A Vision Week Update: August 16, 2020
Dear SSUMC,
Thank you for all the ways you have and are supporting the church’s visioning process--37 people participated in vision week, and many more were praying and supporting the process in various ways. I’m writing to share with you where we are and what’s next as we discern God’s preferred future for SSUMC. To see where we’ve been, find overview of process below and prayers for vision HERE.
Vision Week: For four nights over zoom, the participants workshopped and discerned where God is calling SSUMC in order to best make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, here and now. The team examined where the church is in our lifecycle; explored the demographic information about our neighbors; analyzed community surveys from business wonders, educators, social service leaders, city council members and others that assessed needs in Sandy Springs and how we might meet them; We had homework including a prayer walk in the community and sharing words that emerged from the information and prayer. Most of all, we listened to each other, our community, and God.
What’s Next?:
Vision Statement Crafting: At the end of a full week, vision statements, words, themes, needs, and gifts emerged. Discernment was powerful and the Spirit at work. Over the next 30 days, I am taking all the work and praying over it, listening to the Spirit, getting feedback and furthering conversation with you, and then drafting a vision statement. I want to be clear: this vision statement is not my vision, it’s your vision of where you see God leading the church! I am merely spending time in prayer refining the statement. In fact, I’ll be taking a retreat day next Friday August 21st and invite you to be in prayer for me.
Sermon Series: In September, we will roll out the vision with a sermon series and new visuals and logo for SSUMC that aligns with our vision.
Strategic Planning Retreat: In September, the Church Council will engage in a strategic planning retreat in order to set goals for 2021 in alignment with the vision, the church staff and volunteer leaders will adopt ministry strategies for living into the goals, and resources such as budget will be aligned accordingly. All this will be communicated in a timely manner.
The focus scripture for our Vision Week and the process moving forward is Isaiah 54:2: Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.
Let’s continue to pray that God will enlarge our imaginations, stretch out our reach for Christ in the community, lengthen and strengthen our witness. More soon!
Grace and peace,
Kate
In early 2020, SSUMC leadership put a timeline in place for a church-wide visioning process with hopes of kicking off in April. As we’ve learned this year, everything has had to adapt. We are ready to re-start this process and are excited for you to be part of discerning God’s preferred future for SSUMC. Every United Methodist Church has the same mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. This mission never changes!
What is a vision and visioning process?
VISION: The unique way SSUMC lives out the mission in our context, through a confluence of congregational gifts, needs of the surrounding community, and passions of the leaders.
PROCESS: The whole congregation prays each day for God’s preferred future. A vision team studies demographic data and interviews neighbors and community leaders to learn about the needs of our community. The congregation takes a survey about gifts and passions. Everyone attends a “Vision Week” with a facilitator where we put all this together to communally discern God’s preferred future.
SURVEY:
We invite you to take this survey and share your gifts/passions with us. You can take the congregational gifts survey through July 26 here!
PRAYER:
You can find the visioning prayers that we are praying daily at 8:30 am and 8:30 pm here!
