The Ministry Plan that has been assembled by the eight-person leadership team of St. James Lutheran Church is focused on better communication, and connectivity with our current members and friends. It is also geared towards better connectivity with campus visitors, and residents of our greater Old Brooklyn community as well as with the surrounding areas.
The St. James Ministry Plan will be revaluated, adapted and changed according to the felt needs of our congregation and the greater community every six months. The main purpose of each plan that is published is to better communicate why we are doing specific events and putting resources into the ministries of our church. We are striving to make it as easy as possible for members and visitors to get involved with God’s work through St. James by clearly articulating what each ministry and or event is and who is leading each said ministry or event.
With a few occasional exceptions in matters of confidentiality the majority of work of the Gospel at St. James is to be clearly visible to the congregation and to community friends. We are called to be good stewards of the time, talents, and financial resources that God has entrusted us with and a part of that stewardship is open and clear conversation. Christ and the Apostles had very public ministries and did not operate in secrecy or encourage a culture of secrecy (John 18:20, Acts 2:14-41). St. James Lutheran Church strives to follow that ethical and biblically based example as well.
Before continuing to share about The Ministry Plan, I would like to take a step back and first share about The Master Plan of St. James. It is intended to guide leadership, and make it easier to transfer plans and knowledge to new leaders by listing goals and objectives over a specific amount of time. It also provides means to complete each goal and a contact list of people who are willing to help accomplish each goal. The master plan includes a guiding statement, ministry plan, goals, campus plan, financial plan, volunteer plan, bi-laws, and the constitution of the church.
The Ministry plan stems from the Master Plan. It includes a printed brochure of church programs which include weekly worship services, Bible studies, events, and regular ministries. It is not only intended to share “what we are doing” but also “why we are doing it” as is clearly communicated in our guiding statement. In closing, as the Pastor of St. James, I have tried to support and guide our congregation towards even stronger community engagement and connectivity with one another. As an older congregation it has been my focus to have as many outreach events on campus as possible. That may sound paradoxical, but it is very possible through events such as trick or treat, The Christmas hymn sing, special guest speakers…that draw non-Christians or believers who no longer have a congregational home onto our campus to experience a loving congregation that shares the Gospel. These outreach events often act as wonderful opportunities for fellowship as well among our members. Our confidence in inviting people onto our campus is already strong with ADA accessible restroom facilities, air conditioning, professional lighting, and is strengthened with the addition of high-speed internet and hopefully soon an elevator to our lower level. All of this work is to the glory of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Mark Renner
