Introduction to Long-Term Strategic Planning Process

In 2011, a new Task Force for Congregational Discernment will lead the St. John's congregation in discerning what God is calling us to now. Watch for more information soon!

Introduction to Twelve Keys to an Effective Church - from Adult Education, October 15, 2006

Kennon Callahan's book, Twelve Keys to an Effective Church: Strategic Planning for Mission (Jossey-Bass, 1983) is based on his work with thousands of congregations of all sizes and denominations across the United States. Callahan believes that

[e]ffective long-range planning will help a local congregation to achieve mission
and success. It includes three important dynamics that enable a church to move forward:

1. Effective long-range planning is diagnostic in its focus.
2. Effective long-range planning is strategic in its decisions. Discussion and study are the modest prelude to major decisions.
3. Effective long-range planning is hopeful - responsibly and courageously.

God's promise draws us toward our future with compassion and certainty.
The diagnostic, strategic, and responsibly hopeful dynamics of the approach here
to long-range planning make it most effective in helping congregations to move decisively forward.

The Twelve Keys

1. Specific, Concrete Missional Objectives
2. Pastoral and Lay Visitation
3. Corporate, Dynamic Worship
4. Significant Relational Groups
5. Strong Leadership Resources
6. Streamlined Structure and Solid, Participatory Decision Making
7. Several Programs and Activities
8. Open Accessibility
9. High Visibility
10. Adequate Parking, Land, and Landscaping
11. Adequate Space and Facilities
12. Solid Financial Resources

The goal of Callahan's work is to help congregations access where they are and where they are called to go. The goal is not to score "100%" on all twelve keys, but rather, to work towards claiming our strengths and expanding our strengths.

Although formal strategic planning sessions will not begin until early 2007, we have been collecting valuable data and engaging in significant discussion and study that will assist the process of long-range strategic planning and major decision making:
a. Archdeacon Robert Franken - back from Sudan - will be making a presentation to us on the Percept Survey of our congregation and geographic parish in November.
b. Emily Peach will meet with the vestry on October 29, from 12 - 3, to train us in Mutual Ministry review
c. Our many discussions with Cohen-Hillberry Architects have contributed greatly to our assessment of our facilities, land, accessibility, as well as our dreams for mission.

Everyone on the vestry will need to read Twelve Keys to an Effective Church in the next few months and then discuss it together, before strategic planning work can begin. Callahan's books are not the only tools that we could use for strategic planning, but they are a good fit for St. John's - cost effective, efficient in terms of time and energy, and well-tested.

In Callahan's model, the St. John's vestry will serve as the "steering committee" for long-range planning. However, the six sessions will be distinct from the vestry's regular business meetings, even if they take place consecutively. Input from the wider congregation and geographic parish (including previous data collected in a., b., and c. listed above, as well as future "live" conversations) will contribute to and be included in the long-range strategic planning process.

An Outline for Effective Long-Range Planning (four sessions, six stages)

Session I: Introduction to the four stages and overview
• Stage 1: Develop a realistic assessment of your church's present standing and stature
• Introduction to Stage 2

Session II: Stage 2 - Chose the primary direction of your future
• Stage 2, Phase 1. Determine where you are now
• Stage 2, Phase 2. Discover how far you can go
• Stage 2, Phase 3. Decide how far your want to go
• Introduction to Stage 3

Session III: Stage 3 - Study your strengths in relation to the twelve central characteristics of an effective church
• Stage 3, Phase 1. Prepare a preliminary analysis
• Stage 3, Phase 2. Analyze and diagnose the relational characteristics of your church
• Stage 3, Phase 3. Analyze and diagnose the functional characteristics of your church
• Introduction to Stage 4

Session IV: Stage 4 - Select the central characteristics, key objectives, and timelines that will advance your church's future
• Stage 4, Phase 1. Share and analyze your planning team ratings of the twelve central characteristics
• Stage 4, Phase 2. Select the strengths you would like to expand and add

Session V: Stage 4, continued
• Stage 4, Phase 3. Meet with a wider group of people from the congregation and the parish to determine which characteristics to expand and add
• Stage 4, Phase 4. Construct a timeline for the coming three to five years

Session VI: Stage 4, continued
• Stage 4, Phase 5. Determine your key objectives for expanding and adding characteristics

