Nurturing Vital Nurturing Vital DiscipleshipDiscipleshipand Church and Church MembershipMembershipAsylum Hill Asylum Hill

Congregational UCC Congregational UCC

David Schoen, Congregational Vitality and David Schoen, Congregational Vitality and DiscipleshipDiscipleship

United Church of ChristUnited Church of Christ

Discipleship or Discipleship or MembershipMembership

In our culture today, the churches’ work is In our culture today, the churches’ work is all about nurturing missional discipleship, all about nurturing missional discipleship, not only church membership.not only church membership.

83% of population not in church on Sundays, 83% of population not in church on Sundays, going to church is counter cultural.going to church is counter cultural.

Missional Church has clear sense of God’s Missional Church has clear sense of God’s purpose and calling for the church and purpose and calling for the church and raises up disciples who can articulate and raises up disciples who can articulate and put into daily practice God’s purpose for the put into daily practice God’s purpose for the church and God’s purpose for their lives.church and God’s purpose for their lives.

Hartford AreaHartford AreaReligious PracticesReligious Practices

Nurturing DiscipleshipNurturing DiscipleshipVital Church Vital Church MembershipMembership

Clarity about church expectations for Clarity about church expectations for discipleship and membershipdiscipleship and membership

Make expectation visible and vocalMake expectation visible and vocal Track church members in discipleshipTrack church members in discipleship Small Group Missional/Spiritual MinistrySmall Group Missional/Spiritual Ministry Who are the members at AsylumWho are the members at Asylum Who do you want to be the members at Who do you want to be the members at

AsylumAsylum Using new technology, social media & Using new technology, social media &

networksnetworks

Clarity about church Clarity about church expectations for expectations for discipleship and discipleship and

membershipmembership

Clarity and ArticulationClarity and Articulationof Expectationsof Expectations

What expectation of discipleship and church What expectation of discipleship and church membership do you have at Asylum Hill?membership do you have at Asylum Hill?

What would your membership covenant be?What would your membership covenant be? How do you communicate your expectations?How do you communicate your expectations? How do you nurture your covenant?How do you nurture your covenant?

"To work for the increase in the love of God "To work for the increase in the love of God

and neighbor in Jesus Christ through and neighbor in Jesus Christ through

sharing, caring, outreach and worship."sharing, caring, outreach and worship."

Tracking Tracking Discipleship/MembershipDiscipleship/Membership If you wish to grow discipleship and If you wish to grow discipleship and

membership then you will need to track membership then you will need to track the participation of your congregationthe participation of your congregation

In commercial world this would be called In commercial world this would be called CRM, Customer Relationship CRM, Customer Relationship ManagementManagement

Track levels of the participation that are Track levels of the participation that are part of your expectation of members.part of your expectation of members.

Worship, Small Groups, Leadership, Worship, Small Groups, Leadership, Service, Giving/Pledging, WitnessService, Giving/Pledging, Witness

New Member TrackingNew Member Tracking

Keep track of guest, 1st time guest, return Keep track of guest, 1st time guest, return guestsguests

Invitation to New Member/Discipleship Invitation to New Member/Discipleship groupgroup

Clarity of church purpose and expectations Clarity of church purpose and expectations of membersof members

New members/disciples tell their storiesNew members/disciples tell their stories Connect with trained core of sponsorsConnect with trained core of sponsors Engage in Small Group within first 3 monthsEngage in Small Group within first 3 months Follow-up gatherings with new membersFollow-up gatherings with new members

Small Group Small Group Missional/Spiritual Missional/Spiritual

MinistryMinistry Churches become larger by getting smallerChurches become larger by getting smaller People are looking for relationships, a place People are looking for relationships, a place

where ‘somebody knows my name’where ‘somebody knows my name’ Small groups where people can get to know Small groups where people can get to know

each other are critical; home, service, arts, each other are critical; home, service, arts, committeescommittees

Although a small group may not be focused on Although a small group may not be focused on discipleship/spiritual matters, there should be discipleship/spiritual matters, there should be chance for spiritual reflection/moments in eachchance for spiritual reflection/moments in each

http://www.ucc.org/ministers/pdfs/ldshp.pdf

Pass a Grille Beach UCCPass a Grille Beach UCC

Who are these people?Who are these people?Who are your members, Who are your members, Who are your neighbors?Who are your neighbors?

