The church leadership has an exciting plan of ministry to continue our mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ. We celebrate a wonderful past year of living into our baptism, but we know that we can commit our lives even more to Christ and his church in the new year. We invite you to join us in the journey of being God’s people in StoryCity.
Our Plan of Ministry
A. To provide meaningful, life-changing worship every week of the year.
In 2009 we will have offered 71 worship services where, on an average Sunday 135 people gathered, and on an average Wednesday 32 people gathered, to praise God and hear God’s word proclaimed. Six persons gave their lives to Christ through Confirmation, and six persons transferred their membership to our church in 2009. Three persons have been Baptized into God’s family. The special worship services of Christmas Eve and Easter had more than 200 total persons, each, in attendance; and Church in the Park was a great success. We celebrate an average of 30 children are attending Grace After School, with 50 people (average) attending our Free Will Offering Supper on Wednesday nights. We anticipate that attendance and volunteerism at both of these ministries will grow in the coming year.
Next year we plan to add a praise band to our worship rotation, in addition to the Chancel, Children’s and Bell Choirs. We would like to see our attendance increase in the coming year. We expect our members to attend every Sunday that they are in town and in good health. We also encourage our adults and kids to invite a friend or neighbor to church every week. We are praying that we will see many more baptisms and confessions of faith in 2010.
Budget Total -- $84,000.00
(This total includes a percentage of: the pastor’s salary, housing allowance, expenses and insurance; the secretary, music director, and janitor’s salaries; staff continuing education; the music ministries; janitorial supplies; telephone; copier; office supplies; insurance; building maintenance; and utilities)
B. To nurture persons in their faith journey.
Our church has never been one to feel that once a dedication to Christ was made we were finished or that God was finished. This is the reason we spend a lot of energy and prayer seeking to determine how to help all persons grow in their relationship with the Lord, whether they are three years old or ninety-three years old.
Last year we saw an average of 65 persons in our Sunday-school classes. Additionally we had 6 people complete a year long Grief course, 5 complete a study on the Book of Acts, more than 50 grade schoolers study their faith, and around 60 people participate in the Five Fruitful Practices event in our church. Our VacationBibleSchool was well attended with 75 children and adults present. Our youth group is averaging 10 each Sunday night, and young people are learning about their faith in addition to enjoying fellowship and participating in local missions. We had four youth and two adults attend our mission trip to Mountain TOP. Three Boy Scouts were awarded the God and Family Badge.
Our hopes for the next year are to bring adult small group programs in our Committees and congregation. We will offer FinancialPeaceUniversity this spring. It is expected that our youth group will grow in the coming year and they will continue to add more local missions to their experience. We would like to expand our God and Family offerings to local Scouts to include both girls and boys.
Budget Total -- $61,000.00
(This total includes a percentage of: the pastor’s salary, housing allowance, expenses and insurance; the secretary and janitor’s salaries; the youth director’s salary; children, youth and adult ministry; telephone; copier; utilities; maintenance; 3rd Grade Bibles; Grace After School; Scouting Education; and travel for mission trips)
C. To witness to our faith in service beyond ourselves.
Gracechurch has always been conscious of the fact that Jesus said, “Go into all the world.” We see ourselves as servants and laborers in a vineyard that does not belong to us. In the past year we joined with many United Methodist churches in supporting missions world-wide through our Apportionments, Rainbow Covenant giving, Special Sunday Offerings, the UMW, and more. We had a hand in sending out four missionaries to three foreign countries. We helped feed the hungry through Loaves and Fishes, clothe the naked through Bidwell Riverside, and provide financial assistance through the Caring Fund and Good Neighbor Community Assistance. Last year saw our church involved in the Food at First program for the first time. We sent members to our Conference Camp and RetreatCenters both as campers and volunteers in mission; and raised money for P.E.T., Martyrs for Christ, and CROP Walk.
Next year we hope to enlarge the numbers of those helping in local missions and to add work teams to the denominational rebuilding that is happening in Cedar Rapids and Oakville. We will certainly strive to fully support our connectional and conference missions and ministries 100 percent.
Budget Total -- $96,000.00
(This total includes a percentage of: the pastor’s salary, housing allowance, expenses and insurance; the secretary and janitor’s salaries; the youth director’s salary; children, youth and adult ministry; telephone; copier; utilities; building maintenance; support services; Apportionments and District Askings)
Total needed to minimally fulfill our mission of
“making disciples in the name of Jesus Christ”: $241,000.
In the coming year, as we answer our call to serve God and grow in ministry and mission in our community we will need to add janitorial hours, secretarial hours, paid nursery staff, and a visitation pastor. Please pray about your calling to help with these ministries of GraceUnitedMethodistChurch. A detailed line-item budget is available in the church office for anyone who wishes to review it.
