Choosing Initiatives for Our Vision

By Kari Slotten
Project Manager: Vision Implementation

For the last several months, members of staff, council, and leadership teams have been expanding upon our vision of "Welcome, Transform, Send" by developing a revised mission statement with corresponding initiatives. Below is an update on this progress. You will have an opportunity to give your feedback at one of three upcoming Congregation Dialogues: Saturday, March 7 at 5:00 pm in the Atrium and
Sunday, March 8 at 11:00 am or 12:00 pm in the Chapel.

I’d especially like to hear your feedback on proposed initiatives by March 15, 2015. Council will vote on these at its March 19 meeting. You can contact me at (952) 985-7356 or kari.slotten@sotv.org. 

In February, Council approved our updated Vision and Mission. The Vision is aspirational, and reads as follows:

VISION:  We invite all people to experience the Welcome, Transformation, and Sending of Jesus Christ.

Welcome: We invite people in all stages of their faith journey to experience Jesus through our ministries in Christian community.
Transform: We are changed as we experience Jesus through our relationships and ministries.
Send: We are inspired to apply our faith daily by loving others and sharing the Good News of Jesus.

We will also have revolving focus years of “welcome, transform, and send,” when each component in turn receives special emphasis and targeted initiatives.

The Mission highlights why we exist, and will help us choose initiatives as we live into our Vision.  Our Mission reads as follows:

MISSION:  In community, we discover, grow, and live into our individual relationships with Jesus Christ.  Four core ministries support faith formation:

Worship: We praise God, and are spiritually fed, through God’s Word, music, prayer, and sacraments.   
Learn: We grow our Biblical knowledge, enrich our understanding, and apply our faith to daily life.
Connect: We develop and strengthen relationships in our congregation, local community, and global community through invitation and service.
Care: We offer compassion, companionship, and faith affirmation throughout life’s journey.

These statements come through congregational surveys and discussions, and many discussions with Council, Staff, and Leadership Teams.

Now, the goal is to choose initiatives.  

These are ways to focus our efforts within each area of our Mission, so that we’re working toward common goals.  After discussion with Staff, Council, and Leadership Teams, we’ve drafted some initiatives to share with you.

Recommended WORSHIP initiatives focus on growing worship:

• Explore new ways to promote worship and SOTV, especially Saturday
• Explore new ways to make worship more engaging to all ages

Recommended LEARN initiatives focus on creating goals and identifying gaps:

• Develop goals and strategies for cradle to grave learning
• Offer a variety of experiences to learn in different ways
• Examine Children, Youth, and Family programs and structure
• Identify and address perceived gaps
• Offer progressive courses

Recommended CONNECT initiatives focus on relationships: note this is a new pastoral role, and is under development.

• Within the congregation:
  • Evaluate current fellowship offerings, and explore opportunities to use them for reaching out to the community too
  • Explore ways to foster connections and relationships around SOTV, centering on “invitation” and “service”

• Within our community:
  • Work with civic, non-profit, and business leaders to better understand unmet needs in our surrounding area
  • Identify and strengthen partnership opportunities

Recommended CARE initiatives focus on promoting our offerings:

• Increase awareness and utilization (as needed) of care and support offerings
• Prayer chain
• Care available from lay leaders, parish nurses, and pastors
• Support groups
• Develop intentional connection to Worship, Learn, and Connect

Several initiatives that impact all areas are already in some form of development:

• Website – Especially important in connecting with visitors, and regulars wanting to register for events and classes. Website, database, and social media initiatives fall under the Engagement Team.
• Database – Consistent information that can be accessed by all staff as appropriate is important. Seeking improvement in maintaining current information and interests, promoting events in relevant ways, fostering connection and caring, facilitate volunteer registrations, among other things. The Engagement Team has recently begun work on assessing our database needs.
• Membership – Would like to explore rationale for membership, and promote ways that commitment (through membership or otherwise) can deepen faith and foster connection. Focus on responsibilities (like partners) vs. expectations (like membership). Consider task force, sermon series, etc.
• Simplifying communications and processes – Emphasize visitor-friendly resources, simpler bulletin/newsletter handout, common information for staff and volunteers to guide others, opportunities for cross-promoting worship and programs

What do you think about these initiatives?  Would you like more information?  Does something sound exciting and you’d like to get involved?  You can contact me at (952) 985-7356 or kari.slotten@sotv.org.

