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THIRD DRAFT

Mission, Vision, and Values

Strategic Plan, 2009

Lutheran Campus Ministry, Colorado State University

Mission

The Lutheran Campus Ministry at Colorado State University is a community of students, faculty, staff, and friends. We are called into being by God’s grace to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ and to declare the sacredness of God’s creation. It is our mission, in this place, to be the Church within the academic community and the academic community within the Church. Through worship, centered in Word and Sacrament; through speaking out for truth, justice, and peace; and through learning, growing spiritually, caring for and serving others, we seek to be responsive to God’s call. (December 12, 1995)

Vision

A dynamic, inquiring, spiritual community that embraces all.

Values

• Providing Word and Sacrament ministry, regularly and frequently, is vital to nurturing spiritual growth.

• As a Reconciling in Christ church, we value and welcome all persons to the community of this ministry – its work and all of its activities.

• We value ministry to all, including those who do not come through the chapel doors.

• Encouraging and involving students, faculty, staff, and friends in leadership training, service and civic activities, and learning and educational opportunities within a spiritual framework manifest the work of this ministry.

• Recognizing and addressing the spiritual needs and interests of members of the University community and beyond is an obligation of this ministry in emulation of the life and action of Jesus Christ.

Strategic Plan 2009

This plan is based upon the mission, vision, and values of Lutheran Campus Ministry at Colorado State University.

Goal 1: To promote spiritual and intellectual growth through worship, Bible Study activities, leadership training, service and civic engagement opportunities, and informal programming.

Objective 1: Increase average worship attendance to 45 persons.

Strategy 1: Implement a purposeful approach to welcoming new persons by having students make a “speech” after worship, describing the community and inviting persons to stay for dinner.

Strategy 2: Implement additional strategies to reach out to high school students – add students to the LCM Facebook page, redo the front web site page.

Strategy 3: Continue pastoral participation in Front Range youth director meetings and activities.

Objective 2: Involve the Student Council and other interested persons in the planning and implementation of worship.

Strategy 1: Survey the worshipping community to assess needs and interests.

Strategy 2: Utilize the talents of students and community members in worship, to the extent possible and appropriate.

Objective 3: Increase participation in Bible study activities and offer a variety of topics in a variety of formats.

Strategy 1: Poll students, and others, to gather suggestions for topics of study.

Strategy 2: Offer alternatives such as the history of the church.

Strategy 3: Use a format of modules for the topics of study, i.e., shorter time frames such as 2-4 weeks.

Objective 4: Continue the musical variety and enrichment which characterizes our worship events and look for the “teaching moments” regarding musical heritage and diversity of musical traditions.

Strategy 1: Encourage the Music Director to continue and expand explanations and background of the musical contributions within the worship setting, where possible and appropriate.

Strategy 2: Seek and encourage contributions to the music and liturgical arts from individuals within the community.

Objective 5: Promote leadership development and nurture a sense of service and civic engagement within a spiritual framework

Strategy 1: Offer retreats, ecumenical engagement, travel opportunities for students, and other appropriate activities.

Strategy 2: Engage in service opportunities such as service at the Mission, urban plunges, and other appropriate activities.

Strategy 3: Encourage students to membership on the Student Council and LCM Board of Directors.

Goal 2: To reach out to members of the University community and beyond so as to engage others spiritually and theologically.

Objective 1: Plan and seek informal conversational opportunities.

Strategy 1: Continue the “Ask a Pastor” program.

Strategy 2: Seek opportunities for “coffee shop” talk.

Strategy 3: Keep conversation going on the LCM blog.

Objective 2: Expand outreach to faculty and staff members of the University community.

Strategy 1 Utilize the Scholar-in-Residence Program, started in 2006, for outreach and promotion of intellectual and spiritual growth.

Strategy 2: Contact previous Scholars-in-Residence to gather their comments and thoughts about their experience in serving in this capacity.

Strategy 3: Participate in Directors meetings within the Office of Student Affairs at the University to facilitate knowledge and trust.

Goal 3: To enhance the stability of our funding base so as to ensure the continuance of this ministry as a full-time endeavor.

Objective 1: Work within synodical and national structures to change the perspectives on the place of campus (and outdoor) ministries within the activities of the Church.

Strategy 1: Utilize all possible opportunities to report upon and talk about campus ministry.

Strategy 2: Increase awareness within our community of the functioning of synodical and national structures.

Objective 2: Enhance the relationships with local and regional churches and increase the level of financial support for Lutheran Campus Ministry.

Strategy 1: Build a presentation with the core values and request for continuing financial assistance from local congregations. Show the current and proposed models for funding. Prepare this presentation in a way that students can deliver it within their home congregations.

Strategy 2: Promote understanding of the financial needs of Lutheran Campus Ministry within the local and regional churches through presentations to church councils and other groups as appropriate.

Objective 3: Increase the donation level within our own community, particularly from non-students and alumni.

Strategy 1: Make use of the recently updated alumni database – “Know who they are, keep it simple, and contact them often.”

Strategy 2: Seek a way to get good contact information from graduating or departing students.

Objective 4: Continue and expand utilization of grant-funding opportunities.

Strategy 1: Recruit local congregation members to assist in writing grants.

Strategy 2: Improve the information flow and availability by placing grant information within the Google documents so as to allow and encourage collaboration.

Strategy 3: Pursue Thrivent’s possible offer to contribute to hiring a professional grant writer.

Goal 4: To recognize our responsibility for good stewardship by nurturing the resources of the earth and the quality of our facility.

Objective 1: Implement a sense of environmental responsibility and sustainability in all activities of the community.

Strategy 1: Strive for “zero waste” in all our activities.

Strategy 2: Seek all possible ways to promote sustainability and recycling.

Strategy 3: Incorporate the concept of sustainability into our educational programming.

Objective 2: Continue the maintenance and upgrading of our facility and grounds.

Strategy 1: Work towards enhancement of the energy efficiency of the facility, seeking grant support to assist in doing so..

Strategy 2: Utilize volunteers for this work to the extent possible and appropriate.