Yesterday, I spent a good deal of my day at church. After worship, the Board of Christian Education gathered in a meeting room for a five hour retreat focused on planning for the future. While a summary of of those proceedings will likely fill many pages, one sentence sets the tone for the future:
Vision: To have as many participants each week in educational experiences as are present in worship.
While retaining high quality standards, our congregation’s educational programs for children, youth and adults have grown significantly over the past few years. This year, typical counts for a normal week in season are
- Christian Education: 200, and
- Worship: 1100.
This bold new vision will drive growth for the next several years.
So What?
Discipleship is a lifelong process. As such, our approach seeks to provide education across the lifespan. While we hope to continue to increase the percentage of those who attend worship and who are involved in educational offerings, we understand that in our context reaching our vision will also require welcoming newcomers. Increasingly, educational offerings (religious and general) will be an entry point for those participating in an activity on our campus for the first time.
What is the vision for your congregation’s Christian Education ministry? Do the committee/board members, volunteers and staff have the resources needed to achieve that vision?