Strategic Planning Commission -- March 14, 2003
We met to assess progress made on the Strategic Plan (SP) and to review the responses from clergy, lay people and deaneries we received from our post-convention mailing. Our work involved laying out several tasks to keep the SP on track and sorting out the issues raised from around the diocese about sharpening or expanding our work of improving the life of the diocese.
ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED
1. Canons: People have expressed great confusion about the Canons of the Episcopal Church and of our Diocese. On the basis of what we have heard we propose workshops on the Canons and a review of our diocesan canons for their suitability and for their consistency with the national canons of our church. Communicate this to Jan Wood and to Diocesan Committee on Constitution and Canons.
2. Role of Deaneries: There was a consistent theme in the responses we received that the lay people of the diocese want to strengthen the deaneries and to have the deaneries function as the focus for giving the laity a voice in diocesan matters. We propose pressing for the mandated gathering of lay conveners as well as deans to develop plans and strategies for strengthening the deaneries, by emphasizing the usefulness of the deaneries for:
information sharing
building trust
leadership development
sharing of resources
gathering the church (broader gathering than congregational)
building relationships with diocesan staff
developing mutual support among congregations and clergy
3. Communication was stressed more than any other factor. Our lay people want to be fully informed on a regular basis. They see the deaneries as the focus for much of that. We recommend that the following be explored:
make the diocesan web site accessible to all (Macs and older computers now excluded)
develop appropriate mailing lists in diocesan office (active clergy, delegates, DCLs, etc.)
produce guidelines for communications:
what should go out on hard copy,
what can be e-mailed (to appropriate lists)
what can simply be posted to the web site
who has access to mailing lists
produce guidelines for communications, themselves
What are the limits to “need to know?”
investigate issues and possibilities for reopening diocesan chat lines
reassess the responsibilities of diocesan communications officer
to whom does she report?
the work load and expectations are beyond the time contracted.
4. Organizational Chart: We desperately need an organizational chart for the diocese, spelling out lines of authority, accountability and communication, with written summaries of relationships.
5. Open up all regularly scheduled meetings within the diocese to those who wish to observe, granting them seat, but not voice or vote, reserving the right to hold appropriate executive sessions without observers present.
STRENGTHEN STRATEGIC PLAN
1. Ask Council to constitute nominating committee as the Deans and a lay representative from each deanery appointed by that dean. Members will serve until replaced by bishop (deans) or lay representative (by dean or deanery). The committee will be renamed as the “Diocesan Leadership Recruiting Committee.”
2. Request Jan Wood and Lay Ministry Commission to ensure that the Commission Convocation developed by them remain a regular, dependable part of diocesan life.
3. Request Jim Thomas and D.I.E.M. to hold the yearly consultation of all ethnic ministries in the diocese as well as all congregations supporting or involved in those ministries.
4. Request Diocesan Council to inform all agencies requesting funds that they much be in consultation with their Lutheran counterparts regarding planning and evaluating present and future mission and outreach before they will be eligible to receive funding in 2004.
5. Request bishop and/or deans to convene the meeting of deans and deanery conveners to deal with the issues and concerns indicated for such a gathering in Year One of the SP.
