Dear Oak Street Family, It is hard to believe that Starr and I have ministered at Oak Street for over a year already. Time has gone by fast, and now a new church year has arrived. This past year we have advanced as a church together, and we have started to see God move the church in the right direction. Last year, was indeed a blessed year, but now it has become the past and we focus on the 2014-2015 church year. This upcoming church year will be a foundational year in the development of a stronger Oak Street. At this point, we have a general vision for the church being that of growth. Eventually God will give is a specific vision, but at this time we are still seeking Him. With that considered the goal for the church this year is to strategically prepare for the future of Oak Street. For the most part this strategy only consists of each of us simply meeting our expectations as we hold one another accountable to do so. The 20s/30s ministry is underway. This previously non-existent Wednesday evening small group that meets off campus has already grown to seven regular attendees who were not previously attending at the time of the writing of this letter. There will be regular fellowship outings planned monthly specifically for this demographic. In the next church year we also plan to expand our kids and youth ministries. We have revamped Wednesday nights for the kids and youth with the plan to share VBS excitement 52-weeks per year. This has resulted in an initial increase in attendance. Now we will work toward sustained attendance. In addition there will be monthly youth events and regular kids events. Periodically we will have a “be the church” night. This will be a Wednesday or Sunday evening that instead of meeting at the church, we will meet off campus. This will mainly consist of community projects and missions. The key to preparing for church growth will rest in the hands of our committees. Each church committee has a responsibility to oversee an aspect of the church. Each is expected to select a chairman as a point person for the committee. It should be our goal to take these committees serious, meet regularly, and do the task at hand. Our properties and planning committee should meet regularly to confirm we have adequate facilities as needed. The stewardship committee should meet regularly to confirm the budget is in good standing and all financial needs are addressed. The personnel committee should meet with each staff member regularly to confirm they have what they need to minister, expectations are met, and that we are adequately staffed. The flower committee should continue to make sure the church is prepared as needed. The social committee should confirm that we have regular social functions to enhance the fellowship of our body. Likewise, any other standing committee that exists should meet the expectations of the responsibility bestowed on them. There are many other things I would like to mention, but due to space restraints I will simply say that Oak Street has great history, and if we will come together and meet these goals we will have an even greater future for our children and grand-children. In closing I leave you with one thought from my heart to yours… After attending church growth seminars and working to grow churches first hand I have discovered an interesting fact. It seems that we, the churched, have a difficult time thinking outside of the box we live in. We attempt to take churches in a direction with the intent to reach other churched people. This type of strategy will never result in sustained church growth for a small church because the resources are not available that many churched people seek when desiring a new place of worship. (Though I admit there are always a few exceptions.) To grow, we must think outside the box and set as our strategic goal reaching the unchurched. In CHRIST Alone, Pastor Keith
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 20:39:12 +0000