Long Range
Strategic Plan

Action Plans

Deepen Participation

Prioritize engagement in the life of the church in order to strengthen our community and be transformed in our faith.

• Encourage personal involvement in fulfilling God’s mission and accountability to one another in community by embracing expectations for participation at FPC:

• Attending worship (in person, online, through radio or television) an average of at least 3 times per month;

• Participating in a small group or spiritual/theological formation platform an average of at least 2 times per month (in person or online);

• Actively serving in at least one ministry of the church for an average of at least one hour per week; and

• Making our church the first and greatest priority in our charitable giving, with an initial goal of giving at least 3% of annual household income and annual incremental increases within one’s capacity to give.

Relational Priorities

Engage the congregation in fulfilling our relational priorities and ensure that all ministries promote human dignity, personal empowerment, restorative relationship, and just generosity.

Discern and articulate a set of foundational principles, commitments, and best practices for faithful engagement with all people. 

• By May 2017, Session adopts priorities and governing principles.

• By December 2017, all existing ministries will seek consistency with missional priorities and governing principles. 

• Ongoing educational opportunities and leadership training for adults and young people will include these principles.

  Engage the entire congregation in the following five priorities:

  1. 1. Building relationships with our brothers and sisters in this community and around the world through local and global partnerships and a demonstrated culture of Christian inclusiveness and hospitality. By the end of 2023, we will have created opportunities for 200 new participants to visit one of our global partners and enabled 100% of FPC’s youth to participate in a mission experience every year.

  2. 2. Providing care and nurture for the whole person, from physical needs to community resources to job training to spiritual formation and friendship.

  3. 3. Engaging in regular conversation and action to identify and address racial and all other forms of prejudice and bigotry in us, our congregation, our city, and the world. Build relationships with our partners and neighbors, create regular opportunities for truth-telling, engage leaders from other congregations and organizations in order to provide opportunities for community education.

  4. 4. Pursuing affordable housing for the Atlanta community by:

     1. Participating in partnerships and initiatives that seek systemic solutions on behalf of the 25% of Atlanta’s population living in poverty, and

     2. Supporting at least 200 individuals/families in moving from housing insecurity to sustainable, safe, and affordable housing.

  5. 5. Embracing and walking alongside at least 5 refugee families per year, providing financial resources and committing to ongoing relationships.

sERVANT LEADERSHIP

Equip members and friends to be servant leaders in the church and in all spheres of their lives. 

By Fall 2017, develop high-commitment leadership curricula to be offered annually to both adults and youth;

• Through the curricula, provide general leadership skills and specific leadership opportunities, including:

• Leadership at FPC that inspires others and embodies positive change through high-functioning teams;

• Leadership in denominational, interdenominational, and interfaith efforts and organizations;

• Leadership in the wider community as advocates on behalf of vulnerable persons in systems affecting policy, justice, and access to resources; and

• Leadership in civic organizations that promote human dignity, personal empowerment, restorative relationship, and just generosity.

• Encourage at least 150 adults and 75 youth to complete the training by 2023.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Promote individual economic empowerment.  

By Fall 2017, develop high-commitment leadership curricula to be offered annually to both adults and youth;

• By Spring 2017, identify, investigate, evaluate, and prioritize the use of our human, physical and financial resources in entrepreneurial ventures and/or partnerships that provide training and create jobs and profit sharing opportunities for those who are unemployed or underemployed in our community.

• By Fall 2019, launch at least one sustainable social entrepreneurship venture.

compassionate care

Provide regular visits and spiritual friendship with all members and friends who are ill, bereaved, elderly, homebound or in need of care.  

By Fall 2017, develop high-commitment leadership curricula to be offered annually to both adults and youth;

• By Fall 2017, train a multi-generational lay pastoral care visitation team to provide care and spiritual friendship.

• Collaborate to ensure that everyone who needs a pastoral contact receives at least one connection/visit per month.

purposeful engagement

Elevate the capacity of the church to be a dynamic center and resource for learning, building relationships, and spiritual growth.  

• Actively invite adult members and visitors to participate regularly in Sunday School classes, discipleship opportunities, or small groups to increase participation by 100%.

• Prepare our children and youth to be Christian servant leaders in an increasingly diverse, secular, and global world.

  • Create an engaging, fun, and dynamic curriculum and learning environment that forms our children and youth to be lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.

• Build a culture of learning that capitalizes on relationships with local educational institutions, promotes scholarly production, and facilitates open dialogue on issues impacting the life of our church, our community, and the world.

• Offer at least two public forums per year that draw in leaders of different perspectives on pressing and timely religious, social and cultural issues.

• Engage 100 members annually to strengthen existing and pursue new ecumenical and interfaith relationships that focus on mutually enriching service and fellowship activities.

• Form a denominational engagement team that places members in leadership roles within the presbytery, synod, General Assembly, and other denominational entities (seminaries, foundations, committees, etc.).

• Elevate FPC as a leading source for worship, educational, theological, and artistic content by expanding our capability to capture, curate, and distribute content with a goal of increasing the number of views through digital media channels by 400% by 2020.

• Strengthen partnerships with local arts, civic and educational institutions to connect to new and neighboring audiences through performances and exhibitions, programs, and joint service projects.