A Vision for Ministry at Edenton Street UMC

ESUMC is called to be a spiritually alive community that transforms lives through:

Connection with God

Connection with each other

Connection with our neighbors

View the PDF Version of the 10-year Vision Here.

What can you do to be a part?

Connect with God

We want all people to experience the hope, joy, peace, and love that come from a deep relationship with God. We will offer pathways to connect with God through worship, prayer, and spiritual formation no matter where people are on their faith and spiritual journey. Whether a member or a visitor, someone with questions and doubts or someone mature in their faith, someone who is lonely and hurting or someone ready to serve – we are more like the people God is calling us to be with you here.

  • Nurture and share Christ-centered worship opportunities, including music, preaching, and prayer, as a focal point of engagement with ESUMC.

  • Enrich spiritual development and create educational opportunities for all, from children to adults, and help make them accessible regardless of age, ability, stage of life, or place on one’s spiritual journey.

  • Offer pathways for people to deepen their relationship with God.

  • Cultivate the next generation of Christians through enhanced programming and mentorship focused specifically on children, youth, and young adults.

  • Nurture those new to the Christian faith and/or Methodism through specific education and enrichment activities.

Connect with Each Other

We will be a church that reflects and includes our community, where friends feel like family and where each person belongs and feels welcomed, known, valued, respected, and supported. We will offer pathways to develop healthy, meaningful relationships across generations and differences, building an active and loving community of faith. 

  • Create opportunities for our neighbors and members to connect, forge relationships, and engage in the life of the church.

  • Create a safe and welcoming church in which all people can experience a deep sense of belonging.

  • Invite, welcome, and engage diverse groups of people so that our congregation reflects our broader community.

  • Engage and equip every member who is willing to fulfill at least one lay leadership or servant role. 

  • Ensure that intergenerational connectivity is woven throughout all church opportunities.

  • Develop a robust, organized approach to ensuring that all members are cared for during times of difficulty and doubt, as well as joy and celebration.

Connect with Neighbor

Through God’s love, we will develop and nurture relationships with and among our neighbors, making Raleigh and the world more like the kingdom Jesus described. We will offer pathways to serve our neighbors–with hope and humility–in ways that make our community kinder and more just.

  • Make ESUMC a catalyst for the investment of time, talent, and financial resources in our community.

  • Deepen our individual and institutional relationships with our neighbors and identify ways to worship and serve together.

  • Further and boldly deploy the physical assets of ESUMC to increase connection, belonging, and opportunity in downtown Raleigh.

  • Foster a “Big Tent / Big Table” culture and specific initiatives that connect people across  theological and ideological differences.

Additional Strategies

  • Ensure that the staff, lay leadership, systems, tools, and revenue streams are in place to strengthen the financial future of ESUMC. 

  • Maintain and enhance the church’s existing physical facilities and assets to support current activities as well as Vision for 2035 initiatives.

  • Enhance the well-being and satisfaction of church staff, as well as their ability to use their gifts and skills to serve God.

  • Enhance our Communications Ministry to further share the stories of ESUMC with our members, visitors, and neighbors.

  • Create a model of “holy experimentation” that can be deployed across all three areas of our calling: a framework by which we can try new ideas, evaluate the impact of new initiatives and preexisting ministries, identify lessons learned and bless and release programs as needed, and expand and fully implement promising efforts.

What can you do to be a part?