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What inspired you to take on the role of chair for the Online Church Family Task Force?
The importance of connections and belonging, as outlined in the long-range plan, inspired me. As a coach and leadership educator, I’ve read a good amount of research about the importance of connections and belonging. Connecting online is important for my clients and the students I serve at University of Chicago. This is my second year as an Elder on Session, so when we voted to create the task force, I was immediately interested in contributing.
What excites you the most about this work?
For me, expanding the ways we connect with each other and Fourth Church is a way of being more welcoming and inclusive. We’ve heard feedback that efforts to date are greatly appreciated. I’m excited to be taking this next step on the task force.
Can you tell us more about the Online Church Family Task Force and its purpose?
Our overarching goal is to deepen and expand relationships with those who find and connect with Fourth Church online. Many of the online programs and ministries started during the pandemic have continued because they are meeting needs for different members of the church family. This task force seeks to answer key questions toward a more comprehensive approach to serving, online, each other and our faith.
What are some of the skills and perspectives members of the task force bring to this work?
I had the opportunity to interview almost everyone on the task force last October and can
share that this is a highly skilled group of strategists, innovators, collaborators, philanthropists, and change makers. Many have served in multiple leadership roles, including as Trustees, Elders, council chairs, and campaign strategists, not to mention the formidable leadership they’ve offered organizations outside of church.
With regard to perspective, we’ve sought out individuals who can speak to different life experiences — going away to college, enjoying a second home, recovering from surgery, combatting a long commute, etc. Most of us are already engaging with Fourth Church online and are energized by this opportunity.
What plans does the task force have most immediately?
We are currently in a phase of listening and discovery. Staff and pastors have eagerly shared what they’re already doing to reach members outside of Chicago both in person and online. We’ve also drafted a set of survey questions to better understand the needs of those already — or thinking about — engaging with church online.
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for Fourth Church in connecting with its online worshipers?
I greatly appreciate the work that our pastors and staff have already done to livestream worship, create podcasts and devotionals, connect with identified online communities in Chicago and Florida, and include online participants in adult education, councils, committees, and task forces. The opportunity is to be more thoughtful, strategic, and intentional about connecting with online worshipers.
The task force is very interested in understanding unmet needs. What do online worshipers wish we could offer beyond what we currently offer? You’ve already talked about online coffee hour and solicited input via this newsletter. One task force member let me know how special the intergenerational opportunities are within their family. Another excitedly looks at adult education as an online opportunity. There may also be an online opportunity associated with key events, like the Gala of Hope.
We are also collaborating with Communications and long-range plan implementation task forces to spread the word about existing online opportunities including
- Sunday morning worship
- Concerts, including Friday Noonday and Tower Brass
- “Rhythm and Word” midweek worship
- Bible study for men and women
- “Bible Top Ten” podcast
- Most of our councils, committees, and task forces
How can members of the online church family get involved or provide feedback to the task force?
You can reach me at margaret@douglasleadershipcoaching.com or Senior Associate Pastor Rocky Supinger at rsupinger@fourthchurch.com. We welcome your involvement and will eagerly share feedback with the task force.
In addition, we’re working on a survey scheduled to go out in late January, which we hope will make it easy to provide input. When you receive the survey, please respond so your perspective can be heard!
What are you all learning about the Fourth Church community through this work?
There is much yet to be learned, but I can share some important starting points.
- We learned that our membership resides in thirty-nine different states, and approximately 20 percent of our members are remote to the Chicago area.
- We’re learning how many members want to remain part of the Fourth Church community even if they can’t be on campus with us.
- We’ve learned that our online members are truly with us in spirit during Sunday worship and that they’re willing to give gifts of time, treasure, and talent when we make it possible to engage online.
- We’re learning that it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time we try something: you’ll let us know how to improve, and we’ll get better and better.
The more we learn, the more we appreciate this wonderful community – both on campus and online!
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