Defining St. John’s Path Forward - Update on SAA

Be a part of defining St. John’s direction by participating in the ministry self-assessment and adjustment (SAA) program. This program will help us answer three questions: 1) Why has God put St. John here? 2) Where is God calling us to go? and 3) How are we going to get there? Answering these questions as a church will help us work together towards a shared direction, and not individually heading our own way.

How can I participate?

You can participate in two ways:

1) Fill out the member Pulse survey. With only 14% of active members responding, we are well short of our goal of 80% participation. But there is still time! If you have not yet filled out the survey, please consider taking the time to provide your input. You can spend as little as 10 minutes or up to an hour depending on how much you comment. Spouses should each fill out a survey.

2) RSVP to attend the on-site session on Saturday and Sunday, February 2^nd and 3^rd. A WELS counselor will guide us through a discussion about our ministry and direction. The session will be a full day on Saturday 9AM - 5PM and two hours on Sunday after church. On Saturday, lunch and childcare will be provided.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I fill out the Pulse survey?

Go to www.stjohnev.net/survey and follow the instructions. For members without a computer, there are paper copies located in the church office.

When is the Pulse survey due?

Please complete the survey no later than Sunday January, 20^th. Our counselor takes two weeks to review the survey results, a congregational profile prepared by our Council, and other information prior to the on-site session.

When is the on-site session? Will there be childcare?

The on-site session will take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 2^nd and 3^rd. The session on Saturday will go from 9AM to 5PM and the session on Sunday will start after the church service and last approximately 2 hours. Lunch and childcare are provided for the Saturday session. Infants are able to stay with parents if desired. Please RSVP here.

What can I expect during the on-site session?

On Saturday, our counselor will lead us through A Bible study, which looks at ten different areas of Gospel ministry: worship, outreach, discipleship, etc. After that, members will break-out in groups and come up with a list of things that a congregation in your community would want to do if they were going to be as zealous as possible about that area of ministry. This session will last from 9AM to 5PM with a break for lunch (to be provided).

On Sunday, we will meet after church and review the ideas from the break-out groups. Our counselor will have compiled the results and guide us through a process to define our direction and immediate next steps. This session will last approximately two hours.

For more information, watch this video about Living Savior, located in Asheville, NC, and their SAA experience.

Who will lead the on-site session?

Pastor Eric Roecker will be our counselor and guide us through the SAA program. Pastor Roecker serves as Director of the WELS Commission on Evangelism. Prior to this role, he served at Pilgrim in Menomonee Falls, WI and at Resurrection in Chesapeake, VA.

Should I attend both days (Saturday and Sunday), or just one day?

Members are encouraged to attend both days. Each day will cover unique material. The more people present, the better ideas we will generate, and the more impact we will have.

If you are unable to attend both days, it would still be beneficial to attend one of the days. For example, members who cannot attend on Saturday should still attend Sunday following church.

What can I do to prepare for the on-site session?

To prepare for the session, fill out the Pulse survey and come with an open mind and willingness to share your ideas. The survey gives you an opportunity to think out our ministry.

Why are we doing a ministry self-assessment and adjustment?

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?”

The Self-Assessment and Adjustment program (SAA) 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 define the direction God has called us to go.

What happens after the on-site session?

After the session, our counselor will go through the ideas generated by our members and the ministry areas we indicated could do better and compile the results, along with his thoughts, into a report. Most importantly, the report will include recommendations for us to consider.

After receiving the report, our leadership council will turn those recommendations into an action plan with achievable goals for our congregation to complete in 90 day increments. Our counselor will continue to support for 9 months following the session.