GATHERING, FELLOWSHIP AND EDUCATION SPACES

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1 The storage room on the south side of the sanctuary was defiantly full if not cluttered. I did wonder if it wasn t time for some organized sorting and tossing. Based on generally accepted measurements, we know that when a sanctuary is more than 80% capacity on a regular basis, it will impact worship attendance with an overcrowded feeling. In the same manner, if a sanctuary is less than 40% of capacity it will also impact worship attendance as participants feel it is uncomfortably empty. It is estimated that the sanctuary has a total seating capacity of 300. Based on the Average Worship Attendance, the current sanctuary usage is below the appropriate capacity range. 44

2 GATHERING, FELLOWSHIP AND EDUCATION SPACES As you turn to leave the sanctuary you are confronted by this wonderful view into the Great Hall which serves as a gathering space for fellowship, classes, meetings, meals and other community activities. Many of these events and gatherings take place in or near a fire place setting that is located in the middle of the hall. The hall can hold around 200, which it does during the annual Swiss Steak Supper. A quick word about signage. While there are signs on most of the rooms they are set in such a way that they may not be visible to visitors. I do wonder if it might be an act of hospitality to put up some signs that are at right angle to the wall. The congregation may know where to go when told where a meeting will take place but a visitor probably will not. If the church wants to be welcoming then they should not assume everyone knows where to go. 45

3 When I first entered the Great Hall I noticed a series of mailboxes. Most churches have a small number of boxes that are used by church officers and committees. In Redeemer s case every member has a mailbox. While I wonder how much they are used it did feel to me like a statement of inclusion. To paraphrase the Cheers theme song: It must be nice to go where everybody knows your name, and they re always glad you came and you even have a mail box. Along with the two that are in the sanctuary, in the Great Hall there are two classrooms that can be divided in half. There is a room they call the room behind the fireplace that is curiously behind the fireplace. There is also a music room at the south end of the hall. All of these spaces are all well maintained and free from clutter. There is a nursery with a child friendly bathroom. The furniture and toys in the nursery seemed to be age appropriate and in good repair. While there is a changing table in the nursery there is no crib. This is in part because the church encourages the presence of children in worship. 46

4 The congregation does have a safe church policy. This is reflected in the fact that all of the classroom spaces have windows that face into the Great Hall. 47

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6 The kitchen like most of the spaces in the building is well maintained and the appliances are up to date. The wiring is up to code and the fire extinguishers here and through the building inspections are current. One interesting feature is the number of outlets that run along the outside walls. I was told that this was so they can run several roaster ovens at once for their Swiss Steak Supper. This is also an example of the well thought out the planning for the building. The Kitchen is considered by the health department to be a warming kitchen but they do cook for the public as well as themselves. While they do not have a fire suppression system in the hood they are considering installing one in the future. 49

7 ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER SPACES 50

8 The pastor s study and church office are located on the west side of the Great Hall. There is also a meeting space and a room that was intended to be a library but is used mostly for meetings and weddings. At the risk of being redundant all of these spaces are well cared for and for the most part free from clutter. The electronic equipment is up to date. In fact I was told that they had recently replaced the computers that were purchased when the building was opened in

9 All four of the bathrooms are accessible and clean. The bathroom on the office side of the Great Hall has a shower. Along with the other rooms there are motion sensors to turn on and off the light. This is one more way the congregation has demonstrated their commitment to the ecology and the bottom line. 52

10 There are several storage and janitorial closets. While not overwhelmed with stuff they could use some selective tossing. SYSTEMS 53

11 One of the blessings that came with their new building are new HVAC systems. They use force air heated by hot water boilers. The building is zoned with one system that includes 4 ac units that serves the Great Hall and Sanctuary and then 2 others that serve the classrooms and offices. In all there are 6 ac units. All of the HVAC systems are regularly maintained and inspected. The Fire extinguishers inspections are up to date and the electrical system is up to code. DEFERRED MAINTENANCE While some New Beginnings congregations have poorly tended facilities. These facilities are not just a turn off for guests and members. They also can become a costly money pit that defers mission. Given its age this is not the case of Redeemer. Its facility is a turn on for guests and members. In my visit I only found two issues of deferred maintenance listed below. The congregation is aware of both issues and is in the process of attending to them. Though blessed by a new and well maintained facility the congregation is aware that they need to be prepared for future maintenance issues which time will surely bring. To that end they have a special purchases account funded by contributions made by groups using the building and other activities such as weddings. This fund will help pay for the cost of resurfacing and restriping the parking lot. DEFERRED MAINTANCE ITEMS 54

12 Parking lot shows a need for resurfacing and restriping Retaining wall along entrance needs to be reset USE OF THE FACILITIES The church building is a valuable resource for both the congregation and the community. A good indicator of a congregation s willingness to engage a community is by looking at how the church uses this resource. Based on total building use, the graph below demonstrates the percentage of total usage by outside groups. These groups are open to the community and often times led by people other than church participants. 55

