Future Visioning
What future will we build for 5515 Phinney Ave N and St. John United?
St. John United Lutheran Church is at a crossroads. Our congregation has currently unsustainable finances and dwindling attendance. We are not alone in these circumstances. National trends indicate deep changes in the way people engage with church. Rather than have decisions made for us out of urgency, we are in a multi-phased process of visioning for our future. Our leadership has been engaging members and community stakeholders to create an actionable vision and plan for St. John United Lutheran Church and the property’s future.
We are currently in the third and final phase of our Future Visioning process, which will culminate in an actionable plan for our congregation to approve in January 2025. In the meantime, we are still worshiping every Sunday at 10:30am, opening our doors twice a week for a free hot meal and enjoying our well-used and well-cared for property, which is host to multiple community groups and non-profit tenants.
Your input is still valued and important to us. If you have questions, concerns or simply want to get on our mailing list, you may contact us using the form below.
Outline of Our Process:
Phase 1: April – July 2023
- A team was formed, made up of one member of the church council, one member of the church, one engaged community member and the pastor.
- They did significant work towards clarifying our WHY and WHERE. Through one on one conversations and a series of gatherings, they engaged our worshiping community, building users, and community members to participate in sharing their hopes and concerns, while aiding people in understanding our circumstances and process more thoroughly.
- More detail can be found in their July 2023 Phase 1 Final Report , notes from gatherings (below) and our Decision Criteria (below).
Phase 2: September – December 2023
- A new team was formed, made up of one member of the church council, one member of the church, one engaged community member, our church administrator and the pastor.
- This team built on the last team’s work, clarifying the HOW and WHAT of our future vision. Their work was more researched than the last team. Using input from the first phase, they explored a number of possible options through extensive one to one conversations with churches, non-profits, developers, city planners, and more. They made recommendations to our church council and aided the congregation in understanding the options before them
- More detail can be found in the Phase 2 Team Final Report.
Congregational Meeting: January 2024
- The regular annual meeting of the voting members of the congregation had been planned as an opportunity for the congregation to affirm and/or adjust the emerging vision developed through our future visioning process.
- After significant discernment in the month leading to the meeting, the congregation met on January 28th and approved the following:
- Two Advisory Votes directing the Future Visioning process in 2024
- Issue a call to Sr. Jessica Zimmerle, effective February 1, 2024, to serve as our full-time Director of Community Engagement. The position will encompass the current Church Administrator responsibilities and add hours to lead the exploration of the new non-profit vision described in the above Advisory Vote 1.
Phase 3 < we are currently here
- The third and final phase of the Future Visioning process will be led by the Church Council, with them effectively serving as the Phase 3 team. They will be informed by the work of Sr. Jessica and Pastor Anna, and are empowered to nominate additional working teams as they see fit.
- The third phase will focus on the HOW and WHEN, resulting in an actionable plan for the congregation to review and approve in January 2025.
For further reference:
Notes from 4.23.23 Gathering [for website]
6.11.2023 Community Meeting Notes [for website]
Final Retreat Agenda [website]
Summary of SJU Missional Statements
Decision Criteria v.1 [for website]
[website] Future Visioning Team, Phase 1_ Final Report
May 31, 2023 KUOW Soundside podcast: “What will be the future of church in Seattle?,” which shares the challenges of churches throughout our region, and includes interviews with SJU and Pastor Anna by SJU gardener and KUOW producer Sarah Leibovitz.
[website] Future Visioning Phase 2 – Final Report to Council
Advisory Motions Passed by Congregation, Jan 2024
For more information, use the contact form below.
