S1-Q1-Alternatives

TRANSITION YEAR - SURVEY #1

Question #1 - "INSIDE the Box Ideas" FUNDING, MEMBERSHIP, STAFFING & SERVICES OPTIONS
(Key: LL=Lay Leader // P=Pastor)
	FUNDING		CHURCH MEMBERSHIP		STAFFING & SERVICES
LL	Maybe we should rethink how we are spending our money. (I thought Skip resigned and is still on payroll.) Can we afford that?	LL	Maybe we should give those churches that, apparently, do not want to be an active part of the BGC/IBC the gracious opportunity to go their own way.	LL	With advances in the ways we can communicate and the improvements in travel modes over the past 2o years, I no longer see the importance of maintaining a separate Administrative Staff in Iowa, perhaps making an Asst. to another conference staff, located in Iowa would reduce the personnel costs and not impact the visibility.
P	Maybe we should hire a development person who would raise funds both within and outside Iowa.	LL	Maybe we should get the larger churches to embrace the conference and its facilities more.	P	Maybe we should redesign the IBC ministry to a much trimmer organization, such as a DEM and administrative assistant. Maybe we should define the DEM's role as devoting himself to meeting with pastors/elders, visiting churches, and preaching/promoting our fundamental and shared beliefs, disciplines, and mission--and then find a DEM willing to take on that role.
P	Maybe we should rethink how we do lead-teams - adjusting our dreams for them to the reality of the budget. So, we still have lead teams, but b/c we can't afford 3 hotel rooms every month for 4 lead teams, we reinvent how we do lead teams so that we don't have that expenditure.	P	Maybe we should focus 1st on getting the ones we are connected with to actually be connected. We say we have a group of 41 but really we aren't a unified group.	LL	1. The IBC should streamline and do those few things well. 2. The camp is the glue that holds the IBC together. 3. There is a serious lack of pastors, encouraging, training and finding them for our churches. 4. what is the best use of our time and money to grow the Kingdom of God; new churches or finding pastors for existing churches?
LL	Maybe we should subcontract the "pastoral search" part of the job to another district or a Christian employment agency.			LL	Maybe we should consider reducing services as we now do things.
LL	...Less money spent on bricks and mortar and more dollars dedicated to pastoral education and reaching the lost				2. Maybe we should limit the district activity to a 'leadership development' school and church-planting.
p	We do not need to merge--we can maintain the IBC. We need to make some cuts we do not need to dissolve. I do not approve of the direction the board has chosen to take the IBC. It is not exciting, it is sad.			P	Maybe we should hire a retired pastor to be the DEM at half-time and half-salary, continuing the pattern of giving IBC pastors part of the DEM job. This would save money and not take an effective pastor away from a church. Suppose that Noah had overloaded the ark, and it was sinking. He needed to get rid of some weight in order to survive. It is a lot more effective to throw one elephant overboard than to toss away a bunch of squirrels and rabbits and possums. The DEM's salary is an elephant.
p	Maybe we should set up separate budgets and staff for the camp and the IBC and require each of them to make it on their own.			LL	...Less rules and structure; ...More time spent on going out to make disciples; Encourage pastors to be more innovative and less program oriented (educational issue); ...Be less tentative with the approach taken to district matters and more decisive
LL	The IBC piece of the puzzle must get its house in order either now….or later. Simply merging with someone else will not permit "business as usual" just because the other conference is currently on solid financial ground. Although it has some appeal, I do not fully buy into the concept that the IBC is largely unable to meet its ministry financial needs because of its small size. I suspect that the ministry costs in the larger financially stable districts are, proportionally, higher than those in the IBC as well. I also suspect that they have in place a more solid means of producing the needed income on a consistent basis then we do….not because of lack of effort and ingenuity on the part of our IBC staff (which is second to none), but because they have a model that works.			P	Maybe we should hire part time DEM; Maybe we should Share resources with another district (such as: DEM or Church planting director)
LL	Maybe we should tighten our belts and work to reduce our spending.			P	Maybe we should limit the district activity to a 'leadership development' school and church-planting. The camp could be part of the IBC but funded by time-share, fundraising, and private group usage.
				P	Maybe we should scale down our activities in the IBC.
				LL	Maybe we should thoroughly examine our present position and personnel in view of what the goals of the BGC District are. Perhaps simplify and go back to basics.
				LL	I think it imperative that we hire some one who has the experience, business savvy and know how to lead us through this process and perhaps lead us into the future. If, in the mean time, we must cut back on ministry expenses and/or other costs, decisions will need to be made on how to do so. Perhaps some of our sister conferences will be willing to assist us in this expense. Perhaps, in the end, it will be recommended that we merge, that we disband…... or, per chance, that we grow our ministries within this state and are given the tools with which to do so.
				LL	Maybe we should... Get a fulltime person to replace Skip, a full time secretary/book keeper, staff the camp and eliminate all other paid positions.
				LL	Maybe we should focus on preaching and teaching the word and prayer and see what God does.