Staffing Model Core Team Summary

STUDY ON FUTURE STAFFING FOR THE FEDERATED CHURCH 
                                    CORE TEAM UPDATE 
                                            (March 2009)

Core Team members: Phil Fogarty, Edith Guffey, Barbara Hudson, Robin Polack, Gerry Powers, Martine Scheuermann and Hamilton Throckmorton

At the Annual meeting of the Congregation on February 22, 2009 the Core Team provided the following update to the congregation regarding future staffing for the Federated Church:

• Central Council in its August 26, 2008 meeting directed that a comprehensive staffing strategy be developed which ensures our human and financial resources best support the mission and purpose to which God has called our church.

• To assist with the process, the church retained the services of a faith based consultant familiar with church staffing models, George Bullard. George, a Ministry Partner with the Columbia Partnership, has coached hundreds of churches across all denominations and is widely recognized as an advisor, a strategic planning expert, a process facilitator and a church growth strategist.

• George visited the Federated church the weekend of November 21-24. During his visit, he interviewed staff, facilitated 5 focus groups with Federated members, met with the Core Team and the HR Committee and observed Sunday morning worship and other Sunday activities. He
presented his initial report to the Core Team on December 19 and returned to Federated on January 30th to discuss his findings further with the Core Team.


Listed below is a brief summary of several of George’s observations and their potential implications to the development of an effective staffing plan:

• George experienced Federated as a vibrant congregation with a rich heritage but one that has faced recent challenges focused primarily around unexpected debt resulting in some staff adjustments. With the debt firmly under control, Federated now wants to “right-size” in order to achieve and sustain a vital future.

• Hamilton Throckmorton has been in a position of focusing his first chapter of ministry dealing with issues surrounding the debt situation, while at the same time establishing a quality ministry pattern for the 21st century. Hamilton and the congregation believe that now is the time to proactively establish a staffing model that best supports the mission and purpose of the Federated Church.

• Federated projects an image of desiring high quality in whatever it seeks to engage in and accomplish as a congregation. This is seen in its music, worship, preaching, teaching, programs, ministries and activities. It would appear, however, that the quality of the programs is a higher goal than the impact these programs have on the faith journey of the congregation.

• Federated projects an image of being a regional congregation. However, a high percentage of core leaders of the church come from the two zip codes immediately around the church facilities. A focus primarily on these two zip codes will unintentionally limit the capacity for growth.

• Federated focuses primarily on people who come from a church culture. It does not project an image or pursue strategies that focus on the unchurched or persons from an unchurched culture. This will unintentionally limit the growth of the church as an increasing number of
residents around the church will be unchurched.

• Federated is a staff-led congregation to a degree that makes it a staff –dependent congregation and the use of volunteers appears to be underdeveloped. This dependence on ministerial, program, administrative and support staff to provide leadership is unusually high in relationship
to churches of similar size.

• Federated needs to move towards becoming a 50 + 1 commitment church whereby 50 percent + 1 of the average number of active, attending adults present on a typical Sunday for worship have the following four characteristics:
1. attend worship at least 39-42 weeks per year, and
2. participate in spiritual/educational processes, and
3. participate in regular formal/informal fellowship gatherings with other members, and
4. have a volunteer leadership role in the church.

• Federated must make choices. It takes a congregation of 900-1000 in weekly worship attendance to have high quality programs, ministries and activities for all major age and life stage target groups from birth to death.

• Special consideration should be given to the overall costs associated with the Family Life Center in comparison to the programs, ministries and activities it now houses. Presently too much of its focus is spent on determining how it can pay for itself (e.g. more rental income) rather than
developing programs which will enhance church growth. The FLC is a valuable current and future asset. It can be a great first touch point for people considering a connection with Federated.


On February 7, 2009, the Core Team met with the 2008 Central Council members and the incoming 2009 members to review its progress to date. Central Council unanimously supported the work done by the Core Team so far and recommended that the process continue. The Core Team hopes to finalize a staffing model and review it with Central Council by April with presentations to staff and the congregation occurring in April and May.