MISSION STUDY

Household Opinion Form

United Methodist Church of Unadilla Home Page

(Your response is important to us. Please provide your feedback as completely as possible and return by December 10 per the instructions below.)

What things about our church mean the most and/or have been most important to you?

· The support and care of the congregation

· Hiring a minister that cares about the people in the congregation.

· All the people that have become family over the year

· Sunday AM Service

· Our family has a long history with the church. Memberships over 50 years, marriages, baptisms.

· Recent years, companionship developed during coffee hours

· Having a minister once again that the male community in our congregation can talk with & develop relationships (had been lacking back to Bob Darling)

· Working together and caring for other people

· Pastoral messages.

· WOF.

· Mission Projects abroad and in our community.

What challenges or important concerns does our church face long range?

· How to best serve the community, as well as us.

· Getting rebuilt after the flood.

· Getting new members so we can remain a church.

· Interesting young people in our church (2)

· Fixing the flood damage

· Possible loss of members as we grow older

· Membership a cross section of age groups.

· Refurbishing sanctuary has taken “back seat” to flood damage downstairs.

· Bringing our people “home”

· Need to return to full time pastoral care or part time Senior Mentor and part time student/intern that becomes a Youth Pastor and can live on site, rent free along with reduced salary?

· Renewal of the church from inside and outside

· We don’t have worker bees

· I am extremely concerned about our financial viability

· We don’t have younger families in our congregation.

As we look to rebuild and become more vital, what suggestions would you make?

· Bringing in families, which means going out and serving them in many areas.

· Having more fund raising and more people getting involved.

· We may have to go way outside the box to attract people to come to church.

· Use money “wisely” – most important repairs first.

· To get something started on the lower section before we lose more of our members to other churches.

· We should get back in our own church.

· Fix the elevator.

· Refurbish the kitchen…welcome back the meal site, if it isn’t too late.

· Website – Pictures of building, people, list of activities, clean look, info new person would want to know, blueprint of the church and directions. Show “we are alive, vital and ready for YOU!” – go to example: www.theprairie.org.

· Build teams that put on more church suppers where all work together (need more than one couple to take lead on the cooking efforts so lightens the load)

· Look at our facility with eyes of someone new – Are we living in past? Need to show signs we are moving into the future.

· Brighten the sanctuary – pale yellow walls, brighter chandeliers, shine up the organ pipes, hire someone to paint subtle design in the ceilings and on the pipes

· Brighten the entry area – First Impressions! – how enhance this gathering and welcoming experience?

· Identify how we can utilize technology in our services, i.e. welcomes and announcements flashing on AV prior to service, post birthdays and anniversaries, do choruses at beginning of service to bring in more “today” sounds and beats for a “blended” worship service, while keeping traditional music through service.

· Develop a bulletin board Corner that is seen as people enter the church. Keep it current!

· Communications Ministry Team – Bulletin Board, Outside Signs, Website, Newsletters,

· Build a Maintenance Ministry Team that works with the Trustees to complete various projects in and outside the church building. Meet one Saturday a month to complete needed tasks and reduce clutter. Women cook “brunch” for the workers.

· Create an environment for people to feel safe, included and informed.

· Get more members of congregation involved in Greeters/Ushers – Pair new person with someone who has done often before.

· Contributions from our members and from organizations

· We need to meet the needs of today’s families and we need to find out what that means.

· We also need to be a resource to the community, not just the congregation.

What mission opportunities in our community need our support through use of the church facilities, funding or congregational volunteer action?

· Latch-key children (Safe Sanctuary-2 pple, glass doors, background checks)

· Aid for Single-Parent families

· Programs for Youth (2)

· Programs for Older Adults (2)

· Senior activities, meals

· Food Bank (Pantry) (2)

· Any activity that gets people out and together.

· Exercise or something where people get involved.

· There should be enough Senior Citizens that there could be a group with monthly meetings & trips, etc. & interesting programs.

· Meal Site

· Lenten meetings are excellent – possible open or joint meeting with other churches.

· As mentioned, the meal site and with them establishing definite parameters for that portion of the church they use.

· Add Recreational/Exercise equipment for “classes” (Unsupervised? Times? Disclaimers?)

