2008 Pastor's LEAD Team Transition Year Brainstorming Process
KEY:
lGOLD Circle & Fill = "Given's" - NO Compromise
lNUMBERS = Total Points Received
lRED Numbers & Text = Highest Ranking Beliefs
	THIS TRANSITION YEAR…
SECTION 1 -  TRANSITION YEAR PROCESS ???
PRESERVE…
õ	LEAD teams
42	Communication... especially at church office to congregation level
ACHIEVE…
õ	Ask churches what they want… and will support
32	Ask other districts how they got "successful"
AVOID…
22	Fear of change
36	The assumption that "merger" is the only answer
22	A closed mind and/or inattention to emerging culture around us
35	Focusing on money rather than trusting God
33	Pragmatism that replaces reliance on God
25	Allowing churches to "fall through the cracks"
õ	Decision making without concerted prayer
3	Rushing into anything
õ	Avoid "unhealthy/angry/self-righteous" behavior as the inevitable conflicts and differing opinions arise.  Consider each church as important as your own.
	BEYOND THE TRANSITION YEAR…
SECTION 2 - DISTRICT'S FUTURE UNIFIED VISION ???
PRESERVE…
12	Nothing… yield to the new ideas of the new greater district
	Existing core beliefs and values
õ	Magnifying God
õ	Mobilizing existing churches
õ	Mutliplying new congregations
11	Creating Spiritual Memories that last a lifetime (e.g, camp, retreats, etc.)
ACHIEVE…
33	Seek to focus on greater "unity" among existing churches
35	Overcome the prevailing "they" of IBC separate from the "us" in local congregations
15	Build a sense of ownership of IBC; people involved in decision-making
õ	A clear and compelling vision for the future
6	Viability; Stability
34	Project a clear sense of being part of something bigger than just Iowa
7	Continued growth of BGC in Iowa
õ	Postive/proactive stance; a "can do" mindset
39	Vision for outreach/impact ministries
õ	Ministries that benefit local churches or provide opportunity for new ministries
õ	Matthew 28:18-20--Great Commission
õ	Strong focus upon the Word; biblical commands and patterns
AVOID…
õ	Being rudderless… without a plan
24	Taking on debt
4	Too Much greater financial costs
õ	Loss of trust in God's provision
SECTION 3 -  DISTRICT'S FUTURE "IDENTITY" ???
PRESERVE...
28	Iowa's identity (even as part of any alliance)
28	Our "identity" events (eg., camp and annual meeting)
ACHIEVE...
77	A clearer sense of a district's role--as a "resource" servant or as a "directional" servant ?
AVOID…
51	Dwelling on the past -- Look ahead
12	Losing the sense of IBC/BGC "presence"
48	Sacred cows
SECTION 4 - DISTRICT'S FUTURE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE???
PRESERVE…
3	Preserve our existing ministries... or risk alienation
24	Preserve and continue our autonomous IBC district... under new leadership
2	Stay the way we are
21	Peer relationship with other districts (DEM's council and activities)
57	Continued core-partnership with BGC leadership team
ACHIEVE…
	Closer cooperation, input in decision making
õ	More and more prayer
õ	Greater spiritual depth, growth, closer walk with God, trust, faith, heavenly values
54	A stronger resource base: leaders, resource people and financial base
9	Good assimilation
8	Communication that is "rememberable;"  Tell the story.
2	Re-align based on church characteristics rather than regional geography
12	Decentralize district leadership to LEAD teams
1	Disband -- allowing local congregations to hook up with local associations
AVOID…
4	All alliances; continue as we are
6	Losing any churches
4	Splitting the district and severing existing relationships
õ	Turf wars
õ	Any traditions not grounded in Scripture
õ	Weakened doctrine; doctrinal compromise;
SECTION 5 -  LOCAL CHURCH PARTICIPATION STANDARDS ???
PRESERVE...
35	Increase level of individual commitment to the whole group
ACHIEVE…
0	Every church needs to give "pulpit time" for promotion of IBC
0	Everyone need to have an "on-site" visit at our camp property
26	Church leaders must pass along IBC communication to their congregations
23	Promote positive benefits of current conference work
22	Set district membership "standards"
12	Release/Remove non-participating churches
70	Re-engage non-participating churches
22	We need team players with a "big picture" view
21	Engage "larger" church for greater participation
õ	A Kingdom ministry mentality
õ	To become more effective in reaching our world for Christ
AVOID...
0	Mega churches: ideal church size around 200
SECTION 6 - DISTRICT'S FUTURE MOBILIZATION (Established Churches)???
