Surviving to Thriving United Methodist Leadership Gathering Fall 2016

Thriving churches exhibit 9 fundamental organizational traits.  Courageous and Collaborative Leadership  Compelling Spiritual and Organizational Vision  Organizational Self-esteem  Institutional Story  Community Engagement/Commitment to Spiritual Growth and Maturity  Strategic Finance/Revenue  Welcoming Environment  Habit of Reflection and Commitment to Prayer  Culture of Planning and Innovation

Thriving institutions know that urgent times call for strong leadership, grounded in trust, collaboration and action.  Leadership teams are functional and effective.  Failure is a possible outcome of risk.  Decisions do not promote mediocrity. Failure to make decisions limits the vision.  There is an appropriate balance between leadership and inclusivity.  Timely decisions are made with less processing and more efficient preparation.  The staff relations council or board owns the mission and vision, and knows and executes its role appropriately. Courageous and Collaborative Leadership

Thriving organizations craft a concise, compelling vision to live out their mission.  Mission is what you do.…and is long term.  Values are why you do what you do.…and are long-term.  Vision is where you are going.…and is revised every five to seven years. Bold Vision

Thriving organizations craft a concise, compelling vision to live out their mission.  The vision is inspiring, motivating, succinct and memorable.  The institution has made the necessary collaborative efforts for the vision to be owned by all.  The vision and refined mission emerge after initial planning events occur.  The vision is made clearly visible to the larger institutional family. Bold Vision

Thriving organizations create bold, living plans, paying close attention to connection and communication within the entire community  Planning reflects clarity, transparency and agility.  Planning is collaborative but efficient.  Planning is focused around action.  Budget planning is aligned with strategic initiatives.  New projects are adopted. Failure is tolerated. Continual learning is inculcated. Culture of Planning and Innovation

Thriving organizations embrace a culture of planning and innovation transformationa l strategic operational/tactical Culture of Planning and Innovation

Thriving organizations are proud of the work they do.  Strategic investments are made in people, programs and places.  Performance is routinely evaluated for effective contribution to the vision.  The achievement, growth and engagement of the community is consistently strategically affirmed.  Levels of community engagement are increasing and outside recognition is increasing.  The organization nourishes the community.  Community members stay and grow in their ministry outreach. Institutional Self-Esteem

Thriving organizations know who they serve. The organization communicates the right message at the right time to draw them closer.  The organization understands the assets of its community.  The organization understands the realities of its community.  A strong, consistent message is shared internally and externally.  Investments are made in sharing this story (marketing).  Church communities understand and LIVE OUT their value proposition. Institutional Story

Thriving institutions know their community, meet them where they are and take them to a place of their highest potential.  Unwavering attention is paid to helping people develop and strengthen a relationship with Christ.  Prayer is ever-present.  The organization has a clear vision for community building.  The organization is an active participant in strengthening the local community, responding to injustice, and fostering a Christian ethos.  Attendance AND engagement continues to grow. Community Engagement

Thriving organizations recognize that executing the mission and vision is dependent on the financial health of the institution. No Margin No Mission Strategic Finance

Thriving organizations recognize that the execution of the mission and vision is dependent upon the financial health of the institution.  The organization is financially stable.  The institutional finances allow us to think innovatively about how we serve and invest in our community.  Metrics are established for reaching financial benchmarks. Metrics are also established for programs.  The budget process is conservative and collaborative. Strategic Finance

Thriving institutions focus on virtual and physical spaces that foster spiritual growth.  The institution’s physical environment supports spiritual growth.  Physical spaces communicate commitment to spiritual growth and development of our community.  Virtual space fosters spiritual growth.  Buildings and grounds are assets and not liabilities  A master plan guides the future growth of the organization. Environment

In the end, it all comes back to this question… How are we cultivating a culture that develops bold, spiritual leaders who unleash God’s gifts in service to humanity? or…more fundamentally… How do we live generously?