· Add Computer Equipment and get School students to offer classes to Seniors

· Develop Bread Ministry for visitors – Present a loaf of homemade bread “Bread of Life” from our church family

· Parents Without Partners Group

· Target programs, projects for people who need to get involved but cannot support.

· Welcome Wagon?

· Serious Shut-In Ministry

· Utilize any future undesignated bequests to fund New Programs Start-up costs.

· Penny Drive to Empower Young Kids in community

· Monday Afternoon Matinee?

· Kid’s programs

· Young families

· Single parent households

· Seniors

What types of programs, either spiritual or social, could our church offer that you or others may find beneficial or uplifting?

· Workshops in Parenting, Elderly aid in finances and living, perhaps OFA and Opportunities for Otsego Workers visiting once a week at church

· Music – Classical and Gospel concerts

· Spiritual speakers

· Health programs

· Crafts

· Exercising and something to get people involved.

· Sponsor a Sr Citizens group that actually has interesting programs (such as Milford Sr Citizens)

· “Hymn Sing”

· Workshop – K? etc continues

· Possible increase in music during service.

· Radio taping of service or website where Kip’s sermon can be delivered via the website.

· Take “contemporary” church service to the recreational field or Martin Brook Park or Drive-In (Enter their space!) at least during late Spring through Fall to the community, at least one or two days during each month for extra “weekly family night” service, getting students in school to help with music specials and instruments. Follow the event with some type “coffee hour” suitable for season, i.e. strawberry shortcake & ice cream socials, Easter Egg Hunt, Maypole, Cotton Candy,

· Or – Develop a one Sunday per Month “Parking Lot Ministry” with church outside, followed by or during a chicken barbecue, or other above type activities”, or car show, etc.

· Next to New Shop, in lieu of Rummage Sale activities, where the “room” is open one evening 4-8 pm and Saturday morning 9-12. Gives community place to drop off items year-round, and offer proceeds as mission project to Harriett to keep it organized and open.

· Establish a “Coffee House” every XX Friday, where folks can join in socializing regularly with friends.

· Celebrate our past with a “Pizza and Pictures” event over Easter Weekend when families are home. Do a Family Photo Shoot that can be used to build a Church Directory. For those out of town, ask them to email photos for inclusion. Build a “Millionaire” game show out of memories and history. Contestants win lottery tickets.

· Building program – the budget of the church should be used to build a building and put it under rent/apartments. It will help the church a lot.

· Programs for children

· Programs for parents

· Programs for Seniors

· After School Day Care

What ministry could the church do that would excite you enough that you’d want to help make it happen?

· I think helping arrange for some programs and supporting the effort, especially for Seniors (housing & finances)

· I’d like to see the church grow and I would help, if I could. My abilities are getting less & less.

· Nothing specific but would help any way I can

· The ministry of Music, teaching is included

· Any of the above programs listed above

If you are a recipient of this survey and our church has not been vital in your life, how do we need to change to meet your needs for the future?

· I have been active in this church since 1957 except for a couple years – on a whole, it was there for me.

· Very vital

Additional comments (Feel free to share other thoughts with members of the Mission Study Team listed below):

· I enjoy the service, especially Kip’s talks. However, I do not feel I belong

· If we can offer social programs, meals, children’s concerts by professionals, it may draw families in.

· Single parents need parenting support meetings, Divorce support meetings

· Perhaps a Monday (or any day) gathering place for children & youth.

· I do not drive at night, so cannot be of too much help in helping the church to do the things that need to be done.

· Need some programs to encourage tithing or contributing money for our church operation.

· Besides Pastor Kip, it seems there should be “male” representation on the mission study team.

· It is the opinion of this family that a strong single (meaning one-not in reference to marital status) pastor would be a benefit to this congregation. Also, this pastor should be an “in-resident” of the community and a participant in the community.

· I think we need to be truly open and accepting of new and different ideas.

-- The Mission Study Team

Pastor Kip Stratton, Sue Barnes, Stephanie Beams, Pat Beggs, Sherry Mott, Shirley Palmer, Barbara Rothenberg, & Paula VanLoan