A Peek Into the Vision Work Happening at FUMC Denton
After that I will pour out my spirit upon everyone; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Joel 2:28 (CEB)
Churches are creatures of inertia. This is a bit of bad news/good news as an organization; when a church is stuck, it can take some serious concerted effort to get it moving, but when a church is on the move, it is very difficult to stop its forward progress!
FUMC Denton has a history of seasons when the congregation felt stuck and when it felt like it was truly firing on all cylinders. Sometimes, when we recognize we are stuck, we get antsy, and we begin to think that if we can just get busy enough, things will work themselves out. Unfortunately, that can lead churches to become incredibly busy, but not incredibly strategic in their movement, and therefore lacking the impact they desire. Strategic vision is the key that allows a stuck church to not just become busy, but aligned and impactful in achieving their mission.
One thing we heard from members when we first arrived is that they were hungry for a cohesive church-wide vision. Those who have been members for some time were able to point to seasons in the life of the church—whether the booming seasons of the 80s and 90s or the more recent launch and nurturing of Open Worship—when incredible growth or significant impact were preceded by a time of intentional visioning. And not just the pastors casting vision, but rather in conversation between the pastors, laity, and larger community.
In April, we began a season of strategic visioning. On a Saturday morning, 60 members of the church—representing our diversity in terms of demographics and also worship services—came together for a workshop called “Holy Excavation” led by Rev. Carol Montgomery, a gifted pastor and facilitator. During our time with Carol we:
Named the reasons we first joined FUMC Denton and why we have stayed.
Identified core values at our church
Analyzed the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats for our church
It was so encouraging to watch as folks sat around tables and dreamed out loud about who God has led us to be and who God is leading us to become. I watched as church members in some cases went from strangers to friends within three hours; it truly felt like holy conversation.
This work is far from over. The pastors and staff have received the final report from our workshop with Carol, and we have since begun working on the next phase, which will include another gathering with this group of laity, this time on the subject of discipleship. The common mission of United Methodist churches is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” If we’re honest, most church mission statements are variations of the great commission: “Go and make disciples,” says Jesus. The natural next question is, “What do we mean by ‘making disciples?’” Once we have clarity and alignment around our approach to discipling, we can engage with the question, “Where is God leading us?” That’s the vision question, that’s the critical question, and we’re excited to discover our answer to that question together.
For now, we want to keep you updated that this work is taking place, so that you are in the loop and importantly, so that you know further conversation and work is coming. At some point, this work will impact everyone in our congregation, and you may be invited to help move the vision forward in significant ways. We hope you’ll join us in praying for our church and our leadership, and that God would lead us to be a church on the move, boldly pursuing the unique vision that God has for the people called “FUMC Denton.”
As always, it is a joy to be your pastors,
Scott and Raegan