Minnesota Fellowship of Congregationalists
Goals
Originally created at a Board retreat in August 2004
Updated October 2008 through September 2009

Overall goal: To promote, support, and encourage the ministries of our National Association churches and our State Fellowship. 

For our Clergy: To provide support and encouragement for our clergy.

For our Churches: To encourage fellowship among our churches, to provide educational and worship experiences for sharing and interaction, and to support one another in prayer and practical assistance. 

For Missions: To provide and support opportunities for mission and outreach within the State, Nationally and World-wide. 

For Youth: To promote and support Youth activities locally, state-wide, nationally, and internationally. 

For our Budget: To be fiscally responsible and to increase financial resources so that support is available for our expanding mission and ministry. 

For our Future: To encourage the awareness and spread of the Congregational Way and to increase the number of our member churches. 

SPECIFIC GOALS

For the Clergy:

• Have a semi-annual Retreat and schedule dates a year out.
• Establish a Pulpit exchange to get to know each other.  This event needs a coordinator.  (Note:  Chris M. offered to do this.)
• Continue to provide brochures on MFC offerings.  New goal of adding brochures to web site and providing links to NA web site for their offerings.
• Encourage new potential pastors in our midst by actively promoting NACCC and MFC resources in our churches and encouraging participation in NA & MFC activities.
• Offer mentors for new pastors whether newly ordained or new to our fellowship and enter into intentional relationships with them, including offering a more formal mentor role and improved access to resources.
• Continue and increase support for our established clergy including retired clergy.

For our Churches: 

• Update web site to encourage the sharing of our resources by posting church contacts and offering a list of possible resources available from each church.
• Use the Vicinage Council for more than just ordinations.
• Encourage our churches that are in conflict by referring them to the NA and its resources.
• Encourage fellowship opportunities through shared service, missions, and youth activities.
• Provide information about upcoming events in our churches and work to build up our Annual Meeting as an event.
• Encourage church members to visit other MFC churches.
• Continue and build our prayer support.
• Encourage churches to be involved in the ICF.
  

For Missions: 

• Get involved in Mission projects together.
• Encourage connection to the NA’s Missionary Society.
• Adopt a Minnesota mission for our MFC churches to engage with and support.

For our Youth: 

• Promote and encourage the state-wide Youth Ski Weekend.
• Build up our NAPF and ICF representations for all our churches.
• Involve the youth in the chosen Minnesota mission project.
  

 For our Budget: 

• Look at "fair share" ideas as guidelines, not requirements, for our churches.
• Encourage giving to the MFC by clearly communicating our needs.
• Inform churches of the Theological Fund and its purpose.
• Don't hoard; spend for the kingdom of God.
• Develop a plan for how members of our churches can include the MFC in estate planning and encourage that kind of giving.
• Plan and carry out an annual fundraising effort to individuals and churches.

For our Future: 

• Work on ways to draw more of the members of our churches to Board meetings and State-wide gatherings.
• Promote the Congregational presence in our communities and with other churches and councils in the State.
• Plan for planting another church.
• Expand ways the Vicinage Council can be more helpful to our churches.