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for August 22-September 11

First United Methodist Church

212 Third Street North

St. Petersburg, Florida

 Dear Church Family,

I wanted to let you know about the exciting growth that is taking place in our kitchen ministry! Each week hundreds of meals are prepared and served! Sonrise Café starts our week with a delicious breakfast. The Soup Kitchen ministry provides nourishment and comfort to those who live on the streets or in shelters. Wednesday night dinners become a gathering of young and old for food, fellowship and Bible study. And on Thursday night, a feast is prepared for the guests of our Celebrate Recovery ministry. All in all, over 2,500 meals a month! And that doesn’t include special events for our Preschool, our Children’s choir pageants, Boy Scout Banquets, receptions and our graduation luncheons! Our kitchen ministry has seen a dramatic increase in demand!

I want to thank Dona Mullaney who has done a wonderful job in leading this ministry! She has been a master at juggling and stepping quickly as she balanced her roles in running our office and keeping up with running the kitchen. I don’t know how she did it! But now with the growth of the kitchen ministry and the resulting need for greater coordination, direction and training, the job has become more than a part-time job.

Several weeks ago, I sat down with a number of our church members who are in the food industry – a chef, a food supplier, a restaurant owner and a director of a large food services operation. Out of their professional experience they recommended that our church look for a full-time (30 hours a week) Director of Kitchen Ministries. The Director would be responsible for keeping us in compliance with health codes, training volunteers, ensuring cleanliness, coordinating ministry teams and coordinating menus so as to save costs on our food orders. Notice that there is no reference to cooking in the list of responsibilities. This will be a coordinator position not that of a chef.

At the urging of our Trustees, the Church Council reviewed the recommendations made by our study team. They approved the hiring of a 30-hour a week Director of Kitchen Ministries. Dona will refocus her time and talent in the church office. Staff-Parish (our personnel committee) has begun the process of looking for the right person to come on board! Please keep them in your prayers as they go about this important work!

I am excited about what is in store for our church in this particular area. A vibrant kitchen ministry can greatly enhance other ministries and provide wonderful opportunities for nurture and fellowship. I just know that God is going to continue to bless our church through our kitchen!

Peace,

Pastor David

Governor talks faith, not politics at conference event
 
By J.A. Buchholz | June 12, 2010 {1181}

LAKELAND — United Methodists attending the 2010 Florida Annual Conference Event June 10-12 got to see a different side of the man who is leading the state. Crist is a member of First United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg, where his family has worshipped for five generations. He and his wife, Carole, were also married at the church Dec. 12, 2008. Instead of sharing details about his bid for a U.S. Senate seat or highlighting the things he would do if elected, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist talked about his faith and religious upbringing during the laity session June 10.

What is Natural Church Development?

Natural Church Development is a way of understanding church health and growth that views the church as a living organism. The focus is not on numerical growth, but on improving the health of the church, with the understanding- documented by research–that when a church is sufficiently healthy, numerical growth will follow. These concepts are explained in the book Natural Church Development by Christian A. Schwarz.

 On February 28, 2010, the pastor and 30 active members completed our second survey, which has been analyzed by an NCD expert in the Florida Conference to get a snapshot of our church family’s health. Our first survey was completed in March 2008.

 Recap:

The survey responses were used to calculate scores for 8 factors, called Quality Characteristics, which have been found to be present in every healthy, growing church. The scores provide a profile of our church that we will use to develop measurable goals and strategies as we move through the NCD cycle. And, because the scores are “standardized,” we can compare our results to other churches that have participated in NCD. 

For the purposes of developing an action plan, the most significant scores are our highest and lowest Quality Characteristics. Our highest Quality Characteristics (our strengths) are “Inspiring Worship Service” and “Holistic Small Groups” (tie).  Interestingly, these have been our highest scores for both of our survey events.

 Our lowest scoring Quality Characteristic (our weakness) is “Need-oriented Evangelism (NOE).”  This is also a repeat from the 2008 survey. NOE intentionally cultivates relationships with pre-Christian people so they can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, who are actively participating within the life of the church and community. Using appropriate ministries and authentic relationships, believers can guide others into the family of God. Profile Insight analysis reveals our lowest score is in the area of compassion, specifically reflected by a negative response to the statement “when new people come to church events, we approach them openly and lovingly”. 

 In addition to our highest and lowest scores, this 2010 survey revealed other interesting observations related to Passionate Spirituality and Effective Structures.

Descriptions of these characteristics can be found here. 

On Sunday, April 24, 2010, FUMC members will participate in Focus Group Meetings to lead us to a better understanding of the survey results.

Stay tuned to the Tower, bulletin and website for more information about Natural Church Development and opportunities to participate.  You can email the Growth Team your questions or comment  by clicking here. 

We ask for your continued prayerful support as our church moves through the NCD process and discovers its full potential for church growth and health. 

 Your NCD Committee

Sue Crawford        Sue Allen                 Phil Lasley      Nick Routh                   

Mike Houtz      Mike Dreyer          Dawn Tripolino      Emory Wood

In creation and the laws of nature by green with the symbol of the rainbow

In the sacrifice of Jesus  by red with the symbol of the cross

In our own hearts by blue with the symbol of the dove

Natural Church Development

The Eight Essential Quality Characteristics

 Natural Church Development (NCD) is a process that helps churches evaluate their health in eight essential areas of ministry, develop appropriate goals and strategies to address the church’s area of weakness (called the minimum Quality Characteristic or QC), then re-evaluate on a 12-18 month cycle. The Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church encourages and supports its churches to participate in NCD.

