Update: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
KEY CONNECTORS GROUP
1. How can we strengthen our existing partnerships with the non-profits we support to better understand their ongoing needs and how we can address them?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Strengthen – to stay connected
· Follow through
o Ways to contact Champions
o Assign each volunteer
Missions Team Group
· Highlighted each area once a month with a short video to the congregation “Mission Corner”
2. Are there specific programs or initiatives within these non-profits that could benefit from additional volunteer support from our church members?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Specific Programs – with additional volunteers
o Needs in E-News
o During service
o “Prayer” chain blast
· Straight Street needs mentors
o The Champion will have a streamline way to reach their people
· Remind app or Instagram
Missions Team Group
· Identify leaders of each non-profit
· Identify what each organization does
3. Can we leverage our church facilities or resources to provide space or equipment for events or activities hosted by the non-profits?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Outside area – build entertainment
· Inside play area
· Ways to non-profit to ask through the Champion then Champion to Staff
Missions Team Group
· Example: uses for training, classroom
4. In what ways can we use our platform and influence as a church to raise awareness about the work of these non-profits and encourage greater community involvement?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Champion’s create
o Mindful Monday’s
o We serve Sunday
o Monthly spotlight: update, needs
· In the lobby: invite the non-profits on a Sunday during the month, they are spotlighted
Missions Team Group
· Communicating what the non-profits do
5. Are there opportunities for our church to provide specialized training or workshops to the staff or volunteers of these nonprofits based on our areas of expertise?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Mission Sunday showcase
6. How can we incorporate service to these non-profits into our regular church activities, such as through service days or mission trips?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Service days and mission trips
o Start with the youth
o Make serving more than once a year
· Champions incorporate Life Groups, Youth Groups and Small Groups
7. Are there specific fundraising initiatives or campaigns led by these non-profits that we can support as a church community?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Take the list and identify ongoing or once a year needs
· Meeting needs throughout the calendar year
8. How can we ensure that our support for these non-profits is sustainable over the long term and aligned with our church’s mission and values?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· BIG IDEA - IMPORTANT
· Mission statement created by OHC as our WHY
· Do pulse checks at organizations to assure they align
Missions Team Group
· Church budget
9. Are there ways to foster deeper relationships between our church members and the individuals served by these non-profits, such as through mentorship programs or regular volunteering opportunities?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Staff to put things in front of the church
10. How can we regularly evaluate and celebrate the impact of our support for these non-profits to inspire continued engagement and generosity among our church community?
Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Follow-ups
· Opportunity check-ins
· Asking the organization to provide feedback
· About the experience and a way to share how things are going now and plans for future
· Encouragement and accountability
· Use data to encourage the congregation
Missions Team Group
· List each area – match up to volunteers
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS – Volunteers, Research & Development & Data Group
· Need a way to communicate needs through an app
· Ways to streamline to the right people
· Subgroup volunteers
· New areas to support
o Thailand
o SE Roanoke
s Cultural gap
s Homeless church goer
s Recovery efforts for folks unchurched
· College age population
· Communication!
· Congregation members to take the initiative
· New partnership and growing
o Staff on board to grow and use the Champions
MISSIONS TEAM GROUP
· Having an opportunity on physical needs outside of or before missions
o Physical website (Amazon cart and such) for physical needs and donations
· Our building is constantly being used, but there is ample space for multiple organizations to use the space appropriately
o Pavilion, cocker field, parking lot, garage, etc.
· Using our platform to broadcast any of their upcoming events. Letting people know where they will be, how they can contribute, what might be most beneficial
o Creating safe spaces for such activities to be provided
· We should be helping contribute to any event before the actual event
o What can we bring before
o Are their things that can be beneficial multiple weeks in advance
o Are there ways we can contribute that isn’t just showing up
o How are we contributing before the actual event is in progress
· How are we contributing to these organizations continually
o Are we just giving support for one day and moving on
o How can we make sure these continuous needs are being met
o How are we making these needs attainable
· Can a newsletter be beneficial
o Would it help people see the needs among the church
o Could it help communicate when we need more volunteers to step up
o Could it help provide people with more unique and experienced skills so they could benefit the community
· Could taking time after or before service benefit our cause
o Example: taking time after service to deliver word amongst OHC homes.
