8 Dr. Richard L. Hamm, partner

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church 5 Step Process 1. Development of a “contextual analysis” 2. A time of discernment through prayer and dialogue 3. Development of a “future story” (vision) 4. Development of a strategic plan 5. A period of coaching

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church 1802William Conner settled here 1891Fishers incorporated as Fishers Station (a railroad town) 1920’sBecame simply “Fishers” 1963 Population: Population: 2, Population: nearly 77,000

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church 1980: Marketing study done by LCA 1981: Pastor Joe Freeman arrives from Denver 1982: Christ The Savior chartered with 78 adults and 46 children. Meeting at Lion’s Club bldg 1986: Building dedicated on Allisonville Rd (373 members, 6000 Sq. Ft) 1989: Building expanded by 8000 Sq Ft

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church 1992: First youth minister (Loren Mellum) 1994: Minister of Worship and Arts added (David Young) 1996: First Association Pastor added (Paul Baglien) 1996: Mother’s Day Out added (led to Noah’s Ark preschool) 1998: First Children’s Minister (Amy Mildenburg)

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church 1996: 35 acres purchased on 126 th St (stained glass was brought from first building) 2000: First worship in new building on 126 th Bishop Jim Stuck, presided (42,000 Sq Ft.) 2002: A new governance was created, with a Board of Leaders and a Visioning Board. First Church Administrator hired: Jean Knuteson 2007: 25th anniversary, 1531 members

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church  Have sent four members to seminary: Doug Givan, Bill Maki, Loren Mellum, Jim Ward  Moderately conservative theologically  You welcome women in leadership  Open membership  Open Table  Handicapped accessible

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Trends in Membership and Worship Death is a small cause of losses

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Factors in losses of recent years: 1.People moving away from Fishers

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Factors in losses of recent years: 1.People moving away from Fishers 2.Concerns regarding Churchwide decisions and actions

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Factors in losses of recent years: 1.People moving away from Fishers 2.Concerns regarding Churchwide decisions and actions 3.Lack of clear direction

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Factors in losses of recent years: 1.People moving away from Fishers 2.Concerns regarding Churchwide decisions and actions 3.Lack of clear direction 4.Concerns regarding founding pastor’s divorce

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Factors in losses of recent years: 1.People moving away from Fishers 2.Concerns regarding Churchwide decisions and actions 3.Lack of clear direction 4.Concerns regarding founding pastor’s divorce 5.Instability in youth and music ministry due to staff turnover and long vacancies

Christ The Savior Lutheran Church Big back door. Road construction.

Length of Membership (for those with known dates of joining) 0-4 years 193 (24%) 5-9 years 214 (26%) years 174 (21%) 15 or more 213 (29%) As is evident, more than one-half of these members have become baptized and/or confirmed members during the past ten years.

Congregational Demographics AgeMaleFemaleMarriedSingleDivorcedWidowed

Community Demographics

Education & Employment Blue Collar: 16.5% White collar: 83.5% Bachelors: 40% (IN 15%) Graduate/Prof: 18% (IN 8%) Primary Employment: Professional specialty: 30% Managerial/Executive: 26% Sales: 15% Office administration: 11%

Race and Culture Homogeneous: 84% Euro-American 6% African American 5% Asian American 4% Hispanic 2% Pacific Islander/Native American 20% of German ancestry

Finances  Household Income in 2012: Average $100,874; Median $84,854  Per capita income: $36,334  Median Household Income: $96,490  Below poverty level, 4% (state average is 10.4%); unemployment, 4%  19% of homes are renter occupied, 81% owner occupied  46% of homes have been built since 2000, another 34% between

Age and Households Median age in Study Area: 33 (identical to the congregation’s median age of members) Generations in the study area (as of 2011) Z (2005-present)12% Y or Millennial ( )32% X Busters ( )35% Boomers ( )14% Silents ( ) 6% Builders ( ).5%

Age and Households School Age Population Early Elementary (5-9)38% (8797) Late Elementary-Mid (10-14)36% (8327) High School (15-18)26% (6044) Households: Non-family: 5% Single: 20% Family: 75%

Staff Senior Pastor Associate Pastor Minister of Youth and Family Director of Children’s Ministry Church Administrator Preschool Director

Program for Youth Men and Women  Youth: program has waxed and waned, now growing again  Men: Had waned but has stabilized with several groups.  Women: stable with several groups. (Single gender groups have been declining nationally)

Small Groups Family Ministry Lead Team Chancel Choir 14 Contemporary Worship Teams (4 teams) Monday Morning Bible Study (2 groups of women with 30 total) 30 Tuesday Evening Bible Study 15 Men’s Ministry Breakfast 20 Men’s Bible Study (Saturdays) 8 Men’s Tuesday Noon study 4

Small Groups Wednesday night: Men’s Frat 5 Pastor Jim’s Class 10 Road to Emmaus 10 Emerging Journey 4 Personnel Team 7 Board of Leaders 14 Group Link Groups (5 groups) 50 Visioning Body 10 Total: 24 groups participants

Small Groups  About 24 total groups, 245 participants  Probably 125 actual individuals participating  Almost 90% of adults have no small group  7/100 participating implies 70 groups, or about 46 more!  Especially important in a congregation that depends on associational evangelism.

