Kudos to Our Amazing Staff

Thank you, staff members, for a remarkable 94%participation rate in the Pulse® survey, aka the SAT and SCAT (Staff Assessment Tool and Staff Climate Assessment Tool)!

Your responses -- totally anonymous -- will be evaluated and compiled in a final report to be presented at our December 16-17 Recommendations Retreat.

Your commitment to our church’s future is truly outstanding, and the time and effort you devoted to taking the survey are much appreciated.

The Making of a Vision Statement

Artist rendering of our Transition Team
hard at work.

“A vision is the mental snapshot of a preferred future that serves as the source of guidance and inspiration to all of our actions.”¹

One of the first steps in succession planning is for the Transition Team to compose a vision statement that reflects our intentions for the process as we move through the months ahead in our search for a new pastor. “A vision for the succession process begins with the imagination.”²

As an exercise to help us get our imagination juices flowing and to discern our goals for the transition, we divided into five work groups of five to six people each at the Foundations Retreat, and each group created its own vision statement.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, common elements and themes ran through all five versions. Concepts including communication with the congregation, transparency, engaging members to participate in the process, growth of our church community, a shared future with our new pastor, encouragement to develop new opportunities and ministries and a feeling of ownership of the process by members. The Transition Team then took these five statements and, incorporating the several common elements, constructed its own statement.

Artist rendering of our church feeling positive,
informed, involved, and secure (even though
they are standing in a bulls-eye).

So, without further ado, the unveiling of the team’s Vision Statement:

Our vision for the succession process is a positive experience in which our congregation feels informed, involved and secure; a process which provides healing from our loss, a clear focus on our mission and call, and that, building on the foundation of Christian community, leads us to our shared future with a new and
differently-gifted pastor.

Keeping these core values in mind -- and putting them into practice -- we will work together to navigate the transition process as we continue the journey.

¹ BridgeDesign® A Field Manual for The Elephant in the Boardroom, p. 14, Holy Cow! Consulting.

² BridgeDesign® Field Manual, p. 14.

We've Been Busy

The retreat took place in Wright Hall. Here's some of the
mess we made!

Russell Crabtree from Holy Cow Consulting led our retreat on October 14th and 15th. Members from the cabinet, transition and vision teams were there along with the church staff.

The upcoming posts will share some of the insights that Russell shared with us.

OUR TIME OF TRANSITION

from the Intercom for Week October 09, 2011

Since Cabinet approved contracting with Russell Crabtree to be our transition consultant, there has been a lot of work happening to begin the succession planning process that he brings and to prepare for the search of our new senior pastor. In the last few weeks, several things have happened:

1. Succession Planning Teams
On Sunday, September 18 at the 10:40 worship service, two teams were commissioned to help us prepare for the search of our next senior pastor.

The Transition Team is a group that will function until our next pastor is called. They are responsible for ensuring that:

• our congregation’s key ministries continue
• the Church Assessment Tool, a part of the process brought by Russell Crabtree, is completed by a vast majority of the congregation
• effective and regular communication about the transition process is offered the congregation
• adopted recommendations of the succession plan are implemented

Members of the Transition Team are Ellen Bowers (co-chair), Marge Cater, Jeff Crandell, Sandy Hauter, Leann Henry, Bonnie Loeser (co-chair), Larry Williams

The Vision Team will build off the existing call, vision, and mission statements to determine

• broad strategies to fulfill existing goals of the congregation
• new strategies and goals for the congregation’s future
These goals and strategies will provide the search committee a framework for the skills and interests that our new pastor will need to have to lead the congregation into our future. The group will begin to meet in October and their work will be concluded by January.

Members of the Vision Team are Lynn Adkins, Peter Hildebrandt, Eric Klinger, Kerry McMurray, Jenni Miller, John Miller, Al Palmer (chair), Les Schultz, Nancy Settles

2. Leadership Clarity Assessment
Congregational leadership has been offered the chance to take the Leadership Clarity Assessment to provide Russell and the leadership a sense of how the congregation views our current ministries and transition. This information will be utilized at the Foundations Retreat.

3. Foundations Retreat
A Foundations Retreat will be held for Cabinet, Transition Team, and Program Staff on October 14-15. The retreat will be led by Russell Crabtree and provide these congregational leaders the opportunity to create a clear plan for the coming months.

4. Church Assessment Tool
Following this retreat, the congregation will receive more information about Congregational Assessment. Every member of the church will be asked to take this survey. More information to come!

5. Pastor Search Committee
A sub-committee of Cabinet has been working to identify members to serve on the Pastor Search Committee. A nominations form can be found in this Intercom. Please return all nominations to the church or email Sue Crescitelli by October 10 for your nomination to be considered. The proposed slate of members for the committee will be presented to the congregation in late October.