These are the questions posed and the answers written down at the Visioning Workshop at Grace Church on Saturday, June 27, 2015. About 25 people were present representing a broad spectrum of members and friends of Grace. The workshop was facilitated by Michael Davis. [Comments in brackets are the transcriber’s attempt to clarify. The transcriber is Ken Lyon.]
1. What is the main purpose of the Grace Church Community?
- Provide worship experience.
- To lift people and bring love and healing.
- Spread good news in many different ways to many different people.
- We love God by loving His people.
- To do as Jesus did.
- Be an example of a diverse community.
- To teach others how to show love.
- To nudge people along the path to God.
2. What specific activities are most popular at Grace Church?
- Community Dinners.
- Worship/liturgy.
- Monthly Healing Services (Wednesday and Sunday)
- Rainbow Band
- Tai Chi
- Spirit Band
- Partner Organizations
- bread Ministry
- Nave Space, generations of prayer [in that place]
- Musicality
- Gothic Church and flags [the combination speaks volumes]
- Grace Notes (includes invites and complements)
- IHN
- Parolees
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Lay Eucharistic Visitors
- Read aloud book club
- Prayer & Meditation
- EfM
2A. What values to these activities embody?
- Traditional form and inclusive welcome.
- Small group ministry
- Appeal to traditional sense
- Intentionally (passionately) inclusive.
- Beyond inclusive to accepting.
- Honoring those not like us deliberately.
- Diversity.
3. What specific activities get the most volunteers?
- Wednesday Healing
- Outreach
- Community Dinner
- IHN
- Parolees
- Worship Services
- Building work
3A. What values do these activities embody?
4. What are your personal top five values?
- Life is about relationships with God through people.
- Perseverance
- Making a difference.
- Integrity
- being God’s presence
- Serving community
- Respectful and treating others with dignity
- Living in a diverse community
- Love (hands on)
- Music
- Working for justice
- Power of faith and prayer
- Improving the situation
- Making things better
- Education/communication
- Having a purpose
- Quiet meditation
- Relieve suffering of others
- Listening
- Show God creatively
- True to myself
- Revering, respecting all God’s creatures
- Tackling difficult issues head-on
- Spiritual growth
- Understanding and flexibility
5. What do you believe are the top five values of the Grace Church Community?
- Serving community
- Serving God
- Spiritual Growth
- Fiscal responsibility/financially viable
- Numerical growth
- Honoring all people as children of God (see Grace Church values)
- God is a healer, we are His agents.
6. Where is there congruence (agreement) between your answers to questions 4 and 5.
- Serving the community
- Spiritual growth
- Serving God
- Honoring and welcoming all
- Inviting and opportunity to contribute
- Feeling welcomed
- Appreciated
- Pulling out from desire to be alone
- Inviting
- Healing
- Be in relationship
- Comfortable to take initiative
- OUR church—ownership and investment
7. What are the top three, in order of the five values identified in question 5?
- Serving God and Community.
- Healing and Spiritual Growth
- Honoring and Welcoming All.
8. Give three examples of how the church embodies or lives up to these top three values?
- Good at welcoming and incorporating. (3)
- Wednesday night community dinner (1,3)
- Healing services (1,2,3)
- Parolee program (1)
- Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) (1.2,3)
- Sunday morning worship (1,2,3)
- Prayer & Meditation group (2)
- Partners Program
9. Are there any conflicts between the top five values of the congregation?
- Lack of Sunday School and child care to learn about God.
- Verbiage about all 5 of number 8, but little action.
- A lot of action by a small group.
- No choir.
- Prideful ownership [can put off people with new ideas]
- No directed educational or spiritual program or experiences.
- Lack of money.
- Lack of people.
- [Lack of] clear point of leadership (e.g. clergy)
- [Not] selling Grace [person-to-person].
- Ragtag appearance.
- [Lack of onsite] parking.
10. How are those conflicts (if any) resolved?
- Engaging experts for short or long terms in areas where we have no experience.
- Reposition ourselves.
- Marketing/evangelism.
