Congregational Meeting September 11, 2012 Oversight Team: Peter Duflo – Chair Pastor Phil Hakanson – Senior Pastor Chuck Russell – Vice Chair Direction Dennis Platt – Vice Chair Support “Healthy Missional”

AGENDA Call to order, Opening Prayer Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes from last Congregational Meeting Strategic Ministry Plan Q&A Proposed Bylaw revisions Q&A Wrap up / Closing Prayer

The Vitality Pathway Steps: 1.Veritas (140+ participants) 2.Relational Covenant 3.EPIC (60 participants) 4.Vitality Team (20+ meetings & Retreat) 5.Town Hall Meetings (100 participants) Strategic Ministry Plan

The Vitality Pathway Steps: 5. Pulse (192 participants) 6. Service of Commitment to God’s Future 7. Vitality Report presented to congregation 8. Mission, Vision & Values (Direction Team) 9. Strategic Ministry Plan (Direction Team) Strategic Ministry Plan

Current State:

Strategic Ministry Plan The goal: Becoming a “healthy, missional” church!

Strategic Ministry Plan Our Mission: To “make disciples of all nations” as defined by Jesus in Matthew 28:19, 20

Strategic Ministry Plan Our Vision: To be a community of friends, encountering the living Christ, growing in grace, while loving God and serving others.

Strategic Ministry Plan Our Values: 1.The centrality of God’s Word 2.The necessity of new life in Jesus Christ 3.A conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit 4.Authentic community and relational health 5.Worship that honors God and inspires people

Strategic Ministry Plan Our Values: 6. Integrity and excellence in leadership 7. Diversity that reflects God’s global family 8. A life lived for others through acts of compassion, mercy and justice 9. A servant lifestyle 10. Unity in essentials; freedom in nonessentials; love in all things

Strategic Ministry Plan A Threefold Plan:

Strategic Ministry Plan 1. Becoming a healthy church

Strategic Ministry Plan 1.Becoming a healthy church 2.Rethinking and reaffirming the centrality of our CommunityLife Groups

Strategic Ministry Plan 1.Becoming an emotionally healthy church 2.Rethinking and reaffirming the centrality of our CommunityLife Groups 3.Strategically aligning and increasing the effectiveness of our present outreach efforts (with an eye to something new)

Strategic Ministry Plan The essential link between Community Life & Emotionally Healthy Spirituality!

Strategic Ministry Plan Why Emotional Health?

Findings Emotional Health and Relational Wholeness is critical to the growth of our congregation. We’re not always as healthy as we think we are! Recommendations 1.Identify training on emotional health and emotional intelligence for staff and membership. 2.Create safe conflict reconciliation and accountability. 3.Establish emotional safety through emotional stability. 4.Model emotional maturity to accomplish spiritual maturity. 5.Community Life groups can incubate this process. “ A healthy mind is the perfect companion for a tender heart!” Strengthening Emotional Health Strategic Ministry Plan

A Plan for Spiritual Health: 1.Staff participation in EHS curriculum 2.Fall Spiritual Life Class 3.Present CommunityLife Groups doing EHS 4.Winter Preaching Series on Healthy Spirituality

Strategic Ministry Plan A Plan for Spiritual Health: 5. Lenten Emphasis: “Forty Days of Slowing Down” 6. New Groups forming 7. Assessment

Strategic Ministry Plan The “missional” of “healthy missional”: Becoming a church for others!

Strategic Ministry Plan Learning to reach out intentionally with the Good News is the only way we will become a church for others! "A Church for Others”

Strategic Ministry Plan Outreach Opportunity : 2008 Connecticut Church Attendance % 4% Evangelical 2% Mainline 8% Roman Catholic 86% Absent

Strategic Ministry Plan Effective Evangelism: Personal and Relational God uses ordinary people in their everyday lives to win lost people to the Kingdom of God. See Luke 10:1-2. How Can We Connect People & Ministries to the Vision?

