Norwalk Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Norwalk, Iowa

Learning Team Report  - Received by the Board 1-19-05

 

This report will address the following questions:

  1. What is the Learning Team?

B.     Why has our church remained on a size plateau for over 30 years?

  1. Why should we try to move beyond this size plateau?
  2. What will it take to move off this plateau?
  3. What challenges and benefits might we face in the process?
  4. Next Steps?

 

 

A.     What is the Learning Team?

In August of 2003, a “Learning Team” was commissioned to spend a year or more in the process of discerning our calling as a congregation and to determine a course for the next several years.  Our process is modeled after the work of Alice Mann in her book called “Raising the Roof.”  This is a book written specifically for churches our size in growing communities.  The process begins with learning and listening.  The Learning Team first spent time learning about the dynamics of size in congregations.  We pondered the question of why congregations often plateau at a certain size, even in communities that are growing.  We confirmed through attendance records that Norwalk Christian Church has remained on a size plateau for the past thirty years, despite a rapidly increasing population.

 

B.     Why has our church remained on a size plateau for over 30 years?

Our study and reflection lead us to the following conclusions:

  • Moving off the plateau of 150 – 200 in worship is the most difficult transition a church can make because it requires a new understanding of how we do church.  Simply, it is easier to do things as we always have.
  • Our congregation does not have a history of aggressive evangelism.  It does, however, have a history of “quiet” outreach and service in the Norwalk area.  The result is that many people have limited awareness of Norwalk Christian Church.  To many, we are simply “the church by the hardware store.”
  • We live in a time when churches need to be concerned about professionalism and quality.  There are job descriptions, volunteer and paid, that would benefit from clarification or have yet to be created.  We lack child safety policies and training.  We make many assumptions about what people know about how the church operates and often communicate information casually rather than intentionally.
  • When people do decide to join the church they are often left wondering “what next?”  It takes too long for new members and visitors to fully integrate into the life of the church. 
  • Giving and stewardship also serve as a barrier to moving off this plateau.  In 2003, 55% of our congregation gave less than $10 per week.  The Average Income of this area based on the 2000 census is $67,000.  2% of that amount would be approximately $25/week, 3% would be $38/week, 4% would be $51/week, and 5% would be $64/week.  The Biblical model of stewardship is a tithe or 10%.
  • Volunteer positions seem overwhelming and people feel inadequately prepared to assume responsibility.  Others fear criticism and failure in attempting to assume responsibility.  The church has fallen into a cycle of letting those who have experience in a position of responsibility to continue in that position indefinitely. 

 

C.     Why should we try to move beyond this plateau?

The Learning Team worked with the Elders of the congregation to have listening opportunities with every member of the congregation.  Elders gathered their Shepherding Elder Groups and asked a few simple questions about our congregation.  These meetings revealed a degree of concern about church growth.  No one wanted to give up the feelings of warmth and intimacy of our present congregation.  People like having a pastor that is available to them and they like knowing most of the people they worship with.  The question arose, “why should we even try to move off this plateau?”

 

The Learning Team took this question seriously and identified the following reasons for wanting to move past this plateau:

·        A church on a size plateau will ultimately decline without intervention.

·        We need to maintain a critical mass for vital and energized ministry.

·        The pastor cannot effectively serve more than this number of people without assistance.

·        There is a desire in the congregation for additional and expanded programming but no time for present staff to implement or coordinate it.

·        We do a disservice to our congregation when we do not challenge one another to deepen our spirituality and become better stewards.

·        We owe it to the visionaries that started this church in 1869, and all those who have sustained its ministry in Norwalk all these years.  We don’t need a new direction – we need only to faithfully and passionately stay the course – embracing our historic identity and at the same time welcoming the challenges of the 21st Century.