PRESERVE…
õ	LEAD teams
5	Cooperation and interaction between pastors and lay leaders
0	Regular Newsletter/Communication
7	Individualized guidance and encouragement to pastors and churches
0	Support for both male and female church leaders
23	Help with pastoral search process
37	DEM participation at LEAD teams--connecting to district
21	Mentoring pastors
35	Keeping churches and pastors connected with each other
47	Church conflict healing and support
17	Recruiting unaffiliated churches
ACHIEVE…
4	More prayer together to determine why we are in "this condition"
19	More fasting and trusting in God
5	Give churches foundational training in Biblical Worldview
12	Lay leadership training
7	Follow God's will, not majority vote
4	Cohesive state-wide Men's Ministry
6	Study "Interdependence" together; creating greater local church "buy-in"
4	New ministry opportunities for churches to engage
AVOID…
0	Ministries, projects or initiatives that further "tax" the already committed resources of local congregations
6	Churches closing
SECTION 7 - DISTRICT'S FUTURE MULTIPLICATION (Church Planting) ???
PRESERVE…
80	Zeal for church planting
82	District growth and viability by planting more churches
AVOID...
6	Church planting: It is not a wise use of time and money.  Not cost effective.  People are attending larger churches
11	Focusing on existing churches rather the outreach across Iowa
SECTION 8 - DISTRICT'S FUTURE "MEMORIES" (Camping Ministry)  ???
PRESERVE…
11	PLCC ministry needs to be preserved… completely
36	PLCC ministry needs to be preserved… even if "spun off"
10	Expand churches' usage of other Christian camps
ACHIEVE… (Explore)
48	Include Alliance?
48	Retain the camp, but shift all funding responsibility to itself
58	Emancipate the camp (a separate, but continuing self-reliant ministry)
15	Sell the camp (yielding funds to grow other on-going IBC ministries)
20	Expand the camp into a ministry-money source for other IBC ministries (major marketing)
4	Refocus (downsize) IBC ministry around the camp
AVOID...
12	Selling our camp
SECTION 9 - STAFFING & SERVICES ???
PRESERVE...
70	Level of staff required to accomplish our joint mission
23	A "DEM-like" position where individualized care can be experienced
ACHIEVE…
	ADD STAFF…
27	Someone in charge of raising funds
	LIMIT STAFF TO…
	DEM  (  43  ) Full time   (  4 ) Part time
	Admin Assistant (   21 ) Full time   (  16  ) Part time
3	"DEM" role served by BOO Members, Head Coaches (or others)
	SERVICES…
54	Meeting with pastors/elders
17	Visiting churches
2	Preaching
33	Promoting shared beliefs, disciplines and mission
27	Assisting Search Committees
15	Training pastors
37	Leadershp Development
37	Church Planting
0	Camp Ministry
0	Caring for what we have rather than trying to plant more churches
34	In-Conflict Counselling
AVOID...
0	Keeping present staff
4	Staff overhead; "bureaucracy;" staff # comensurate with # of churches
33	Mismatching staff ministry gifts with job requirements
SECTION 10 - FORM ANY NEW ALLIANCE ???
PRESERVE...
60	Start from scratch… as if starting a best-case fresh new thing
ACHIEVE…
69	Goodf Fiit - Joint Negotiation
õ	Clear understanding of "why" and "what" of any new alliance
13	DEM (as Associate role in a larger district)
34	A fiscallly sound alliance
AVOID...
õ	Any sense that Iowa churches are second-class in new alliance
12	Too great a distance between churches and "headquarters"
14	Loss of "Iowa" identity
õ	Any alliance with anyone "unfaithful" to the Word of God
21	Any alliance that removes our autonomy as the IBC
SECTION 11 - EXPLORE POSSIBLE "BGC" MERGERS ???
11	Merge with Heartland (Nebraska, N & S Dakota)
3	Merge with Minnesota
4	Merge with Great Lakes (Wisconsin)
11	Merge with Mid-America (Illinois)
4	Merge with Florida Carribean
32	Divide Multi-way (North, East & West)
50	Retain Iowa identity, yet become a sub-region of another district
35	Retain Iowa identity; No merger
15	Form a "National District"
18	Allow each church to choose their own (neighboring) district
33	Merge with one district all together
SECTION 12 - EXPLORE  POSSIBLE "NON-BGC"  ALLIANCES ???
52	Some kind of alliance with North American Baptists
0	Some kind of alliance with Regular Baptists
0	Some kind of alliance with Southern Baptists
29	Some kind of alliance with Evangelical Free Churches
43	Shared facilities and/or admin staff with other evangelical groups
10	No other "alliances"
26	Aome kind of alliance with Conservative Baptists