1.
&
The Unglued
Church project

2.
Why New Beginnings/
Unglued Church?
• We are called to make disciples and
demonstrate God’s love in a rapidly changing
world.
• While God’s Word and God’s love remain
constant, the context in which we do ministry
looks very different than it did even a decade
ago.
• We need help discerning God’s call again, to
regain our vitality, and to use remaining
assets in mission that matters.

3.
Why New Beginnings/
Unglued Church?
• We need help looking objectively and
realistically at our situation.
• We need help in making decisions based
on fact, not fear.
• We need help to move beyond technical
“fixes” to adaptive change.
• Not doing/changing anything is still a
choice, but it must be an informed choice.

4.
The Plan
• Review information from the New Beginnings
Assessment.
• House Meetings – six (6) weekly small group
conversations.
• We (YOU!) will work with our adaptive
change consultant, Reverend Deborah
Wright, and our adaptive change apprentice,
Reverend Sarah Robbins to formulate a
vision for future ministry.
• We will be in partnership with seven other
churches in Pittsburgh Presbytery.

5.
Within The Next 12-18 Months
We are committed to make one of four
possible decisions:
1. Do nothing.
2. Redefine our mission.
3. Redevelop.
4. Healthy closure.

6.
Technical vs. Adaptive
A technical problem is easy to identify (a broken
boiler)
An adaptive problem is difficult to identify
A technical problem is easy to solve (fix the boiler)
An adaptive problem is difficult to solve without
deep and significant change.

7.
Technical vs. Adaptive
A technical problem can be solved, usually, by
calling an expert (plumber)
An adaptive problem is solved by the people
with the problem.
A technical problem requires change in just one area.
An adaptive problem requires change throughout an
organization.

8.
Technical vs. Adaptive
People are generally receptive to fixing a technical problem
(“It’s cold in here!”)
People are generally resistant to admitting there is an
adaptive problem (“But, we’ve always done it this way!”)
Solutions to technical problems can be quickly delivered by
edict (“Call the plumber!”)
Solutions to adaptive challenges require experiments and
new discoveries which can take a long time to implement
and cannot be done by edict.

9.
Adaptive challenges require an
entirely new way of doing
mission and ministry.

10.
A Whole New Ballgame
In a world of overwhelming obligations, where
work knows no bounds and the culture no longer
values going to church, people need to connect
their faith to their daily lives, not just “go to
church.” We need to make disciples, not “new
members.”
We need to rethink the entire model of how we do
church in our context if we are to become
communities that, “equip the saints for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all
of us come to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the
measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians
3:12-13)

11.
Who We Are Today at Emsworth
U.P.
• Small, family-sized church
• Resemble an extended family
• Focused on relationships, fellowship
• More led by laypeople than pastor
• Pastor’s job is to love the people

12.
Emsworth U.P By The
Numbers:
Ten Year Trends
2003 - 2012

13.
Worship Attendance
28% Decline
Represents a 28% decline in worship attendance.
Population in community also in decline during same
time period (-6.1%)

14.
Congregational Giving
Holding steady but not keeping pace with
inflation.

15.
What Do We Look Like Compared
To Our Neighbors?
Age Group Emsworth Community
0-13 5.0% 15%
14-29 1.7% 19%
30-49 11.7% 28%
50-64 31.7% 22%
65-74 16.7% 8%
75+ 33.3% 8%
50+ Total 81.7% 38%

16.
More About Us
• 80% of members have been in the church
more than 5 years
• Most members live within a 7 minute drive
of the church
• Limited presence on-line, mainly utilized
by the pastor
• Poor signage and lighting
• Location on lightly traveled street

17.
More About Us
• Building is well maintained, but underutilized
by congregation and outside groups.
• A congregation our size needs approximately
3,000 square feet for average activities. Our
building is 10,000 square feet – more than 3x
more space than needed.
• Our sanctuary can comfortably seat 187. In
order to not feel “empty,” need 94 people in
worship. We currently average between 35 –
40 people in worship.

18.
Financial Review

19.
Financial Review

20.
Financial Review

21.
Financial Review
• Adequate financial capacity for ministry –
capable of meeting basic ministry for
congregation.
• As giving units have declined, the church
has reduced pastoral position from full
time to ¾ time to ½ time to reduce
expenses. This trend will likely continue
given the age of the membership.

22.
Finances -- Summary
• In past 10 years, membership has fallen
by 35% and average worship attendance
has fallen below 40.
• Financial contributions have remained
steady, but haven’t kept pace with
inflation.
• The church participants are generally older
than the community.

23.
Our Community

24.
The Ohio River to the southwest and I-279 to northeast form natural
psychological
barriers. The northern boundary was drawn to include all of Emsworth and then
to
follow along Camp Horne Road. N. Balph Road through Bellevue to the river.

