We are rich in resources 

We have a lot of good to build upon, reasons to be hopeful as a church community.

Positives overpower complaints

Positives outweigh challenges

We’re more alike than different

We can learn from others 

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Our Leadership is a tremendous resource

 

Jennie/ Lloyd have done amazingly to keep us well through the pandemic. 

Tremendous leaderships

Leadership is amazing

Lay leadership is extremely strong

Missing leadership in the under thirty population (renewal?)

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Our Social Ministry (to both our church community and to the wider community) is important to our church family members and the wider community.

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We feel welcomed and welcoming

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Social opportunities are important to everyone in the congregation and many in the community. They are particularly important to people with few social connections, e.g., some seniors, some who have few friends and family.

 

When we come to church we still feel connected to the larger community, i.e., personal and world problems/joys are held up in the congregation's life

 

Our strength is in our people and our inclusive welcome. Our outreach/service/connections in the community. 

 

Our commitment to community and love for each other and the broader community excites me.  

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We are working on it!

 

We are clarifying our vision, researching, and developing a plan to solve our problems

 

We are doing really well on including the perspectives of all the people in the congregation. 

 

 We have more positives than challenges; we just have to figure out how we want move forward.

 

(This process) gives us an outline of what to work towards. 

 

We are willing to ask the hard questions.

 

Having a place to go with these hard topics.

 

Gives a positive feeling about the unrest.

 

We are willing to ask hard questions.

 

Place to discuss

 

Community in the church

 

Gives a positive feeling

 

Lots of great comments. I feel we’re all in this together & we’re all willing to work for change.

 

It is all connected isn’t it?

 

Excited - we are still committed to being a church community and opening the circle wide

 

Adapting to change in creative and hope filled ways for the future. Let’s dream and scheme and

hold on together.

 

I am amazed at how shared the perspectives are amongst many people

 

I like the speaker who spoke of releasing that which burdens us down, so that we can do what

we do well what we do.

 

"Without a vision, the people perish & quot; Jeremiah....

 

Concerns:

 

Focus on abundance, capacity, and what we do well

 

Growth mindset vs. Fixed mindset- abundance vs. scarcity- gratitude is also key to moving

forward.

 

Focus on abundance 

 

Focus on what we have

 

Focus on our Abundance 

 

Focus on our Capacity

 

Open to what we can do now

 

Focus on what we are doing well

 

What is important in these discussions?

 

History usually directs future 

 

Are these challenges/positives to perennial questions of church? Is this normal for us?

 

I am afraid that nothing will change. 

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Create a balanced sustainable financial model

 

We are so blessed But financially challenged

 

Money is the root of all problems!!!

 

All the talk of finances focuses on scarcity - what about our abundances?

 

Finances - not anxious, but we need a plan to move towards "0" net income.

 

Financials are often a challenge for non-profits. There are a lot of organizations that ask for

contributions. Perhaps thinking outside the box as to how money is collected and spent will be

necessary. It is a very tough topic. As for the decrease in a… I'm hearing a lot of common acknowledgement of what we value/need to sustain our faith community and what is our common purpose. The challenge seems to be the obstacles to maintain a physical structure. I think some of our common desires for mission and ministry might be shared by many others in the surrounding community. At present, we have not explored what those commonalities are and if there is a common passion that might lead to a different kind of church within a shared facility??

 

If we weren’t here, who would take over the work and services we provide to the community?

 

One solution - Reallocate our givings  - more to operating costs and less to ministry and mission - to meet our existing bottom line and maintain our current physical space?

 

If we allocated more funds to operations and less to mission - we could balance the books. But donating members to the church want to donate significant funds to ministry and may not be willing to reallocate their giving to give more to the bottom line and less to ministry.

 

But if we can’t meet the bottom line - we will be no longer be able to have a ministry or outreach. 

 

The church building (and its impact on finances) is a big question -- do we keep it or release it? Does it support our mission and ministry more than it hampers it -- or vice versa?

