“Call to Action” by Bishop Peggy A. Johnson

These figures can be sent to your district office or can be submitted online by going to www.UMVitalCongregations.org  (select the “Setting Goals” tab and following the instructions for setting goals.) These projections are due by Dec. 31, 2011.  The bishops of every conference will present to the 2012 General Conference their congregations’ goals as a gift to God for the ministry of The United Methodist church in the next quadrennium (4 years).

The purpose of goal setting is to help churches to make plans for a vital future in disciple-making.  Achieving goals is not an end in itself but rather a tool to see if what we are doing is producing fruit.   Goals should be S.M.A.R.T.  That stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-framed.  There are on-line resources on the website to assist churches in setting reasonable goals for their particular setting (www.UMVitalCongregations.org)   This website has many valuable resources including a list of 16 drivers of vitality that all churches should include in their programming. 

Through the process of goal setting we are attempting to help each congregation be as strong and as vital as it can be.  Each year churches should review their statistics and compare them with their projections.  They should discuss what they need to be doing differently and what is really working.  Churches should be engaging in training events that can support meeting their goals.  Each congregation will measure against its own progress. It is not the intent of this “Call to Action” to compare congregations or to compete with one another.  Each church is being asked to review its own progress.  If a church overstated its goals in one year, it will need to reconcile this with its results in the next year.  The fruit statistics for a congregation will be available online and laity and clergy will be able to review their church’s goals and results and ensure the numbers are accurate. 

The “Call to Action” does not replace what is already in place in the way of programming that is happening in the Eastern PA and the Peninsula-Delaware Conferences.  It is our hope that the “Call to Action” will enhance our efforts.  Statistics gleaned from this program will help show us how to allocate resources, personnel and training events. 

I have shared this information at the fall clergy meetings on every district.  May we work together in new ways to increase our ministry and outreach far into the future.