13 Congregants are often amazed at how little a building gets used. We divided your facility into kinds of space. The sanctuary is considered worship space, the fellowship hall and narthex fellowship space, etc. Using your church calendar, we have calculated the hours each kind of space is used and calculated the percentage of time it is utilized. This percentage is based on the space being available just 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. LITTLE USE BY COMMUNITY A quick look at these charts demonstrate a church that is nervous about engaging the community around them. There is little use of the facilities by the community, which may be a sign the congregation has turned inward rather than outward. However during the assessment I did not hear or observe any resistance to letting outside groups use the building. They seem to encourage it. In fact several folk exhibited some pride when they told me they didn t charge rent. However the reality is that it appears not many groups have accepted the invitation. Their building and the wonderful acreage it sits on are a wonderful resource. As the church considers their future they might want to ask what kind of ministries to the community could take place within their building or between the prairies. FINANCIAL REVIEW Congregational finances are fairly complicated because each congregation tracks its income and expenses very differently. Congregations tend to have a lot of restricted funds, which can only be used for specific purposes, and which may or may not enhance the ministry of the congregation. In this review we have done our best to evaluate the financial strength of the congregation based on the norms we have observed from many congregations. 56

14 Our first area of review is to look at the congregation s income sources. It is important to see where the income for supporting the congregation s ministry comes from, and how much the church relies on outside sources of income. The table below indicates the income sources for your church in relationship to congregational offerings. At the minimum, a congregation should support its expenses with at least 70% of its income coming from offerings. Congregations that rely too heavily on outside sources of income will often compromise their ministry for the needs of those who provide outside income. When we consider the expenses of the congregation, we group expenses in four main categories; Salary Support, Building and Administration, Program Expenses, and Mission Giving. Salary Support includes salaries of all church staff and benefits associated with employing them. Such benefits would include social security offsets, health insurance, pension etc. It does not include costs such as auto expense or office reimbursements. Most congregations will expend about 50% of their income on salary support. Experience has shown that congregations that exceed 50% in this category are rarely over paying their pastor. In fact, most New Beginnings congregations fall short of 57

15 average salaries for their conference. Check with your conference office to determine appropriate salary ranges for your area. Building and Administration costs are those associated with running the church office and the building. Typical costs include insurance, utility bills, maintenance and yard upkeep. A typical congregation will support building and administration costs with 25% of their income. Congregations that are not right-sized find themselves paying more for facilities, usually at the expense of their program. Program Expenses are costs associated with running a program. This would include faith development, evangelism, and worship materials, choir music and supplies, advertising, and other resources and supplies that enable the program to operate. This is usually about 15% of a church s budget. Since this is the place where most congregations can control spending they will usually decrease their spending in this category first. Mission Giving is giving that the congregation has contributed to both denominational mission causes as well as local mission causes. Mission giving trends are about 10% of a vital congregation s budget as a starting point. Congregations will often reduce their mission spending after depleting their program spending. Many mainline congregations, in past decades, contributed 30-to-50% of their income to mission giving. As these two charts illustrate, Redeemers building expenses are nearly double the recommended amount. This is almost entirely due their mortgage payment that amounts to about $100,000 a year. If they were not burdened with that expenditure they would be within the recommended range. I also have to assume that the low percentage going to program is also tied to the mortgage and the drop in giving. When money is tight one of the first areas to be cut is program. They are to be commended that, in the midst of the decline in funding they have been able to maintain the level of staff support and mission giving. 58

16 In addition to the sources of income, the congregation also has some investments plus the estimated value of the property. This is outlined in the table below: The congregation also has a building loan with a balance of approximately $1,260,924. The congregation is CURRENT with its monthly payments of $8,274. FINANCIAL CAPACITY In light of the financial information above, this congregation has ADEQUATE FINANCIAL CAPACITY for ministry. That is to say the income streams are adequate for meeting the expenses of the basic ministry of this congregation. That is not to say the congregation does not need to improve its financial position. A simple rule for measuring congregational support of finances is $1,000 X the AVERAGE WORSHIP ATTENDANCE. (For example, a typical congregation of 60 people in worship will have an annual 59

