Three of the initiatives apply to all aspects of the church and are intended to be addressed by all ministry areas. When implemented, FPC will be a more “missional church” in its personality.

1. Increase Our External Focus through Outreach and Service

What we believe
Our Mission, Vision, and Core Values repeatedly emphasize our desire to maintain a significant focus on those outside the church. God calls us individually and corporately to cultivate an awareness of the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of all people, and to be ready with a helping hand and gentle, respectful words about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Where we are now
External focus can be defined as the spiritual and societal impact we have outside the four walls of the church. That impact comes about through service (meeting physical and emotional needs) and evangelism (meeting spiritual needs).
There is some degree of external focus in nearly every FPC ministry area. Our Missions department; the Alpha course; the middle school, high school, and UCF programs; the Connections Class; our counseling ministry; the Lamb’s Lunch; and the ministry of the Deacons are just a few examples. In recent years, our external focus has been steadily increasing, and we should celebrate that! Our new “Kid’s Hope” tutoring program is evidence that we are continuing to innovate in this area.
Still, a great deal of the attention and energy of the congregation is focused on what happens inside the church. Most of the groups interviewed by the Re-Visioning Task Force recognize this, and indicated a strong desire to expand our focus outwards. The Fall 2003 Missional Church sermon series clearly struck a chord, but most of those interviewed seem to be struggling to understand how to put the values and principles outlined in the Missional Church sermons into practice.

Where we should we go from here
We plan to increase external focus not with a new, high-profile program, but rather as a gradual expansion of the time and resources we devote to those outside the church and the impact we have on their lives. We will begin by asking ministry areas to lead by example, increasing or emphasizing their external focus in some way. If we commit to an increase in external focus each year, and supplement these efforts by providing strategic opportunities for learning and involvement for the congregation, we hope to see the idea of outreach and service increasingly “catch fire” and become an ever more significant part of the life of our church. Eventually, ministering to people outside the church will be part of the plans and activities of every ministry area, and FPC members will be strategically interacting with the un-churched in our culture and helping them take steps towards faith. This is surely part of the answer to our perennial question, “what does it mean to be a downtown church?”

Ministry Master Plan Goals:

• Request each ministry identify and implement a way to increase their external focus through either outreach or service, or place emphasis on a way in which they are already doing one of these during the next year (2004-2005) and continue to build on this the next three years.

2. Deepen and Broaden the Feeling of Community within the Church

What we believe
To be a fully functioning part of the body of Christ (the Church), each person needs to feel a strong sense of identity with other believers. We seek to be a church where each person can come as they are and feel comfortable and welcome, develop deep and lasting friendships and find a place to serve and to be fed spiritually. This is building a sense of community in the church. A greater sense of community on the part of the membership leads to higher levels of commitment, participation and service. It also goes a long way toward "closing the back door" - reducing attrition. Service and community go hand in hand. Some develop community through serving; others are inspired to serve as a result of their friendships.

Where we are now
Even though FPC has a Welcome Ministry and a Lay Ministry designed to assist visitors and members in becoming part of FPC, it is frequently heard from visitors and some members that they have a hard time feeling connected with other members. FPC has a new position, the Community Life position, which will oversee Welcome and Lay ministries as well as assume the task of enabling a small group ministry. These three ministries (welcome, lay and small groups) are certainly needed, but the building of community should not be just the responsibility of this ministry, it must be part of the goals of all ministry areas and all members. Too many members are Sunday-only participants and are not taking the initiative to build relationships, become active in serving, and reach out to visitors and other members, especially new members.

Where we should go from here
Make the building of community a generally recognized strength/core value of FPC by making the inclusion of all members (the building of community) a conscious goal of all ministry areas and all members, thereby multiplying the efforts of Community Life Ministry. We must remember to be patient with this process, as improvement will take time and effort, especially when it involves a new staff member. Above all, Biblical principles and prayer must be foundational as we build community.

Ministry Master Plan Goals:

• Request each ministry identify and implement a way to increase the feeling of community within their ministry or within the church during the next year (2004-2005).
• Over the next two years, task Community Life Ministry with developing and implementing a strategy for broadening the small group ministry of the church (2004-2006).

3. Increase Passion and Grow Resources

What we believe
A clearly defined and articulated purpose as expressed in our vision and mission statements will lead to increased passion for ministry and the needed growth in resources to carry out the purpose. The resources for carrying out the work of Jesus Christ through FPC will come from those who are excited about the purpose and catch the vision of growing God’s kingdom. Our purpose is based on a foundation of relationship with Jesus Christ, Biblical knowledge and principles, and prayer for God’s direction.

Where we are now
FPC is blessed with many highly committed members who give sacrificially of their time and financial resources to the work of the Church. Their passion for ministry serves as an inspiration and example that encourage others. A significant portion of the congregation, however, does not participate in the broader life of the church beyond the Sunday morning worship experience, and thus has not caught the excitement of being part of a community and serving together. Currently a large portion of the financial support for the ministry at FPC is provided by a relatively small number of givers. This is evidenced by the fact that the number of those pledging to the church has declined in recent years.

Where we should go from here
Clarify the purpose of FPC so that the objectives are clear to a large segment of the congregation. Focus our energy on carrying out our purpose. Awaken the broader congregation to the joy and satisfaction of using our gifts for serving others and providing the resources for ministry. Reinforce the Biblical principle that sacrificial giving and service is a normal and joyful part of the Christian life for every believer. This initiative is at the heart of the Ministry Master Plan and accomplishing the other initiatives laid out in it. In order to increase our external focus, build community, accomplish targeted initiatives or build additional facilities, we must inspire those who are primarily spectators to become passionate Kingdom builders.

Ministry Master Plan Goals:

• Request each ministry identify and implement a way to increase passion within and/or for their ministry during the next year (2004-2005) and continue to build on this the next three years.
• Task the Stewardship Committee with investigating new models of budgeting, stewardship and designated giving. (2004-2005).
• Over the next three years, task Spiritual Formation and Discipleship with considering ways to increase the effectiveness of Lay Ministry in increasing congregational involvement (2004-2007).