1. Strategic Planning, Goal Setting & Leading Change VA Conference Mid-size Congregations November 1, 2012

2. Clarity and Purpose as Central to Vitality CTA: adaptive question = to redirect resources of attention, leadership, and money to make more vital congregations. Facts on Growth, 2010 Kirk Hadaway, Hartford Institute for Religion Research One of the consistent markers of a vital congregation and a variable that correlates directly with congregational growth is a purposefulness of the congregation’s ministry and the clarity of its identity.

3. Clarity of Purpose & Identity Clarity of purpose and identity in a mid-size congregation = Making decisions Making choices Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandebaum, That Used to Be Us  Leadership in our lives has shifted from directing resources to apportioning sacrifice.

4. Three Types of Planning 1. PROBLEM PLANNING: short term planning with a goal of returning to the way things were before the problem 2. DEVELOPMENTAL PLANNING: “long-range planning” that asks the questions – “What’s next?”, “What do we do now?” (Assuming that what we are doing now is faithful and appropriate.) 3. FRAME-BENDING PLANNING: “strategic planning” that asks the essential formation questions of “Who are we now?”, “What does God call us to do now?”, and “Who is our neighbor now?”

5. Today will focus on #3 Frame- Bending Planning (For which you will need:) 1. A Mission Statement 2. Outcomes (3-5 years) 3. Values / Touchstones for decision making 4. A Bold Story

6. The Essential Question WHO IS YOUR CLIENT?

7. #1 – A MISSION STATEMENT A STATEMENT OF IDENTITY AND PURPOSE Who are we now? What does God call us to do now? SHORT AND MEMORABLE (REPEATABLE) THE CENTER OF A BOLD STORY

8. #2- THE MORE CRITICAL ISSUE OF OUTCOMES

9. The UMC’s Long Journey from Membership to Discipleship The Present Reality The Preferred Future The Unsustain- able Future

10. The Ultimate Gap Present Making Disciples Future Unsustainable

11. The Need for Proximate Outcomes Making Disciples Proximate Outcomes

12. THE PROXIMATE OUTCOME QUESTION: Making Disciples “What does God call us to make different (in our congregation; in our community) within the next 3 to 5 years? Proximate Outcomes

13. Resources, Activities and Outcomes The Non-Profit Outcome Dilemma InputsThroughputsOutputs ResourcesActivities(Outcomes: what is to be different.)

14. Process vs. Outcomes PROCESS FOCUSEDOUTCOME FOCUSED What does your congregation do?What is your congregation called to accomplish? What kinds of programs or activities do you offer? How will people (or your community) be different because they are a part of your congregation’s ministry? How many people are involved in your programs and activities? For the coming year, what level of results would make the year a success?

15. #3 – VALUES / TOUCHSTONES FOR D E C I S I O N M A K I N G BACK TO: Clarity of purpose and identity in a mid- size congregation = Making decisions Making choices HOW WILL YOU DECIDE WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT? HOW WILL YOU STAY ON TRACK WITH COMPETING DEMANDS?

16. ARKANSAS: An Example We shall embrace deep change that empowers us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by: Rooting all we do in our understanding of scripture, personal and social holiness (the foundational principles of United Methodism), so that we revitalize our connection and our ministry i nstead of being connected by our apportionments, appointments and benefits. Establishing the mission field as the primary place for our attention and resources instead of directing most of our attention and resources to the institutional needs of congregations and clergy.

17. ARKANSAS: Continued Equipping laity and clergy for shared outcomes of transformation with excellence instead of directing resources toward congregational preservation and satisfaction of current members. Organizing our ministry around the unique geographic, cultural, demographic, and ethnic contexts in the identified mission fields instead of treating every church, district and conference structure the same.

18. Monitoring our Decisions To what extent did we, in the past three months, make decisions that: 1. Revitalized ourManage our Connection apportionments, appointments and benefits 1___2____3____4____5____6____7____8____9____10 2. Focus on the Address the institutional Mission Field needs of churches and clergy 1___2____3____4____5____6____7____8____9____10

19. #4 – A BOLD STORY A Primary Task of a Leader is to Give the People a Better Story to Live: The attractiveness of safe and weak stories People live into the stories that they tell about themselves

20. Who does the planning? A small group of people who actually have the skills of adaptive thinking and spiritual discernment. Choosing a conversation team The need for listening above representation. Inviting people to balcony work. Working appreciatively – from strength and sufficiency, not from problems and lack of resources.

21. Leading in Change #6 – Non-Synoptic Planning: Complexity and Conflict Problem SolvingNormative Strategic Planning Adjudication Non-Synoptic Planning