Written by Bill Tipping
As promised, we are providing you with a progress update on the work accomplished under our Strategic Initiative to vitalize and position HAUMC for its future.
Futures Lab and Report
On Saturday morning, November 21, 2024, more than 70 members participated in a four-hour Futures Lab Process facilitated by our consultant, the Rev. Cameron Trimble. The purpose of this process was to vision Hennepin far into the future, determining, along the way, the things that are essential to our community. The Futures Lab Report sets forth our learnings through the process and is now available for review. Please note that this report relates solely to the Futures Lab process and does not constitute the final recommendations of the Strategic Initiative Task Force. This report is one of many sources of guidance and input, along with all that has been gathered as described in the work done section below.
Work Done to Date
In addition to our Futures Lab, and as a reminder of our process, thus far we have:
1. Completed, as a community, our inventory and assessment. We received close to 190 responses and thank all for the dedication in getting this done.
2. Completed our interviews and listening sessions with various leaders in our neighborhood and the community that surrounds us.
3. had church staff spend significant time gathering historical information regarding our demographics, attendance, finances and related information
The information gathered via steps 1-3 above was analyzed and incorporated by Convergence, our outside consultant, into the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Vitality Report.
That Vitality Report was published to the Congregation on June 9 of 2024 by a leader from Convergence in a webinar following worship. A period of input and questioning followed.
The presentation on the Vitality Report was followed by two additional webinars in June of 2024, both of which were conducted in the Sanctuary following worship. The purpose of these two webinars was to provide an educational context for us, as a congregation, to evaluate the Vitality Report within the broader context of what is going on around us.
The first webinar took place on June 23 and educated us on current trends affecting churches based on national experience.
The second webinar took place on June 30 and provided examples of actions taken by other churches in response to these national trends.
All three of these presentations (The Vitality Report and each of the two webinars) were presented both in person and live streamed.
Next Step
We are excited for the next step – a meeting of the Strategic Initiative Task Force on March 1, 2025 to finalize its recommendations to the Governance Board. We have come far and look forward to seeing this important work come to fruition in a set of concrete goals and objectives that we are confident will ensure a strong future.
As always, we will keep you informed. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Bill Tipping, on behalf of the Strategic Initiative Task Force