAT ARE CTK'S GREATEST STRENGTHS?

  1. accepting/welcoming community - 4; we have a youth group; tight knit; lots of young people; music program; good Sunday School program; small; “praise which rocks” on Sundays

  2. young congregation/lots of kids/multigenerational - 5; friendliness/comfortable people - 4; “the congregation itself”; multiple good worship opportunities - 7; stability of the years; music program - 3; location & facilities - 4; Stephen Ministry & IHN - 3; Mom’s group - 2; faith; dedicated volunteers - 2; “a base of good Lutherans”; outreach; Pastor Nancy’s ability to connect with kids

  3. no idea; contemporary service - 2; serving others - 3; pastors - 2; little dissension; members - 5; facilities - 4; Pre-school; other programs - 4; young families have found us --> potential - 2; accepting folks from diverse backgrounds; fiscal management and support; great office support especially for being a communication hub; traditions; summer outdoor service; solid body of long-time members; choice in services to attend.

OTHER COMMENTS:

1. Regarding maintaining and improving CTK

  • improve Sunday School; there are lots of young people who need Christian education;

  • be more involved with ELCA; be willing to try more new things - 2; be involved with youth and kids; treat Pastor Nancy with respect as she has given us so much; re-energize and re-engage members; increase lay involvement in leadership; have more compelling sermons; have greater focus on brand identity; continue commitment to music; continue to make young families feel welcome through the contemporary service; solidify Sunday School curriculum; manage budget problems and reduce the deficit; don’t lose sense of community; better communication - 3; hire a youth group leader; set goals/objectives for committees each year; send a letter to all current and recent members to invite them back and to them into the process; work at reaching the unchurched; youth program has difficulty because it is run by volunteers & attendance is inconsistent; the 9:45 service until recently was run different which never made sense while creating sense of divisiveness - a Saturday service might help as was suggested a few years ago; make sure all voices are heard; share what we have since we have more than most; need to get to know each other better; consider moving to two services; reorganize committees; figure out how to get people to volunteer; more creativity and variation in worship service (i.e. more of chimes and other things); have children’s sermons; emphasize young congregation while still nurturing the older members;

  • new hymnal is very confusing so develop a simple format and use familiar hymns 2; involve as many as possible in the process; listen to all thoughts - 2; reemphasis on growth; renew spirit of volunteerism - 2; improve contemporary service by making it more Lutheran; follow the process and focus on end goal; reconsider need for three services - 2; have Sunday school and adult class between services; encourage children to attend worship; would be great to be more visible since we are off the beaten track - thus make ourselves knows as warm and welcoming; be more family friendly with our worship schedule; would be happy if we moved in direction of becoming a “Reconciling in Christ” congregation {EWS note: this means welcoming of all various sexualities} - 2; program development in general (with new pastor); continue contemporary service; move forward by avoiding being an ethnic enclave; encourage everyone to pray regularly; preserve the legacy while igniting the Holy Spirit in everyone; over communicate the process as we go along - maybe a conspicuous designated bulletin board; music is big factor - teach new songs rather than just throw them at us; photo directory could help us learn names

2. Regarding issues around the new pastor

  • the new pastor should know we are a small and welcoming community; find a pastor who connects with youth and kids - 2; a strong leader who supports the contemporary service; should be funny, nice, easy to talk to; can sing

  • pastoral visits to everyone’s home; get someone who is genuine, trustworthy, wants to be part of this congregation; need a person who can lead by empowering others; do not rule out getting a pastor with only a few years experience; need a strong leader who can galvanize the congregation into becoming more involved, can attract new families, improve evangelism and stewardship efforts, and can help church reach its potential; need an energetic, charismatic pastor

  • new pastor needs to have a passion for the contemporary service because many have a connection with that music

 

OBSERVATIONS - General: There is real sense of truth-telling in these responses. People have generously shared their views. They may not agree on all the details - some are heartfelt while others are just brainstorms - but they are offered in the hope of the congregation going from good to great (to use the theme of a popular business book.) What follows are what I have discerned from the previous three pages. Others are invited to add or subtract.