 FUMC took the first step in the NCD process in March 2008, when a small group of active members participated in the NCD survey. Analysis of the results showed our minimum QC to be “Need-oriented Evangelism,” and the church has since developed goals and strategies to address this.    

 Each of the 8 QCs is essential for the health of the church and church growth depends on the interplay of the QCs. Even though a church will focus its efforts on its minimum QC, it’s important to be aware of the other QCs; together they are the “vital signs” NCD uses to evaluate church health. Here is an overview of the QCs and what the NCD survey measures for each:

 Empowering Leadership -- Empowering leadership forms the essential foundation upon which a church grows and moves toward accomplishing its mission. Leaders have different personal styles, but all leadership that is effective in the long-term works toward empowering others. Not only tasks are delegated, but responsibility is delegated as well. The empowering leader is not asking the question, “How can I get things done?” but “How can I develop others?” Tasks and responsibilities are centered on the purpose of developing others, stretching them into new areas of growth. Sometimes people will fail, but that is part of the learning process. Only through developing others can the whole church move toward reaching its vision.

• What is measured: To what extent is the ministry of the leaders focusing on equipping other Christians to serve?

 Gift-Based Ministry -- In His wisdom, God has designed each one of us uniquely. Every believer is equipped with spiritual gifts that allow him or her to contribute in unique ways to the kingdom of God. As Paul wrote in I Cor. 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” All the parts of the body of Christ perform different functions and all are equally necessary. When individual believers are serving in ways that align with their gifts, the church is freed to work together in healthy, productive ways. Conversely, situations in which people are consistently serving outside of their areas of giftedness lead to burnout. Validating and encouraging people in their areas of giftedness helps them grow spiritually as they serve others.

• What is measured: To what extent are the tasks in our church distributed according to the spiritual gifts of individual Christians?

 Passionate Spirituality -- Passionate spirituality is the energy source that fuels every church, providing the energy and momentum to move forward toward mission. Where passionate spirituality is in short supply, other quality characteristics and ministry areas will feel the impact as the energy supply runs short. Lay people and ministry leaders alike will begin to feel drained, burned out, and used up. Fortunately, passionate spirituality is a renewable energy form; it continues reproducing itself when we tap into the source and stay connected to it. Passionate spirituality goes beyond our personal devotional times to our encounters with God in moments of daily life, and the various ways we experience and engage with his presence. The outpouring of passionate spirituality is an integration of our inner life with God into every aspect of our outward lives as well, resulting in stories of changed lives and transformation.

·         What is measured: To what extent is the spiritual life of our members characterized by prayer, enthusiasm, and boldness?

 Effective Structures -- A church can have wonderful ministries, innovative outreach programs, godly staff people, and a heart for God, but without effective structures, it will still be prevented from reaching its full potential for ministry. People will not know how to get involved with those ministries or access those outreach programs. Time will be spent duplicating efforts or expending energy in diffuse directions. Leadership development will be haphazard and inconsistent. By assessing the structures of a church, necessary realignments can be made that will help information flow smoothly and each part of the organization function effectively in its role.

·         What is measured: To what extent does our decision-making processes, operating procedures (official and unofficial), and board and committee structures facilitate rather than hinder the fulfillment of our church's mission?

 Inspiring Worship Service -- What makes a worship service inspiring is not about one style being better than others. Worship styles vary widely between cultures. That’s not only okay, that’s good! A traditional service with hymns and liturgy can be equally as inspiring as a contemporary service with electric guitars. Inspiring worship is also not a matter of big budgets. Inspiring worship is ultimately about what is inspiring and meaningful for those who attend; an experience that will lead them toward an encounter with a God who is both immanent and transcendent.

·         What is measured: To what extent is attending our worship service an inspiring experience?

 Holistic Small Groups -- No matter the denomination, size, or style of a church, holistic small groups are the smallest building block of the church’s structure. They contain the DNA of the rest of the church. Small groups are the places where people connect relationally with one another for spiritual growth: the place where they know others and are known, the place where they seek to know God in the context of a small community of believers. Small groups are the microcosm of the local church. Making sure these groups are healthy will position a church well to move forward in virtually any other area of ministry.

·         What is measured: To what extent do our small groups meet the real life needs of members in a holistic way?

 Need-Oriented Evangelism -- Evangelism must be woven through the entire fabric of the church. From special events geared toward non-Christians, to considering how the services feel to newcomers, to members practicing relational evangelism, the approach needs to be holistic. Consider the level of value placed on evangelism and the degree to which it is practiced. Underlying beliefs about evangelism affect its practice and need to be regularly evaluated for faithfulness to scripture.

·         What is measured: To what extent are the forms and contents of the evangelistic activities related to the needs of those you are trying to reach?

 Loving Relationships -- Jesus called his followers to a life of love, characterized by grace, acceptance, forgiveness and joy. This love is how we would be identified by those outside the church, the outward expression of our faith. The love expressed by followers of Christ has the power to draw people who experience it toward the perfect love of God. All too often loving relationships in churches are hobbled by unresolved conflicts, judgmentalism or pride. By removing obstacles and discovering fresh ways to give and receive love, we can become more and more the kind of church God had in mind: authentic Christian communities thatlove sacrificially and without reservation.

·         What is measured: To what extent are the relationships of the members of this church characterized by a high degree of love and affection?

 These overviews come from NCD Minimum Factor Analyses, 2006 Robert E. Logan and CoachNet, Inc. www.coachnet.org

To see videos of Irresistible Invitation Video Testimonies, OneMillionCrosses.com and Celebrate Recovery on our YouTube channel, click here.