Vibrant organizations make decisions about their future when they are in a place and time of strength, when they have opportunities to “stretch” and “risk.” Healthy organizations do not wait for a crisis to make decisions about the future; they anticipate future needs while living into their present callings.

FBC Rome has long been that kind of an organization. The anticipation of our church’s future needs led its earlier leaders to dream big dreams as they partnered with God to complete a new sanctuary in 1958. That willingness led the church to give more to tsunami relief in 2004 than some Fortune 500 companies. The church’s forward thinking allowed it to weather the recession of the last decade without significant loss of growth or personnel layoffs.

In August 2011, the last team tasked with visioning for the future for FBC Rome began; the work of We’re Here for Good concluded six years later. In May 2015, Pastor Joel Snider announced his anticipated retirement, and a search committee began its work a year later. Their task was to find the next pastor who would lead the church through the next visioning process. It was time to dream new dreams.

When Matt DuVall was called as pastor, he asked the church leadership to allow him one year as pastor before beginning a new visioning process. In the spring of 2018, the deacons unanimously approved retaining the services of the Center for Healthy Churches (CHC) to coach the church through the process, and the Deacon Executive Committee nominated a team of eleven people. The team chose their name—the Discovery Team—and took Jeremiah 29:11 as their guiding scripture. Led by their belief that God did indeed have a hopeful future for FBC Rome, their task was to discover what that future might be.

To read all the recommendations  the Discovery Team has made, view the full document below!