Fruitful Congregation Journey

What is Fruitful Congregation Journey?

Fruitful Congregation Journey (FCJ) is a team-based discovery process that helps churches to more effectively carry out their ministry to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The first step of the process helps a church develop effective leaders. Steps 2 and 3 help a church determine what key areas it needs to focus on in order to become more effective and fruitful. This process does not use a “cookie cutter” approach, but allows each church to apply the process to its particular ministry context.

How can a church participate?

The Indiana Conference Church Development Team is using FCJ as its primary means to help churches become even more effective in carrying out their mission. Due to capacity limitations, only 50 churches are able to begin the process each fall. At the present time, participation is by invitation only. Churches interested should contact the Church Development staff person for their district or their District Superintendent.

Where did it come from?

FCJ was developed by the Missouri Annual Conference, which has been actively using it and perfecting it since 2006. Hundreds of their churches have participated in it. Its design comes from the work of Paul Borden, who helped turnaround the American Baptist Church in northern California. FCJ is now spreading to other UMC conferences, including the Indiana Conference.

How successful has it been?

In Missouri, 80% of the churches that have been in the process at least 18 months have experienced an increase in their weekly average worship attendance. Half of the churches have grown by 5% or more. The conference also reports that it’s helped its churches leaders have a better understanding of important concepts related to effective ministry. It’s also provided churches with hope, encouragement, and direction.

Is it focused on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations?

The concepts in the books that Robert Schanse, Bishop of the Missouri Conference, has written – Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations and Five Practices of Fruitful Living – are certainly complementary to the concepts in the Fruitful Congregation Journey process. FCJ, however, is not based on either of these books.

Costs?

Refer to documents detailing Steps 1, 2 & 3.

What are the three steps?

Shared Learning Experience  (PLD/LLD 1 & 2)

Developing effective and fruitful leaders

In step 1, church teams learn key concepts and best leadership practices for effective, fruitful ministry. A church team, made up of the pastor/s and 4-8 key laity, attend eight monthly sessions. Pastors’ sessions, called Pastor Leadership Development (PLD 1), meet on a weekday and laity sessions, called Lay Leadership Development (LLD 1), meet on Saturdays. Between sessions, each church’s pastor/s and lay team meets to encourage team members to grow as leaders. It’s not necessary for churches to continue with steps 2 & 3 below. They can attend a second year of step 1 (PLD/LLD 2) instead, which expands on the initial concepts and best practices.

Outcomes: Helping churches… Learn key concepts and best practices for effective church leadership. Develop leaders who understand how to lead and navigate change.

Perfect for churches… Wanting to develop leaders. Wanting to have clearer direction, as well as renewed passion and energy. Wanting to improve ministry effectiveness and fruitfulness.

Consultation/Intervention Process  

Discovering how to become a more effective and fruitful church

During step 2, churches – with the help of an outside team and coach—discover their strengths and weaknesses. This step culminates with a weekend assessment that results in five strategic recommendations for the church to pursue in order to move to even greater effectiveness. In preparation for the weekend, the pastor will be a part of a peer mentoring group, the church will do a pre-assessment report and workshop, and have a series of mystery guests visit their worship services.

Outcomes: Helping churches… Get a clearer assessment of its current reality, including growth barriers. Determine strategic next steps to take in order to move forward.

Perfect for churches… Wanting to know what specifically it can do to improve its effectiveness. Wanting to put into action the concepts taught in the Shared Learning Experience.

Implementation of Prescriptions 

Becoming a more effective fruitful church

Step 3 helps a church apply key concepts to overcome specific growth barriers, helping it become even more effective and fruitful. Over a period of 12-18 months, the church – with the help of a coach – implements all of the recommendations from the weekend consultation.

Outcomes: Helping churches… Implement the recommendations and move forward to being a fruitful, vibrant, growing church.

Perfect for churches… Wanting to grow* and to more effectively carry out their church’s mission.

* In the Missouri Conference, 80% of the churches experience going through the three FCJ steps experienced worship attendance growth.

Questions?

Contact the Conference Center at 877-781-6706 or your district’s Conference Church Development staff person.

• Doug Anderson, doug.anderson@inumc.org – Fifteen largest churches
• Steve Clouse, steve.clouse@incumc.org – Northwest, West
• Ed Fenstermacher, ed.fenstermacher@inumc.org – North, Northeast .
• Mark Gough, mark.gough@inumc.org – North Central, Central, Southeast
• Dave Neckers, david.neckers@inumc.org – East
• Sharon Washington, sharon.washington@inumc.org – South, Southwest
   

April 25, 2011
Indiana Conference UMC