The Nehemiah Project
Colbern Road Baptist’s six-year plan for spiritual growth and ministry
Phase one a two year plan
August 2002 to August 2004
Link to Phase Two--NEHEMIAH PROJECT
Building up and strengthening believers and the church.
The Nehemiah Project:
Background:
Nehemiah heard of a problem, the walls and gates of Jerusalem were in disrepair, and was distressed. He took
action, leaving a responsible position in the Persian government to do what God wanted. His life is an example of
leadership and organization in the face of impossible odds and incredible opposition. He organized, managed,
supervised, encouraged, met opposition, confronted injustice and kept going until the walls were built. He used
wise defense measures to care for God’s people and keep the project moving. To accomplish more for the sake
of God’s kingdom we must pray, persevere and sacrifice while caring for God’s people, as did Nehemiah.
BIBLICAL BASIS AND IMPORTANCE:
VISION: God still has a vision for us and we still need to recognize the needs of our world and “build” to meet
those needs. This isn’t just bricks and mortar but investing in building up believers, strengthening the church
family and our personal families, bringing others to know Christ personally, and growing in our personal walk with
Christ. Implementing a vision gives us a common goal and a shared purpose for growing personally and
reaching others. Nehemiah 1 & 2
PRAYER: Through prayer, God guides our preparation, teamwork, and diligent efforts to carry out His will.
Prayer is the mighty force behind the action to accomplish the vision.
Prayer will under gird all areas of the project. Nehemiah 1:4-10
LEADERSHIP: Being a leader in any of the project areas will not be about gaining recognition, holding a position
or being the boss, it is about hard work, positive attitude, and leading by example following God’s direction in our
personal lives. Nehemiah 2
PROBLEMS: As we step out in faith to do the work and grow in our spiritual maturity, there will be problems.
Instead of letting conflict and discouragement set in we must recognize that there are no triumphs without
troubles. That when the problems arise we must press on to complete the work God has set before us.
Nehemiah 3-8
REVIVAL: God wants us to repent and reform, not just to make changes for change sake. He wants to move into
the center of all we do, and wants us not to lean on our own understanding and capabilities but His. God’s
understanding is greater than ours. Stepping out in faith to accomplish a God-sized task always brings us to the
point of pushing past our own abilities and strengths and deepening our relationship with the Father. God will
use each person in a unique way. Nehemiah 8:1-13:31
RENEWAL: Spiritual renewal often begins when one person shares a vision with enthusiasm. Frequently God’s
people tend to underestimate God’s power because of our own human limitations. Then we underestimate God’s
ability to change people’s hearts and don’t challenge them with the needs and possibilities for God’s work in the
world. When God plants an idea or vision in one or two members to accomplish something for Him, it is our
responsibility to share it with the others in the body and trust the Holy Spirit to impress them with similar thoughts.
God often uses one person to express the vision and others to turn it into reality working together as a team to
accomplish God’s goals. Nehemiah 2:17-18
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
This is a three-phase project. The first phase is two years in length. There are eight sections covering the entire
life of our church in the first phase. Each section includes a heading describing that, which is part of our church
ministry. Then, the two year plan is outlined with proposed target dates for implementation and where possible
the financial information. Because this is a living-working document, somewhat like a strategic plan used in
business, it will require constant monitoring and updating as additional information becomes available and
additional church growth occurs. It is impossible to predict with complete accuracy where unforeseen needs will
occur or major growth will make it necessary to adjust the plan. For example: The plan is to split the middle
school off into a separate Bible Study Fellowship Class (Sunday School) but if major growth occurs in the children’
s area then that class would need to be addressed first. The hope is to proceed in faith financially also, with the
hope that tithing will continue to be a spiritual growth discipline that is developed among our members, thus
allowing us to proceed with a minimum of debt or no debt paying as we go. The commitment is also to utilize
each material resource to the maximum benefit before moving to the next phase.
I. STAFF:
1. To commit to continue the youth associate position from a one-year trial to an additional two years. At this
time, the request from Mark and Lea to the church is that David Atwell’s call to the position be extended through
the end of August 2003. David has agreed to extend until January 1 of 2003 and will be able to give a
commitment to the August date when he knows where he will be attending school. This would include a raise to
$200 a month.
2. To look at hiring a part-time secretary bookkeeper when the regularly attending membership hits around
150 in number. This person would print the bulletin, help with mailings, have some regular office hours, do
weekly financial entries, and payroll. (Goal: to implement in year two of the project)
3. To bring Mark to full-time pay status by end of year two (December 2004), in keeping with the full-time
work he performs for the church.
