Lynnhurst Congregational UCC

Engaging Stakeholders to Create a Bold Strategic Plan

Key Challenges

When the beloved pastor of Lynnhurst Congregational UCC became ill, parishioners were faced with the task of finding a new leader. Like most congregations, Lynnhurst had experienced a gradual decline in membership and funding that matched national trends toward decreased church attendance.

While church council members knew they had been fortunate to have a leader strong and charismatic enough to staunch that decline, they wanted to face the future with a bold optimism: they wanted to explore whether their membership could grow, despite national trends to the contrary. In fact, given the shrinking pool of pastor-applicants capable of leading a church, board members were convinced that a bold commitment to growth was their only chance to attract another high-quality leader.

Church processes dictated that, in order to solicit applications for a new pastor, a document must be submitted defining a congregation’s mission, vision, and strategic plan. While Lynnhurst had not operated from a strategic plan in 25 years, they would need to do so to facilitate the application process. Integrative Growth became a key partner in developing the new mission, vision, and strategic plan.

The Work Begins

In partnership with Lynnhurst’s Revisioning Task Force, Integrative Growth reviewed data on Lynnhurst’s current membership. A demographic analysis showed the majority of Lynnhurst’s members to be under the age of 25 or over the age of 45. Member surveys revealed these subgroups to be strong primarily due to:

an active youth education program,
vibrant music and arts programs,
summer outdoor recreational ministries that reflected members’ interests, and
loyalty among empty-nesters who raised their families at the church.

Using input gathered from member discussion groups, congregation survey results, and community demographic data, Integrative prepared a strategic plan. During the day-long retreat strategies were identified, including:

Christian education for youth and adults. Lynnhurst committed to developing a strong adult education program based on the successes experienced with the youth education program. The adult education program would help maintain membership among families who were outgrowing the youth program; it also would attract prospective members interested in classes.
Outreach. One of the concerns identified by members was the lack of connection with the community surrounding the church. The church rarely experienced drop-in traffic from the community; in fact, because of a lack of advertising and the small size of the building, members believed that some community members may not even be aware of the church’s presence. Lynnhurst committed to developing a marketing plan which would include advertising and exterior signage, among other strategies.
Enhanced mission activities. Members identified a desire to actively minister beyond the church’s walls. While many members volunteered on their own with various charities, there was no formal mechanism to allow organized action with fellow church members. Lynnhurst committed to providing organized opportunities that would educate members and facilitate community-building.

The Plan Begins to Bear Fruit

The strategic plan was reviewed with the Church Council and highlights presented at a meeting with the entire congregation. It was adopted in full. The pastor search committee used the plan as part of the church profile required to begin its process. The committee received many more applications than were expected and identified the energetic new plan as a key factor in why so many had applied. The committee came to unanimous recommendation on a new pastor, who joined the church in December 2007.The church’s standing committees are in their second year of work aligned with the strategic plan. There is a new sense of energy and purpose throughout the membership of the church.