The Full Story

Trinity is beginning a new Strategic Vision Process. We will be asking God where he would like us to serve Him in the next three to five years…in our lives, in our community, and in the ever-changing and challenging world. This process is a rather large undertaking. It will take a commitment from all of us, and it is crucial to include as many voices as possible to ensure we are moving in the direction that God wants us to go. So, “thank you” in advance for participating. We are co-workers in the Kingdom of God, and together it will be easier to implement God’s Vision for the future. My prayer for us in the next 150 years is that we are moving in unison, using our Gifts for God’s kingdom.

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Why Strategic Vision and Why Now?

When God’s people left Egypt, they left their comfort zone behind them. Even though they were out of Egypt and no longer enslaved, they still found slavery to be a “normal comfort” for them. Leaving our comfort zone is challenging. Our tendency is to fall back into the things that feel comfortable. Yet, God called, and the Israelites left Egypt. However, they did not leave without direction. God was leading and guiding them with a pillar of fire by night and cloud by day. And they followed. Wherever God was leading them, they followed. They believed it was time to do something new. I believe God is leading us to something new. We are coming out of the most challenging and divisive time that our multiple generations have experienced. We are politically divided. Socially Divided. Racially divided. And our churches are divided. So, as part of Trinity’s next 150 years of ministry for God and His Kingdom, we have two choices. We can remain captive to division, or we can break free and follow God. I’m choosing to follow God, and I ask you to do the same as we seek God’s direction and guidance for the next 150 years. It’s time to gather around God’s throne, ask for His promised help and discernment, and move together in unity for the Kingdom of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

What Will The Strategic Vision Process Look Like?

Everyone associated with our worship community (members and non-members) will be invited to participate in a faithfully guided conversation. We are calling these sessions, “Huddles.” Each Huddle will use the same set of questions to help us find our strengths and identify the passions and gifts of our worship community. Our goal is to ensure that each person gets an opportunity to be a part of the vision process. It will take some time, trust, and patience. After we conclude our Huddles, we will piece Trinity’s vision together, develop a plan of action, and implement that plan over the next three to five years.

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What is a “Huddle?”

In football, before a play is run, the team gets together and decides which play will get them closer to the endzone. The goal is always to get into the endzone and score, but sometimes it takes more than one play to get there. So, teams huddle up and decide what the best play is to move them forward. It’s a great analogy for what we do as a church as well. Our goal is to “Go and make disciples.” But it’s not always a one size fits all approach. Even though we have players that look different – younger and older, male and female – we are all part of the team. You are an important part of the team, and your voice is important to getting us closer to the endzone. The more a team works together, the greater their chances of moving together and achieving their goal. In this case, we are striving for the Kingdom of God, and everyone has a role to play, using their GIFTS. (1 Peter 4:10 – 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.)

What Are Our “Huddles” Going to Look Like?

Groups of 20-30 people will meet together for a Huddle. Each Huddle will begin with prayer, and a brief reflection about how God’s vision leads us. Then there will be an opportunity to answer questions, give guidance and share ideas, ending with a follow-up review to ensure that everyone has had an opportunity to share where God is leading us. We will hold two to three Huddles a week for at least a month and then evaluate participation. The initial timeline for Huddles is October 1 – November 2. Each Huddle will be under two hours in length. We will not convene a Huddle with less than ten people, so please sign up as soon as you can. Greg Derwart or a Strategic Vision Team representative will facilitate a conversation based on questions that have been developed and sent out ahead of time. The questions will focus on the future commitment and needs of our members and community.

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When the Huddles Are Over, What Will Happen?

Once the Huddles are over, the Strategic Vision Team will write down their findings and submit the information to Greg Derwart, our Strategic Vision Leader. From the information gathered, the Team will develop a Vision plan and map out the next three to five years. We will create a guidebook to accompany the vision and get commitments from our worship community. These guidebooks are an important part of this strategic vision. They will include the history of Trinity; future plans and dreams; community worship opportunities and studies; and a way to track how we are doing with following God’s plan for the future of Trinity.

How Can I Participate?

Pray for guidance. Pray for God’s will to be done. And then sign up for one of the Huddles. Please consider this your invitation. You can sign up for one of our Huddles by clicking this link or by scanning the QR code here. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0E44A9A62CA1F49-44546092-huddles Share your dreams and vision for God’s Kingdom. Share your gifts, and how you can help serve God’s mission through Trinity. Our goal is to have 100% participation from anyone who calls Trinity Lutheran Church their worship community. 100%. From helping financially, to serving, to sharing Jesus… 100% participation is our goal. Again, thank you in advance for sharing your GIFTS and your voice.