We did it ... and more!

218 CATs submitted! 109% of our goal of 200

This is truly a remarkable response -- thank you to all! Moving on ... we won't stop posting entirely but our efforts can now be directed to what the assessment tells us.

The data will be compiled and evaluated by Holy Cow! Consulting and reports will be distributed at the Recommendations Retreat, December 16 and 17, attended by the program staff, Cabinet members and the Vision, Search and Transition Teams. Soon after the retreat, condensed reports will be available in the gathering area and the full report may be accessed in the church office.

Next up: Mark your calendars now for January 22, 2012, 2 - 4 pm, to attend a church-wide forum in Wright Hall to learn more about the CAT's findings and our plans to implement the suggestions. This will be an opportunity to engage in discussions concerning the transition period and perhaps to discover areas in which you may be willing to serve.

A reminder: This Sunday, December 4, we will have a brief congregational meeting following the second service -- and preceding the Advent Gathering -- to approve the nominees for the Senior Pastor Search Committee.

Look for soon: A wall chart in the gathering area depicting the timeline for the Vision, Search and Transition Teams with descriptions of 'where we're at' during each phase of the journey.

As always, we're available for questions, concerns and comments.

Again, thanks for making your voices heard!

Bonnie

The CAT's stats and more

273 Letters of Authentication mailed to Sylvania UCC families on November 12, 2011

424 family members eligible to participate in the CAT survey

85 completed surveys as of 5:30 pm November 19th -- Day 6

1 can caffeine-free diet Coke to write this blog post

Have you taken the CAT yet? For the 20 to 25 minutes of time required to complete the assessment, we believe this is the most important thing you can do for our church right now. Your input is critical to help us guide Sylvania UCC into the future.

All eligible family members in a household should respond to the survey individually and file (i.e. submit) it separately. (We're not the IRS ... no joint filing option available on this return!) Multiple surveys can be filled out and submitted from the same computer. Who's eligible? All members of your household who are over the age of 16 and capable of responding to questions and are active participants in the life and worship of the congregation. Parents of members under the age of 16 are to determine if their child is capable of responding to the questions.

Are you more comfortable with pen and paper, has your computer crashed or gone haywire, or would you just like to 'get it done' while at church? That's fine, we have the perfect solution for you -- paper copies are available on the table in the gathering area. You can complete the survey on site or take it home and mull it over at your leisure (until November 30th that is). Return the survey to the collection box and the data will be entered anonymously.

While your individual assessment is confidential, the collective story will be shared with the congregation over the next several months. Watch for more information about The CAT's Meow (tentative name/working title/comic relief for those who can't let go of the theme) to take place on January 22 in the afternoon in Wright Hall, an opportunity to learn about our findings and recommendations.

The survey will close November 30, and we suggest considering doing it now before the Turkey Tryptophan syndrome kicks into high gear.

If you are one of the 85 who has completed the survey, we offer you a huge thank you. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated.

Questions, comments, suggestions or concerns? Please contact any member of the Transition Team and share your thoughts. Members' names can be found under the 'About the Blog' tab.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bonnie