OBSERVATIONS- General consensus on positive themes:

  • The congregation perceives itself to be warm, welcoming, and friendly. All congregations do. In fact most congregations are very friendly to those they know. Over time many who used to be friendly become less so as the outgoing folks get more caught up in seeing their friends. Most congregations have a few outgoing, friendly people. Has this assumption of warm welcomes been tested out lately? A minority thinks it is not what it used to be.

  • Another big theme is enjoyment of worship and music. Members perceive quality music leadership (rightly in my opinion). Attendance drops nearly in half when the band is not available in the summer while most congregations in this part of the country see something more like a 30% drop in the summer. At the traditional service the piano does not offer as strong a presence as the organ, plus we are limited in what pieces of the liturgy we can use.

  • The facilities are rated highly as an asset although there seems to be a debate about the location.

  • Four programs serving needs are seen positively: IHN, Stephen Ministry, Blessed Beginnings PreSchool, and the Mom’s Group. Interestingly they are all aimed beyond ourselves.

OBSERVATIONS- General consensus on less positive themes:

  • We do not really know what those outside our congregation think of us, what our public impression may be. In reading all the comments on what we are known for, one sees much guesswork and little confidence or else sees what we think of ourselves. For instance, without having seen these events myself, I wonder how many non-members attend our fundraisers or even know where we are. Anything that only involves members is not making an impression on the community.

  • Leadership (not the individual leaders themselves) and decision-making needs to be strengthened and become more participatory. Many boards and committees need to be resurrected, others simply need strengthening or the authority to make meaningful decisions. Communication is in a seriously deficit mode.

  • With the exception of the four programs mentioned above, programs are widely lacking or not as strong as they used to be. This is directly related to the previous item. Sunday School, Youth group, adult education, evangelism, etc. are critiqued albeit with a sense of hope. Many programs others churches have do not exist here. See below for a consultant’s note on program operations.

  • Also related to the above items is the the deficit in volunteers, although those who do volunteer are perceived to be of good quality. I affirm the talent level of the congregation. See below for more on volunteerism.

OBSERVATIONS- A consultant’s perspective:

  • This congregation has maintained what consultants call a “Pastor Centered” operational style when the numbers suggest it should have become a “Program Centered” church. {These terms do not imply a lack of keeping Christ at the center but refer instead to how things get organized and communicated. I have a more complete one-page handout I would be happy to share with anyone interested in it.} The dividing line is somewhere around an average attendance of 150. Six to eight years ago this congregation was double that and is still somewhat above that! This is the real reason for the membership and attendance drop in recent years. All the other reasons cited are true to some extent. It is interesting sometimes for more reflective folks to consider this question: what is a reason and what is an excuse?

  • This congregation has too much reliance on one program - worship - and in particular the Praise Band. It has generated enthusiasm. It has carried the congregation in many ways for the past 15 years. It is hard to laud it too much. The members of that ministry deserve our overwhelming gratitude. However, that popular perception obscures some undercurrents.   a) Too few make the shift from the entry point to becoming part of the wider ministry of the congregation. In fact many don’t become part of the worship but only passively observe it. Gifts of time and financial support are way below average among these folks. We love having them but worry about how long they will stay after their kids leave for college and how their faithful discipleship is developing. b) On another note here, I am left with questions:(perhaps for another survey): In addition to the music, what do folks like and find essential in the contemporary service? What do they miss from other worship formats? What would they like to see added, deleted, or left alone?

  • The big struggle for churches in our age is moving from a membership focus to a discipleship focus. Even though we have a chunk of folks who barely consider themselves members, we have many who share their talents, skills, and passions generously. Rest assured I do not see the issue as those who are involved vs. those who are not, but rather as those who are growing in faith and the resulting discipleship vs. those who are not. So at every chance, we need to be adding something to everyone’s spiritual journey. Maybe we can keep it simple but without being simplistic, and then get to the complexities when other opportunities arise.

