Overwhelming Response to JCBC Shared Life Survey! So, What’s Next?

We have had an overwhelming response to the JCBC Shared Life Survey.
Hoping for at least 500 responses, we have received more than 750!

To all who took time to complete the survey–thank you!
The information you provided about your spiritual journey and your experience at JCBC will be invaluable to us as we continue to discern God’s will, and cast a vision for our future together!

So, what now?
Well, I’m glad you asked.

For many months now, leaders within the Pastoral Staff and Pastor’s Council have been working to build a framework for our next long-range strategic plan.

Much of our work has involved cultivating and curating a number of critical questions that we must ask ourselves in order to envision our next era of ministry. Questions such as…
What are the changing dynamics of our congregation as we move into our 26^th year?
How is the world around us changing, and what are the particular needs of our “neighborhood”?
How is JCBC uniquely equipped to meet those needs, as the Body of Christ for our time?

One of the resources we have begun to study in an attempt to answer these (and many other) questions is a recent demographic report for our surrounding region, released by the Percept Group. This massive body of data is recent, reliable, and revealing, as it provides tremendous insights into the trends, behavior patterns, and needs of our ever-growing community.

Altogether–the demographic report, the JCBC Shared Life Survey, a host of driving questions, and hearts resolved in unceasing prayer–all serve as a framework for envisioning and developing a strategic ministry plan.

The next step in the process is a discernment retreat scheduled for March 22-23. At this retreat leaders from the Pastoral Staff, Pastor’s Council, and a few key areas in our church ministry will gather to consider what vital information is emerging from the data. To help us in the process, we have invited a familiar friend. Leadership Consultant, Susan Beaumont, has been with JCBC through each of our previous strategic planning seasons. She offers tremendous insight, non-bias guidance, and an unparalleled skill in helping churches discern the movement of God’s spirit within.

The hope for the weekend will be to discover three to five major themes that are emerging from our data. These will be three to five major areas where it seems God (through the voices of our people, the data, the demographics, the prayer) is attempting to call our energies forth for the coming years.

Once those themes or initiatives have been identified, small teams will be formed around each one to begin developing a strategic plan. Before any work begins, the initiatives and the innovation teams will be presented before the Deacon Body, and then before the church at our quarterly church conference in May.

The summer months will then be spent with each innovation team developing each respective initiative, with the hope to present a full report before the entire leadership base of the church sometime in the early fall.

These are extraordinary times of exponential change in our world. I cannot think of a more exhilarating time for the church to be the church! The mantle falls upon us, as it has countless generations before, to boldly envision our future together. Your feedback has been greatly appreciated. Now, faith is required! I am asking you to join me in praying daily for this vision-journey, as it begins. God is up to something within us, and desires to be up to something THROUGH us. We must now tune our hearts to discern it!

Have I told you lately how much I love being your pastor?
Well, I do.
Shaun

Dr. Shaun King
Senior Pastor
Johns Creek Baptist Church