The Planning Season

    I am thinking about the calendars that govern the life of a congregation.  There is the world calendar that begins on January 1 and ends December 31.  This calendar is used in budgeting, receipts, and expenditures. 
    There is the liturgical calendar which begins Advent 1 and ends on Christ the King Sunday.  In the first half of the liturgical year, we experience Jesus’ life: we prepare for Jesus’ second coming as well as his birth in Bethlehem, the spread of his message throughout the world, evaluate our lives in Lent, and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection at Easter.  This Sunday we enter the second half of the liturgical calendar which is reserved for Jesus’ teachings and how they apply to our lives.
    Then there is the program calendar which follows the school calendar.  The question is, When does the program calendar begin and end?  Does the program calendar end in June when the Sunday School, choir, and many other ministries take the summer off?  If this is the case, then evaluation of the year begins now.  We ask, 1. What went well and how can we make that even better?  What are the things that did not go as well as expected?  What were the surprises?  I think some of our best learnings come from the positive surprises that we experience!  For example, we planned for 10 people to come and were really surprised that 30 showed up.  What did we do to attract 20 extra people?
    If June is the end of the program year, that makes July 1 the beginning of a new year.  While many talk about the summer lull in the office, the beginning of the new year is a time for planning what will happen over the next 12 months.  For Lane Leaders there is planning around worship.  We might even begin to talk about what the Lenten program will be in 2013 or plan a sermon series.  There is the planning for the fall Stewardship Campaign.  A key issue in stewardship is how to increase the number of disciples who pledge.  There is the planning for VBS in August and the opening of Sunday School in September.  Also, we ask what kind of adult education do we want to have next year?  There is planning for the youth of our church.  For the next three months, we will do a lot thinking about the future and planning.
    One of the major issues facing Epiphany is planning around the Austin Campus.  In June or July, the Council will meet to look at our financial position and a growth plan for the Austin Campus.  The Council will look at all options concerning the Austin Campus.  These options include planning ministries at Austin that will attract those who live close to the campus, or selling the campus to another organization.  There is a committee working on this project.  The committee is collecting demographic data, talking to community leaders, defining community needs that the Austin Campus can address, etc.
    Finally, a similar committee is meeting to look at the ministries of the Far Hills Campus so that this campus can be proactive in meeting the needs of those who live in close proximity to the campus.
    Right now, my mind is centered in the planning calender.  I am continually asking, What can Epiphany do to make a good congregation even better?
Pastor Pete