  • When volunteerism drops off, one of three things has happened: people have been criticized for their efforts rather than encouraged into better ways; people have been cornered into additional tasks they did not sign up for; or people have have been micromanaged and not allowed to make decisions. Part of any lay leadership redevelopment needs to pay close attention to these issues, both for the board and committee members themselves and for those they recruit into direct leadership of the programs. The best way to do this is to recruit people to use their specific gifts and talents rather than just fill slots in the organization. That way they thrive rather than get discouraged, feel unappreciated, or burn out.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

  • Continue the process just beginning to review the past, state our new identity and a vision for the future, and then outline a path to achieve that future with specific gifts called for in our new leaders(s). The Transition Team and the Interim Pastor will guide this process. The Council is responsible for listening and articulating the findings and plans with the assistance of the Ministry Site Profile drafting team.

  • Provide for a review of communications, both internal and external.

  • Revitalize boards and committees with persons gifted for the various specific tasks. Most will have overflowing plates as they grapple with the multitude of responsibilities and opportunities around us. The Council will need to respect their work by delegating much authority. The members of committees and boards will likewise need to delegate authority to the leaders of the various programs.

  • Multiply the number of program groups to the ends that people are assisted in their spiritual journeys and/or their specific needs.

  • Ask the Nominating Committee to function all year. Its added duties will be to nominate board and committee members as needed according to the individual’s skills, talents, passions, and other relevant gifts. They shall also advise boards and committees in seeking the best fitted persons for the various program and group leadership roles.

  • Task the Transition Team to add to the list of data gathering activities an assessment of the worship services - both quality and scheduling.

  • The 2012 Congregation Council should have a 20-minute block allocated for briefings on a) managing various church sizes, b) the difference between relational keys (these energize) and functional keys (these are the “squeaky wheels”), c) alternative staffing models for churches our size; and (later) d) reviewing the MSP. Expect to add other topics to this list.

  • Ask each program-centered board and committee to state at least annually how its area of ministry is going from good to great and how it is helping members to move from membership into discipleship.

  • All of this should wrapped in prayer so I suggest forming a special prayer team to support the entire transitional process.

12/12/11 - EWS

FOR REFERNCE:
The CTK Constitution

Ministry Site Profile Form

Scroll to bottom of page and click on the Ministry Site Profile link.  (Be aware you will have to download the pff program.)

Healthy Transitions   (last entry on linked page), New England Synod Document

The Intentional Interim Process at Christ The King

Christ The King is heading into new experiences and opening itself for new opportunities and with such movement, anxieties rise. During my time as Intentional Interim I plan to have various sessions to get to know you collectively, to investigate the questions, accomplish the five interim tasks I introduced to you [see the reverse side of this document] and thereby help you understand CTK and God’s leading of this community.  Watch for announcement of these sessions and plan to attend.  It is my hope that all participate.  Reports will be posted for your information.  In an effort to address the most common concerns and questions being heard, I offer the following.

CTK is not the church it was 16 years ago, five years ago, or even in July. The Janiskos are gone. That fact alone changes the internal identity of the congregation. In addition, others have come and gone in recent months and years and all of these transitions affect the congregation. So, our first tasks  - before any votes are taken on anything - are to (re)discover:

  • who and where we are

  • our history and how we got here

  • how the congregation is different and how is it still the same

  • what are our current key strengths upon which we will build

  • what direction do we want to go

Exploring and finding the answers to these questions means creating a clear vision and common goals. Those will need to be articulated before the Ministry Site Profile (MSP) can be drafted.  This process will require the congregation to talk about and answer questions about how many pastors do we need, and how many services, etc.  