Strategic Ministry Plan A Framework for Outreach Clearly Communicate the Biblical Theological Foundation for Outreach Create Structures to Support Outreach Actively Bear Witness to God’s Love for the World Intentionally Connect Ministries and People to our Vision

Strategic Ministry Plan Existing Avenues for Outreach  Seasonal Sharing / MACC  Alpha  MOPS  Christmas Musical  Building Healthy Families’ Ministries  Sonshine Day Care Center

Example: Lacing People & Ministries to the Vision Strategic Ministry Plan

Invitation: Hear & Respond to the Gospel via BHF  Offer personal invitations to the Christmas Musical  Offer personal invitations to Easter worship  Offer free participation in Community Dinner Nights for families  Seek to personally connect families touched through BHF to MOPS and Alpha  Future Goal: Begin Seeker Bible Studies

Strategic Ministry Plan Existing Avenues for Outreach  Seasonal Sharing / MACC  Alpha  MOPS  Christmas Musical  Sonshine Day Care Center

Next Steps to Grow Our Missional Vitality October 13, 2012: “How to Love our Muslim Neighbors” Fall 2012: “The Why, What and How of Building Healthy Families” during Community Dinner Night Fall 2013: “The 72 Vision” Strategic Ministry Plan

Summing Up: We can’t be missional if we’re not healthy! We can’t be healthy if we’re not missional!

Strategic Ministry Plan Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse Another congregation survey Nov. 2013: Are these changes working? Are we becoming more healthy missional?

What’s the plan? You’re the plan!

Strategic Ministry Plan Question & Answer Please step Up to a microphone

Recommendations “Hot” Topics Clear vision and efficient government work together Findings 1.Lack of a clear vision has led to lack of focus in ministry. 2.Our current government cluster structure is sub-optimal: a) Too many people are engaged in church government and some aren’t clear on their role or value. b) The cluster structure emphasizes specialization rather than promoting all five ministry purposes. 3.Structure is confusing, decisions slow, overly cautious. 4.Those passionate about new ministries may have difficulty engaging the support of the church. Recommendations 1.Create clear, cogent vision and mission statement for the church so members can align their creativity, and channel their passions accordingly. 2.Streamline church government. 3.Create constructs that allow the church to speed decision making, and be prepared to engage in new external-facing ministries (e.g. create a CDC). Clear Vision & Efficient Government A clear vision and timely decisions will help people to align their talents and channel their passions Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Bylaw Streamlining Process Over the past 12 months various members of the Ministry Direction and Oversight Teams have: 1) Evaluated input from both town hall meetings and the Natural Church Development and the Vitality Pulse survey's which ranked our current church governance as being too complex and in need of streamlining 2) Discussed input from books on effective church governance 3) Meet three times individually with the staff to listen to their recommendations and concerns of streamlining Bylaws 4) Met 4 times (MDT) together to discuss recommendations and concerns for streamlining Bylaws