Worship Survey Results

By Kari Slotten, Project Manager: Vision Implementation

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If you're looking for info on the Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) survey we are administering in January and February of 2014, please click here.

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In November, we circulated a survey (an online and a paper version) regarding worship, with the goal of using your feedback to develop a new worship service on Saturday nights.

We were pleased to have 489 people answer our worship survey. The congregation had thoughtful ideas about current and future worship, and I’ll share the themes that emerged and some ways the pastors and staff are looking to address those items.

Who answered the survey

First, I’d like to talk about who answered the survey. This is important to know, as we realize who’s represented well, and who is missing.

• 69% worship with their family
• 62% were between 30-55
• 83% worship most weeks (drops to 49% in summer)
• 67% worship with the same frequency as a year ago
• 39% worship with their kids, and 36% don’t have kids 0-18 at home
• Preferred worship times:
• Sunday 9:45 (162)
• Saturday 5:00 (127)
• Sunday 11:00 (95)
• Sunday 8:30 (77)
• Preferred worship style:
• Organ/piano-led  (292)
• Band-led (171)

There was a heavy response from Saturday worshipers, as a core part of the survey explored the possibility of adding a band-led worship service on Saturdays. We are especially short on answers from people under 30, and those who attend sporadically. We will use other research and targeted conversations to complement our survey data as we evaluate next steps.

Current worship

Obviously, what happens in the sanctuary affects each person’s worship experience. We also know factors outside of the sanctuary can impact how people perceive their worship experience. We had feedback about both, and have ideas on how we will address some areas that need improvement.

Finding: 50% of people who prefer organ/piano, and 33% of people who prefer band, like worship as it is.  The rest seek improvement primarily with sermons and music.

Response: There are ways that sermons and music can be enhanced, without taking away the things people appreciate about them. Each ministry area will have the opportunity to review conclusions, process them, and plan accordingly.

We know some of the people who prefer band-led worship miss the former “Table” worship in the Great Hall, and with difficult change comes a grieving process. As we move through that, we will continue working to improve the feeling of intimacy, warmth, and community in the sanctuary.

Finding: Other ministry options (especially Children’s Ministry), feeling welcome and a sense of community, and difficult parking experiences impact how people feel about worship.

Response: These three areas outside of the sanctuary drew the most comments in the survey, and we are in the process of addressing each of them.

We have many strong ministries, and we’re actively looking at ways these different ministries can work with worship to support each other. Children’s Ministry especially is considering different options for bringing regular programming back on Saturdays, and discerning if there are ways to make Sunday programming more welcoming.

Our Invitation and Welcome ministry is gaining momentum. Not only will this ministry focus on connecting and inviting in our community, but a major emphasis will also focus on making sure people feel welcomed and invited to get connected once they are at SOTV.

Parking at SOTV presents a number of challenges. We are exploring several options, including shuttles and parking services, as we work to address this issue.

As we develop plans in these and other areas, we will be sure to share them. We also invite your ideas and feedback!

Saturday Worship

Finding: 2/3 of people who prefer organ/piano-led worship, and 3/4 who prefer band-led worship, said they would consider Saturday worship. Although the preferred time for each group was 5:00, the second-place option for each group was 5:30 (for organ/piano), and 4:00 (for band). Interest in Saturday worship increased significantly with the possibility of adding Children’s programming.

Response: We will add a band-led worship service on Saturdays, at 4:00. This option also supports what we’ve seen in other churches and through targeted conversations. We will shift the organ/piano-led worship to 5:30 to avoid congested parking issues. A time table for this additional service has not been decided yet, but should be decided over the next month as we look at the implications of this addition (especially on Children’s Ministry). We will share that communication as we’re able.

