Living into the Vision

Vote now through Sept. 6th. 

 

VOTE NOW!

 

 

Proposed Goals:

  1. Effective communication between our ministries and the community 
    A focus on communication would empower the congregation to work together to build a cohesive process and strategy to improve congregational and community awareness/engagement in church ministries 
  2. Intergenerational Ministry 
    Prioritize ministries that build relationships between generational groups within the congregation and in the community. This will lead to tighter bonds between members and connections to the church and community.  
  3. Ministry Partnering - break down silos  
    A focus on tighter ministry partnering encourages ministry groups to creatively work together to better serve and find new opportunities to grow in faithful service to each other and the community
  4. Hospitality
    A focus on hospitality would mean intentionally building into everything we do, welcoming others, including those who are different or marginalized, and creating spaces for mutual respect and flourishing for all.  It is to care for all people with the care of Jesus.
  5. Education (who are we as United Methodists) 
    A focus on education would to emphasize FUMC knowing our identity and theology as United Methodists, while also focusing on discipleship and learning, so all grow in our faith and live it out actively.
    • Holistically support Fredericksburg community  (education, engagement, support, and advocacy) 
      A focus in this area would move FUMC to listen to the needs of the community, organize to respond to those needs, and seek for all to engage in community service and advocacy. 
      • Support for homebound and elderly population
        Prioritize visiting members of the church and the community that are in the hospital or home/nursing home bound. Each area of the church would provide support for these individuals each week and prioritize integrating them into the church family as fully as those that can attend events and worship.
      • Increase Volunteerism
        Increase the attitude of service such that in all aspects people look to serve the needs of the church first and focus on other aspects of their daily lives secondarily. 
      • 225 year Anniversary/ 150 years in the sanctuary (2027) 
        Use our history as a focal point to unite together to celebrate our church’s role in the community for the past hundreds of years. Use this as a catalyst to learn about how our history shaped who we are today and look to how what we do now will shape our next hundreds of years. 
      • Fiscal Responsibility
        Educate ourselves on financial strategies of a healthy church, explore the types of giving we now receive, align our decision making with our giving levels and resize our facility use and church staffing to make a sustainable financial trajectory for the next five years.

      Goal Setting Process:

      • Igniting the FLAME retreat on Saturday, Aug. 29th 9am – 1pm 
      • Vision Setting Sunday Aug 30
        • Breakfast, Fellowship, Worship and voting will open
      • Voting window Aug. 30th – Sept. 6th
        • Everyone can vote (but only once!) 
        • Paper or electronic ballots accepted
      • Visioning Team will review and the church’s goals will be announced on Sept. 13th 

       


      We are pleased to have new and fantastic people as Leadership and Ministry Equippers! Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the matrix. 


      FUMC Leadership and Ministry Equippers (it is the combined membership of the Administrative, Ministry and Visioning Teams)
      The 2026 - 2027 FLAME- FUMC Leadership and Ministry Equippers

      Visioning Team Lead 

      April Wynn Reif

      Visioning Vice Lead

      Katherine Counsell

      Administrative Team Lead

      Liz Lane

      Administrative Vice Lead

      Joelle Gotwals

      Trustees Chair

      Brian Carrico

      SPRC Chair

      William Boatwright

      Finance Chair

      Matt Zurasky

      Ministry Team Lead

      Carol Knott

      Ministry Vice Lead

      Nana Noi

      Mission Lead

      Mike Cotter

      Nurture Lead

      Colleen Knerr

      Fellowship Lead

      Jillian Murray and Meghan Kala

      Discipleship Lead

      Donna Oldham

      Visioning Team Secretary 

      Leslie Senyitko


      Below are links to demographic information supplied by the Mission Insite Website. This is a resource available to every United Methodist Church, providing demographic information for our surrounding area. As we prepare for our summer listening session (see above!), this information will help with discerning God's will for FUMC. Above are the dates with the accompanying question/topics. We invite you to pray through each question prior to each listening session and take the time to review information on this website and ask what God is calling us to do with the information. 

      At first glance it appears that we have some areas of growth potential in the Millennial and Gen Z populations. These populations have some different characteristics that we might want to consider as we talk about "What does the Community need?". Please bring your impression of the data and what trends or areas of growth you glean from the following information. 

      Overview of Significant Demographic Indicators

      Population and Household Trends

      Life Concerns

      Religious Demographics

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      Below is the administrative structure approved in May 2026.