First Church Communications Team
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Members Present: Bill Bartscher, Bennett Griffin (Chair), Jerry Niebaum, Michelle Parmley, Stitt Robinson, Brent Schippers, Patti Winn.

Marketing & Communications Strategic Plan

Strengths
Weaknesses

-Willing to take on challenge of 2 campuses
-Open & accepting
-Variety of worship opportunities
-Email communication, "Tom's Tidbits"
-Church newsletter, "1st Edition"
-Small group activities -Special programs
-UMW/UMM
-Music program
-Jubilee café & Christmas dinner
-Community use of facilities (e.g. Civic Choir)

-Congregation is divided into small pockets
-Variety of worship opportunities
-Monthly newsletter vs. bi-monthly
-Organization
-Consistency of communication
-Lack of communication in LJWorld "Faith Briefs" -Marketing
-Welcoming
-Missed opportunities to connect with people (e.g. Farmer's Market)
-Evangelize -- new campus
-Website expansion
-Master calendar
-Programming that integrates both campuses -Tie into Methodist national advertising -Help us understand ourselves as a 2 campus church
-Minister to the whole Lawrence community
-Youth & children's ministry

-Static existing groups --where do new members fit?
-Understanding/misunderstanding of 2 campuses -Poor internal communication
-Fear of change
-Expense of 2 campuses

Opportunities
Threats

Additional Information: Bennett is going to track down the plan created by the Congregational Growth and Development Team from 2001 that studied the 2-campus approach to help us in our planning.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 9th, 7:30pm in Room 303.

Michelle Parmely, recorder