The Ministry Site Profile is used by the Synod to help them match the specific needs of the congregation with the specific skill sets of various pastors. The data needed to complete this document will be provided by a small group invited by Council to draft the document.  [Copies of the Ministry Site Profile document can be found on the Synod website or in the Christ The King office.] I always recommend that the Council have open forums with all interested members to discuss the MSP as it nears completion so everyone has input. The Council will have the responsibility of amending and approving it before it goes to the Synod Staff. The Synod Staff uses the MSP to help them match the specific needs of the congregation with the specific skill set of the various pastors.  They then nominate the best available pastor. CTK’s Call Committee then interviews the candidate with a focus on ministry issues, worships with him or her, checks references, and researches in any other way they can find. This process repeats until the committee finds a candidate they can recommend to the Council as the next pastor. The Council has an interview with a focus on administrative issues and compensation details. The Council can say no and send the process back to the committee or they can call a Special Meeting of the Congregation for the purpose of voting to Call after the candidate meets people and leads worship here. All voting members as determined by the constitution can vote. Note that there is no absentee voting and at every level a two-thirds majority is needed.

Pastor Nancy Risty has been on staff as the Associate Pastor at Christ The King for many years and was called by the congregation for specific duties as Associate Pastor.  Being a solo pastor or a senior pastor is a different call and requires some different skills.  Because they are seen as two very different positions, The New England Synod has a co-terminus policy that all associate pastors’ calls end with the departure of the senior pastor. Not all synods have this policy. The policy was created by the Synod to specifically address moving the Associate Pastor “up” in light of information which showed this process resulting in divided congregations, major conflict and membership losses of one third or more within the two following years.  In my humble opinion, that is why the synod advises against associate pastors just continuing on - it could deeply harm both the congregation and the pastor’s career. Pastor Risty has agreed, and expressed her compliance in a “Letter to the Congregation…” written for the April 2011 Newsletter.  The congregation needs to discern God’s will for its mission and ministry just as Pastor Risty needs to discern God’s leading in her life. It is not a question of whether you like her or not, but rather of God’s gifts and calling at this time for all parties involved.

I look forward to serving both as pastor and as facilitator in the process at CTK. May God’s wisdom and grace be with us all in these months together.

Pastor Ed Sproul

 

Steps In The Call Process

Where are we? (An X marks those steps that have been completed.)

X  A pastor resigns

X  A celebration of the pastor’s ministry and farewell is given

X  An Intentional Interim Pastor is contracted to serve as pastor and lead the transition process

X  The departing pastor and congregation covenant to keep healthy boundaries of separation. (These primarily state the pastor will no longer provide pastoral services nor discuss church issues with members. Personal contacts will be limited to close friendships.)

X  The former pastor departs and the interim pastor begins.

  • The congregation continues most of its ministries while also addressing the five interim goals:

    • 1. Come to terms with its history

    • 2. Claim a new or renewed identity

    • 3. Adapt to new leadership

    • 4. Strengthen ties to the synod

    • 5. Embrace a vision of the future

  • Write up the Ministry Site Profile (MSP).  This document includes present data about the congregation, goals for the future, and identifies specific qualities desired in a new pastoral leader)

  • Dialogue with the Bishop or Bishop’s Associate about the MSP and possibly revise it

  • Submit the final MSP

  • Elect a diverse Call Committee of six voting members

  • The Call Committee interviews one pastoral candidate at a time as nominated by the bishop seeking to discern whether the candidate’s gifts and personal characteristics would be the right  match for CTK’s mission and ministry going forward. Research is done, references are checked, conversations are held, and they will probably worship with the candidate leading. This process is repeated until a candidate arises who can be recommended for Call.

  • The Call Committee recommends a pastoral candidate to the Congregation Council

  • The Congregation Council interviews the recommended candidate. They might decline to forward the nomination, asking the Call Committee to seek another, going back two steps in the process. If they concur with the Call Committee, they will negotiate a compensation package and other transitional details.

  • The Pastor-designate will visit with the congregation and lead worship.

  • A special meeting of the congregation will vote to call (or not) this particular pastor.

  • A two thirds majority is required to elect. If the election fails, the process resumes four steps back.

  • The new pastor arrives, settles in, and begins serving. At some point before this, the interim pastor departs with an appropriate farewell event.

  • The new pastor is officially installed by the Dean of the Conference during a special service.