Updates on Strategic Visioning at St. Peter's

April 25, 2024

 

Please take the survey!

Three vision teams formed as the result of a strategic planning exercise, examining Worship, Parish Community and Outreach, are working to imagine the future of St. Peter's. Members of the clergy and representatives from the Vestry are supporting each team as they examine ideas and recommendations to grow St. Peter’s and enhance church life for our current parishioners.

The teams have created a survey to solicit ideas and perspectives from parishioners that helps envision the future of St. Peter's -- a future that provides expansive worship and educational experiences beyond Sunday (our Worship), that encourages a loving and diverse community with a shared calling (our Parish Community), and that inspires us to transform St. Louis and beyond in the name of Christ (our Outreach).
Please provide your thoughts on the questions provided in a brief survey. We are thinking big and bold, with enhancements that could be achievable in the near future, in the next few years, and 10-15 years from now. We appreciate your participation and ideas.

Outreach Committee Update:

The congregation has told us they want better communication regarding the outreach ministries St. Peter's is involved with and more opportunities to participate in partnerships with other organizations doing things we are also interested in. The visioning committee/vestry has also asked us to seek out large scale “God-Sized dreams”, that while being difficult to achieve, have the potential to contribute greatly to the needs of the St. Louis region. In our first meeting we laid out a 2-phased approach for the OC: 1) Improve operational effectiveness of outreach partnerships we are currently engaged with and 2) expand opportunities for partnerships, while envisioning initiatives that can create “God-Sized” results. In service of these goals, we will be creating structures and processes within the OC so that it can continue as an effective platform to facilitate SPEC outreach ministries into the future. We want to know what non-profit organization(s) you personally support and in what capacity (i.e. Board Member, Volunteer, Donation, etc.) and the best channel(s) for you to reliably hear and respond to volunteering opportunities for outreach at SPEC.

Co-chairs: Chris Knight and Jen Schafer

Community Committee Update

The Parish Community Team, which is chaired by Laurie Haffenreffer and Didi Noelker, is made up of over 20 members who have committed to meeting every 4-6 weeks for a year. The team aims to envision what our campus and community could be in 5, 10, or even 15 years. The team has focused on defining its goals and breaking down the term "community". It will focus on our parish community rather than the community at large. In the first four meetings, the team has identified several focal points, including improving the attraction, welcoming, and mentoring of new members, especially young families, gathering and updating the contact information and skills of existing members, meeting members "where they are", creating physical spaces that will enhance fellowship, education, community, and worship. The team is also brainstorming the potential of our interior and exterior spaces and how the campus can be best utilized or reimagined to grow and sustain the parish as an "oasis for all". Two questions on the parish survey will reflect these discussions. The team welcomes any comments or questions, and we look forward to learning more from the parish survey.

Co-chairs: Laurie Haffenreffer and Didi Noelker

Worship Committee Update

The Worship Vision team is examining three areas: 1) our formal worship services occurring on Wednesday and Sundays, 2) potential enhancements to our educational offerings, 3) and what we call “worship in the world,” which includes both strategies to attract new members and worshipers as well as looking beyond the St. Peter’s community for gathering opportunities outside of church.
Committee members are engaging in some exciting research, looking and listening within St. Peter’s at the current offerings and fanning out in St. Louis and elsewhere to see what draws worshipers to other churches and faiths. We’re examining ideas to encourage more welcoming worship and educational opportunities and to enhance the worship experiences that our parishioners hold dear. We’re looking for bold ideas that will draw more people in to grow our church and attract new members while strengthening existing worship and educational opportunities that are important to us.

Co-Chairs Carrie Marks Burroughs and Page Melton Ivie

Don't forget to take the survey!

St. Peter's Strategic Visions

Outreach - St. Peter’s is a wellspring of hope. We inspire one another to transform St. Louis and beyond in the name of Christ.

Community - St. Peter's is an unexpected oasis for all. We are a loving, diverse community with a shared calling.

Worship - St. Peter's offers expansive worship experiences beyond Sunday that are tailored to engage people where they are.