4. To annually review the salaries of all staff as part of the yearly budget process, and have regular cost of
living increases.
5. To keep other personnel costs down by continuing the first two years to use volunteer labor to clean the
church, do most repair work, and the lawn and landscaping work.
II. RESTRUCTURING OF CURRENT MINISTRIES, AND ADDITIONAL MINISTRY:
1. Wednesday programming would immediately change starting in September 2002 to include:
·RA’s and GA’s are changing to TeamKIDS. K-5th grades lead by Mark Manning and Julia Lee.
·Sixth grade students would move into the new middle school youth group comprised of 6th to 8th grades.
·The schedule would change as follows:
6:30 –6:45 Snack/dinner Youth & TeamKIDS
6:45 to 7:15 Youth Worship and Joint Devotions in Worship Center
6:45 to 8:00 TeamKIDS
7:15 to 8:00 Middle school and Senior High Youth Bible Study
2. The Sunday School would have the name changed immediately starting in September 2002 to Bible Study
Fellowship and two new classes per year would be targeted to add for a total of four over two years. The targeted
classes would be middle school, college, pre-school, and splitting the elementary students into K-2 and 3-5th
grades. This would bring our total number of Bible Study Classes on Sunday Morning to six from the current
three. This goal won’t preclude adding other additional classes as needed to accommodate numerical growth.
3. Adding a College Ministry beginning October 2002.A separate Sunday evening worship for college
students with the possibility of juniors and seniors in High School would start in October. This would be a
contemporary worship and include a praise band, drama, casual dress, and be seeker oriented. Mark would
oversee with David and Lea leading, planning, and implementing the service. There would be an emphasis on
testimony style Bible teaching. There would be some additional costs associated with this ministry but the
additional offerings taken should eventually cover most if not all of the expenses.
4. Current Small Groups would continue, Promise Keepers on first and third Thursdays, COROBALA women’
s group, and the goal is to add family cell groups or small groups as part of the overall ministry vision. The goal
is to increase by two additional groups by the end of year two (August 2004).
III. FINANCES
1. To form and propose a working budget by the October Business meeting of 2002. This budget will include
regular monthly support equal to 1- to 2% of the undesignated income received in any given month. That
percentage is to be given to the Blue River – Kansas City Baptist Association. The budget will cover all areas of
the church ministry including designated special projects and mission giving.
2. Annual Missions Offerings – The finance committee will meet and determine whether to participate
in annual Southern Baptist Convention Mission Offerings that we have traditionally done or whether to fund
mission’s offerings in other ways. A recommendation will be brought to the October 2002 business meeting.
3. Mortgage: By January of 2003 in conjunction with a celebration of 45 years of ministry to have the current
mortgage paid off.
4. Establish a Building Fund in September of 2002 that will be for the first phase of improvements and
additions to be implemented.
5. Stewardship teaching will be a focus of the entire church at least twice yearly, and will be included in a new
membership class.
6. Establish Camp Savings Accounts for Summer Camp – Set up a tracking fund that would start in October
2002 for each student that is planning on attending summer camp at L bar C and Circle C camps. Parents would
then contribute a set monthly amount to the fund and as the deposits and payments became due the money for
each student would be drawn from the designated fund. This would eliminate the need for so much fund-raising
for camp costs and fund raising efforts could go toward the expanded mission trip activities. There would still be
a designated fund for scholarships for those students that are in need and at least one fund raising opportunity
for camp.
IV. COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS
1. The Nominating Committee will have recommendations for all committees required by the constitution with
the exception of Deacons, which will be addressed in a separate section, by the October 2002 business meeting.
All committees will have met and have recommendations towards phases two and three of the Nehemiah project
and activity reports beginning with the first business meeting of 2003.
2. The committees will be as established in the constitution and bylaws: Worship Committee, Finance
Committee, Nominating Committee, Personnel Committee, Missions Committee, Buildings and Grounds
Committee, and in addition an Anniversary/Homecoming Committee will be established for the 45th year of
ministry celebration.
3. A Nehemiah Project Committee will be established consisting of all the chairpersons of the regular
committees, and include all staff members with the Pastor serving as committee chair.
4. All phase two and three recommendations will be in written form by the summer quarter 2003 Business
meeting.
V. MEMBERSHIP
1. Correct Membership accounting will be established by the constitutional procedures outlined by the
summer quarter 2003 business meeting. A recommendation will be brought at that time as to active and inactive
members to be voted on by the church.
