St. Anne Long Range Planning Commission Final Report and Recommendations. Contents

Transcription

1 St. Anne Long Range Planning Commission Final Report and Recommendations November 2017 Contents Executive summary 2 Team and charter 3 Process 3 Strengths and opportunities; weaknesses and challenges 4 Our vision for St. Anne 4 Fundamental conclusions 4 Recommendations overview 5 Short-term (now 1Q 2018) Medium term (2018) Long term (may start in 2018) Implementation Summary and close 7 Timeline for recommendations 8 Appendix St. Anne mission statement 10 List of ministry areas used by the team 11 1

2 St. Anne Long Range Planning Commission Final Report and Recommendations November 2017 Executive Summary The congregation is basically strong, but opportunities exist for improvement and growth, to better foster discipleship in every member and be positive presence in our community. The St. Anne mission statement regarding discipleship through worship, education, outreach, and fellowship continues to guide us. Recommendations include steps to: Strengthen processes, leadership, and teams to better serve a congregation of our size. Expand and focus Outreach, and add new ministries. Consider new forms of worship and community engagement. This all will require increased energy and participation from the entire congregation as well as effective leadership from vestry, members, and staff. How will you engage? 2

3 Team and Charter Patty Cargill, team leader Mary Ellen Ekberg Eric Frischmuth Angi Meyer Ed Sweeney Tim Sweeney Rev. Phyllis Spiegel Matt Burgess, Tom Williams, Vestry liaisons Chartered in January 2017 Objective is to develop a 3-5 year vision of what we can be a written plan for implementation for recommendation to Vestry and the congregation by November 2017 Process Resource: Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations, Gil Rendle and Alice Mann Assess current situation and trends in the congregation at a high level. Understand the community we serve. Agree on a vision of an improved St Anne. Dig into details of different ministry areas. Solicit input from members via congregational meeting and smaller group discussions. Dig into details of surrounding community and trends. Create a recommended action plan with details of implementation. Communicate this plan to the vestry and congregation for implementation. 3

4 Congregational strengths and opportunities Healthy tradition of worship in varying formats, committed worship teams. History of Christian Education for all ages. Close fellowship that welcomes new people. Highly educated and skilled members with significant financial resources. Parishioners are generous with their time. Attendance and giving is increasing. Excellent clergy and staff have the support and gratitude of the congregation. Congregational weaknesses and challenges Many are willing to help, fewer step up to lead. In some instances, groups within St. Anne are not inclusive of new people. Parishioners have limited time to volunteer. Family calendars are a challenge to manage. More paid staff would lighten the load on clergy and staff. Mortgage is a financial burden ($60K payment per year, 11 years remaining) and expensive facility needs loom (roof, ACs, parking lot) Our vision for St. Anne Remain faithful to our Episcopal identity. Within this context, adapt to new forms of discipleship for today s world. Be strong in the four aspects of discipleship called out in our mission statement: worship, formation, fellowship, and outreach. See every member engaged to an appropriate level for that individual, partaking of and contributing to ministry areas that resonate, growing in Christian discipleship. Especially welcome newcomers to fully join our family. Make a positive difference to everyone within our walls and be a positive presence in the community outside our walls, especially to those in need. Maintain financial health, growing income as needed to support the needed facilities and staff. Fundamental conclusions St. Anne is a healthy congregation, faithfully seeking ever stronger discipleship. No dramatic realignment of strategy is called for. The areas of Worship, Education, Outreach, and Fellowship, as called out in our mission statement, continue to be valued priorities as key aspects of discipleship. We should look with an open mind at new ways of operating in today s world. Some ministry areas could benefit from improved processes, broader engagement, and clearer leadership in the immediate term. We want to increase our Outreach focus, to increase engagement of members in outreach activities and to grow our impact on the community. 4

