A Vision to Accomplish

The Leadership Board intentionally sets Salem’s direction each year. They shared our goals for 2020 with the annual Church Conference this fall who subsequently approved them. Therefore, this is what we’d like to accomplish next year as a congregation.

First, we want to improve the Discipleship Pathway to engage people more to worship, connect, serve, and share their resources and faith. Specifically, we will intentionally engage persons more fully in service both within and beyond the congregation.

Second, we want to create and implement a deliberate plan for hospitality, serving as Christ's ambassadors to invite, welcome, and connect people into the life of the church. A church grows when the people of the congregation invite their friends and others within their sphere of influence. We are working on a system that will then help connect those people fully to Salem.

Third, we want to create and implement a strategy for growth of the congregation. While we will work for physical growth, we  recognize that growth may happen especially online. The reality is, if we do not grow, we will decline.

Fourth, we want to create and implement a strategy for intentional funding of Salem’s ministry, growing in our stewardship compared to the previous year.

In addition to the congregational goals, goals were set for me as the pastor in 2020 at my performance evaluation this past year. They are specific accomplishments beyond my normal responsibilities.

First, I will work with our Communication Director, Julie Lefebure, to livestream an entire worship service with good quality. Currently, we only video the sermon and it’s done on a smart phone. Taking a step forward means dealing with hardware, software, and a copyright license to distribute music, especially, online. 

Second, I will work with Julie and our Discipleship Director, Tim King, to create and implement an online discipleship pathway. My first two goals are aligned with the congregation’s first and third goals. Our ministry online is vitally important as we move forward.

Third, I will work with our Staff-Parish Relations Committee to hire a Service Coordinator and a Music Director for the modern service. Having a Service Coordinator on staff will help with the congregation’s first goal of engaging persons more fully in service. And a Music Director would both free me from that responsibility and move our modern music ministry to the next level.

Fourth, I will recruit and train others to create the video presentation for worship. A Music Director would help with this, but this is an area that I don’t need to be responsible for as the pastor. We’re looking for balance in the pastor’s role and opportunities for others to serve.

Fifth, I will work with the Leadership Board and Treasurer to solidify a healthier financial situation. We already made great strides this fall. However, the things we want to accomplish in 2020 will require funding, and we still owe more than $900,000 on our nearly five-year-old facility. This connects with the congregation’s fourth goal.

We have accomplished so much since the flood of 2008 changed Salem’s course. We are a healthy and vibrant congregation. But we have serious challenges ahead of us.

Two of the biggest issues include reaching younger people and engaging persons online as disciples of Jesus. Both of these issues stem from our cultural context. 

For instance, at one time, persons who grew up in the church and then wandered away, often returned when they had their own children. Now, the majority of the two younger generations have not grown up in the church and therefore have nothing to return to. They have no experience with the church. They don’t even think about it. It doesn’t cross their mind. Our cultural context has become massively unchurched. At the same time, our culture engages, to a great extent, online.

This is what we want to accomplish. Let’s get busy!