o In doing so it give families/volunteers the ability to build relationships amongst people benefiting in the organization
· Make fundraising “flashier” to gain more attention
o Social media
o More vocal awareness
o Flyers
· Find people amongst the church who can help raise funds through awareness
· Having an “inside” man/woman involved in the organization
o Having scheduled communication with said organizations
· More communication on what happens while on mission trips
· Showing the more nitty-gritty side of mission trips
· How can we tell these broken stories to show everyone what’s happening
· “Smaller” trips, a weekend or day trip could be easier for some families that want to help but don’t have the time or funds
MISSION TRIPS
Mike B, Kayla, Leah, Penny, Cathy
1. If you have been on a mission trip before, please share with us your experience?
· To be a liaison between church staff and mission organization.
· High light a mission each month.
· E-News weekly update.
· The “Champions” need to get updates and communications.
· Update website for missions.
2. What did you like? Dislike?
· Champions?
· Read Mtn? – we should support with Sundaes on Sunday
· Home groups could serve.
· Videos – share more up front.
3. How would mission trips at OHC be made better? Please explain and provide solutions. (Examples: more meetings ahead of the actual trip, more fundraiser opportunities, better planning ahead of time, types of ministry to do on the trips, training, etc.)
· Backpack, Capernaum
· How can we tangibly help non-profits.
4. Any thoughts on increasing the amount of trips we take? Is it necessary: Right now we take two trips to the Dominican Republic and trips to Rwanda on an as needed basis.
· Communication clear, but church and non-profits is a must.
· Lean into more local ministries.
· We need an internal Champion for our church members that have these needs.
· What happened to Stephen’s Ministry?
NEXT MEETING – TUESDAY, MARCH 19 AT 6:30 P.M. AT OHC
Agenda
· Budget
· Who we partner with
· Other calendar events and what we are already doing
· Trips calendar
· How can we collaborate instead of waiting for meetings
· Emails?
· Google?
· We are unclear how things will funnel through – Champions will tell the group of needs and who makes the decisions? Etc.?
· Goal – Missions on website
Missions Meeting Feb 6th
Introductions:
Name and favorite thing to do/hobby
Find a meeting admin:
Take notes on computer
History of missions at OHC
OHC gives over 10% of its budget to missions
Some of it is in monthly recurring and some is one-time gifts
Everything we give to financially we have some sort of relationship to
Scott and myself have been running missions and missions partners most recently
looking to grow mission teams and partners
Vision retreat
-In the fall we had our first vision retreat where a team met to discuss missions
-Out of that meeting we came up with a vision statement from OHC
Vision: creating a missional culture within our church that has a lifechanging impact internally, locally and globally.
(Hope those in our church will learn how to serve and care for others and serve those within our church)
- There will be some crossover with other visions groups (ages and stages, online/tech)
-We also discussed some of our needs and goals moving forward
We are about the people (people investing in people for eternity). Our partners are relationship based with a financial component
Organizations we Financially support currently
-Young Life Botetourt County
-Nkombo Island, Rwanda
-Dio/Pathway Dominicana
-Straight Street/ Christian Association of Youth Mentors (looking for local mentors)
-Blue Ridge Women’s Center
-Read Mountain Fire Department
-Care Portal
-Local Schools
-Rwanda Projects/Trips
-DR projects/ Trips
-Mark Rood Navigators
-OHAC
-Idea: “Cross coordination across projects”
-Bio of each organization and how we serve
-Better communication of partners and needs. As well as internal needs being communicated better.
-A way to ask for needs: An internal “care portal”
-Key connectors would help with keeping needs in front of missions team
Roles:
-Mission team members (who wants to dive deep into helping drive things forward, keep/discuss the state of our partnerships and develop our partnerships to be stronger, help carry out the vision)
-Admin (keep the team and myself organized and accountable, help with our meetings and be the main communicator)
-Mission Trips (want to be a part of a trip or help plan for a trip)
-Key connectors with our local and global partners (Keep the missions team up to date with partner, inform team/admin of needs, come to some or all of missions team meetings, ect…)
-Research and development (Search out new partners and develop new partners)
-Volunteers (interested in missions with unique skills, want to volunteer or serve with local partner needs and opportunities, want to stay connected with opportunities in the future).
-As needs or opportunities come up