Outreach Meet Me Under the Bridge: serving the homeless once a month in downtown Indianapolis (hands-on service and donations) Noah’s Ark Preschool and Kindergarten Kids Against Hunger: collected $ to fill food bags and coordinated a tent at Taste of Fishers at which community could help fill bags. This was a one-time event but hope to do a similar project soon (hands-on service and donations). Christmas Shoebox: annual collection and shipping of shoe boxes to Haiti (involves both hands-on service and donations). Food Pantry (Sharing Place): downtown, ongoing (hands-on service and donations). Lamb of God and Cross of Life mission plants: new congregations in the Indianapolis area. (financial support) Habitat for Humanity: we support financially and have built. Compassion: Some Christ The Savior families sponsor children through Compassion International.

Outreach New Missions: Dominican Republic and Haiti (Christmas shoeboxes, sponsoring children financially, mission trips) SonRise Camps in Anderson: we provide financial support and volunteers to help with Handycamp (for the handicapped) Hamilton County Great Banquet: we provide the site of monthly meetings, team meetings and several Thursday-Sunday retreats each year. Many Christ The Savior members are highly involved Lutheran Child and Family Services: a number of Christ The Savior women meet with people at Lutherwood once a month; there are also several collection drives for various services Lutheran Disaster Response: regular financial support (ELCA). Youth mission trips in the US Financial support to ELCA programs locally, nationally, and globally Christ The Savior provides VBS for First Trinity Lutheran in downtown Indianapolis.

Congregational Finances  Some pressure on the budget due to fewer participants.  But well managed.  Mortgage down to < $1,200,000  $238,000 set aside for deferred maintenance  Prudent operating balance  Pre-school well managed, $242,947 with about 200 children.

Capital Needs  A number of maintenance items on building exterior  Landscaping due to roadwork  Interior carpet and other updating.

Governance The Board of Leaders is right sized (10 lay plus 5 staff) The Visioning Body also: (7 lay, 3 staff) Six Steeples: only about 3 function effectively in any given year. May want to consider an Annual Planning Event. (Younger people don’t like/have time for much committee work – prefer short term tasks with clear auhority, resources, and accountability)

Christ The Savior Lutheran Our Mission: Reaching people to know, love and serve Christ. Our Vision: “To be AWAKENed, united and growing in Christ.” Our Ministry: We gather people to magnify our Lord. We welcome people to membership in God’s family. We disciple people to maturity in Christ. We equip people for ministry in the church. We empower people for mission in the world.

Discernment Team Perspectives When asked why people belong to Christ The Savior Lutheran Church, the answers given by the Discernment Team were (in order): The Spirit is alive here Preschool and children’s program People connect with the pastors and are being fed spiritually in worship This is a Lutheran congregation

Discernment Team Perspectives Asked what things the congregation does best, the Discernment Team responded: Women’s Ministry Youth and Children’s Ministry Prayer Ministry Music Ministry – contemporary worship Meal Ministry Financial management – fiscal responsibility

Discernment Team Perspectives The things the congregation does least well are: Marriage/couples’ things Men’s Ministry Singles Hospitality/assimilation/shepherding/connecting with each other as church family. Having two services and two building entrances make connection somewhat challenging. Stewardship: giving time, serving Mentoring leaders

Discernment Team Perspectives “Significant signs of renewal”: Youth ministry First service attendance increasing Contemporary worship improving Stewardship improving (after Pastor Jim led us in Consecration Sunday) Sermons are Biblically centered with a call to action – although life experiences are shared, it is about God More people are signing up to do things We have gathered an excellent staff Leadership teams are focusing more on ministry, more proactive than reactive – positive attitudes Staff meetings recently have a lot of laughter, all participate in discussions

Discernment Team Perspectives “Signs of decline”: Hard to get people to serve in leadership Have lost a significant portion of older people and charter members Facility has declined some e.g. carpets show wear People seem to be waiting to see “who the new senior minister” will be Evangelism programming in the community is non- existent

Discernment Team Perspectives “Desired outcomes of this process”: Know better who we are and how we can be involved with what God is doing Develop a galvanizing forward focus that will draw us all together in collective effort A plan built on congregational consensus (not pastor-driven or top-down) Celebration of who we are and what God has been doing among us for years Become a mission-focused congregation rather than pastor-focused or staff-focused

Discernment Team Perspectives Congregation’s “self-image”: We are a positive and energetic, Christ centered church. We are a wounded healer: moving forward to being a healing presence. Hopeful and Spirit led.

Reflections from Dr. Hamm  Basically healthy  Sources of decline:  Lack of evangelism  Lack of programming to draw community  Recent conflict  “Mission Drift”

Reflections from Dr. Hamm  Beware of the “Unintentional Interim”

Reflections from Dr. Hamm Tremendous resources:  Many members  Demographics that match the community  Excellent location (and improving)  34 acres of prime real estate  Financial stability  Excellent preschool  Excellent staff  Excellent lay leaders  A theology that is attractive to many un-churched

So, what do we do now? We Discern!