(Revelation 7:14) (Revelation 7:14)

MissionInsite MissionInsite DemographicsDemographics http://missioninsite.com/

flexible web based information system comprehensive socioeconomic and lifestyle

data interactive mapping platform strategic information resource for ministry

Meeting Your NeighborsMeeting Your Neighbors

West Hartford Hartford West Hartford Hartford

Who are your Neighbors -West Who are your Neighbors -West HartfordHartford

Who are your Neighbors -Who are your Neighbors -HartfordHartford

Urban Commuter Urban Commuter FamiliesFamilies

Who Are they? Who Are they?

New Generation ActivistsNew Generation Activists

Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

Ministry Applications for Mosaic Lifestyle Portraits

How to use MissionInsiteHow to use MissionInsite

Map your congregation homesMap your congregation homes Learn their mosaic typesLearn their mosaic types Compare to communities, learn Compare to communities, learn

your nicheyour niche Gear programs, small groups to Gear programs, small groups to

meet population needs and interestsmeet population needs and interests Track guests and friendsTrack guests and friends Cluster home groupsCluster home groups

Getting MissionInsite Getting MissionInsite InfoInfo

UCC and Connecticut Conference UCC and Connecticut Conference have contract with MissionInsitehave contract with MissionInsite

Participants in Workshop (thanks to Participants in Workshop (thanks to OCWM).OCWM).

Go to Connecticut Conference Go to Connecticut Conference WebsiteWebsitehttp://www.ctucc.org/resources/pdfs/MissionInsite_How-To.pdf

Generations and ReligionGenerations and Religion

Religious PracticeReligious Practice

Religious BeliefReligious Belief

LGBT ConcernsLGBT Concerns

PoliticsPolitics

Liberal or ConservativeLiberal or Conservative

Community ServiceCommunity Service

Missional Outreach Missional Outreach New GenerationsNew Generations

The urgency of our times should not be The urgency of our times should not be driven by our decline in the United driven by our decline in the United Church of Christ.Church of Christ.

The urgency of our times should be a The urgency of our times should be a new generation and population new generation and population attuned to the values of our attuned to the values of our message and witness. message and witness.

See Millenials reportSee Millenials reportPew ResearchPew Research

New TechnologyNew Technology

Missional Tools OnlineMissional Tools Online

On-line tools for On-line tools for DiscipleshipDiscipleship

Connecting with congregation and others Connecting with congregation and others on-lineon-line Church WebsiteChurch Website

InvitationalInvitational Interactive Interactive MessagingMessaging E.newsletterE.newsletter LinksLinks

FacebookFacebook Church fanpageChurch fanpage Your ownYour own LinksLinks Advertising Advertising

Networking with New Networking with New TechnologyTechnology

E-mail BlastsE-mail Blasts Daily DevotionalDaily Devotional

TwitterTwitter You TubeYou Tube WebinarsWebinars On Line ClassesOn Line Classes On Line PrayerOn Line Prayer Go To MeetingsGo To Meetings AppsApps

Church of the Wider Church of the Wider FellowshipFellowship

Nurturing DiscipleshipNurturing DiscipleshipVital Church Vital Church MembershipMembership

Clarity about church expectations for Clarity about church expectations for discipleship and membershipdiscipleship and membership

Make expectation visible and vocalMake expectation visible and vocal Track church members in discipleshipTrack church members in discipleship Small Group Missional/Spiritual MinistrySmall Group Missional/Spiritual Ministry Who are the members at AsylumWho are the members at Asylum Who do you want to be the members at Who do you want to be the members at

AsylumAsylum Using new technology, social media & Using new technology, social media &

networksnetworks

Nurturing Discipleship Nurturing Discipleship and Church Membershipand Church Membership

What have you learned?What have you learned?What one thing stands out?What one thing stands out?How will you use this How will you use this information?information?

Getting StartedGetting Started Nurturing Vital Discipleship and Nurturing Vital Discipleship and

MembershipMembership Pray for your members, guests and Pray for your members, guests and

congregationcongregation This takes time, strategy and work.This takes time, strategy and work. This takes volunteers and staffThis takes volunteers and staff Takes support of congregational leadersTakes support of congregational leaders Just get started. Just get started. Start with one thing. Start with strengthStart with one thing. Start with strength

Nurturing Vital Discipleship Nurturing Vital Discipleship

and Church Membershipand Church MembershipBlessings as you discern God’s Blessings as you discern God’s mission for your congregation,mission for your congregation,and nurture your congregations and nurture your congregations members!members!

Thank You!Thank You!

Thank you! Your financial support isThank you! Your financial support isChanging Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider MissionWider Mission

Thank you for your vital leadership Thank you for your vital leadership and discipleship!and discipleship!