17 offering income of $60,000.) Congregations that are below that formula would benefit from stewardship education. Congregations exceeding the $1,000-per-attendee rule, that still struggle financially will need to consider cutting expenses even more deeply. In the past Redeemer depended on a fall stewardship appeal. Spurred on by the financial demand of their mortgage payments, and a drop in giving, they now see stewardship as a year round activity. One response to this awareness has been an annual congregational challenge in addition to the annual drive. They have also developed targeted giving reminders rather than a one size fits all letter. Finally they are also looking to restructure their loan with the goal of lowering payments. This positive response to financial challenges demonstrates the congregation is not swimming in denial but is willing to face a challenge and seek creative responses. One serious reality that casts a shadow over Redeemers financial picture is the fact that that the top 10 givers are over 75. I have heard it said that it takes 10 new pledgers to replace a long-term giver. Whether this is true or not, Redeemer should be concerned about the aging of its congregation and the impact that will have on the future. The obvious response will be a call for new members. Not a bad idea but the reality is that no one will be joining to give them money or for that matter join committees. What attracts new participants is an exciting vision that is being lived out with passion. This makes the goal of New Beginnings particularly important. SUMMARY Let s review the analysis of the congregation at this point: Two words come to mind when I look at the data in this report and reflect on my visit. The first word is healthy. Redeemer is a healthy and vital congregation. In no particular order the following are signs of this health: They finance nearly all their budget through congregational giving They are current in all their expenses Their building is not a burden financially They have strong participation on the part of their members and friends They have a healthy mission program Their membership is drawn from the area and thus they continue to be committed to the community needs Their membership does reflect the demographics of the community They have demonstrated a spirit of welcome and acceptance There is a deep commitment on the part of many to mission They have strong worship leadership They met the challenge of the fire with creativity and hope They have experienced a long healthy period of pastoral leadership They have signed up for New Beginnings demonstrating a recognition of the need to not stay where they are and have been for quite some time 60

18 The second word is BUT. Yes Redeemer is healthy and vital but there are warning signs. Found in the data and observations are indicators that point to a slow decline in the health and wellbeing of the church. Again in no particular order the following are some of those signs: The decline in giving especially over the last 4 5 years The slow decline in worship attendance and membership The burden of the mortgage payments The lack of members drawn from the immediate neighborhood A comfort level with what is An acknowledged struggle when it comes to dealing with conflict An aging congregation The lack of programing for the community in and outside the building The small number of newer members as compared to those who have been in the church for 5 to 10 years The small percentage of the budget spent on programing Again the indicators are not dramatic and I do not want to overstate the urgency. Redeemer could keep on keeping on for quite some time. My concern is that this lack of urgency could hinder the work of creating a new vision. Churches that fall in the fourth quadrant of the life cycle sense a greater need to change before they die. Falling in the top portion of the third quadrant can lead to complacency. The temptation will be to perhaps do some tinkering and then continue with what has always worked and what seems to be still working. The good news is that Redeemer has signed up for New Beginnings. This to me is a sign that they recognize that there is a need to change a need for a new vision for a new time. Participation in this program is in part a response to the retirement of their pastor. This proactive response another sign of a healthy congregation. It could be said that they are approaching this transition intentionally. They are being proactive and taking Rev. Bob s departure as an opportunity to: Step back and reflect and give thanks for what was Examine what is Imagine what can be Their response to the fire physically expressed in the building should serve as a reminder that they can make a bold decision and move into a new time of growth and vitality. The purpose of the New Beginnings Assessment is to provide objective, but engaged observations related to the congregation. We compiled all the data, like a portrait of the congregation. Then we placed it alongside general data to show how your congregation is doing by comparison. Now, we weigh these factors in relationship to ministry options that seem viable for you congregation in your own time and place. Congregations have four basic choices for the future: 61

19 1. Do Nothing: Looking at the trend lines for the last 10 years in the graphs we have provided can help the congregation see where the do nothing option might ultimately lead. While the trajectory may be downhill, many churches see this option as much easier than going through the pain of change. This does not require energy, new effort, or ingenuity. Usually, staying the same means slowing losses, while the ultimate conclusion is closure. Note: A decision to do nothing is still a decision. And by choosing this option, the church will be sending an important message to people in the church (from the newest member to the pastor) that status quo is the desired choice. 2. Mission Redefinition: Churches that seek to change may need to establish a whole new way of being church. While all congregations will need to do visioning about their future mission opportunities, most congregations will do so alongside a redevelopment opportunity. Sometimes, however, there are congregations who could be the right church in the right place with a significant shift in missional focus. This option requires of the congregation significant energy, ingenuity, creativity and spirituality because people will be leaving behind previous ministry entirely and doing a very new focus in ministry. It is important to note that there is no guarantee of numerical growth by entering Mission Redefinition. It also is important to note how well or even if the congregation can sustain its ministry through what may be a years-long process. 3. Redevelopment: This option can take numerous forms and hybrids. They include: relocation, reaching out through a parallel start to a new demographic profile (that matches the community in which the church resides), a restart, an adoption, or combinations of these with Mission Redefinition. Redevelopment of the congregation requires new approaches that enable the church to adapt to a new environment. 4. Close: Churches who choose this option realize that they don t have the energy or resources to keep going. They select this option as a way of concluding their congregation s life with dignity and intentionality so that their assets (which previous generations have entrusted to them) can continue to work after they are gone, in providing a faithful, lasting Christian witness. It is an ultimate act of faith to make this decision but one that often comes with a sense of relief in knowing the church has not died. It is instead living on in perpetual witness for future generations. 62