My article in the January Beam about Session's decision to seek guidance from a church consultant did not answer all the questions!  We will discuss this at the annual meeting on January 29, but here are some answers in advance, and for those who cannot attend.
The purpose of seeking an outside consultant is to test our vision and help motivate us to move beyond all the surveys we have done over the years to use our energy and resources faithfully.  That may lead to numerical growth in membership or it may not; we are seeking a process that will lead us to spiritual growth, and we think it likely that will result in other growth as well.
The committee recommending a group to Session is Ginny Sauer, Jim Slayton, Jeff Todd, and Stephen Wright.  There are a number of groups and individuals who do consulting specifically with churches.  You may have heard of Alban Institute, whose magazine "Congregations" is in our library.  We have asked for proposals from about a half dozen parties including Alban.  Whoever is selected will make a few trips to Wausau, possibly three or more.  There will be much communication by phone and computer.  There will be conversations with the Session and probably Deacons and ministry teams as well as members at large.  The time line is not set yet, but we plan to proceed quickly.  Probably the main work with the consultant would take 3 to 6 months, and then we would continue to work together as a congregation following what we have learned long after that.
Some conversations of course will be confidential, but the    overall process and results will be very public.  That is the point of this process.  Communication will be by newsletter, in public gatherings, on our website and Facebook page, announcements, and by other means.
No line item was set for this, and the price is not yet determined.  That will be part of the proposals, and it will be paid from some part of our reserve funds.  We expect to pay at least $5000, and perhaps as much as $25,000.  The intention is to change our overall circumstances and improve our congregation's health in all ways, and we need to spend some money to do that.
For 40 years, our records show a concern about membership, and various discussions about how to change things.  As I have read those records, they almost all stop at the point of discussion.  This process will be no different unless we insist that it carry us to action.
-Stephen Hamilton Wright