In the fall and winter of 2022-2023, AFUMC collaborated with The Unstuck Group to revision our ministry. This comprehensive planning process led to a renewed vision and the adoption of three key initiatives by the Administrative Board in February 2023. These initiatives included a focus on families with children and youth, prioritizing them in our communications strategy and Sunday morning experience, and the launch of a center for arts and wellness. One year into this journey, it is crucial to evaluate our progress and consider the need for adjustments or new directions.
Sunday Morning Experience
Objective: To prioritize reaching and integrating families with children and youth into the life of the congregation through the central experience of worship on Sunday mornings.
Evaluation: Assess the effectiveness of our worship at attracting and retaining these families.
REACH Communications Strategy
Objective: To ensure our messaging and outreach efforts are effectively reaching and engaging our target audience – families with children youth.
Evaluation: Review the impact of our current communications strategy
and identify areas for improvement.
Center for Arts and Wellness
Objective: To minister to the whole person and extend our space-sharing efforts through a dedicated center for arts and wellness.
Evaluation: Analyze the success of this initiative in meeting the needs of our community and fostering holistic well-being.
Need for New Strategic Planning Initiative
Strategic planning is an ongoing process and the plan developed during our Unstuck work included a comprehensive evaluation at the one-year mark, which we have now reached. The new strategic planning team will:
- Evaluate Sufficiency: Assess whether the current vision remains relevant and sufficient in guiding our ministry.
- Measure Efficacy: Determine the effectiveness of the three initiatives in achieving their objectives.
- Recommend Adjustments: Identify whether to continue, adapt, or discontinue the existing initiatives.
- Identify New Initiatives: Explore and propose new initiatives that align with our mission and address emerging needs within our community.
The composition of the strategic planning team grows and changes as new individuals become deeply invested in the ongoing initiatives.
Strategic Planning Initiative Team
Rev. Tammy Jackson
Senior Pastor
Emmalie Whitney
Executive Director
Scott Whitney
Administrative Board Chairperson
Marjorie Tanner
Administrative Board Vice-Chairperson
Becky Hollingsworth
Lay Leader
Vernon Thompson
Trustee Chairperson
Eve Hamrick
SPRC Chairperson
Kasi Daugherty
Finance Chairperson
Sara Starling
Treasurer
Mickey Starling
Jennifer Maddox
Camp Lee Committee Chairperson
Cheyenne Mattox
The Children’s Place Committee Chairperson
Tom Plummer
Jason Wright
Process
Launch: All church members are invited to attend the State of the Church Address on Wednesday, July 31, at 5:30 pm.
Agenda: Information presentation, Prayer, Q&A, Dismissal.
Interim: During one week interim, everyone considers the information received. Church members share ideas with strategic planning team members.
Meetings: Strategic Planning Team begins to meet. Discussions led by Jay Robinson who is a trained facilitator.
Reports to Administrative Board: After each meeting, a report of the discussions is sent to the Administrative Board by email.
Progress Updates for Congregation: Monthly, the entire congregation is updated on the progress of the team.
Collaboration with Church Leadership Team: When the Strategic Planning team reaches a recommendation on an area, they will create a subgroup of three members to meet with the appropriate church leadership committee. The strategic planning team members will share their recommendations and the process by which they arrived at them and see consensus with the team. Ideally, recommendations would come to the Administrative Board as joint recommendations from the Strategic Planning Team and appropriate the church leadership team.
Members of the Strategic Planning Team will covenant to:
- Pray daily for the church.
- Fully participate in the meetings.
- Be available to listen and answer questions to members of the congregation.
Foundational Principles
- God desires a United Methodist witness in Anniston, Alabama.
- Blame is not helpful and no time will be wasted on it.
- The best way to honor the legacy entrusted to us is to listen to God and be as equally courageous in following God’s will.
- All ideas are on the table and we will not criticize anyone for sharing an idea. Ideas will be sought from all members of the congregation.
- All change (even positive change) comes with pain. However, change is inevitable. Leadership means managing the pain but not avoiding necessary
decision-making.
The landscape of Christian ministry has changed significantly in the last ten years. AFUMC has important decisions to make regarding their future. Revisiting our vision and strategic initiatives is essential to ensure we continue to meet the evolving needs of our congregation and community. By forming a new strategic planning team, we can thoughtfully evaluate our progress, make informed decisions, and position AFUMC for continued growth and impact.