Messiah has matured past its startup, “adolescent” stage. What then, are the new areas of focus for Messiah, now entering “young adulthood”? To be sure, the core of Messiah’s Lutheran intellectual heritage and tradition are to be cherished, preserved, and celebrated. Few denominations have the depth of knowledge and scholarship of the Gospel that Messiah has inherited as a Lutheran evangelical church. Messiah has also achieved high marks for its facilities, its easy style, its innovative culture, and its strong music and children’s programs. However as the congregation has grown, issues of member assimilation, involvement, and connection have been identified as weak links. The worldly modes of communication have been greatly expanded and have become more complex. The path to deeper spiritual growth and understanding is ambiguous to an increasing number of members. And the strains of administering a larger organization have conflicted at times with the pastoral duties of the church. The response to these “growing pains” will form the basis of a re-alignment of supporting objectives for the congregation moving forward into 2012 and beyond.

Be connectors of Christ in our Community
To achieve this strategy we will focus on efforts to accomplish the following:

1. Provide the best environment, utilizing all tools of available communication, to provide the members/seekers of Messiah and St. Charles County the path to deeper spiritual growth, along with the connections to engage their community, neighbors and families in fulfillment of their love.
2. Continue to present the Gospel with the greatest clarity to those outside our walls.
3. Further develop ministries toward care in the community.
4. Inspire the next generation to live for Christ and share their faith in a secular culture.
5. Build our administrative and organizational competency with detailed roles, functions and work flow.
6. Develop and maintain a communication plan to measure effectiveness of content and medium.
7. Develop connections and involvement process between Messiah and its members.
8. Review and audit effectiveness of all ministries.
9. Continue to provide, update, and maintain a long range financial statement.
10. Build financial strength by retiring debt and balancing annual budgets.
11. Define a supporting stewardship model for giving and contributing to Messiah.
12. Explore new, alternative communication/technology solutions.

• Foster Care, Spiritual Depth, and Outreach
• Build Financial Strength
• Achieve Communication Effectiveness
• Build Organizational Competency