Centennial Park Baptist Church Consultation Report
May 4, 2008
 
As a consultation team, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your willingness to let us speak into your church life. Thank you for the time and energy you have all spent in filling out forms, participating in focus groups, and in carefully thinking through your own approach and beliefs about ministry. As a result of our consultation, we would like to state what we believe to be the strengths of your ministry, the concerns that we see, and suggest some prescriptions for increased church effectiveness: Strengths: 1. Stable Sense of Community and Church Family According to the majority of individual interviews, the focus groups, and the survey results – Centennial Park Fellowship Baptist Church values and enjoys a strong sense of community. The church believes that this feeling of family is a key strength, and is something it would like to have continued. 2. Solid Biblical Preaching Your church highly values solid Biblical teaching and preaching, and appreciates the efforts and gifting of Pastor Jared. People feel that there is high degree of value contributed to their spiritual lives through the solid teaching and that the style of his preaching is appropriate for the community. Most believe that this is a strength that should be built upon, and maximized in the future of the church. 3. Anticipation of New Building The progress with your new building is a strong indication of forward movement to both your own church and to your community. The location of the building is outstanding, with numerous opportunities for community involvement, engagement, and outreach. As long as Centennial Park Baptist sees the building as a tool that extends your ministry into Brentwood Bay and the surrounding area, it will be a tremendous resource for future Kingdom expansion. 4. Strong Commitment to Prayer and Missions In all our meetings and discussions, it has been clear that Centennial Park has a strong commitment to prayer and to overseas missions. We want to commend you for those important focus areas, and recommend that you continue to build upon them. 5. Leadership Has A Powerful Desire to Make Significant Change Such That Centennial Park Impact’s Their Community For Christ The self-study, survey, and personal interaction with the leadership of your church indicates that they are prepared to lead the church in the kinds of changes required to ensure the church reaches its Kingdom potential. As individuals and as a group, they are fully supportive of making decisions and taking actions that will lead to meaningful and fulfilling church ministry in Brentwood Bay. Concerns: 1. Lack of Clear Mission and Vision The single largest concern that has emerged in our consultation is the lack of clear mission and vision. As stated in Proverbs 29:18, “where there is no vision the people are unrestrained” or “perish.” While it is clear that God has blessed many elements of your ministry and service, it is equally obvious that God wants you to have a vital and passionate vision for reaching your community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Closely tied with this concern is the need for ministries and people to align themselves around a unified vision, such that there is a clearly articulated and active sense of identity. 2. Lack of Leadership Structures and Functional Governance While Centennial Park Fellowship Baptist Church has explicitly stated governance and leadership structures within the By-laws, including up to thirty-one different nominated positions, it is evident that these structures are neither workable nor working. There is confusion regarding zones of responsibility, lines of authority, and levels of accountability. Thus, unless these governance structures are significantly redesigned in light of the needs of a growing church, they will continue to frustrate individual leaders and hinder future growth. 3. Need to Develop a Consistent and Clear Outward Focus In the survey that your church completed, and when compared with similar churches in comparable situations, Centennial Park indicated a strong preference for numerical growth. While we agree with this statement, it is not clear that there is any sense of urgency to develop or act upon your God-given mission to reach your community. Your ministry communicates an inward focus that is not in step with the Great Commission of Christ, and is contrary to the ongoing mandate of the church to make more and better disciples. This concern has become clear in the consultation through the self-study, surveys, and focus groups. We have heard consistent messages to the effect that “our church is for us.” Thus, it is necessary to regain a focus on the lost people surrounding you, where their eternal destiny becomes an issue of primary concern. 4. Sunday Morning Service While there is obvious enjoyment of the Biblical and solid preaching, the overall worship experience needs to become more disciplined, focused, and up-tempo. The church service should take into consideration the understanding levels of non-churched as well as the worship enjoyment of the churched. 5. Address the Needs of Youth Centennial Park Baptist Church has a difficult time supporting families with youth due to their lack of youth oriented ministry. If the church is to move forward and address the needs of young people and families from this community, it will need to establish a clear plan for youth. 