Vital Church Initiative Implementation Team Reviews Past Year

T-shirts with Brighton First's mission
statement logo have just arrived!

The Vital Church Initiative (VCI) Implementation Team met on Wednesday, April 20. The team began their meeting with a point-by-point review of the consultation recommendations (see consultation report in PDF form at link on right side of this page). Brighton First's Church Conference voted to adopt the recommendations on April 19, 2015. The team began by celebrating what the congregation has been accomplished over the past year.

This is a partial list:

• Hosted a goal setting workshop and a worship workshop.
• Sent church leaders to various workshops.
• Wrote and adopted vision and mission statements based on our core values.
• Improved communication of VCI progress with Pastor Sherry's blog
• Began work on a mission alignment audit that will be completed this summer
• Reconfigured staff positions to accomplish vision
• Staff completed study and workshop covering "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team" and have more training planned.
• Hired worship consultant Rev. Cathy Townley
• Made adjustments in worship preparation and leadership to create spiritually moving and transforming worship in all worship services.
• Hired worship leader Mike Tooman to develop a new band-led worship service for 11:00 Sunday mornings, with preparation through the summer and the launch of the service in October 2016.
• Created a Worship Design Team to guide all aspects of worship.
• Created a Hospitality Taskforce led by Larry Job that wrote a plan for hospitality.
• Created a Hospitality Team, led by Olivia Karaska, and implemented intentional improvements in Sunday morning hospitality.
• Created a Discipleship Team, led by Karen Wagg, to create and implement a discipleship program. 
• Hired Director of Discipleship Bob Fuchs to support and guide development of intentional discipleship program
• Completed an all church study and worship series "Just Walk Across the Room"
• Preparing to launch worship series "The Art of Neighboring" worship series in May.
• Introduced a Spiritual Gifts Inventory created by Rev. Loretta Job to the congregation. Over 100 people have completed the inventory and shared the results. The inventory will be used with new members and attendees. Results of the inventory have been entered into a database.

Even with these many significant actions toward vitality, the VCI Implementation Team knows there is still much to do. Critical tasks left to be done include planning and implementing

ongoing leadership training, creating a strategic plan for the church, launching a new worship service and offering significant community outreach events. The VCI Implementation team is committed to seeing these tasks completed within the next year.

If you have questions, please talk to a member of the team: Bob Fuchs, Karen Wagg, Dan Welton, John Phillips, Kris Phillips, Sue Urban, Chris Attarian, or Sherry Parker-Lewis.

Please keep the VCI process in prayer. Through the work accomplished and the ministry to come we are committed to knowing, loving and serving God in the name of Jesus Christ.

Vital Church Initiative Implementation Team Reviews Past Year

T-shirts with Brighton First's mission
statement logo have just arrived!

The Vital Church Initiative (VCI) Implementation Team met on Wednesday, April 20. The team began their meeting with a point-by-point review of the consultation recommendations (see consultation report in PDF form at link on right side of this page). Brighton First's Church Conference voted to adopt the recommendations on April 19, 2015. The team began by celebrating what the congregation has been accomplished over the past year.

This is a partial list:

• Hosted a goal setting workshop and a worship workshop.
• Sent church leaders to various workshops.
• Wrote and adopted vision and mission statements based on our core values.
• Improved communication of VCI progress with Pastor Sherry's blog
• Began work on a mission alignment audit that will be completed this summer
• Reconfigured staff positions to accomplish vision
• Staff completed study and workshop covering "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team" and have more training planned.
• Hired worship consultant Rev. Cathy Townley
• Made adjustments in worship preparation and leadership to create spiritually moving and transforming worship in all worship services.
• Hired worship leader Mike Tooman to develop a new band-led worship service for 11:00 Sunday mornings, with preparation through the summer and the launch of the service in October 2016.
• Created a Worship Design Team to guide all aspects of worship.
• Created a Hospitality Taskforce led by Larry Job that wrote a plan for hospitality.
• Created a Hospitality Team, led by Olivia Karaska, and implemented intentional improvements in Sunday morning hospitality.
• Created a Discipleship Team, led by Karen Wagg, to create and implement a discipleship program. 
• Hired Director of Discipleship Bob Fuchs to support and guide development of intentional discipleship program
• Completed an all church study and worship series "Just Walk Across the Room"
• Preparing to launch worship series "The Art of Neighboring" worship series in May.
• Introduced a Spiritual Gifts Inventory created by Rev. Loretta Job to the congregation. Over 100 people have completed the inventory and shared the results. The inventory will be used with new members and attendees. Results of the inventory have been entered into a database.

