There are FIVE CATEGORIES of congregations.  The reason for establishing the categories is to focus congregational attention on assessment of their effectiveness in disciple making in light of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) and the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:35-40) 

The categories are defined in terms of congregational ministry orientation, i.e. the blend of outward and inward focus in ministry. Outward focus is directing ministry to the spiritual growth and needs of non or nominally religious persons in the community. Inward focus is directing ministry to the spiritual growth and needs of members. Each congregation discovers the category consistent with their current ministry focus by means of the Congregational Category Survey done annually. In 2003, 2004 and 2005 the Surveys were to be submitted in the fall of the year. Beginning in January, 2006 congregations will submit their Survey results as a part of the Annual Year-end Report. The Survey differentiates the categories of Transforming, Maintaining, and Dying by yielding a numeric score, 10 minimum and 50 maximum. Transforming congregational are those scoring 40 to 50, Maintaining 21 to 39, Dying 10 to 20. The Director of New Church Development makes the determination of which churches are Beginning and Reproducing.  Congregations given these two category designations will still take the Survey to find their place on the Category scale as Transforming, Maintaining, or Dying.  

The results are submitted to the OCT for inclusion in The Category Table, which is the compilation of the category determinations of all Florida UM congregations. The Table, kept current by the OCT, will be used by the Cabinet in appointment making, in assisting the congregations, and in measuring the progress toward faithful obedience to the Great Commission by our Annual Conference. The Table is not confidential. Each year’s results can be seen on the Conference web site. Congregations will be entered into the Table each year as they submit their survey results. Those who have not yet submitted their results therefore will not be in the Table.   

CATEGORY DEFINITIONS 

v   BEGINNING (creating or reclaiming a healthy balance of inward and outward focus)
A congregation in chronological infancy who is clarifying and adopting its mission to make disciples, or one who has been in decline and is rediscovering its mission to make disciples 

v   TRANSFORMING (a healthy balance of inward and outward focus)
A congregation whose primary mission is making disciples among the least, last, and lost people of their community
 
Transforming congregations make loving servant connections with people in their community to invite them to faith in Jesus. They have a heart for the pre-Christian and the nominally Christian. They will likely show increase in the number of people receiving ministry (i.e. avg. worship attendance, professions of faith, etc.) though such growth is not the goal. Transforming congregations also care for one another within the church family and continually provide opportunities for persons to grow in the knowledge, love, and service of Jesus Christ. Full devotion to Jesus Christ is an expected goal for each person in the congregation.

    Healthy congregations are transforming ones and expect to be so on into the future. Their numbers will increase over time. 

v   REPRODUCING
A Transforming congregation who is choosing to initiate the formation of new faith communities
 
New faith communities initiated by Reproducing congregations will live in a variety of relationships over time with their “mother” congregations. They may become independent congregations but not necessarily. They will have the same passion for disciple making and nurturing as the mother congregation. There are many models of faith communities available and more will be created by these innovative congregations. 

v   MAINTAINING (primarily inward focused)
A congregation whose primary ministry orientation is care for members

The signs of this can be found in expectations of the pastor to serve the congregation’s members as opposed to being their leader in mission to the community and world. Signs also are found in who the programs of the congregation primarily benefit.
 
Maintaining congregations live out an inward ministry focus. Change in their congregational life processes to a more transforming balance will be influenced by a number of factors. How long has the congregation has been “maintaining?” How passionate are the pastor and lay leadership about recovering the mission Jesus gave the Church? How patient and persistent will they be in the face of resistance to change?
 
As long as the congregation is viable, pastoral leadership will be appointed.  They will be encouraged over time by the DS, other district resources, and the OCT to enter a “transformation process.” Continued refusal to act affirmatively on the invitation will eventually result in appointing pastors who will preach, give pastoral care, and in general serve as chaplain to the congregation Almost all Maintaining congregations are in decline or soon will be. Their likely future without a transformation rebirth is continued decline and eventual discontinuation.  

v   DYING
A congregational whose ministry has remained inwardly focused long enough for the congregation to have experienced significant losses in membership, leadership, and financial resources
 
Buildings are often poorly maintained. Financial survival is often dependent on rentals to outside groups and/or endowments. The critical concern is that a Dying congregation is no longer fulfilling the mission for which it was founded even though it may be currently financially viable. When this is true according to ¶213 of the Discipline a study of the congregation’s future in ministry may be required by the Superintendent. The purposes of the study are to encourage a return to mission fulfillment and to determine the likelihood of this happening. If the study shows little likelihood of the congregation fulfilling its mission the Superintendent could institute discontinuation proceedings according to Conference policy, possibly ending with a recommendation to Annual Conference for discontinuation, which alone has authority to discontinue a congregation..
 
The District Superintendent may make this judgment with or without agreement of the congregation. In either case proper procedures for discontinuation would be followed. 

It is important to note that a congregation’s category is almost entirely a matter of its own choice. The congregation chooses the focus of its ministry, whether it is inward or outward and in what balance. So, no matter what category the Survey says a congregation is, by their own choice of a new Great Commission vision and passionate hard work they can become Transforming. That is what the golden circle on the graphic below portrays. 

Other Definitions: 

The terms “mission,”  “new church,” and “exploring” are not properly categories. “Mission” and “new church” describe stages of development in the new church start process. Neither of the three are descriptive of ministry orientation. Here are their definitions: 

Mission
            An embryo in process of becoming a church 

Some may never become a church. Mission congregations are supervised by the Conference Committee on New Church Development and/or the District’s corresponding committee.

New Church
            A congregation chartered, a step in the Conference’s New Church Start process, less than 5 years 

New Churches are likely, but not automatically, to be transforming as a natural result of being a newly formed faith community. They may invite OCT to help them remain so. They continue with mentoring by the Director of New Church Development.  

Exploring  
            Describes congregations which are at a decision making cross-roads 

 A Maintaining congregation may “explore” becoming a Transforming congregation. A Transforming congregation may “explore” becoming a Reproducing one. Similarly, the reverse is also be true. By inattention to the continuous need for transformation a Reproducing congregation or a Transforming one may settle back into Maintaining, or a Maintaining one to Dying.   

Help from the OCT
Available to any congregation that seeks it 

The OCT will lead all congregations to consider how transformation may benefit them, without regard to their participation in the Category Survey.  The OCT will spend its resources in support of the mission for which it was created, transformation.