“HOME TEAM”

Coordinating and leading the ministry and teams.

TEAM PURPOSE

This ministry team will serve as St. Mark’s primary resource for all parts of our Mission, Outreach, Service, and Evangelism ministries. They will set the primary goals for the ministry in general as well as direct and evaluate the other teams. This is the group that will tie everything together for the ministry at hand. If there is a question on where something fits within the ministry (or doesn’t), it will be dealt with by this team.

TEAM TASKS

Provide the Overall Strategy for Mission, Outreach, Service, and Evangelism and Set Goals to Achieve the Results

We as a church do not have well defined goals for Mission/Outreach and Evangelism. We often confuse evangelism with PR and advertising, and we think that church growth is our only goal.

What do Mission, Outreach, Service, and Evangelism they look like? Are they all the same? What do we hope to accomplish by sending money to LINC or a Missionary at Large? What do we want to accomplish through City-Serve? What would a mission trip to another state or country actually accomplish? Are we pleased only when these result in people in the seats? Or are we happy with kingdom growth even if it does not bring people to St. Mark? If so, what does it look like and how can we celebrate it tangibly and not make people feel guilty for not “evangelizing”?

Define Mission, Outreach, Evangelism, and Service

Many simply do not know what some of these are. Does it mean I knock on doors? Does it mean I do a service project once in a while? What does it look like to love a person relationally to know Jesus? Do I personally do activities, or do I wait for a St. Mark sanctioned activity to be presented to me?

Align, Focus, and Coordinate Efforts.

We are not certain how all of our outreach opportunities “fit” together. For example, we currently do have several outreach opportunities: LWML, the Quilters, The Elders at Turning Point and the Peanut Butter Brigade are doing good things, but they are not “connected” to our outreach ministry in an intentional way. Most Evangelism efforts and preaching on evangelism has been of a “shot-gun” approach. There has been little focus or direction. We feel that as long as we are doing a lot, we are doing it right.

Leadership Development and Discipleship

Our leaders have not “brought others along” or “raised up disciples” to lead in Mission, Outreach, Service, and Evangelism efforts. Most of our recent efforts have been staff led. We have not been effective at thinking about ways to let the staff set the vision, the laity take ownership and lead the way and the staff support their efforts. [Note: the Elders have just started to do this with the confirmation students for their monthly Service at Turning Point. This is what we all need to do!]

Facilitate Training Events: for team members as well as St. Mark folks.

Build/equip/educate members in areas of evangelism/outreach. (e.g. FPU, LWML, & LHM’s MissionU).

Facilitate Personal Ownership by Members

Many at St. Mark see Mission and Outreach as things we do by “the institution of the Church”, meaning that “St. Mark”(as an institution) simply sends money to and supports Missionaries, the Texas District, LINC or MAM rather than seeing themselves as a part of Christ’s Mission and Outreach to Spring Branch.

Review and Assess the Effectiveness of Current St. Mark Mission, Outreach, Service, and Evangelism Ministries and Opportunities

In the Appendices, there is a specialized report from the “2014 Review and Assessment of St. Mark Ministries. Phase I” with those areas specific for the new Associate Pastor of Outreach. This includes (but isn’t limited to) the following ministries:

• Bible Classes / Studies
• Blood Drives
• Christmas / Easter at the Park
• FPU
• The Gift Shop
• Huddles
• Joy/Small Groups
• LWML
• Peanut Butter Brigade
• Quilters

To facilitate what ministries should continue and which should cease or change, this team will:

1. Create a filter by which all current and future ministries will be evaluated annually in January by this ministry team.
2. Work with the G.I.F.T. to populate ministries at St. Mark.

Evaluate “Other” Ideas or Outreach Opportunities as they Arrive or are Brought Up: e.g. “Christian Pride Parade,” etc.

Decide Which Ministries St. Mark will Participate in/Support and Which We Will Not

Develop an Atmosphere of Creativity and Excitement: amongst the staff and members of St. Mark

This will help build up a feeling of ownership and creativity that inspires others to come to you with their own ideas to serve the community that you can support or re-direct appropriately.

Put the Right People in the Right Places

Develop a plan which will put the right people into the right places to meet the needs of our community through the use of our members.

Working with the C.A.N. Team, define the parameters of Who and What Geographic Areas We Will Serve and Support

Share why we have chosen each of those geographic locations/people groups and develop a plan to reach them and who is best equipped to reach them (i.e. FUSION, the Elders, the Elderly, the Boy Scouts, a Bible Study/Small Group, New Members, the School, families, a men’s group…etc.)

Wrestle with the C.A.N. team with the question, “who is our community?” Spring Branch? The regional area of all of Houston?

Create Milestones: for accomplishing the Goals

Follow up: with groups for their success, needs and encouragement.

Celebrate!

1. Stories of success we see regularly in worship, the Happening, the Devoted and other communications outlets
2. What the congregation is doing in the community
3. Good things we’re doing/have done