2. As part of an overall ministry an intentional outreach will be established to include the first year three
events: a Christmas musical drama (December 2002), a summer event (2003), and a fall event (2003). In year
two, bi-monthly themed Sundays will be added to the three annual outreach events. These themed Sundays will
replace the traditional high attendance Sundays. The nature of these Sundays will be determined by the staff
and will be recommended to the church by the October 2003 business meeting some examples are: Friend
Sunday, Youth Sunday, Senior Adult Sunday. The purpose of these Sundays will be to identify prospective un-
churched people in the community.
3. A target goal of 150 active members by end of August 2004 will be achieved by adding college worship,
Bible Study classes, Small Groups, and outreach Sundays.
VI. DEACONS
1. The Pastor will make an assessment of all men eligible to meet the Biblical criteria for Deacon leadership
and approach the eligible men by spring business meeting 2003. A recommendation will be brought to the
church at that business meeting for those men to begin the training process of Deacon ministry in August of 2003.
2. One year of Deacon training will begin under the Pastor’s leadership beginning August 1st 2003 to be
completed by September 1st 2004.
3. An Ordination Service will be held for the deacons who have completed the training the third Sunday of
September 2004.
4. A new class of Deacon Trainees will begin October 1st 2004 following the same criteria above.
5. A Deacon Family ministry will be established and functional by September 1st 2004.
VII. BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES:
1. Remove Mark from yard responsibilities beginning with the establishment of the building and grounds
committee October 2002. The yard work should continue under their leadership in a volunteer capacity during
the first phase of the project or unless church growth occurs at a rate where phase two can be implemented early.
2. Professional Consultations: All church upgrades, additions and repairs will be managed through the
Buildings and Grounds Committee. The Building and Grounds Committee will consult, plan, and propose
upgrades, additions and repairs with professional input from specialists in their respective fields of expertise.
Example: Architects, Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC
3. Church Addition and Repairs in the first year will include:
·Building a storage facility along the north side of the church behind the baptistery that will include zone heating
and cooling for that area and the current Pastor’s office.
·All siding will be replaced along the north side of the church.
·Replace the roof over the entire building and new storage addition.
·Investigate the steeple area and secure the needed repairs.
·Repair all damage from water leaks and structural settling to the interior of the church worship center.
·Completely remodel for multiple uses the current church worship center.
This will include the following:
Removal of all pews and replace with movable chairs See clarifications below.
Build a sound booth in the back southwest corner of the worship center
Replace the carpet in the worship center
Complete the Sound System and Multi-media additions and upgrades
·Assess the remainder of the church building and grounds for use and needs for future repair and upgrades.
Additional reasoning and clarification from input –
The reasons for removing the pews are not just to make the worship center young people friendly. Currently
there isn’t enough room in the fellowship hall to host the church family for a dinner. Recommendations from
church architects Ray Bowman & Eddy Hall in the book When Not to Build are to make better use of your current
facility by converting to multi-use space. After checking with several other area churches the staff found that
multiple use space rather than dedicated sanctuary space makes better use of resources. Rather than
recommend an addition right now the staff is suggesting that we look at the largest space available and use it for
multiple purposes. Fellowship is one of those purposes. Currently the church is being used as a meeting place
for several community groups, the removal of the pews would allow for larger groups to meet and expose more
people in the community to CRBC. Also as we add Bible study classes on Sunday mornings the pews will not be
conducive to having more than one class in that area, but if there were chairs 2-3 classes could meet in that
area. The carpet will keep the chairs from being noisy, and you can purchase chairs with both hymnal and
cup/pencil/card holders on them so we can have more of worship center atmosphere. With the removal of the
back pews to build the sound booth that will eliminate seating we need as we are growing. Chairs will seat
approximately 20% more people in the same space. The chairs would be better than the ones in the current
choir area and would be both comfortable and attractive. Most of the time the chairs would not need to be
moved, until there were classes in the area and then the classes would be required to put back whatever they
moved. In addition, removing the pews will give additional space in the front for drama and music ministry needs.
In order to address the concerns expressed by several members regarding the pews the following adjustment is
being proposed to the original recommendation:
Pews in the back two alcoves and on the front row on both sides of the worship
center will be removed and replaced with chairs. This will allow for one additional class space, building the sound
booth, as well as the music drama staging area that is needed. As we grow numerically and additional seating
becomes necessary pews will need to be removed and replaced with chairs or another alternative will be
proposed with the project updates.
The current fellowship hall will continue to be used for gatherings, dinners, wedding receptions and we will spread
out into different rooms until the worship center can be used for multiple functions.
