Church Mission and Vitality Reflection Process
In 2024-25, the BWC’s Discipleship Council launched a new reflection process designed to help local churches stay focused on what matters most—living out the mission, vision, and goals of the BWC. This initiative emerged from a careful evaluation of the Discipleship Ministries Report. While the report and its interactive data tool offered strong insights into church vitality, many local churches didn’t find it as useful for their day-to-day ministry. The new process was created to bridge that gap—offering a more practical, meaningful way for churches to reflect, align, and grow.
This reflection process seeks to
- Keep churches focused on developing disciples for the transformation of the world.
- Record progress and set intentions around measures of vitality beyond participation measurements (e.g., number of people in worship, at events, etc.).
- Support local church annual goal setting and connect churches with district and conference resources to improve vitality.
Three congregations piloted the process, provided feedback that improved it, and affirmed the value of the process. They also all recommend an external facilitator lead the process so that the pastor can participate. Here’s what they told us the process helped them with:
- Honest Introspection and Accountability. Across the board, congregations emphasized the importance of taking a hard, honest look at their ministries — celebrating strengths, but also confronting weaknesses. The process helped churches:
• Acknowledge where they’ve grown complacent or distracted.
• Set realistic, manageable goals that align with our shared mission.
- Simplifying and Focusing Goals. One consistent discovery was that less is more. Churches learned that pursuing too many goals diffuses energy and focus. Limiting themselves to one or two meaningful, actionable goals provided clarity, making it easier to:
• Measure progress beyond participation numbers.
• Engage members.
• Align efforts with community needs and God’s call.
- Embracing Team Leadership. Moving beyond a pastor-centered model, congregations embraced the importance of shared leadership. By empowering lay leaders and involving members whose gifts had gone untapped, churches created:
• Broader participation in decision-making.
• A sense of shared ownership and teamwork.
- Connecting Inside and Out. Healthy churches serve both their own members and the community around them. The process helped congregations balance:
• Internal care — ensuring members are resourced, supported, and spiritually fed.
• External mission — actively listening to and engaging with community partners, addressing real needs, and recognizing existing ministry work happening outside church walls.
- Inviting New Voices. Rather than limiting conversations to familiar leadership roles, congregations opened the table to a broader cross-section of members. This led to:
• A fuller, more authentic understanding of congregational life.
• New ideas and perspectives that hadn’t surfaced before.
• Stronger, more connected relationships among ministries.
When asked what they’d say to congregations considering engaging with the process, these congregations had this advice:
- Do it. Every congregation agreed — the process, while time-consuming and occasionally challenging, was well worth it.
- Expect surprises. Congregations uncovered hidden strengths, unexpected areas for growth, and new relationships within the church.
- Repeat it. Leaders recommended integrating this kind of reflective, strategic work regularly — not as a one-time event, but as a routine practice.
- Focus on the who, not just the what. The people invited into these conversations shape the outcomes. Broader participation makes for a richer, more honest reflection and a stronger, more united church.
In sum, the process opened doors for congregations to move beyond old patterns and into a more collaborative, mission-focused future. By simplifying goals, sharing leadership, and reconnecting with both community and congregational identity, churches are finding renewed energy for ministry — and creating space for God’s transforming work.
If you are interested in being a part of the beta-testing of this process during the 2025-26 ministry year, please contact the Congregational Development Coordinator. Collaborative Hubs may find it to be a helpful tool in getting to know one another better.