If you have not sent in your "Vision," please do so before reading the list below.

God's Vision For Our Church

What do you believe is God's vision for Franklin Circle Christian Church

in this day and in this community?

Please click on the yellow index card below and

tell us what you believe!

"God's Vision for FCCC today is..."

When you are finished, then read Pastor Allen's Sermon:

"Our Job: Here & Now"

How do they compare?  Do you see things in a similar way or different way?

Let him know what you think about his understanding of God's vision!

Now... you can continue on...

"What Is God's Vision For This Church?"
Your responses...
 

As of March 2008:

God's Vision For Franklin Circle Christian Church:
God's Vision is to have everyone live together in love and equality.

Open our hearts and doors to all people. Let everyone know we're here ready to welcome everyone and help in any way we can. We are all God's children. We are all here to help one another. To share - learn - grow.

Dear Pastor, May God be with you and the programs you have established. You're doing a good job. Your visions are OK. God be with you.

If you are going to “talk the talk” then be prepared to “walk the walk.”

To be a loving family. To have our children and teens help in visiting sick people and shut in members of the church. To pick all children to help read the Bible and scriptures. To try to get children and teens more involved.

Feed, educate, and attend to the Spiritual needs of a diverse neighborhood and city. Encourage and help youth find a future and haven of safety at FCCC. Politically challenge leaders to help fund the needs of those without medical care and without a place to live.

We need to serve the community less and teach the community to serve God.

They would expect friendship, warmth, clothing, food, and the teaching of God… open arms to all, no matter who or what they are. Pastor Allen, do not get down. Believe me, you are a very warm, and God delivering person. You have helped so many.

Go out in the neighborhood and try to teach the way of God, teaching and helping all those who need help. Try to stop all of the violence.

Friendly, understanding, pastor always there when you need to talk to someone when someone passes away.

Good place to be, to help me out.

We should be officially and Open & Affirming community of faith.

Impressed with cookies to military. Expand to include books, magazines., clothes, coats for kids. Continue with food bank. Condense service.

To serve and help people in the neighborhood.

Why is our nation rebelling against God? He is the Ruler of Heaven and Earth, over water and all the animals walking His earth. Look around you. We have one God, one Holy Spirit. (?) Any nation praying to our God. What is so hard to understand, God in any language in any land in any shape, size, color, race! We come up with the same Holy God. Look around you! God is sending all the anger to the people, one catastrophe after another to warn the people.

Do unto all people as you would like to be done to yourself, from the youngest to oldest, richest to poorest.

To be a beacon of hope in this neighborhood, to reach out to those in the neighborhood who are lost, lonely, sad, depressed. We can best do this by having an outreach ministry that goes out into the neighborhood to reach these people. We can start with our own lay leaders, perhaps hand out literature to start with. Also, we can have a prison ministry for those behind the prison doors whether they belong there or not. We can have our women deacons work with our young mothers and their families to help them to grow stronger and be an access to their communities. “Each one teach one.”

My vision is to see the church grow and get more neighbor people in the church. To get more youth in the church and get them more involved in church.

I grew up participating in a very involved youth group. We fellowshipped weekly and were picked up by the group van each week. We did fun things like Super Bowl parties and games, and always had food, and, of course, “lessons.” Here is where the seed was planted that has never left and no one could ever take away. Retreats out of town, all-night “lock-ins.” Dedicated youth pastors gave so much of their time and wisdom and even money. Your vision for a Youth Pastor is so right on! A full time minister able to focus on the youth - go out in the neighborhood and pull these kids in is the key. I can remember being invited to a church on W. 14th when I was just out playing in the park. Just walking down Franklin over 20 years ago - we were invited in!

To bring more people into our church to receive God's grace through more and better programs. The After School program needs more “umph.” We need to relate more to the youth of the neighborhood. I would love to see more people give their gifts to the program to reach the youth. Also the meal program, can we become a second site or alternative site? The NWIT team be more creative and definitely more contemporary to reach people in and out of our church. Many members of our church mean well and their hearts are in the right place, but it seems they are spread too thin, and instead of a good healthy message, sometimes a negative one happens. I pray that we find a wonderful associate pastor to lead our youth and support our volunteers.

I think we need to hold up all of our activities to a standard: Does each of our activities allow us to share and/or bring all of “us” to Christ?... and not simply “minister” to others. Prayers, hymns, invitations to Christ should always be a part of these activities.

