“In keeping with our Easter faith, and with much prayer and trust in God’s care, we have come to recognize the need to re-center the focus of our ministry together.”
Please be patient with us, as we reformat the ministries portion of our website. You can read more about it below. In the meantime, take advantage of our new online schedules & sign-up for various groups:
Sign-up or view schedules for the following:
Sign up or view Usher Schedule.
Sign up or view Special Gifts Schedule.
(Special gifts include Alter Flowers, Worship Bulletins & Radio Broadcast)
Sign up or view Coffee Hour Hosting Schedule
from the June 2019 First Notes
Friends,
For some time now, we have been in conversation with one another about the direction of the ministry of the church. We have grieved with one another over what used to be and what we used to be able to do. As we continue to journey through the Easter season, we are reminded that God is making all things new. The ministry and work of Salem United Church of Christ are no different. We have experienced (as many churches have) loss and decline, but we have also experienced rich blessings through our ministry together. In order to be the church that we are called to be – and to be the church that our community and the world needs – we need to be hones about where we are and to pray about what tomorrow looks like.
Through our study of scripture, through conversations with many of you, and after having sought out guidance from the Wisconsin Conference resources, we have come to better understand and identify the things that have held us back in the past. In keeping with our Easter faith, and with much prayer and trust in God’s care, we have come to recognize the need to re-center the focus of our ministry together. In order to move forward, several foundational shifts will need to take place. First, EVERYTHING we do is ministry. We will need to work together, forgive often, and offer grace, believing the best of intentions in one another.
As we move forward together, we will work within four pillars of the new structure:
- The church lives and operates within established boundaries. Anything can be done by anyone as long as it’s within the boundaries.
- The Consistory is all about establishing and protecting boundaries, looking long term to set a course, and mentoring leaders.
- The Ministerial Staff and office staff will coordinate, organize and guide the day to day operations of the church.
- Every ministry team has real power to take action.
The reasons we’re moving in this direction:
- To be more effective and responsive to the missional needs of the communities and people we serve.
- To support, rather than burn out our volunteers.
- To maximize the use of individual people’s time and resources (time spent doing ministry rather than meeting about doing ministry).
- To encourage ministry so that we can grow in all areas.
- To prioritize what ministries are most important as we look at the resources that are available to us.
- Our present structure has two main concerns:
- A rapid turn-over of leaders which leads to a lack of communication and ministries that fall through the cracks.
- An inordinate amount of time in meetings is spent reacting rather than looking forward.
The new structure is grounded Biblically and is used in both nonprofit and business settings. This model will allow us to let go of things that no longer serve our mission and ministry and will encourage us to thoughtfully consider how we can BE THE CHURCH in our community and world.
We welcome your input as we begin the work of sorting through and planning what is next for us at Salem. Planning sessions have been set throughout the summer. We value your input and participation as we take these next steps together in ministry. Please note the areas of ministry that you have participated in and when they are gathering. Also, if you have an interest in learning more about any or all of these teams, you are welcome to join us.
Hospitality Ministry Team Altar Guild; Coffee Hour; Food, Fun & Fellowship; Meal Ministries; Greeters; Groundskeepers and Landscape Volunteers; Helping Hands; Little Lambs Child Care; Men’s Coffee; Picnic Committee; Youth Fellowship; Sunshine Circle; Ushers; Website and all who have interest in hospitality are invited and encouraged to gather on June 9th from 9:45-11:15 am AND/OR on June 12th from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Worship Ministry Team – Acolyte Ministry; Altar Guild (communion preparation and sacred space decor); Chancel Choir; Church & Ministry Committee; Liturgists; Musicians; Program Committee; Salem House Band Members; Screen Techs; Sound System Ministry; Sunday School Choir; Video Ministry; Women’s Choir; Worship Committee; and all who have an interest in worship are invited and encouraged to gather on June 286th from 6:30-8:00 pm AND/OR on June 30th from 9:45-11:15 am.
Faith Development Ministry Team – Board of Christian Education; Bible Study groups; Book Study groups; Confirmation; Lenten Stud; Faith Mentors; Sticky Faith; Sunday School; Train up a Child Ministry; VBS and all who have interest in Faith Formation and Christian Education are invited and encouraged to gather on July 14th from 9:45-11:15 am AND/OR on July 17th from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Mission & Service Ministry Team – AA/ALANON; Adopt a Family; Advent Missions; Back Bay Mission; Bridgeway House; Called to Care; Care Meal Ministry; Creation Care Ministry; Fairview School Partnership; Feed My Starving Children; Food Pantry/Buddie Backpacks; Heifer International; Love INC.; Mission & Stewardship Committee; Mitten Tree; NA; UCC Benevolent Initiatives (NIN, OGHS, OCWM, Strengthen the Church, Christmas Fund, Parish Nurse Ministry); Global Ministries Sponsorship (Rabeeth); Radio Ministry; Save Harbor; Samaritan’s Hand; SCIO; The Gathering; Tree of Hope; TV Ministry; United Churchmen & Women and all who have interest in mission and services are invited and encouraged to gather on July 21st from 9:45-11:15 am AND/OR on July 24th from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Generosity Ministry Team – Endowment Committee; Finance Committee; the Scholarship Committees; Mission & Stewardship Committee; SCRIP; and Special Gifts Committee and all that have an interest in are invited and encouraged to gather on August 11th from 9:45-11:15 am AND/OR on July 24th from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Along with reshaping our approach to the ministry that we share, we will also begin working to restructure the organization of our church governance and by-laws. Persons with gifts in this area are invited and encouraged to contact either of us so that we can include you in this process. We thank you for your prayers and ask you to consider how you may participate in and support these opportunities for transformation at Salem.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Jim Hoppert, Pastor
Marsha Meyer, Director of Youth & Family Ministries