25.
Nearby Presbyterian (USA)
Churches

26.
Mosaic Groups

27.
A Closer Look

28.
Two largest numeric groups are:
K40 – “Significant Singles – Bohemian Groove”
and
L42 – “Blue Sky Boomers – Rooted Flower
Power”

29.
Significant Singles – Bohemian
Groove
Middle-aged singles and some couples
earning mid-scale incomes supporting
active city styles of living.

30.
Significant Singles – Bohemian
Groove
Religious perspective: “An eccentric habit with only
occasional advantages.”
Key behaviors: Unattached, body conscious,
fashion-forward, active and urbane.
Inclination and attitudes: Progressive, carefree, self.
Mood and values: High entertainment activities, low
devotion to families.

31.
Significant Singles – Bohemian
Groove
A difficult group for the church to reach. Their ages range from 36-65, so
they don’t fit the stereotype most churches have about young adult
“singles.” They don’t connect to the church through typical lifecycle
transitions such as marriage, baptism, etc. The significance of most
worship services and church programs misses them entirely.
Those who want to bless people in this group will do it best through
personal contact. You might connect with them at clubs, high end bars,
cigar stores, and bookstores. They are also in and out of educational
programs in community colleges. Their lifestyles make them vulnerable
to addictions and chronic health issues, and churches may connect
through intervention or recovery programs.

32.
Significant Singles – Bohemian
Groove
In general, people in this group consider organized
religion something to be avoided. A high
proportion may have had negative experiences
with religious groups in their personal history.
Even talking about God may carry connotations
that are too patriarchal, dogmatic, and
constraining. However, they may have a broad
interest in spirituality.

33.
Blue Sky Boomers –
Rooted Flower Power
Religious perspective: “Always take time to smell the
roses and appreciate what you have”
Key behaviors: Thrifty, outdoorsy, slower-paced.
Inclination and attitudes: Traditional, simple and
carefree.
Mood and values: High commitment to environment,
low commitment to career.

34.
Blue Sky Boomers –
Rooted Flower Power
Less disciplined about church involvement than they were.
They enjoy traditional worship, but less likely to volunteer
for committees and pledge the same amount of income
to support budget. Feel they have “done their bit” for the
church.
Generally conservative in their social, political, and
religious attitudes. However, they are willing to
experiment with new technologies, read about different
theological perspectives, or start a new outreach
ministry.

35.
Blue Sky Boomers –
Rooted Flower Power
Faith in God and appreciation of nature often go hand in
hand. Spirituality is often contemplative of natural
beauty. Sporadic in church attendance, but since they
are usually outdoors hiking, boating, biking, etc., they still
feel close to God.
They enjoy a slower pace of life and love small town
atmosphere. They are grateful for what they have and
want to protect their privileges. Apt to stay brand loyal to
denomination.

36.
Blue Sky Boomers –
Rooted Flower Power
Spirituality is important to most people in this segment
and for many, it will be expressed through a strong
emotional attachment to a particular church.
Gratitude is a strong element of their faith. They
don’t want the church to grow too big or to make too
many changes, and risk losing the intimacy and
harmony they enjoy now.

37.
Next Steps
House meetings beginning week of July 13th
Six weeks – 2 hours of conversation each
week
Three groups:
Sundays after worship – begin July 13
Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. – begin July 15
Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. – begin July 16

38.
House Meeting Topics
Session One: Vitality and Discipleship
Section Two: Interpreting the Report
Session Three: Examining Our Community
Session Four: Our Church in God’s Mission
Session Five: Discovering Our Options
Session Six: Navigating Change

39.
We Believe:
• Every voice needs to be heard in the
process.
• The process will only be as successful as
our willingness and commitment to
prayerfully work through it.
• The Holy Spirit will surprise us.
• Change has two partners: pain and
possibilities. We need to recognize and
understand that this process will not be
pain-free. One way to ease pain is to
imagine the possibilities that await us.

40.
Let’s Conclude With A Story

41.
A certain flock of geese lived together in a barnyard with high walls
around it. Because the corn was good and the barnyard was secure,
the geese would never take a risk.

42.
One day, a philosopher came among them. Every week, they listened
attentively to him. “My fellow travelers,” he would say, ‘can you seriously
imagine that his barnyard is all there is to existence? Don’t you know there is
another and greater world outside of which we are only dimly aware?”

43.
The philosopher spoke of the advantage of flight, calling on the geese to be what they
were. After all, they had wings, he pointed out: “What are wings for but to fly with?” And
every week, the geese were uplifted by the philosopher’s message. The hung on every
word. They devoted hours, weeks, months, years to the study of his doctrines.

44.
All this they did. But one thing they never did. They did not
fly. For the corn was good, and the barnyard was secure.