Future Worship

Finding: People requested more worship opportunities for both of our worship styles. Some leading time preferences for more worship included Wednesday and Sunday evenings.

Response:  We will actively look at adding more worship opportunities once we’ve finalized Saturday plans. Wednesday and Sunday evenings have very different implications, as the facility experiences very different activity levels at those times. We will also continue to think about opportunities to respond to our congregation and the community through non-traditional ways, like adding a second site, if the need develops.

Thanks again to everyone who took our November worship survey. If you have questions, you can contact me at Kari.Slotten@sotv.org. You may also give us feedback at our website, or in the comments section below.

Please note: All comments made below will be received and reviewed upon submission. Vulgar or offensive commentary will not be posted for public view. You may also send questions or comments to council@sotv.org.  
 

A Recap of a Busy June

The transforming winds of the Holy Spirit have blown briskly throughout Shepherd of the Valley this June. Usually the start of summer is a quiet time, but not so this year! If you've been away for a few weeks (no judgment here, it is summer!) here's what you might have missed:

• Band-led worship has moved from the Great Hall (at 9:45 and 11:00 on Sunday) to the Sanctuary (at 11:00 only). There are many reasons for this move. Essentially, the Sanctuary is a larger and better space for worship. You can read about the full list of reasons or watch Pastor Chris talk about them.


• Organ and piano-led worship continues to thrive--unaltered--at the worship times of 5:00 p.m. (Saturday), 8:30 and 9:45 a.m. (Sunday). In addition, we have added a service for the summer months at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, for folks who are out of town during the weekend. Often there's ice cream on Mondays too, and who doesn't like ice cream?


• Sunday fellowship (aka coffee and donuts) has moved from the Narthex to the Great Hall. There's much more space for people to visit and meet in the Great Hall, and now less clutter in the Narthex. In addition to coffee and donuts, we're offering a Hot Breakfast on Sunday, July 14, August 18, and in the fall on dates to be announced.


• We've added technology to the Sanctuary, under the leadership of our Production Manager, Omar Reyes (hired this spring): screens, new video camera, and a larger sound booth area that will enable staff and volunteers to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. It's pretty exciting!


• Pastor Paul Harrington has officially retired. There was a fantastic celebration of his ministry during worship on June 22, 23 & 24. You can listen to or watch his final sermon online. He and Margaret will remain active members of SOTV.


• If that wasn't enough, there were also two fun-filled weeks of Vacation Bible School and our most successful garage sale ever. This year the Shepherd's Sale had more volunteers than ever before and our largest ever profit. $28,000 was raised for children in need!

Thank you to the many, many volunteers who have made June worshipful, meaningful, and fulfilling. Is Christ calling you to get involved in the flurry of activity at SOTV? Check out our current list of volunteer opportunities.

Questions or concerns? Drop us a line. We review each and every comment - your voice really does matter!

God bless you this 4th of July.

Trip Sullivan
Communications Director

Pastor Chris Answers Your Questions

Since many of you had similar questions and concerns at our recent Congregation Dialogues, we thought we would answer them in a series of videos. Don't see a question that you have answered? Ask away on our website, or scroll back through this blog. Thank you again to everyone who attended our dialogues!

Why Do We Need A Vision?

Was the Vision Created with Any Direction from Members?

How Will New People Find SOTV?

Besides Worship and Fellowship, How Else Will We Reach People with the Gospel?

Why Are We Changing "The Table?"

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you everyone who attended and participated in a Congregation Dialogue! We heard a lot of great comments and ideas from you and we value each and every one of them.

If you missed the Dialogues, here is Pastor Chris Smith's presentation in its entirety.

Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions that may answer some of the questions that you have. Pastor Chris has expanded on some of these answers in a series of videos.

If you don't see a question that you have answered, please let us know.

Some of you have inquired how you can get involved in some of the exciting new transformations happening at Shepherd of the Valley. Here are just a few immediate volunteer needs. We will update this list as needs change. Thank you in advance for your help!

Again, thank you to everyone for your feedback. It is very much appreciated!