 

We definitely need a permanent space for worship, offices, meetings and social events, but I am undecided whether we need to own or rent.

 

The challenge seems to be the obstacles to

maintain a physical structure. I think some of our common desires for mission and ministry

 

Tenant rather than owner

 

Yes, whether we continue as an owner or tenant is definitely a key question when it comes to

managing both our finances and our spiritual work in a healthy balance

 

Some sort of physical location is very important, but it need not be the building we are

presently in which is too expensive, as well as not actually necessary for much that we do…

Is one sole location necessary, or might there be several locations out there that we can call

home? Is home “everywhere”?

 

Could you share the physical space with another congregation? We have a very successful

pairing of two different faith groups here in Regina.

 

How much of our budget goes to the physical space?

 

How might the building be used by some other owner to further ideals and goals and real life

actions which are espoused by the United church? And might we, in turn, be a part of that?

 

I think it is important to have a physical space so we need to figure out ways that we can afford

such a space. Rentals, more fundraisers?!?

 

So NAME are you suggesting a robust exploration of possible partnerships? I would tend to

agree…

 

We use the worship space and kitchenette and washrooms and office and little more is needed. Do we need a “permanent” house? Could we survive if we changed even more?

 

Space determines how we build community, eg/ no kitchen - no dinners.

 

Could we use the kitchen and space at the Maritime Conference Center to put on community dinners?

 

“Home churches” would also require homes with space to meet, and could also create exclusions due to wealth disparities. 

 

Articulate our vision and purpose / our mission and ministry 

 

Can we renew a clear direction for our ministry, what is most important and how we support

That?

 

What shared values would assist in determining what the future holds?

 

How to articulate why we go to  church 

 

Articulate - here is what the United Church is.

 

I am hearing a lot of common acknowledgement of what we value/need to sustain our faith

community and what is our common purpose. 

 

The financials are super-important. ButnI see that most appear to be looking beyond to what

we are even though we do not have a lot of money!

 

What concerns me is finding consensus on a vision for moving forward.  Can we agree on what is essential and what can be left behind?

 

What are our capacities now and what do we need to let go of?

In the past the dinners we put on helped with financing, developed relationships between church members through working together, brought the wider community together, and we could share who we are with the wider community

 

Not involved in funerals - sandwiches etc…

 

Important- we are so blessed - how can we share what we have?

 

Letting others know that we are here and what we are  

 

Reaching out to others - other religions

 

What does the community expect of us?

 

Team building/ community building events.

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Membership: 

 

The young ones in our church family and wider community

 

Next generation - who is learning from them for people to come

 

Getting younger people to take over or carry on

 

It is important to support the young ones in our congregation and community - even if they aren’t many at this point

 

How do we help create leaders for the next generation?

 

Next generation / getting the word out.

 

Missing teeagers

 

Missing leadership in the under thirty population (renewal?)

 

 

The elders in our church family and wider community

 

It is important to support the growing needs of the many elders in our church family who took care of us, lead, and supported us - and who now need our support. 

 

Remember, all this community building takes person power! Most in our congregation are

already overextended! Or too old to take on these things with gusto!

 

Ralph Milton has a wonderful book about being the best congregation to tap into and unleash

the skills and talents of the 'seniors' among us. Maybe we need to focus there...

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The vulnerable ones in our church family and wider community 

 

We have vulnerable members of the community in our congregation. It is important to continue to support them. 

  

Affordable housing is in great need by low income people, some of whom are members of our congregation.

 

The online members of our church family

 

Technology has become vital to our congregation's life.  We are blessed with techies (Lloyd, Jennie, & Rowan) but this is can't be maintained.  This challenge can also be an asset - e.g., we are one of two sites in Sackville open to the public with good audio-visual technology able to use video conferencing.

 

One of the challenges of being in the on-line congregation seems to be that those in person don't us a microphone in order to include us in the conversation

 

Our responsibility to our planet

 

Everything we do must be seen with a climate change lens to reduce greenhouse gasses.