What dynamics do you observe?
The members of this church seems lost and unorganized. They lack direction and boundaries. The change in the number of members seems like they are either not realistic about their state or they lack the office management to identify who in the roster still a member of the church. The latter could be because office staff lacks direction. They are not good stewards as they have not handle repairs and finances in an effective way.
What other information would you want?
As a Pastor I would like to know the following;
1. Board of Directors- Who is in the board of director and their duties2. Bylaws- What does the bylaws state about membership roster?
3. Finances- I would like to see a financial report of profit and loss for the past year.
4. Church Responsibilities- I would like to know what are the church bills and the amount to be paid to each vendor.
5. Current procedures- I would like to know what procedures are being followed if any and who carry out the tasks.
6. Order of worship followed currently and what was before the current state.
What would be your next steps?
1. I would like to do a demographic survey the neighborhood. For example number of kids per household, age of the residents, occupations, etc.
2. Review the information provided on the previous answer to make a plan.
3. Have a meeting with the congregation and survey them. To find out what is working according to them and what is not. I would also like to know what the congregants would like to see in the future.
4. Create a committee to help carry out a strategic plan for the church.