Notes from my Continuing Education Tutorials in Chicago Summer 2006

Key concepts and strategies relevant to St. John's redevelopment and to my ministry with St. John's include

(1) "Money follows mission." ï∞ "People want their lives to count by growing a movement, not a monument. People are not drawn primarily to buildings, organizational matters, business needs. Rather, they want to do something specific and concrete that will help make their lives meaningful." (Callahan, Giving & Stewardship)

(2) "The level of satisfaction needs to be higher than the level of dissatisfaction in order for the congregation to have a sense of confidence and competence." (Callahan, Twelve Keys)

(3) Leaders need to both "recognize your church's weaknesses" and "to discover a fresh connection between your congregation's strengths and the opportunities for ministry in your community today" (Mann, Can Our Church Live?);

(4) "A difficult implication of the bimodal [multigenerational] congregation is that current leaders need to stop waiting for the congregation to return to past values and practices. Instead, we all need to move ahead with learning the new values and new cultural needs, and learn how to live together as faith communities in authentic ways." (Rendle, Multigenerational Congregations)

(5) "An organization thrives only to the extent that its members are fully and intelligently engaged. When individuals really care about what they are doing, have strong convictions about it, it is natural for them to clash. Healthy conflict - by which I mean conflict in which the participants manage themselves well - can be the creative lifeblood of an organization." (Miller, Anxious Organization)

(6) "‘I-position' are about facts and issues, not feelings and personalities . . . [When taking an ‘I-position'], you take it as a given that you can't please everyone and instead take the stand that you believe in. Decision-making gets a lot easier when you give up the anxiety-driven belief that it's up to you to keep everyone else happy." (Miller, Anxious Organization)

Based on my work in the past two weeks, I believe that St. John's would benefit from further intentional work in the following areas:

• increased intentionality around greeting, welcoming, and incorporating guests and newcomers (SPR, All Saints)
• a more diverse music program at the principal service (SPR)
• stronger, more compassionate relationships between lay and ordained leaders (All Saints, SPR)
• creating a year-round worshipping environment that is flexible, comfortable, and communal (SPR, All Saints)
• celebrating some secular holy days that attract members of our wider community - like St. Francis' Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas in July (All Saints)
• increasing our service and advocacy programs to serve the needs of our wider parish community (All Saints, SPR).

These developments would build upon two strong, historical strengths at St. John's - the desire to welcome others and the commitment to mission and service in the wider community. Any of these developments, of course, must be supported and implemented by most of the parishioners at St. John's. Over the past two weeks, I have definitely learned that trying to cultivate consensus or trying to keep everyone happy is not possible if a congregation truly desires resurrection, rather than death. May God grant me and the other leaders of St. John's the courage, the patience, and the sense of humor required to become stronger, more innovative leaders, able to continue St. John's redevelopment into the welcoming, vibrant, effective Christian community that God calls us to be.

From a report to Diocesan Convention 2006

St. John's is now a vibrant, diverse, and growing congregation, just like the wider geographic parish. In 2003, St. John's reported average Sunday attendance was 16. In 2004, ASA was 25. In 2005, ASA was 43. In 2006 so far, St. John's ASA is 58. Numbers do not tell the whole story, of course, but they do reflect the growth in faith, in energy, in programs, in mission, and in outreach at St. John's. In the past year alone, St. John's has developed a pastoral-sized model of ministry, including vestry-led working groups to implement the actions of the vestry between monthly meetings; a Sunday School program for children and adults; and a cooling center in the summer and hot meals program in the winter. St. John's buildings are used night and day by many different tenant groups and local organizations; the leadership at St. John's is working with Cohen-Hilberry Architects on plans to make St. John's more accessible, flexible, and energy efficient. St. John's is now recognized as a safe, welcoming space for all neighborhood "parishioners" to gather, whether or not they currently join the St. John's congregation for worship. Folks know that something exciting is happening at St. John's.

By the time St. John's 5 year grant for congregational redevelopment from the Diocese has expired, St. John's will be financially independent, in the midst of a significant capital campaign, and eager to help redevelop other declining city congregations. Praise God for all that has happened at St. John's in the past two years and pray for St. John's continued growth, led by the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name.