Vision Update - Look What God Is Doing!

Last spring we unveiled our 3-year vision plan here at Gaylord E-Free to allow us to meet as many people as possible and help move them to where God wants them to be.  The goal of this vision that we believe that God has given to us is to saturate Otsego County with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and let it bleed over into all of northern Michigan.  We are amazed at how God is already opening doors for our church.  Here is an update on the progress of our vision plan:

·       Having our services on the radio was an aspect of our vision plan for 2104 but God has blessed us and allowed this to become a reality a year early as our 9am Contemporary Service is now live each Sunday on The Eagle (101.5).

·       2014 was also the year we were looking to hire a full-time Director of Children’s Ministry who could focus all of their attention on our nursery through grade 6 ministry.  Again, God has gone ahead of our plans and we should be able to announce the reality of this new position in September of 2013.

·       Our technology team is working hard to finalize the next phase of our technology upgrade which has already been funded by donors.  This will include upgraded lighting and new cameras.  We are still very hopeful that this will be completed yet this year.  This will allow us to begin broadcasting each week’s message down to the Classic Service in the Chapel while also setting us up to be able to live stream our services on the internet, enhance our radio ministry, and even begin to move toward a television ministry.

·       Phase 1 of our technology upgrade will also provide environmental project in both the Contemporary and Classic services allowing us to use the entire front and sides of the auditoriums to enhance our worship and learning experience. 

·       A job description is currently being formed and monies being put into the 2104 budget for a part-time technology director who can help us in seeing our broadcasting, live-streaming, radio and television ministries move forward with excellence in allowing us to saturate Otsego County with the Gospel and then letting it naturally bleed over into all of northern Michigan.

·       A job description has already been put together for a less than part-time (just a few hours each week) Worship Leader for our Classic Service to bring continuity and to enhance our worship.

·       Plans are already being drawn up for an expansion of our nursery and for the addition of a coffee café where people can connect before, in between, and after worship services.

·       Much painting and other work has already taken place on the areas of our vision plan that deal with building upkeep.  In the coming weeks we will also be transferring our facility over from propane to natural gas, saving our church thousands of dollars each year.

·       We have accomplished our goal in 2013 of seeing 14.5% of every dollar that comes into our general fund going to outreach and missions.  Next year that amount will increase to 17%.

·       We have exceed our goal in 2013 of seeing 60% of our average Sunday morning adult attendance involved in an Equip-U Class or in a Life  Group.  Next year we move this goal up to 70%.