Even with these many significant actions toward vitality, the VCI Implementation Team knows there is still much to do. Critical tasks left to be done include planning and implementing

ongoing leadership training, creating a strategic plan for the church, launching a new worship service and offering significant community outreach events. The VCI Implementation team is committed to seeing these tasks completed within the next year.

If you have questions, please talk to a member of the team: Bob Fuchs, Karen Wagg, Dan Welton, John Phillips, Kris Phillips, Sue Urban, Chris Attarian, or Sherry Parker-Lewis.

Please keep the VCI process in prayer. Through the work accomplished and the ministry to come we are committed to knowing, loving and serving God in the name of Jesus Christ.

Sue Urban, Brighton First Lay Leader, Joins VCI Implementation Team

Sue Urban has joined a team of Brighton First church and staff members to oversee the implementation of the Vital Church Initiative Report. The Team started meeting in May and will continue their work over the next 18 to 24 months.

Sue Urban and her husband, Don, have been members of Brighton First for 47 years.  They have three children – Michael, married to Elena, Donny, married to Heather, and Katie, married to Jon Martin.  They also have 5 beautiful grandchildren.  They feel blessed that their family all live in the area.

Sue and Don have been active in many areas of church life for many years.  They have served on most church committees, in music ministry and on mission trips to Rio Bravo.  Sue also taught Sunday School for many years. They represented Brighton First at Annual Conference this year. 

Sue is currently a lay leader and serves on the Administrative Board, and Staff Parish committee. She looks forward to helping with Vacation Bible School this summer.  She is also active in United Methodist Women and Prayer Quilt Ministry. 

Sue and Don came to Brighton straight from college.  Sue graduated from Wayne State University with a BA in Liberal Arts, and an MA in Theatre.  She worked as a teacher in Brighton for 33 years.  Over the years she has volunteered for many Brighton community organizations.  Her personal interests are music, dance and theatre.  She currently sings in the Livingston County Womens’ Chorus and serves on the Board for the Brighton Center for Performing Arts.

Sue was one of the “originals” on the Vital Church Initiative Committee.  She will now serve as a liaison to the Hospitality Team.   She is grateful for the history of Brighton First and its leadership through the years.  She wants it to continue to grow and remain relevant.  She is also in awe of the talent and energy in our community, and looks forward to seeing this happen.

Sue Urban, Brighton First Lay Leader, Joins VCI Implementation Team

Sue Urban has joined a team of Brighton First church and staff members to oversee the implementation of the Vital Church Initiative Report. The Team started meeting in May and will continue their work over the next 18 to 24 months.

Sue Urban and her husband, Don, have been members of Brighton First for 47 years.  They have three children – Michael, married to Elena, Donny, married to Heather, and Katie, married to Jon Martin.  They also have 5 beautiful grandchildren.  They feel blessed that their family all live in the area.

Sue and Don have been active in many areas of church life for many years.  They have served on most church committees, in music ministry and on mission trips to Rio Bravo.  Sue also taught Sunday School for many years. They represented Brighton First at Annual Conference this year. 

Sue is currently a lay leader and serves on the Administrative Board, and Staff Parish committee. She looks forward to helping with Vacation Bible School this summer.  She is also active in United Methodist Women and Prayer Quilt Ministry. 

Sue and Don came to Brighton straight from college.  Sue graduated from Wayne State University with a BA in Liberal Arts, and an MA in Theatre.  She worked as a teacher in Brighton for 33 years.  Over the years she has volunteered for many Brighton community organizations.  Her personal interests are music, dance and theatre.  She currently sings in the Livingston County Womens’ Chorus and serves on the Board for the Brighton Center for Performing Arts.

Sue was one of the “originals” on the Vital Church Initiative Committee.  She will now serve as a liaison to the Hospitality Team.   She is grateful for the history of Brighton First and its leadership through the years.  She wants it to continue to grow and remain relevant.  She is also in awe of the talent and energy in our community, and looks forward to seeing this happen.