Future – Next Five-year Plan

George Street United is nearing the end of its first-ever five-year plan. Council members and guests had a healthy discussion about the Strategic Plan at its May 2007 meeting. Doris Neufeld, Council Chair, said that the areas of focus have been spiritual growth or nourishment and caring for others. Our Five-Year Plan builds on these two goals by focusing on five objectives:

Worship

Margaret Marris, Worship & Music Chair, said that some objectives are being met but we must ensure that we improve in all fields. We have had new and refreshing approaches to worship with many new and traditional hymns and tunes. Visual aids have been used especially for the children and also to highlight themes and special times of the year. We hope to form a junior choir to rehearse after the church service; they can sing during the service when they are ready and for special times of the year. We hope to use the musical talents of members of our congregation. A brainstorming session could be held to find new talent. We have all-ages worship four times a year. Children could act as greeters. A power-point system will enable visual presentations and add more innovation to our worship; there is a donor wishing to finance up to half of a new power-point system. Our new website will make our church worship and life information more accessible to the community. We must continue to show warmth to those new or visiting our church; people should not be seen standing alone when they come down for the coffee hour. Church rides could be arranged for those wishing to come to church but who have no means of transportation.

Spiritual growth or nourishment

Margaret McMillan said that Christian Education is on track. CE would like to encourage more adult participation with the children by playing with the children at "Kid’s Korner" during coffee hour. CE likes the idea of joining with Outreach Committee on some projects. Youth Group members will join the University/College/Careers Group next year so there will be no young people the right age to be in the Youth Group next year. Karen said that she and Julie have both received e-mails thanking members of the congregation for hosting meals this past year. Julie will meet with students, home for the summer, who are children of church members.

The Theological Studies Group was one of the first steps taken to implement the Strategic Plan. George James said that the events sponsored by the committee have been significant contributors to the exposure of George Street United Church. Dick Batten said that a play about five women (wife of Simon Peter, fiancée of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, concubine of Augustine, wife of a priest when priests were told to be celibate, wife of John Dunn) is planned for October 20, 2007. Bishop John Spong will return in October 2008. This group co-sponsored the Stephen Lewis lecture (October 11, 2006), sponsored the James Loney lecture (political prisoner, November 27, 2006) and Professor Marcus Borg’s lectures (March 24, 2007).

Building community

Building Community is the responsibility of all of us. Church leaders (Council members) should show leadership by helping people to feel welcome at coffee hour and by half-tithing. Brent Spencer has suggested that we serve coffee at the back of the sanctuary after church. Doris said that we need flexibility. She remembered a Sunday that we served coffee on the front lawn after church. Karen said that many church members heard Fred Kooy talk about his trip to Honduras, and many stayed to watch Al Gore’s film - An Inconvenient Truth.

Bonnie Jull said that coffee hour used to be a building community time for her, but she deals with business now that she has committee responsibilities on Stewardship.
David Stephenson said that he doesn’t know who is a guest and who is a member.
Patti James said that is why name tags are such a good idea. Leadership should start with church leaders (Council members) to wear name tags and to set the trend for using name tags. Brian Snell suggested the Council secretary fine Council members one dollar if they’re not wearing name tags. Karen noted that seven of the eighteen people at this Council meeting have been at George Street United Church less than four years, and some have been here only two years.

Outreach

Fred Kooy, Chair, said that there has been strong support for the M&S Fund. For local outreach, M&O committee members have wonderful connections with local agencies, are cataloguing requests of local agencies, and are planning five-minute presentations (e.g. I volunteer and this is what I do) quarterly at coffee hour. Members of our church have made recent visits to help in Ecuador, Guatemala and Honduras. The committee’s plan is to help grow a network of faith communities to support global outreach. Julie van Haaften’s help has been a real asset to the M&O Committee. The committee has three new members this year, doubling their membership to six.

Karen said that this is the first congregation where she has experienced people coming to her to say that they have a passion for (a project) and would like to give money to support that. This is unheard of in most congregations and it shows a sense of direction/meaning/focus of where people want to donate their money.

Financial health

Ed McLellan said that we need a creative look at how to share our facilities. Rental arrangements with other organizations would assist with fundraising and local outreach. It would be possible to set up a committee to make this happen.

Karen said that we need continuing conversation about our church Five-Year Plan and that a new five-year plan is not needed yet.