4. Church Addition and Repairs in the second year will include:
·Heating and Air conditioning upgrades for the entire building
·Parking Lot replacement for multi-use space to include the following:
Full sized Basketball court, volleyball court, and children’s play area so that the pavement is marked for
hopscotch, four square, and tetherball capabilities. This would also require some portable fencing for the
children’s areas.
Adjustment to the original proposal:
* The parking lot would be marked for Handicap and Visitor parking.
·An addition including a fellowship foyer, offices, nursery and workroom will be added to the front of the building.
It will also include a circle drive to drop off handicapped or elderly.
VIII. PURPOSE DRIVEN MINISTRY
1. To implement the principles of purpose driven ministry throughout the church program areas by August of
2004.
2. Worship will be upgraded to include multi-media, drama and music performance in addition to the Bible
teaching. A College (18 to 24 year old) worship service will be added on Sunday evenings beginning October
2002. A second contemporary service will be added by September 2003.
3. Witness training will be provided throughout lessons in Bible Study Fellowship, and in the Wednesday
evening programming at least quarterly beginning in January 2003. Intentional Outreach will be established as
outlined in the membership section. Other opportunities for witness and outreach will be provided through annual
youth and adult mission trips.
4. Missions’ opportunities will be provided to the church membership in a variety of forms.
·The first recommendation is a continuing personal relationship at least quarterly with the Forest Avenue Shelter.
This activity will be eliminated.
·A monthly food drive for the shelter will be established beginning January 2003 with targeted items that the
shelter has requested.
·A mission ministry of some type will be established in the Lee’s Summit area by August of 2003.
·An annual youth mission trip opportunity that is age appropriate and follows the Biblical model of Jerusalem,
Judea and Samaria will be provided through the Youth department.
·Children will have mission opportunities through TeamKIDS quarterly beginning in January 2003 and other family
ministry outreach events.
·Adult mission trip opportunities will be offered yearly.
·Mission offerings will be promoted and collected a minimum of semi-annually in the last quarter of the year and
the second quarter of the year.
5. Fellowship opportunities will be increased and provided through small groups and through church-wide
events. Quarterly outings to ticketed events will begin in January of 2003 such as sports, or theatre. Year two
beginning in August of 2003 will include bi-monthly entertainment events at the church in addition to the quarterly
church outings. Fellowship meals will be held at least bi-monthly beginning in 2003 and quarterly in 2004.
6. Evangelism will be established through our worship, Bible Study and other ministries. Training will be
provided quarterly within the context of our already established teaching times beginning in January of 2003. We
will also continue to link up with other evangelism organizations such as Youth with a Mission and others that are
bringing evangelistic crusades to our immediate area.
7. Administration will continue to be managed from home offices until such time that the church membership
reaches a previously designated number to justify administrative assistance. A complete assessment of what is
needed for an office workroom area will be made by August 2003 by the staff. A recommendation of the staff will
be brought the next quarterly business meeting to be included in future building upgrades.
IX. HOMECOMING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
1. A Committee will be established to make a recommendation to the church October 2002 business meeting
on how to celebrate the 45th year of ministry of the church.
2. A historical record will be produced and available by first quarter of 2003.
3. A celebration service will be held sometime in the by second quarter of 2003 that will include a mortgage
payoff and note burning.
X. AFFILIATIONS
1. The Pastor and Staff and two other church members shall form a temporary committee to bring a
recommendation to the church as to what affiliations the church should continue to participate with. All current
affiliations will be reviewed and a recommendation shall be brought to the church in the first quarter business
meeting of 2003.
2. The church will partner with other organizations such as the area ministerial alliance, and youth network,
as much as possible in order to promote a spirit of unity and shared resources.
Recommendations for the Business Meeting of August 21, 2002
1. The following parts of the Nehemiah Project be adopted today as presented:
I. Staff #1 Youth Associate Position
II. Restructuring (the entire section)
III. Finances #1 Budget
IV. Committee Functions #1 and #2
VII. Building #1
IX. Homecoming #1
2. The following paragraph be adopted today as presented:
For the remainder of the project phase one, the request is that everyone takes it home and reviews it
thoroughly. Any feedback, additions, corrections, etc., put in writing and e-mail to either Mark or Lea by next
Wednesday August 28th 2002. A final copy with all the input will be made available on September 1st. A special
called time of prayer, discussion, and decision on the Nehemiah project will be slated for a special called
business meeting on September 4th and delay the start of our fall programming to Wednesday September 11th.