Bylaw Streamlining Process cont.. Over the past 12 months various members of the Ministry Direction and Oversight Teams have: 5) Held over 15 oversight team meetings where over 23 versions of By-laws where drafted 6) Met with past Trinity Chairs to review the latest Bylaw changes 7) Had Howard Burgoyne review the latest Bylaw changes 8) Had a mentor, from a larger Covenant church, review the latest Bylaw changes Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Bylaw Streamlining Process cont.. Over the past 12 months various members of the Ministry Direction and Oversight Teams have: 9) Met four times with the full Joint Leadership Team to listen to their recommendations and review drafts of the Bylaws. Last week they voted unanimously to distribute the latest draft of the Bylaws at this congregational meeting with expectation of discussion and a vote on the Bylaws to be held at a subsequent congregational meeting to be held this November. SUMMARY – 23 current and past members of Trinity’s leadership team and staff, plus Howard Burgoyne and Mark Severson, have provided input to the “draft” Bylaws which will be distributed after their introduction later in this meeting. Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Clearer Governance Accountability Governance Board is accountable to the congregation Senior Pastor is accountable to the Governance Board Staff are accountable to the Senior Pastor Ministries are accountable to Senior Ministry Staff Support Staff are accountable to the Office Manager Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Nominations Team Governance Board WorshipChild. Min. Adult Min. Youth Ministry Cong. Care Min. Conn. Senior Ministry Staff Office Manager Admin Team Support Staff Admin Asst Book- keeper Sexton TreasFin Sec Fac Chair Diaconate 8-12 people ChairVice- Chair Admin Chair At large Sec. Sr. Pastor nominates oversees communication oversees Associate Ministry Staff oversees nominates Sr Pastor, Chair (ex-officio) and five others from congregation Proposed Organizational Chart Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Purposeful Strategic Planning of Trinity’s ministries Every year there is a “Strategic Ministry Plan” presented for the church Strategic Ministry Planning is a collaborative process involving the Governance Board, Senior Ministry Staff and led by the Senior Pastor Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Streamlined Management and Decision Making Staff is responsible for day to day management/administration Governance Board monitors compliance to church policies and achievement of the Strategic Ministry Plan Ministry Teams continue and are now directly overseen by staff replacing the role of the Clusters.  This removes 8 of 17 people currently filling roles in elected leadership Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Strengthen Congregational Input If a member of the congregation has an unresolved issue with a ministry they can address the Senior Ministry Staff If a member of the congregation has an unresolved issue with Senior Ministry Staff they can address the Senior Pastor If a member of the congregation has an unresolved issue with Senior Pastor they can address the Governance Board Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Budget Process (Very similar) Finance Team leads the process and collects information from Senior Pastor and Facilities Team Finance Team recommends budget to Governance Board Governance Board evaluates and approves annual budget and then recommends it to the congregation for final approval. Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Personnel Authority Senior Pastor and Senior Ministry Staff are called by congregation Governance Board supports and oversees the Senior Pastor but can recommend dismissal of Senior Pastor to the congregation After discussion with the Governance Board, the Senior Pastor can dismiss Senior Ministry Staff Staff can appoint / dismiss Non-Senior Ministry Staff with permission of Senior Pastor Clear Vision & Efficient Government

What stays the same Pastoral care Ministry continues to happen through Ministry Teams How the Diaconate functions (membership process) Nominations Team and election process Congregational meeting process Roles of officers Clear Vision & Efficient Government

Congregation Bylaw Evaluation Process Bylaws will be distributed shortly but there is no Bylaw vote tonight We have tried to anticipate many Bylaw questions and have provided answers in the document entitled - Key Features of Proposed Governance Streamlining Other Bylaw questions can be: Posted to a Q&A area of Trinity’s website and the resulting answers will be posted. (Instructions on how to make these postings will be communicated in the next week) Addressed to members of the Oversight or MDT Teams

Congregation Bylaw Evaluation Process cont.. We will have two more meetings to discuss Bylaws:  Town Hall meeting for a Bylaw discussion to be held after services at 12:30PM on Sunday Sept. 23 rd  “Special Congregational Meeting” at 7:00PM on Tuesday Nov. 13 th for a Bylaw discussion and then a vote. If Bylaws are approved, this gives the Nominations Team the necessary time to find candidates for the Governance Board for the necessary ballot voting at the February congregational meeting

Clear Vision & Efficient Government Question & Answer Please step Up to a microphone

Wrap Up Distribute: Bylaw version with “side-by-side” recommended changes (Bylaws – Side by Side) Bylaws version with “integrated” recommended changes (September 2-12) Motions: (To give adequate time for review of Bylaws) Main motion: to approve Bylaw changes and include them in the minutes Secondary motion: Postpone a decision on the main motion until the next Congregational meeting scheduled for Nov. 13 th

Closing Prayer We believe that with God’s help, by prayerfully addressing these areas, we can begin to move from being a stable church, becoming the healthy, missional church God desires us to be. This will take courage and hard work. “ So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” - Heb 10:24-25, The Message