The Congregation at Duke Chapel

Mission Statement

Believing that God has reached out to us with love and forgiveness,
we seek to grow together in faith through worship, study, service, and celebration,
to the end that we embody Christ's compassion and holiness.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2010-2015

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Encourage active participation of every member in financial support of the Congregation.

GOALS	OBJECTIVES
Create an enhanced sense of community within the Congregation.	Encourage involvement in caring activities.
	Summarize efforts in Congregation newsletter.
	Promote relationship building into every Congregation get-together.
	Begin each gathering or meeting with a prayer, devotional, or reading of Congregation's mission statement.
	Explore opportunities for space and assess building proposals.
Help members deepen their relationship with God and respond to God's call as Christian disciples.	Consider hiring a part-time or full-time Director of Christian Education rather than a part-time Director of Children's Education.
	Establish continuity of the adult education ministry leadership.
	Evaluate role of music in Children’s Ministry.
	Encourage intergenerational outreach.
	Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community.
Equip members to serve God in church and community.	Groom and orient members for leadership positions to help with continuity.
	Create a forward-looking plan of action paired with a proposed budget for each budget area.
	Write or review orientation training and maintain and update a handbook of policies and procedures for all committees.
Build relationships with people and organizations across social and economic boundaries in Durham, Durham County, and worldwide.	Cultivate relationships with local congregations, such as Antioch Baptist Church.
	Evaluate outreach to students (undergraduate and graduate).
	Encourage every Christian Nurture group to participate in a local or international mission project.
	Review, support, and encourage international mission trips and service projects, including involvement in Refugee Resettlement.
Improve communications among Congregation members, other Chapel worshipers, university administration, and Chapel staff.	Develop a process for uploading information on the Congregation website.
	Keep website up-to-date.
	Promote greater awareness of Congregation events.
Create a shared vision and understanding of the Congregation’s distinctive identity and unique role in the life of Duke Chapel.	Promote the visibility and understanding of the Congregation to all attendees of Duke Chapel (visitors, worshipers, students, staff).
	Define and cultivate the Congregation’s unique role in the life of Duke Chapel.
	Support the mission of Duke Chapel.
Embody Christian discipleship by addressing current issues of social justice and environmental stewardship.	Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues.
	Inspire action by individual members.
	Promote greater understanding of the work of North Carolina Council of Churches (NCCC) and Durham Congregations in Action (DCIA).

COMMITTEES, SUB-COMMITTEES, SERVICE GROUPS AND THEIR OBJECTIVES

Each committee, sub-committee, and service group is charged with the following objectives for the next five years.

NAME	OBJECTIVE
All committees and service groups	Begin each gathering or meeting with a prayer, devotional, or reading of Congregation’s mission statement. Promote relationship building into every Congregation get-together. Groom and orient members for leadership positions to help with continuity. Create a forward-looking plan of action paired with a proposed budget for each budget area. Follow budget process and maintain budgetary accountability. Write or review orientation training and maintain and update a handbook of policies and procedures for all committees. Define and cultivate the Congregation’s unique role in the life of Duke Chapel. Participate in annual Congregation Activities Fair and other publicizing events. Alert Council to newsworthy events to get potential media coverage. Support the mission of Duke Chapel. Keep website up-to-date.
Administration	Develop a process for uploading information on the Congregation website. Promote greater awareness of Congregation events. Consider forming a task force addressing communication. Work to make the Congregation portion of the Sunday bulletin more reader-friendly. Advocate for greater Congregation visibility on the Chapel website. Seek opportunities for visibility of Congregation activities during Chapel services. Encourage current members to talk to other Chapel attendees about the Congregation. Evaluate feasibility of having a Congregation Facebook page and a Twitter account. Explore opportunities for space and assess building proposals. Stay abreast of discussions among campus ministers about the need for additional campus space. Evaluate need for expanded office space.
Adult Education	Establish continuity of the adult education ministry leadership. Encourage intergenerational outreach. Encourage every Adult Education group to participate in a local or international mission project. Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues. Inspire action by individual members.
Chapel Support	Summarize efforts in Congregation newsletter.
Children’s Ministry	Encourage intergenerational outreach. Evaluate role of music in Children’s Ministry. Encourage every Children's Ministry group to participate in a local or international mission project.
Council	Promote the visibility and understanding of the Congregation to all attendees of Duke Chapel (visitors, worshipers, students, staff). Explore how to utilize the 25th anniversary of the Congregation to gain more visibility. Define and cultivate the Congregation’s unique role in the life of Duke Chapel.
Environment	Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues. Inspire action by individual members.
Executive Committee	Cultivate relationships with local congregations, such as Antioch Baptist Church. Define and cultivate the Congregation’s unique role in the life of Duke Chapel. Create opportunities for publicizing the Congregation.
Fellowship	Encourage involvement in caring activities. Develop social opportunities for small groups. Summarize efforts in Congregation newsletter. Acknowledge people involved in providing care to the Congregation. Promote the visibility and understanding of the Congregation to all attendees of Duke Chapel (visitors, worshipers, students, staff). Continue to be inclusive of other Duke Chapel entities such as Chapel Choir, Friends of the Chapel, Pathways, and other mission-related groups in our activities.
Finance and Audit	Encourage active participation of every member in financial support of the Congregation. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the needs of the Congregation.
Loaves and Fishes	Encourage involvement in caring activities. Summarize efforts in Congregation newsletter. Acknowledge people involved in providing care to the Congregation.
Local Missions	Encourage intergenerational outreach. Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation. Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues. Inspire action by individual members.
Membership	Encourage involvement in caring activities. Seek to partner new members with established members. Summarize efforts in Congregation newsletter. Acknowledge people involved in providing care to the Congregation. Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Increase the number of members on the committee or form a task force to reach out to inactive members. Contact and survey inactive members. Report findings to Council. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation.
Nominating & Leadership	Establish continuity of the adult education ministry leadership. Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation.
Refugee Resettlement	Encourage intergenerational outreach. Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation. Review, support, and encourage international mission trips and service projects, including involvement in Refugee Resettlement. Consider merging Refugee Resettlement with World Missions. Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues. Inspire action by individual members.
Representatives for DCIA and NCCC	Promote greater understanding of the work of NCCC and DCIA. Start an informational section of the Congregation website that would provide information about what is going on in DCIA and NCCC.
Staff-Parish Relations	Encourage involvement in caring activities. Consider hiring a part-time or full-time Director of Christian Education rather than a part-time Director of Children’s Education.
Stephen Ministry	Encourage involvement in caring activities. Summarize efforts in Congregation newsletter. Acknowledge people involved in providing care to the Congregation.
Stewardship	Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation. Encourage active participation of every member in financial support of the Congregation. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the needs of the Congregation.
Student Outreach	Encourage intergenerational outreach. Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation. Evaluate outreach to students (undergraduate and graduate). Have representation at student activity fairs whenever possible. Ensure that information provided to students about the Congregation is kept up to date. Consider bringing back the adopt-a-student program. Coordinate outreach to students with other leaders of student ministries at Duke Chapel. Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues. Inspire action by individual members.
World Missions	Encourage intergenerational outreach. Encourage active participation of every member in service to the Congregation and community. Determine ways to encourage everyone to actively commit to the life of the Congregation. Review, support, and encourage international mission trips and service projects, including involvement in Refugee Resettlement. Consider merging Refugee Resettlement with World Missions. Develop opportunities for open-atmosphere dialogue on social and environmental issues. Inspire action by individual members.
Youth Education	Encourage intergenerational outreach. Encourage every Youth Education group to participate in a local or international mission project.