2022 "Get to Know Us" Pastor's Survey Results

 “Please give your servant a discerning mind in order to govern your people and to distinguish good from evil, because no one is able to govern this important people of yours without your help.” (1 Kings 3:9, CEB)

Shortly after I arrived in July of this year, many of you will remember that I invited you as a congregation to complete a “Get to Know Us Pastor’s Survey” in which I asked four simple yet important questions to help me be better able to understand the values, priorities and potential Vision that you as our church family feel are important.

Thank you to the 59 of you who filled these out (35 digitally; 24 via paper)!  With all of my other priorities as a new pastor, I unfortunately wasn’t able to sort through all of them as quickly as I would have hoped.  However, I have now finally finished that process, and I am pleased to be able to share with you a summary of the top numerical results (NOTE: because of ties, the summary results below differ in number for each question)…

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Question #1: If there’s one thing you hope NEVER changes about Cornerstone UMC, what would it be? (top 4 results…)

1)  The close intimacy, friendliness and care of and among our church family/fellowship

2) Our focus on mission to/with our community and world

3, tie) Our focus on loving and welcoming ALL people (hospitality)

3, tie) Our great music ministry (including our choirs, praise band, children’s music, handbells, etc.)

4, tie) Our sharing of the gospel with our community and being a place where people find Christ

4, tie) That we offer traditional-style worship

4, tie)  Maintaining/offering two separate/unique services

 

Question #2:  If you could wave a magic wand and CHANGE any one thing about Cornerstone UMC, what would it be? (top 4 results…)

1, tie) Become a more diverse and inclusive church (better hospitality)

1, tie) Become a more compassionate, family-oriented church (more intentional fellowship opportunities, like fellowship meals)

2) Go back to having one combined & blended worship service

3) Facility additions and/or upgrades (including a new sanctuary, steeple, and renovation of existing spaces)

4) Growing our ministries with children, youth and families

(Of note: my favorite response from one of you for this question was… “Me!”)

 

Question #3:  As we share the gospel of Jesus in our community and world, what do you feel should be the PRIMARY VISION of Cornerstone UMC for the next 5 years? (top 5 results…)

1) Offer more outreach ministry and events that are open to/with/reaching our community (like ministry with community retirees; more marketing for GriefShare; offering ministry to/among the community vs. waiting for them to come to us; “meet people where they are”)

2) Focus on growing our ministry to/with children and youth

3) Focus on becoming more welcoming and diverse (“radical hospitality”)

4) Grow our compassion/care and mission ministries with our community and world

5) More intentional opportunities/ministries for fellowship and congregational care

 

Question #4:  What’s the best piece of ADVICE you could give Brian as our new Pastor? (top 3 results…)

1, tie) Listen (to all perspectives; “listen to understand, not to respond”)

1, tie) Prioritize pastoral care (including membership visitation)

2) Keep up the good work doing what you’re doing so far

3, tie) Be Jesus to the congregation /be visible to them

3, tie) Don’t show favoritism towards groups over one another (RE worship styles, opinions, ages, etc; Also, don’t allow one group to dominate over the others)

3, tie) Communicate/share information (including having transparency in decisions)

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While space didn’t permit me to share the detailed, raw inputs with you in this article (nor would most of you have wanted to sort through all 15 pages!), nevertheless you can access that raw data HERE if you want/desire.

Please know that in addition to your inputs guiding me in my leadership, our church leadership also be using those inputs in our Visioning process that we’ll begin in 2023.

Again, thankyou to all who completed one of these surveys – the information is invaluable to me and your church leadership as I/we pray about how to best lead and guide our church into its future through the power of the Holy Spirit. Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

10 Keys to True Security

"Set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them." (Psalms 62:10)

In today's world, we tend to put our trust in all kinds of things: money, possessions, 401-Ks, our national military or economic might, and even in our families and friends. Yet, good and necessary though they all are, none of them -- in the end -- offer ultimate security and hope in our lives or in our world.

Instead, the Bible teaches a variety of principles to find, offer, and gain true security and hope. Here are a few of those:

1. Learn to value eternal rewards over temporal riches  (Matthew 6:20 & 33)

2. Work hard with a servant spirit  (Exodus 34:21; Matthew 20:26)

3. Worship faithfully, giving your “first fruits / tithe” (your first 10%, rather than your left-overs) to God’s work through His church  (Exodus 34:26; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:10)

4. As God blesses you, learn to give sacrificial “offerings” (anything in addition to and above the tithe) to other worthy causes (Mark 12:44; Luke 21:4)

5. Save consistently (try to save at least 10% each pay period)  (Proverbs 21:5, 20)

6. Avoid / get out of debt by spending less than you earn – pay off your credit cards, and do not carry a balance (Romans 13:8; Proverbs 22:7)

7. Remember that you are a Steward of what you have (not an Owner), and practice consulting your heavenly Father’s will on every financial decision (Psalm 24:1)

8. Learn to be content with what you have, finding peace in God’s promises and presence, rather than in the need for more “stuff” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

9. Believe that God your Father will provide for your daily needs (Matthew 6:11; Philippians 4:19)

10. Be compassionate and generous with what you have, especially towards the poor and needy (Proverbs 11:25; Acts 20:35)

Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

Keys the Treasure

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

• What do you most want to be investing your life in?

• What are you actually investing it in?

Your honest answer to these questions may be a surprise. Often we think that our treasure (our time, talents, energy, and money) follows our hearts and passions. But in the scripture above, Jesus suggested just the opposite – that whatever and wherever we invest our treasure, our hearts will follow after that.

Many of us feel a sense of tension about our lives and our finances. We want to give our lives to our church, our family, our God. Instead, our hearts follow our debts, our bills, our jobs, and often we don’t even realize it. We are left feeling stretched, conflicted, and empty.

As a result, what we often fail to consider is how much our view and use of treasure affects our heart. It’s true that “treasure” involves more than money. But money IS a big part of the problem in many of our lives. Whether we’re in plenty or in want, money has a direct connection to our stress level, our anxiety, and the health of our relationships.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus talked about the relationship between our treasure and our hearts. And because he cared so much about our hearts, he therefore talked about what we do with our treasure.

Consequently, each Sunday October 16-30, in a new worship series called “Keys to the Treasure,” we’ll explore Jesus’ teachings about treasure, and how a proper understanding and use of it can help us not only find security in an uncertain world, but can also unlock a vital relationship with God.

Then, at our combined, blended fifth Sunday worship service at 11:00am on October 30 (“Celebration Sunday”), we’ll have the chance to make personal investments of our God-provided treasure for the coming year through our church by the sharing of either a physical or online commitment. It’s my prayer that, at the end of these three weeks, we’ll all have a better awareness not only of what we invest our lives in, but also of how we can do a better job making God our ultimate treasure through our living and our giving.

Always remember that God loves you, and I do, too!