Date: January 13, 2007

 

Place: Lake D’ Arbonne State Park

 

Subject: Church Planning Meeting

 

On Saturday January 13, 2007, 24 members of the Downsville United Methodist Church met at Lake D’Arbonne State Park for a church wide planning meeting.

 

 

 

 

Pastor Carolyn Volentine opened the meeting.  We sang two songs to get us started.

 

 

 

 

 

The goals for the day:

 

1.     List Possibilities

2.     Set two Priorities

3.     Assign Duties

4.     Produce Calendar

 

Our first exercise began with us dividing up into seven groups.  Each group was givien a sheet of paper with a diagram of squares.  We were to come up with the total number of squares possible.  We were learning hot to "think outside the box."

   

The next assignment was to list the qualities that keep us attending our church:

 

Love                               Fellowship                      Partners

Service                           Worship & Music           Prayer Partners

Small size                        Godliness                       Word is true

Full time Pastor               Generosity                      Spiritual Growth

Children                          Community                     Friendly      

Tolerance                        Positive Traditions          Positive Change

Inter-denominational Cooperation

Brotherhood & Sisterhood

 

 

 

  

We then looked at the calendar for each month of the year and listed the events.  The NOW  & Worship committees will refine the calendar

   

Pastor Carolyn had us put chairs in the middle of the room facing back to back.  Half of the group sat in the chairs and the others prayed for each one individually.

 

 

 

 

 We took a break for lunch. We had beef brisket sandwiches, chips, and cake for lunch.

 

 

 

  

After lunch we finished the prayer chain.  Everyone got prayed for and everyone prayed.

 

  

Pastor Carolyn posed these two questions:

 

1.     Who is God calling us to share?

 

2.     Who is God sending us now?  “Children”

 

The next exercise was to list these.

 

 

Children & Parents                   Focused Missions           Music

Oldies but Goodies                   Community Growth         Rain & Wind

Encouraging witness

 

 

 

 

We then prioritized the list:

 

1.     Children and Young Families

2.     Facility

3.     Oldies but Goodies

 

 

Each group took one of these priorities.

 

 

We made a bubble chart with the priority in the middle and 3 good things and 1 negative thing.

 

 

Some of the positives for Children and Young parents were:

 

1.     Safe Play Ground

2.     Parents Night Out

3.     Family Fair

4.     Sunday School

5.     After school tutoring

6.     Parenting class

 

 

“We are responsible for obedience.”

 

“God is responsible for results.”

 

To succeed we first have to – Crawl – Baby Steps – Walk – Run

 

We continued working on the church calendar:

 

1.     Cantatas will be held on Sunday mornings

2.     Vacation Bible School

3.     No Easter Lilies

4.     Wesley Foundation Service

5.     Spring Work Day

6.     Mission Project.

 

Worship is  presenting ourselves to God

 

 

We then had a brainstorming session for other new ideas.

 

1.     Health Fair

2.     Transportation for those who need it.  Doctors appointments etc.

3.     Acolytes

4.     Music for children’s Sunday school instead of a prepared lesson.

5.     Choir wearing robes on 1st Sundays

 

 

 

This was a great day of new ideas in the life of the church.