Background

It was 99 years ago, in a fledgling settlement on the New River, that a small group of God’s servants joined together in faith to form the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale. Since these humble beginnings, our church has grown and evolved into a thriving community of faith. As we prepare to embark on the second century of our journey of faith, we have undertaken an exciting initiative to celebrate our past and plan for the future: 2010 & BEYOND.

2010 & BEYOND is a strategic-planning initiative that looks beyond the next year and seeks to chart our course for the future. With 2010 & BEYOND, we are asking three questions:

      1. Who are we? 
      2. Who is our neighbor? 
      3. What is God calling us to do or become?

We know we're doing good work – all of us together have made this church one of the strongest congregations in South Florida. Not content to rest on our laurels, we now seek to "listen together to create an even stronger church." 2010 & BEYOND involves a process of listening and planning in three phases: a Church Survey, listening circles, and a period of discernment.

Church Survey

The first phase of "listening" involved a one-time Church Survey. This core sampling will help give us an accurate picture of “who we are”.

Listening Circles

The second phase of 2010 & BEYOND involved a number of Listening Circles. Approximately 20 small-group discussions were led by specially trained church members and gave you an opportunity to actively participate in the process.

These Listening Circles probed a little deeper for your thoughts, ideas and dreams about First Presbyterian – today and in the future. This isn't just about expressing our preferences or indulging our appetites; it's about coming together to explore what God would have us do and be in the coming years. We couldn't do this important work without you!

Listening & Planning For the Next 100 Years!

Now that the results from the Church Survey and the Listening Circles are compiled, a group of church leaders and interested members will interpret the results and discern what God is calling us – as a congregation – to do or become. The direction that emerges from this period of discernment will be presented to the congregation in 2011, as we prepare to celebrate the centennial of First Presbyterian Church in 2012.

It's exciting, isn't it! Just imagine where our church and congregation might be in the future. And – because you've participated in 2010 & BEYOND – you’ll know that you played a role in planning for our next 100 years!

For more information, please contact the following committee members:
Alan Arch, Arthur Bengochea, Douglas Brouwer, Connie Ast Caldwell, Janet Hamstra,
Thomas Kearns, Jennifer O'Flannery-Anderson, John Ripley, Phyllis Thomas,
Stephen Tilbrook, Birch E. Willey.