May 6, 2012 by Pastor Dave Scifres

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

Main Street UMC begins its journey towards becoming a fruitful congregation.  The Fruitful Congregation Journey is a team-based, leadership development discovery process to help churches to more effectively fulfill the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  The process first helps develop a church’s leadership base so as to provide it with greater strength.  Then the process helps a church discern what next steps it needs to take in order to be more fruitful and effective.  In healthy, growing churches the process helps churches move to even greater effectiveness.  In plateaued or declining churches, it helps provide them with a strategy and coach to move forward.  In the process, leaders customize the directions and outcomes to fit their church’s particular ministry context. It’s not a “cookie-cutter” approach.

The five practices of a Fruitful Congregation are:

• Radical hospital
• Passionate worship
• Intentional faith development
• Risk-taking mission and service
• Extravagant generosity