6. WARNING FLAG: Debt Control and Awareness As a an additional concern, the consultation team feels it is necessary to express our concern over the debt load the church can, and should, carry. You have done well with your building to this point in its development, but must be wary as you move forward to not extend yourself too far, such that the building debt hampers active ministry and outreach for the foreseeable future. We do believe you need to finish the building, however please be extremely cognizant of the danger of creating a debt load that cannot be serviced by the growth you see in the future – and could in fact impact ministry to people. Thus it is important that communication between the building team and leadership is full, fair, and frequent. Prescriptions: 1. Mission and Vision The Pastor and Deacons Board will determine a clear statement of Mission, Vision, and Values before the quarterly business meeting in the fall of 2008. Based upon this Mission and Vision, the Pastor and Deacons will create a 5 year strategic plan by the winter business meeting in 2009. If requested, FEBBC/Y will provide a Vision Advisor to assist in development of both the Vision and Strategic Plan. 2. Leadership Structures The Pastor and Deacons will determine a new governance and leadership structure to take to the church by the fall quarterly business meeting, 2008. This new structure will feature leadership structures that bring together responsibility, authority, and accountability. a. In consultation with FEBBC/Y, Pastor Jared must identify a mentor/coach to assist him in reorienting his ministry focus. This must be done by the end of June, 2008. b. Pastor Jared must identify, recruit, and begin to equip ministry staff (volunteer, part-time, or paid) who will be accountable to him in leading the ministry areas of the church. This must happen in conjunction with the creation of the strategic plan, and new leadership structures. c. At the Centennial Park AGM in May 2008, the nominees for various committees and church positions (excluding Deacons) will be understood to be in interim roles during the transition time that introduces and implements the leadership structures. 3. Consistent and Clear Outward Focus Set specific targets for reaching people in Central Saanich and surrounding areas for Jesus Christ. This will be done by building an outward focus that actively seeks to engage your distinctive culture with the gospel. This prescription includes the following: a. Plan and implement at least four outreach focused events for your church by May 2009. At least two of these events must involve direct engagement, participation or service in a Community event that will take you out of your “building” and into the community. b. On Thanksgiving Sunday, 2008, have a celebration of the work and ministry of God in your church. Use 50% of the offering on that Sunday for a strategically chosen project that will share the love and gospel of Christ with people in Central Saanich. c. Evaluate all the elements of your church services in light of newcomers, making the changes necessary to ensure that newcomers do not feel excluded. 4. Sunday Morning Services Improve the quality, energy, and intensity of your overall worship experience. This will include continual review of all components of each service in order to ensure the services are upbeat, positive, creative, and relevant to target groups. The quality and nature of the music within the service should be relevant to families outside and inside the church. As was clearly indicated in your survey results, the music needs to be moving into a more contemporary style. As a means of assisting Centennial Park Baptist in making the necessary changes, a Worship Advisor from FEBBC/Y will attend three church services in the next year. Following two of these Sundays, the Advisor will meet with Pastor Jared to share his evaluation. Following one of the Sundays, the Advisor will meet with the Deacon’s Board to share his evaluation. 5. Addressing Needs of Youth By beginning of September, 2008 Centennial Park Baptist must have a concrete and enacted plan to support, encourage, and integrate youth into their church. While the plan must be determined by the Pastor and Deacons Board, establishing this plan should include the following: a. Pastor Jared will consult with local Fellowship Baptist church youth pastors (Central Baptist and Saanich Baptist) about possible options that would address the needs of Centennial Park church. b. Discuss with local Young Life leaders possible unified efforts to meet the needs of youth within the church and local community. c. Identify one leader who will be responsible for the youth ministry of Centennial Park, whether as a stand-alone ministry, or as a joint ministry aligned with another church or organization. PROCESS FROM THIS POINT: The consultation team would ask the church to carefully and prayerfully consider this report. On the date of your AGM in May 2008, you will be asked to vote on the report and to accept it in its entirety. If you vote to do so, then the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in B.C. and Yukon will covenant with you to help you make the necessary changes over a period of the next twelve months. We will actively involve ourselves in your process, striving to the best of our ability to help you achieve these goals in order to build the Kingdom of God in Central Saanich. If you vote to pursue these prescriptions, you are voting to make these changes and to be held accountable for doing everything within your power, as God allows, to fulfill these prescriptions. As a group of consultants, we believe that God’s best for your church is yet ahead. We believe that God has a tremendous future for you in which many people come to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour. We pray with you and for you for God’s wisdom and courage. Serving Christ With You, David Horita Donna Marttunen Steve Sundby Gordon Burton