Belmont UMC Strategic Plan update: Moving forward in faith

Key February 2025 updates include:

Ministry Council Initiatives – Council chairs have received input from congregational surveys and listening sessions to refine and enhance their work. The Advocacy Committee is focusing on key justice issues, including gun control, LGBTQIA+ rights, and homelessness.

Stewardship and Property Management – Our Strategic Stewardship Task Force has been evaluating building needs and exploring potential improvements in partnership with city planning and architectural experts.

Golden Triangle Fellowship and Weekday School Task Forces – These groups have been established to assess and strengthen our relationships with these vital ministries, ensuring mutual support and long-term sustainability.

Improved Communication and Engagement – Listening sessions are underway to develop a more effective church-wide communication strategy. New visitor engagement initiatives and worship resources for children are also being introduced.

Faith Development and Worship – A new discipleship pathway is in development to guide all ages in spiritual growth. The Worship & Music Committee is working on a theological framework to deepen our worship experience.

View the full February 2025 Strategic Plan Update to the Admin Bd.

By Gretchen Napier and Pam Auble, Strategic Plan Co-Chairs

2-2 Strategic Plan Update to Admin Board 2025 GN FINAL
Welcome to Ministry Council
Belmont's Ministry Process Diagram
Belmont Staff Meeting 1.7.25
Belmont Discipleship System In Detail

Recording of Strategic Plan overview 11/6/24
Belmont Strategic Plan Overview Chart 2024
Belmont 2024 Strategic Plan Congregation Overview
Belmont Strategic Planning Presentation 2024
Belmont Survey Open-Ended Answers
Listening Sessions 2024 Summary Document

Being intentional matters! When a congregation takes time to study together, engage in vulnerable conversations with one another, pray, and compromise in Christian love, it bears much fruit. When Belmont UMC adopted its Welcoming Statement in 2013, they trusted the wisdom of the people and the movement of the Spirit that this was the future where God was calling us. And this year over 300 people submitted surveys and showed up in listening sessions to tell the story of Belmont’s community. The surveys tell the story of people who walked through the doors because of “the open and welcoming mission statement.” The listening sessions revealed that individuals keep coming back because “Belmont lets me be who I am.” The Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) heard how, over time, families have developed “a welcoming group of friends.” It’s undeniable that Belmont UMC is “a warm welcoming and inclusive COMMUNITY that advocates for the marginalized and makes God’s love real.”

A community like Belmont United Methodist Church does not just happen. It takes the intentionality of the staff, the faithfulness of the congregation, the images on the website, the stories in the newsletter, and the commitment of individual members to make statements and dreams a reality! The SPC read and celebrated, summarized and prayed over the 3,000 responses received since May of this year that demonstrate the reality of so much hard work.

And now, at the corner of Acklen Avenue and 21st Avenue, we have the opportunity to dream, set goals, and be intentional about the next three to five years. The surveys and listening sessions also expressed deep desire for clarity about the communities and causes we support, enthusiasm about multiplying our giving and being good stewards of the property and grounds, commitment to articulate the processes and channels for decision-making and communication, a longing to develop a pathway for growth in our discipleship and formation, and curiosity about ways to enhance our transformative worship experience that undergirds it all!

The SPC, chaired by Gretchen Napier and Pam Auble, met on September 29, with the words from Micah 6:8, “He has told you, human one, what is good and what the LORD requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” Pastor Paul opened us with prayer, setting our sights on God who first loved us, and calling us to humbly receive all the information as good and beneficial. The committee spent four hours reviewing the data, naming common themes and priorities, and beginning to chart the way forward. This meeting was timed in order to provide concrete data to staff, Ministry Council, Trustees, and Properties Committee as they work on budgets this month. Next steps will be to share specific hopes and concerns with individual committees, to align this vital learning with existing plans and visions of key stakeholders in the congregation, and to communicate the larger themes and commitments to you, the congregation.

The first opportunity to hear more will be on Saturday, October 19, when Gretchen Napier will make a presentation to members at the All-Church Retreat; on Sunday, October 20, Pam Auble will make a presentation during Sunday school in room 124. Future opportunities will be scheduled, including during Wednesday Night at Belmont. Additionally, our website will be regularly updated with summaries, charts, and action steps.

This is a great and good work! We express immense gratitude to everyone who participated and submitted responses to the surveys or listening sessions. Pastor Paul closed our meeting that Sunday afternoon, affirming the good spirit at work among all the leaders, the respect and compassion of each member, and the overwhelming agreement we have heard even as we listen for God’s call to the new and greater vision before us as we continue to become “a community of Christ-followers growing in love of God and neighbor.”