Here are some frequently asked questions surrounding the current and future status of enCompass.
If you have a question that is not addressed below, please submit it here. The Board is daily addressing new questions and will post updates to this page as further questions are answered.
1. What do you mean current and future status of enCompass? Watch this video to learn more.
2. When will the Board be voting on whether to keep enCompass open or to close our doors? November 1.
Pray for Clarity. Only by God’s grace will we succeed in growing enCompass.
Commit to regular attendance. Everyone is busy with trips to the cabin, weekend sporting tournaments, etc. However, to the extent possible, come to church when you are in town.
Invite the people you have been holding off on. Yes, we are in transition and behind the scenes there are changes afoot, but for Sunday morning we will still have a pastor on stage and music to sing along to.
Attend connect groups. We have a broad range of connect opportunities that many churches would love to have. Show your support, both for the church with your engagement, and also to the folks at those groups who God may want to you to meet. Click here to learn more.
Vote with your dollars. Talk and listen to God to see what he may be prompting you to do. We've had a persistent budget deficit for the last 2 years. If you feel called to help address that, click here. We will also be taking action to responsibly reduce our budget more in line with giving.
Volunteer. We have tons of volunteer opportunities, both on Sunday mornings as well as at other times throughout the week. Current needs on Sunday are with Kid Zone, Teardown, running the service presentation slides, soundboard, and serving on the Music team. Contact Deron to get more information.
Write your local board member. Let us know how you feel. If you’re fired up about seeing enCompass church lean into a new era, tell us. The board represents the congregation so tell us how you feel! If you know their email addresses or phone numbers, that is fine to contact them directly, or you can submit a message to the Board here.
4. Are we still going to vote on Matt and Emily joining the board? Yes, the election will be held as scheduled on Sunday October 14. Be sure to attend that day so we can count your vote!
5. Is the pastoral search process still moving forward? YES! See the pastoral search FAQ for related questions.
6. When can I expect the next update on the status of our church? We will provide a weekly update announcement on Sunday mornings concerning the status of our church, the pastoral search, as well as what you can do to get involved.
7. Do we have enough money to sustain us through this transition? Yes. We have enough money to make it through the next 6 months, even if there was absolutely no giving. That surely won't be the case. Furthermore, God provides for his people. We have faith that He will take care of us regardless of our bank account.
8. What will the voting process look like? It will be a vote by 6 board members, with 2/3 vote required to close.
9. What are you looking for in order to keep the church open? We will take into consideration things such as the Lord's leading, sentiment from the congregation (Let us know! CLICK HERE), current financial status, current attendance, need for volunteers, etc. We will also consider the extent of changes needed to bring our church back to a growth trajectory vs our available resources.
10. If I send you my question, how long will it take hear back? The board will try to review questions daily, so turn-around time should be pretty close to 24 hours.
11. What role, if any, does Converge play in determining enCompass's Future? enCompass is autonomous and only relies on Converge for resources (occasional pulpit supply, the ordination processes, church administrative data, counsel on matters beyond the local scope, etc). They do not tell us what to do. Converge only influences us through feedback and suggestions. To reiterate and answer directly, Converge does not have any authority over this decision.
12. Is the board looking at our 7 core beliefs to determine if we are still meeting our mission by continuing as a community? (For reference, they are Seekers of Truth, Followers of Christ, Celebrants of Grace, Community of Action, Lovers of People, Innovators of Ministry, Promoters of Hope.) Yes. We have opportunities to refocus our efforts. Those plans are not yet made, but will be discussed and published following a potential positive vote to keep the doors open.
13. Has the board conducted a SWOT analysis for the church? (For reference, SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). The staff, under leadership from Vince, conducted a SWOT analysis earlier in the year. That will be reviewed by the board and updated as necessary.
14. Is there going to be a church meeting for Q&A? We have specifically chosen to host Q&A online rather than in person in order to better accommodate people’s schedules. As you know, not all of the folks who call enCompass Church their home actually attend every week. We expect this will be the forum that is most accessible to the largest number of people. Additionally, we will have the Q&As printed off on Sunday Mornings so anyone not internet savvy can also get the information.
15. Can you give us the big picture in order to be more transparent?
Last Sunday, the board delivered an announcement revealing depletion of six key components of our church: attendance, energy, infrastructure, leadership, cash flow, and options for pastoral candidates.
Within the last month, the Board lost Joel McDougal, a young, energetic, and talented member due to burn out.
The development of the new budget revealed cash flow issues that had been ignored in previous years.
With the Sr. Pastor role empty, a lack of infrastructure became apparent. There is virtually no HR for staff, and little leadership development for volunteer teams.
We have a departing Worship Leader, and Interim Pastor.
The sum of the above required external counsel so we approached Converge North Central last Wednesday for guidance. We were told our situation models that of three other currently dissolving churches in the Converge network, and that we should strongly consider such a move.
It was also Converge's guidance that, with the news of two staff departures and the potential of closing the doors, there should not be an immediate Q&A session, but rather provide one after folks had time to digest the info. The Board is currently questioning the wisdom of that advice.
Though the message delivery last Sunday may not have been perfect, the information was accurate. The current state of our church is not sustainable long term. We cannot be the same church anymore.
It will require a pastor with new vision and significant infrastructure development. It will require increased membership involvement in giving, volunteering, leading, and energy to relaunch. Though nascent, plans are being developed to deal with the deficiencies while the pastor search continues. For example, another interview occurred last night and an updated will be in the loop this week.
Hopefully this provides some context for recent board actions. We are trying to make the best decisions that we can amidst challenging circumstances and conflicting input. We thank you for your patience as we try to do the best thing for the enCompass Church community.
16. What is Converge, and why would we seek their counsel? enCompass Church is part of the Converge denomination. Converge is the new name for the organization previously titled the Baptist General Conference (BGC). Since one of the core beliefs of Converge is "Autonomy of the Local Church", Converge resources and leadership function as counsel and administrative support to all churches within the denomination. As such, the board contacted the North Central office (our respective district) for advice.
17. Who resigned again? In the last 6 weeks three people have resigned from positions at enCompass Church.
First was Joel McDougall, who held a Board position. His resignation was effective immediately on August 29.
Second was Brett Carey, who is the Worship Leader. He has graciously agreed to stay until our vote on November 1.
Third was Vince Miller, who is the current Interim Pastor. He has agreed to preach until October 21 to give us time to determine next steps.