Ministry Self-Assessment Reminder

Checking Our Bearings

Ships do not travel in a straight line. The wind and the currents shift, changing the ship’s direction. And so the crew must constantly check their bearings, making certain that they are still aimed in the right direction.

Much like a ship, congregations need to check their bearings, to aim ministry efforts in the right direction. Paul tells us what that direction is when he writes, “...I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Our membership and church attendance has been stagnate or decreasing the last few years and after closing the school, there was a sense of “now what?” In February, we will check our bearings together and define our direction by asking the question “Are we doing everything that we possibly can to share the Gospel, both to our members and also with the unchurched?”

The Self-Assessment and Adjustment program (SAA), offered by WELS Congregational Counseling, will help us answer the question “Are we doing everything that we possibly can to share the Gospel?” This program will allow our congregation to check our bearings and define the direction God has called us to go.

We need you to be part of this.

There are two ways you need to be involved.

1) Fill out our congregation’s Pulse Survey. Every adult member should complete this survey (spouses should each fill out a survey). Click on the following Link.

http://stjohnev.net/survey

2) Set aside Saturday and Sunday, February 2-3. A member of the WELS Congregational Counseling will be here to lead us in Bible study and small-group discussion on every aspect of our ministry. He is not here as an expert to tell us how to do ministry. He is here to facilitate discussion among ourselves about how we might share the Gospel as much as possible. Then on Sunday, after our service, he will help us determine the direction God has called us to go and adjustments we can make over the next year.

The measure of a healthy congregation is not statistics. A healthy congregation... or a church heading in the right direction… is one that is doing all it can to bring a life-giving Savior to a dying world. So help us check our bearings and define God’s direction for us. Thank you!

Want more information? Watch a video about the program by clicking below:

https://vimeo.com/164633091