Care for the spiritual needs of a culturally diverse community and awaken people to the joys of life with Jesus Christ and be handicap accessible. More testimonials, life stories (limited), and perhaps take questions during coffee hour.

Set an example of Affirming & Open - non-violent. Taking the diversity all around us and meshing it into one. Encouraging the neighborhood and especially youth of the are to visit our church and get involved in God's Word. Listen to others. Reach out to the poor, the homeless by just being there first, and let the know we love them as God does. Providing a safe haven for the oppressed, least fortunate, minority, and those of other faiths as well as all those different from ourselves.

Establish a base for young adults.

I believe God's vision for this church is what it's been, keep doing what you're doing.

I see this church being an open door, people who are welcome into the care of our arms, to feel welcome enough to ask questions and to join in our growth and become a working member.

We would like the church to focus on attracting the young professionals & ex-suburbanites as well as the urban core that have always called Ohio City home and make it unique. We would like to help find more ways to attract these individuals to the church. You've recently mentioned a marketing group, that I'd like learn more about to see if we can contribute. I lived in Ohio City for a long time before I made it this church, and I know we can help find others that would make FCCC home.
We also agree with your charge to get out and "be" with the community. We have to know your neighbors and be visible to spread God's word, but it has to be a group effort to have to the maximum effect. We, the congregation, need to play more of a role. Even Jesus had 12 disciples, and look what they have accomplished! I know the church already does a lot for the community and our congregation could do more to support the existing programs. We should always look for better ways to reach out, but from our perspective, we need more involvement from the congregation.

Ideas: establish a young adult group, focus on young couples, have a health fair or Morrow Donor Drive, establish a hostel for traveling youth groups - our youth could be welcome committee

Ideas: offer tutoring, help people study to get their GED's, offer life skills to young mothers/parents such as meal planning - creating a shopping list - help with shopping…

Equality and undying love for all.

Having a great time worshiping God.


Other Ideas Added At January 19, 2008 Leadership Retreat:
> Hospitality Room for parents whenever there is an event for children (with coffee/tea, materials about the church, a person to talk with, etc.)
> Hospitality Room for visitors before and after worship (Like the 58th St. Church of God has)
> Get input about these ideas from a.) long-time members but who are less committed at the moment, and b.) new members.
> Have a “tool-training” class for persons who don't know how to use tools (i.e. hammers, saws, etc.)
> Ask our elders to share their wisdom with us more.
> GED Classes for all ages (check with May Dugan as to what they are doing now)
> Have a business/hobby/job bulletin board.
> Be willing to combine two or more ideas into one, realize there may be natural connections between ideas.
> Have a current events forum, give more voice to the marginalized (perhaps expand the Widening The Circle Forum), and/or do advocacy eduacation.
> Have a training on faith-based grants (handout from Bev Wurm about ACCESS from the Cleveland Foundation)
> Joyful Noise (music training program for low-income children) may need a new satellite location.
> Some of these ideas above may come to reality naturally when we hire a youth minister.
> When we ask for volunteers, always be sure we have a place for them.
> Have more Sunday School Classes, use more people as teachers for Sunday School and Small Groups (but we have to offer the training and ongoing support for these folks)
> On Endeavor Forms: have a place to show that new folks are invited to help out, have a place for others to join in on the Endeavor.
> Feed seniors a hot meal, deliver meals to homebound seniors (always honoring their privacy).
> Young Urban Professionals want to serve, but don't always have the same type of/level of commitment
> Do Bingo at Fairview Garden Apartments again
> Do we do our service ecumenically/interfaith?


Action Plan:
> This needs to be hashed out in a smaller group, the Board is too large to do this.
> Through the Board put out a questionnaire to find out what people are interested in.
> Also, get this questionnaire out to groups, such as CWF, Youth Group, Young Adults, Couples Married at FCCC, and use e-mail and the website to get more of the younger folks' input.
> Include on the questionnaire the final question: “Would you be willing to serve on a Team to make this idea a reality?”
> Include on the questionnaire existing groups: Education Team, Evangelism & Publicity Team, Upkeep Team, Worship Team, Youth Group, Christian Women's Fellowship, etc.
> Use the sermon time as a “town hall meeting” to get feedback.