An Update From the First Pres Forward Strategy Team:

Dear First Pres Family and Friends, 

As part of our commitment to discerning God’s path for First Pres, the First Pres Forward Strategic Planning Team has been engaged in a thoughtful and thorough planning process. Over the past months, we’ve hosted a series of town hall meetings and received valuable feedback from the Leighton Ford Ministries (LFM) Transforming Church Insight Survey. Together, these efforts have helped us better understand the hearts and minds of our staff, congregants, and mission partners—our cherished members. 

Where We’ve Been: Phase One – Listening 

Phase One of this journey focused on hearing from you. Through the survey and listening sessions, you’ve shared profound insights that have shaped our understanding of where we are as a church. Here’s what we’ve learned: 

Our Strengths: 

  • We are Christ-centered and gospel-focused. 
  • Our worship, music, and outreach efforts are highly valued. 
  • Learning is a core strength, deeply impacting our lives and ministry. 

Opportunities for Growth: 

  • Communication: Both within the staff and between leadership and the congregation. 
  • Connectedness: A desire for stronger relationships and a greater sense of belonging. 
  • Leadership: A need for improved handling of conflict and fostering shared ownership among congregants. 
  • Generational Balance: Bridging the gap between older and younger congregants to create a unified "we." 

We are grateful for your honest, open input, which has already enriched our understanding of how we can grow together. 

Where We’re Going: Phase Two – Building a Vision 

As we transition into Phase Two, our focus is on developing measurable, time-bound objectives to guide First Pres over the next 5-7 years. These goals will be rooted in what we’ve heard from you and refined through continued feedback. 

We plan to: 

  • Present a draft of these objectives to the Session on January 21, 2025. 
  • Share the draft with all members in early February 2025 for your input. 

We invite you to participate further by joining us on December 10th at 6:00 PM in the Worship Center for a Q&A session with Leighton Ford Ministries. This meeting will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the survey results and address your questions. You can find the full survey results here.

How You Can Stay Involved 

Your voice continues to be vital as we move forward. You can: 

  • Submit feedback to our Planning Team at forward@firstprescos.org. Submissions will remain confidential. 
  • Engage with the next phases of the process as we finalize and implement our strategic plan. 

Looking Ahead: Phases Three and Four 

  • Phase Three: Refining the Plan - In December and January, we’ll analyze all feedback to create a strategic plan that reflects our mission to be “Light and Life for the City.” 
  • Phase Four: Implementing the Vision - Starting in 2025, we’ll embark on living out this plan, trusting in God to guide our steps. 

We are excited to walk this journey with you, looking inward to build up the body of Christ and outward to invite new believers to join us. Together, we trust that God will equip each of us to fulfill His calling (Eph. 4:11-13). 

Thank you for your ongoing participation, prayers, and commitment to First Pres. It is a blessing to serve alongside such a faithful community. 

Gratefully, 

Scott Blackmun 

Kent Fortune 

Sam Arnold 

Hannah Grace Bauman 

Kris Bauman* 

Randy Case* 

Bonnie Cherry 

Ralph Gates 

Chris Jenkins 

Tonya Lark 

Susan Pattee* 

Cindy Spark 

TCI Report

Upcoming Meeting: December 10 at 6 pm in the Sanctuary

Hear the congregational survey results from Leighton Ford Ministries Representative Rich Hurst. We'll also receive updates from the First Pres Forward team about the next steps in our process of producing a 5-year Strategic Plan.



God is so good! The Lord has been faithful to this church for 152 years, and now we continue His mission in our times, sharing the love of Jesus to be Light and Life for the City.

We want to invite you into a process, a conversation we are calling First Pres Forward: Defining the Heart of the City. It is time to compose a strategic plan to live out our mission in the next five years. There are wonderful opportunities and challenges that we as a church will face, and we want to be focused in our efforts to make an impact in our city for the gospel.

Phase One begins with listening to you. This is where we need your help. We have partnered with Leighton Ford Ministries to participate in the Transforming Church Insights survey, where you'll get to tell us how you feel on a variety of important topics.

This data will be fodder for town halls and small meetings in September and October where your insights will help our Strategic Planning Team formulate key objectives. With your participation, we will be able to present the strategic plan at the Annual Meeting in February 2025.


If you have questions, comments, or concerns email forward@firstprescos.org or call (719) 884-6100