5 Overview of recommendations Short term recommendations will focus on putting processes and team in place to allow the congregation to function more efficiently and encourage increased engagement of both new and longstanding members. (by March 2018)) Medium term recommendations will focus on expanding offerings and increasing participation in key ministry areas, notably Outreach. (3-12 months) Longer term recommendations will focus on careful consideration of more fundamental changes such as new worship forms and moving toward broader community participation. (1-3 years) Short term recommended actions (now 1Q 2018) Fundamental Vestry: create a list of ministry areas under each vestry position, with leaders. Note vacancies / needs. Work together on engagement ministries. Compile into a complete list of ministry areas. Share with the congregation. Vestry: Each vestry member put in writing specific and practical information on teams and processes for all ministries, for reference and for effective transition to new vestry members. Organizational Rector: Establish a vestry position for Engagement, to cover activities to encourage engagement of new and existing members: newcomer processes, list of ministries, list of open positions, Network, leadership seminars, etc. Rector and vestry: revisit vestry roles and scope of ministry areas; adjust if needed. Rector: Rewrite vestry expectations to include clearer leadership responsibilities: understand entire scope of ministries included under that liaison role, identify needs, proactively help to fill gaps, and grow offerings where appropriate. Ministry Specific Communication: Establish and document roles and processes to make sure all communications are timely, accurate, and helpful to relative newcomers. Who owns which platforms? What is the process for getting something publicized? What information should be included in event communications? Create tools to make this easier (checklists, forms, schedules, etc.) Engagement (fellowship): Clarify and document the process that is followed when a newcomer comes through the doors. Buildings and Grounds: Find / create / update / maintain B&G notebook of information - manuals, vendors, actions, etc. Buildings and Grounds: identify facility needs that are looming within 5 years (AC, roof, parking, others?), share with budget committee. 5

6 Finance: As part of budgeting process for 2018, create a 5-year projection to accommodate a second clergy as well as big ticket facility needs. Communication: help parishioners keep their communications information and access updated: Churchlife, Connections, lists, web access, etc. Rector / Pastoral care: engage Stephen ministers, prayer ministers, LEMs. Lay out guidelines for clergy and laity coverage of visits. Medium term recommended actions (2018) Highest priority Christian formation: Set up a task team to further investigate elementary participation. Look into concerns of parents, concerns of kids, difficulty finding teachers. What is desired today for elementary education? Outreach: Convene a strategy team to develop vision, goals. Align congregational strengths and passions with community needs. Consider a unifying theme. Include communication strategy to engage congregation. Outreach: Hold a congregational meeting on this topic to help determine the overall strategy and priority within the congregation. Engagement: create and maintain a list of opportunities to serve, in leadership as well as support. When Network is offered, consult this list of opportunities. Next priority All: assess ministries and leadership - are new people welcomed into these ministries? How can inclusiveness be improved? Rector: establish a meaningful, ongoing mutual ministry team to focus on priorities and positive development for clergy. Christian formation: Offer a Bible study option for Q1/Q Engagement: offer Network, aim for Q2. (Network is a program to help parishioners identify their spiritual gifts and interests and connect with compatible roles in the congregation.) Engagement: Develop and offer seminars in Christian Leadership to staff, vestry, and congregation. Engagement: create and make available a picture directory of some sort. Christian formation: Provide more take-home and family resources for elementary families. Christian formation: Communicate the Journey to Adulthood program to the congregation, especially elementary parents. Worship: establish a creative worship team to help with special services, advise on liturgy, consider new forms of worship. Finance: set up a planned giving team to encourage and facilitate including St. Anne in estate plans. Rector: lay out a clear vision for the role and priorities for a second clergy. Buildings and Grounds: investigate cleaning options, including stakeholders in the assessment team. Communication: reviving publicity role to communicate to the community. 6

7 Pastoral care: hold more speaker events on special topics, invite the community. Long term recommendations These can start as early as 2018, according to interest and capacity. Fellowship: Establish a small group or cell program for closer fellowship. Fellowship: Hold a fun signature event to attract the community. Pastoral care: offer support groups: divorce, parenting, 12-step. Worship: consider a Saturday / Sunday evening prayer service, run by laity. Worship: consider worship in other locations. Worship: consider incorporating technology into worship (videos, ipads, etc.) Communications: assess new technology platforms for benefits and costs. Implementation recommendations Consideration of this plan, decisions on how to proceed, and any implementation now rest with St. Anne, led by staff and vestry. LRPC members will be available for questions if needed. We recommend assigning a vestry member now, possibly senior warden, to oversee the implementation of the selected aspects of this plan. o Facilitate setting of priorities, with rector and vestry. o Clarify responsibilities, actions, and timing. o Monitor progress o Update vestry monthly. Once a year, engage a small team, possibly with one or more of the original LRPC members, to do an annual review of progress. Reassess directions and make recommendations. Report in annual meeting. Every member: Think about where and how you want to get engaged. Contact Andrea King or a member of vestry to offer help and share your ideas. Watch Epistle and TWASA for updates. Summary and Close All of us on the LRPC thank you for this opportunity to serve and for your support throughout the process. St. Anne is an amazing congregation with many gifts. We are excited to set our growth in discipleship together over the next few years. What St. Anne becomes depends on you. We don t go to St. Anne with God s help, We ARE St. Anne! 7

