Looking to the Future

At the end of May, I’ll have been your Associate for Congregational Life for an entire year. That almost doesn’t seem possible. Time flies when you’re really busy.

During that year, at the behest of the Appreciative Inquiry Task Force, I concentrated on working with others to improve our church’s communications. We printed and distributed new brochures and windshield decals, revamped The SPIRE, and greatly expanded our online presence. We installed a new printer to improve the quality and efficiency of our in-house printing while cutting costs. We cut back on traditional newspaper advertising, but the local papers have printed many stories (most with photos) about our activities – and we will run ads this fall, when the winter visitors return and the message will be most effective. We’ve also improved some of the church signage and put up more posters and other information on our bulletin boards. As a result of these efforts, we’ve received inquiries from around the Valley about everything from the Christmas cantata to the handbell group, contributions to the Prayer Shawl Ministry are up, and people all over the planet are checking out our website, our Facebook page, and our Pinterest boards.

However, in marketing, communications are known as “sizzle” – they only attract attention. In order to grow our congregation, we also have to be able to offer a top-quality “steak” – the ministry, mission, and fellowship activities at which we excel. This was a big year on that front, too, with our 50th anniversary celebrations, several great additions to our music program, and hosting the March Presbytery meeting. Organizations like University of Life and Men’s Breakfast Fellowship have continued to deliver quality content and fellowship opportunities, and new programs like the SCAN Health Plan t’ai chi classes and our handbell choir benefit members and guests alike.

Many of you, though, are eager for even more, and during the next year we will deliver. I’ve been asked, for instance, when we’re having the next tea for the over-90 members of our congregation, and others have suggested it’s time for another educational bus trip. The tea will probably be in August, and we’re looking into the logistics of a visit to the new Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, the largest butterfly pavilion in America – more details on both to follow. The church is also reaching out to other congregations to see which of their programs and procedures we might want to adopt. We’ve already implemented some new ideas that have made our pancake supper and other fellowship dinners flow more smoothly (thanks to Tina Trowbridge for her research!), and we’re looking into other improvements to make everyone’s experiences at and with the church more enjoyable, memorable, and worshipful. And, of course, we will continue to spread the word about our church and its offerings.

“Honoring the Past and Looking to the Future” wasn’t just an empty slogan we made up for the anniversary celebrations. During the coming year – and for many years after that – First Presbyterian Church will be living those words. The best is yet to come!

~Beth Mabee