 

D.    What will it take to move off this plateau?

  • Hire a full-time Associate Pastor within the next two years.  This person would:
    1. Assist the pastor with worship, preaching, teaching, pastoral calling, weddings and funerals
    2. Be responsible for identifying ministry opportunities, both in and beyond the church, and working with individuals to connect and equip them with these opportunities
    3. Assist the Christian Education Department with administrative details, child safety policy and training, curriculum selection and purchasing, teacher recruitment, and planning
    4. Assist the Youth Department with planning, volunteer recruitment and training, scheduling, administrative details, and fresh ideas
  • Offer regularly scheduled classes on membership, the basics of Christian faith, and discipleship.
  • Improve quality and professionalism by maintaining current job descriptions for paid and volunteer positions of leadership, implementing child safety policy and training, and offer more intentional training/equipping of persons for ministry in the church and beyond the church.
  • Improve communication.  Remind folks that we cannot make assumptions about what people know (i.e. church history, church traditions and regular events, locations, names).  Create an awareness of the importance of intentional communication, especially when promoting events and activities. 
  • Improve hospitality by expanding our pool of greeters and doing periodic education on the topic of hospitality.  Keep asking our congregation, “What is the experience of the person coming into our church for the first time?  How can we make it more welcoming without overwhelming folks? 
  • Work at improving our identity in the community through advertising, signage, articles in paper, hosting community events, and intentional “branding” of all that we do with our chalice symbol.
  • Create and promote more small group opportunities.  For example: one-time social activities, short-term classes on a specific topic, one-time educational events, and on-going cell groups.
  • Improve our financial stewardship.  If we decided on a nice round number of “Giving Units” like 150 (in 2003 we had 162 and in 2004 we have 180 to date) – and we asked each of those giving units to increase by: $5.00/week - the total increase would be: $39,000, $7.50/week – the total increase would be: $58,500, $10.00 per week – the total increase would be $78,000.  This increase could fund the cost of an additional full-time staff person.
  • Sustain a well-trained and responsible team of Elders to serve in the historic role of extending pastoral care and demonstrating Christian leadership.
  • Create an intentional rotation of leadership in all departments – always having a vice-chair in training to serve as chair of the department the following year.
  • Expand childcare to all services.  Implement child safety policy and training for all nursery workers.  Add an additional nursery for toddlers.
  • Recognize and celebrate the unique calling of Norwalk Christian Church in this community.   We are a church that welcomes all, celebrates diversity, and encourages transformation through study, worship, and witness.  Our table is symbolic of the welcome we wish to extend to all who are seeking. 
  • Create a climate in the church that encourages risk taking and tolerates failure, especially for those assuming responsibility for the first time.  Create a visible and deliberate campaign to eliminate the three “C’s” that so often stifle leader development: criticism, condemnation, complaining. 

 

E.     What challenges and opportunities might we face in the process?

There is always a degree of grief and resentment when changes occur.  We like being comfortable.  What the Learning Team is proposing will challenge our comfort zones.  We respect that people will grieve, grumble and lament.  We also believe we must be responsive to the growing community around us.  We’ve tried to identify some of the things that may be challenges:

  • Not knowing everyone in church
  • The additional effort required to communicate clearly and effectively
  • Raising the level of financial giving
  • Changes that come with changes in leadership
  • Raising expectations of membership and church officers

 

The Learning Team believes that these struggles will be worth the long-term benefits of working through this difficult transition.  Here are a few of the benefits:

  • Energy and vitality
  • Quality programming and worship
  • Increased participation
  • Greater spiritual maturity
  • Growth in numbers
  • A reputation for being a welcoming church engaged in ministry

 

 

F.      Next Steps?

A draft of this final report was presented to the congregation on Sunday, November 7, 2004 at the Annual Congregational Meeting.  The report was then printed and published in the church newsletter on November 15.  The Learning Team welcomed feedback through the end of the year.  On Sunday, January 16, the Learning Team tabulated feedback and concluded its work.  The Board received the report of the Learning Team January 19, 2005, at its regularly scheduled Board Meeting. 

 

The next step is for each committee and department to begin to implement the goals of the Learning Team report.  In receiving the report, the Official Board will take responsibility for implementation and follow through.

 

The Official Board, on behalf of the congregation, would like to thank the discerning work of the Learning Team.

 

Learning Team Members

 

Sandra Jennings

Beulah Desenberg        

David Lester

Andy Pratt

Craig Mason

Craig Canby

Becky Darnell

Dayna Kinkade

Mike Ward

Rob Kritzler