New Beginnings Assessment Service
“We were fortunate to get some truly invested facilitators and we were all very impressed with the training weekend. The trainers were great, the pace was lively, the material dealt with real issues, and the process was well thought out. The added incentive was the promise of an assessment of our church done by outsiders,”
– Rev. Ruby Easton, West Parish UCC in Andover MA.
Watch a New Beginnings Assessment video testimony!
“New Beginnings provides an excellent combination of outside assessment and internal discernment. The assessment and training provoke deep and imaginative conversation that empowers a congregation to own the future God has in store for them.”
– Rev. Wendy Vander Hart, Associate Conference Minister, Massachusetts Conference, UCC
“What is God calling your congregation to do and be in this time and this place?”
If your congregation can answer “yes” to three or more of the following, it may be time for a New Beginning:
• Less than 70 in worship, or more than 70 in worship but significant decline for a decade
• Wrestling with future vision for the church
• Significant building issues
• Aging membership
• Changing neighborhood
• Trouble paying bills and/or paying off a loan
• Currently in interim time of transition
With New Beginnings, your congregation will:
• Receive a comprehensive report of strengths and challenges, as well as a realistic picture of possible future directions.
• Be trained in a discernment process to follow God’s lead in choosing a new direction.
• Discover available ministry opportunities in the community.
• Learn how to discuss and implement change in a healthy, open manner.
• Leaders receive additional training on leading through change.
• Set a course for future strategic and visionary ministry planning.
Download the full brochure.
New Beginnings Info Sheet.
https://prezi.com/jbll-ulu152e/new-beginnings-by-david-schoen/
Contact Chris Davies at daviesc@ucc.org or Karen Koza at kozak@ucc.org for more information.
New Beginnings Resources for Conferences and Congregations
Conference/Region Roles in New Beginnings
Conference/Region Application for New Beginnings
Church Application for New Beginnings
“Two of the things I have most appreciated about the New Beginnings program are its extensiveness and thoroughness. I have encountered no other program that gives such a complete assessment of the church from its facilities to finances, from the community around the building to the community within the building, it really helps the church fully understand the reality and potential of its current situation. Combining that with the training for house meetings and ongoing coaching/mentoring gives the church all that it really needs to discern and move into its future.”
– Rev. Donald Remick, Associate Conference Minister, Massachusetts Conference, UCC