COUNCIL NOTES - FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Elenbaas Residence; Rennie Araucto, Eric Likkel, Biff Gaitan, David Anema, Mike Elenbaas, Teresa Elenbaas present; Ryan Engel, Kristen Vander Linden, Mark Nelson absent

1. check in/prayer

2. Emmaus Road stats: attendance, households, $

–       Pastor shared list of names showing approximately 33 currently “active” households, including 49 adults and 26 kids

–       Also provided chart showing ups/downs of worship attendance, long term and short term

What is Emmaus Road’s strategy? What is our way forward?

–         Suggestion made to approach question using ABCD (Asset Based Church Development)

–         Noted several members of Emmaus Road seem skilled in organizational development, consulting, and leadership development in corporate and some non-profit contexts; Emmasu Road has some human skills assets here!

–         Question posed, “Is it time for Steering Team?” All agreed it is time to enter strategic planning period; agreed that polling Emmaus Road w/specific questions, to survey the church about what is strong, attractive, and meaningful, as well as what is painful, lacking, confusing, would be good.

–         General impression among those present is that people seem to like Emmaus Road, want it to grow, succeed, thrive, but are uncertain about it’s future, do not see clear vision, feel conflicted about it’s role in Belltown, and may not individual know how to participate in, or contribute to, growth

–         Necessity of relocating our worship service, due to New Horizons renovations, is viewed as a potentially positive transition for Emmaus Road, an opportunity, to dislodge us from habitual patterns of gathering, place, practices, which may be holding us back from outreach and growth.

–         All questioned Emmaus Road’s relationship to Belltown, in terms of a place of missional focus. After years of presence there, and limited visibility, it neither seems as if Emmaus Road will grow at a healthy rate by continuing to reach out to Belltown alone, nor especially by reaching out to Belltown in the ways we have so far. No other obvious neighborhood, however, emerges in the minds of Council members; i.e., Emmaus Road is a fellowship who comes together from scattered spots around the Sound, and downtown/Belltown might be as central a location as we’d want.

–         Next steps – Pastor to create Google Doc. so Council members can begin vetting questions with which to survey church body.

Next meeting not scheduled; Pastor Likkel hoping to convene mtg. with Kristen Vander Linden and Mark Nelson, to bring up to speed w/aforementioned questions, information, etc.