8 Timeline of Recommendations 8

9 Appendix St. Anne Mission Statement List of ministry areas 9

10 St. Anne Mission Statement see St. Anne website, About Us, Our Mission Saint Anne Episcopal Church is a vibrant community drawn together to know Christ and to make Christ known. We live out this mission in our commitment to Christian formation through Worship: Worshipping God is central to our faith journey. We value spirited music, enthusiastic participation, and Prayer Book worship in its full range of expression. Education: We are committed to rich and varied learning informational, experiential, practical, and spiritual across all age groups and for every stage of inquiry. Outreach: We share our many blessings and give the Gospel feet, striving to address the physical, social, and spiritual needs of those outside the Saint Anne family, near and far. Deep Fellowship: We practice the care of others by affirming, supporting, and challenging one another. 10

11 Ministry area list that we used to structure our discussions, with vestry contacts Worship (Bob Pearson) lay worship leaders, LEMs altar guild Doverwood Flowers ushers Nursery Wed night Lent, Advent services Service times Music (Bob Pearson) Organ Praise band equipment Choir Cantors Praise band leadership Children s choir Bellinistas handbells Short-term groups versus year-long commitments allocation of resources between services Pastoral care (Bob Pearson) lay Eucharistic visitors prayer ministers visitation and counseling food for homes Stephen ministers Prayer shawls Healthy flock Yoga AA? Single parents? Grief groups? Marriage? Divorce? FPU? Leverage Stephen Ministers for visitations? 11

12 Hospitality and fellowship (Melba Wilburn, Harry Samol) greeters special events, funerals, receptions etc. need leader coffee hour / brunch buffets soup supper, pancake supper potlucks kitchen management juggling Crafty ladies Secret sisters St. Anne Day After Golf Ball games, Pancake Need leader to pull together church events OWLS? Young adults? camping? Board game night? Hungry flock? Small groups? Finance (Eric Tuttle, Matt Burgess) Stewardship drive Treasurer, financial health Mortgage Planned giving? Capital campaign? Set up endowment fund? Buildings and grounds (Alick Watson) Upkeep and maintenance Utilities, bills cleaning parking lot landscaping snow removal capacity for growth usage of facilities by other groups Scouts 12

13 Christian formation (Brad Hamant, Aubrey Ramey) Catechesis Sunday school Journey to adulthood pilgrimage YAC Adult forum EFM Men s book club Inquirers classes First communion enrichment Baptism classes Leverage EFM grads? Bible study? B90? Christ Renews Parish? Women s book club? Need a leader for adult formation? Communications (Kevin Conner. Scott Balmos) TWASA, Epistle web site facebook bulletin boards external (diocese, newspapers) church life app directory Strategy audience? Completeness? Clear process to ensure good coverage (calendar for Epistle, checklist for events) Staff / leadership (Jeff Leininger, Kevin Conner) Leadership / delegation training Leadership role of vestry and staff Priorities for all staff Needs prioritized Vestry are roles, responsibilities, scope clear? 13

14 Outreach (Nicki Turley) allocations field trips Whiz Kids ASP Stepping Forward Giving tree, food drives Hispanic tutoring Summer lunches Faith Alliance Reach Out Lakota drives Summer lunch program Women's shelter, Matthew 25 Engagement in community policy Ecumenical / interfaith activities Backpack ministry? Refugees? Foster out? Watoto? Food for the Poor? Sudan well? Heifer? Northside partnership? Volunteer fair/100% engaged? Communication and engagement Long term vision - more focus? Local or distant? Engagement Integration of newcomers Engagement of all members Follow-up to visitors Need good process not totally reliant on Phyllis Newcomers visits? Information available, gift Discipleship of ministries Network? Leadership seminars Ministry fair? Ministry list with contacts? New member photos? 14