Still for the City Update
Fellowship Family,
We wanted to share some updates on progress we have experienced, by God’s grace, toward some of the focus areas we are emphasizing as a church. The full 3-year vision dream was shared at our Family Gathering in May, and you can view a video sharing more details HERE.
May 21-August 19, 2023
Governance Coaching
On June 2-3, the Elder Team and some Staff members met with Keith Twigg from the Slingshot Group to develop an Elder Handbook. The goal of the handbook is to provide clear elder expectations for both Fellowship Memphis and the Elder Team. Over the course of 12+ hours, prayer and discussion led the Elder Team to some clarity regarding decision making grids, healthy meeting structures, Staff interaction, as well as general policies and procedures. Over the next month, these pieces will be compiled into an Elder Handbook that will be available to the Fellowship congregation. The desire is that the completed handbook will provide a better understanding for prospective and active Elders of how to best serve Fellowship Memphis.
Harding Care Plan
July 1, Britton Wakefield will begin his new role as the Interim Harding Campus Pastor. You can read more about Britton HERE. Along with the leadership Britton will provide at Fellowship’s Harding Campus, two additional Elders were temporarily stationed at Harding to provide another layer of care for the people. Elder contact has also been made with Circle (small group) leaders at Harding and there have been several very positive times of questions and answers with individual Elders and leaders. As we continue to seek the Lord’s desires for a Lead Pastor candidate, Britton, the Harding Staff team, and Harding leadership will continue to be available for support and care that is needed.
Elder/Staff Interaction
Intentional times of Staff and Elder interaction have been scheduled for May-August. The goal of these times together is to rebuild trust and open communication between the Staff and Elder Team. Prior to two of the recent combined campus services, many from the Staff and Elder Team had a time of confession and prayer together. The Elder Team attended one of the June Monday Staff meeting times to participate with the Staff in a nurture group (a time focused on connecting through intentional activities). At the end of the time together, Staff and Elders described how they felt trust growing and some communication barriers being broken down. Two “no agenda” cookouts have been provided for Staff, Elders, and families to continue building deeper relationships with the hope of having a stronger relational foundation for leading and communicating with each other and the Fellowship Memphis body.
Prayer and Worship Gatherings
Several in-home prayer and worship opportunities have been provided during the months of May and June. These have been fruitful times of collectively listening to the Spirit and responding. Each opportunity has taken on its own unique structure, but the focus on prayer has been the common thread. If you would like to participate in an upcoming Prayer and Worship gathering, click HERE for location and date details. Three corporate prayer services have been scheduled for the summer months. During these Sunday services, corporate prayer will replace the normal preaching moment of the service. Together we will offer prayers of petition and praise for what God is doing among us individually and corporately.
May 2023-April 2024
Three Questions to ask in order to grow stronger in Christ and as a Church:
1. Are we together? Staff and Elders
The 90-day initiative steps listed above will continue to move the Staff and Elders toward growing trust, honesty, and transparency.
2. Are we together? Fellowship Memphis
Corporate prayer times will be providing opportunities for campuses to spend time together and build trust with continued honesty and transparency from Staff and Elders.
Inviting those in our Church family to actively co-labor in the work of the ministry through the power of His Spirit will move us toward our 3-year dream.
3. Are we together? Fellowship Memphis Circles
Over the summer months, Elders and Staff leadership will communicate with current Circle leaders, and plan for training and support of leaders in the Fall.
Elders will provide opportunities for connection and communication with Circle leaders.
Campus pastors and leadership will seek out leaders for new Circles that can begin in September 2023.
May 2023 - October 2024
An Elder and a Staff member will lead each of the 18-month strategies with the plan to bring lay leaders and other Staff members into the planning and implementation of these strategies.
Disciple-Making Master Plan: Aaron Shafer (Elder) and Andrew Mastriano (Staff member)
Young Adult Ministry Blueprint: Nathan Richardson (Elder) and Keith Adams (Staff member)
Church Health Initiative: Stephen Moten (Elder) and Britton Wakefield (Staff member)
Location and Services Evaluation: Elder and Staff teams
May 2023-Easter 2026
1000 Discipling Relationships supported through healthy Circles, disciple-making master plan, corporate gatherings, and community & Mission Partner engagement.
100 Gatherings of Prayer and Worship beginning with the 90-day prayer and worship initiative, these gatherings of prayer and worship will continue to multiply and flourish over the next three years.
10 Intentional Mission Partners small groups and Fellowship Memphis leadership will seek out mission partners who share the values and goals of Fellowship Memphis, thus broadening the Gospel reach outside of our Fellowship Memphis Body.
As we celebrate 20 years of the Lord’s faithfulness to us as a church this year and look forward to the new season of ministry ahead of us, as your new Elder Team Chair (while still very much remaining a “younger” 😊), it is my prayer and desire that we glorify the Lord by:
seeking the transforming presence and power of God in our individual lives and corporate gatherings so that we are becoming disciples of Jesus who model Jesus well and make disciples (Isa. 6:1-8; Jer. 29:11-13; Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1)
being more attuned to and humbly obeying the Holy Spirit’s promptings for the path ahead while being indifferent to everything else (Isa. 30:21; 1 Kings 19:11-13; Prov. 16:1-4; Rom. 12:2; Gal. 5:25)
actively seeking ways to include and bring you all, our Body, along on this journey toward the 3-Year dream (and beyond) for our church and city – “Being Still for the City”! (2 Chron. 7:14; Acts 20:22-24; John 13:34-35)
Would you prayerfully join us on this exciting, faith eliciting (and scary in a “Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief” kind of way, if I am being honest) journey ahead of trusting the Lord to multiply our "five loaves and two fish” to bring about continued transformation in our own lives as well as meet the “needs” of thousands in our neighborhoods and city? We (Elders and Staff) need you! I need you to walk alongside us!
May the Lord help us celebrate and forget (in a healthy way) what is behind and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us (Phil. 3:12-14).
Yours in Christ,
Finny Mathew,
for the Elder Team at FM
