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TOGETHER WE CAN
SIX-MONTH REPORT TO THE DIOCESE
October 13, 2004
INTRODUCTION
Since April 1, your Standing Committee and other diocesan leaders have been working to stabilize the diocese by focusing on rekindling trust, building teamwork, and improving our structures. Our common vision is of a diocesan family working together -- Christians across the diocese in congregations both large and small -- committed to mutual ministry and mutual accountability. Our ultimate objective is a diocese that operates effectively and efficiently, incorporating the particular gifts and skills our new bishop may bring.
In this endeavor, we are committed to honesty and transparency, inviting everyone into the dialogue. Some of you have joined the dialogue by raising excellent questions. We are pleased to describe our vision and our goals.
We believe that all congregations in our diocese will benefit from participating in the process we describe below and we invite your participation in this ongoing process.
What is the Standing Committee's understanding of the leadership challenge facing the Diocese? Short-term? Long term?
A. SHORT-TERM LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES:
· Restore trust
· Develop effective and accurate communication systems
· Establish collaborative leadership with key diocesan leaders
· Call an assisting bishop to help us through the transition
· Repair diocesan structures
· Set goals and demand accountability
· Discern and articulate a diocesan vision
B. LONG-TERM LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES:
· Develop adequate funding for diocesan programs
· Determine and enable future mission and ministry
· Elect the third diocesan bishop
· Establish collaborative leadership style for all diocesan leaders
· Maintain effective and accurate communication systems
· Maintain responsible oversight of program, policy, and budget
· Ensure ongoing strategic planning
· Conduct thorough diocesan evaluations
What management goals has the Standing Committee established to address its short-term leadership challenge?
1. RESTORE TRUST AND TEAMWORK
Responsible: Standing Committee with diocesan leaders
A. ESTABLISH CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Responsible: Standing Committee
GOAL: To establish clear communication throughout the diocese through parish visits, Standing Committee Updates, News ‘n Notes, Monday Morning Meditations, Notes to Deacons, ECR web site, Mission House Mailings, and Diocesan Communication Liaisons (DCLs) beginning March 2004 and ongoing.
Parish visitations – Bishop Romero and a Standing Committee representative;
Jan Wood
Updates – Standing Committee, Donna Ross and Brian Nordwick
News 'n Notes - Susan Altig and Deans
Monday Morning Meditations - Donna Ross and other clergy
Notes for Deacons - Harriet Linville
Website - Stephenie Cooper
Mission House Mailings - Susan Altig, Brian Nordwick
DCL’s – Susan Altig
B. BUILD A COLLABORATIVE WORKING TEAM
Responsible: Standing Committee President, Corporation President, Council Chair, Administrator, Canons, Assisting Bishop
GOAL: To build a collaborative Diocesan Leadership Team during 2004 with members to include Standing Committee President, Corporation President, Council Chair, Administrator, Canons, Assisting Bishop. The team will work with and serve as a resource to clergy, congregations, Deans, DIEM, COM, Personnel Commission and Chancellor.
Clergy – Priests, Deacons, Missioners - Assisting Bishop, Canon to Ordinary
Congregations - Canon Educator and Canon to Ordinary
Deans and Deanery Conveners - Harriet Linville
DIEM Convener - Joan Gardner and Joe Chouinard
Finance and Budget Chairs – Joanna Shreve
COM Chair - Joanna Shreve
Personnel Commission Chair - Brian Nordwick, Donna Ross
Chancellor (resource) - Chris Creed
2. REPAIR AND IMPROVE OUR STRUCTURES
Responsible: Standing Committee Liaisons working with committees and entities
GOAL: To begin the process of repairing our diocesan structures, with SC liaisons working in partnership with diocesan committees and entities, for the purpose of financial stability and accountability, support for small parishes, and regularized personnel administration.
a. DIOCESE: financial stability and accountability
Joanna Shreve and Chris Creed; Administrator; Council; Finance Committee; DIEM; Corporation; Audit Committee
b. CONGREGATIONS: support for small parishes
Assisting Bishop, Canon to the Ordinary and Canon Educator
c. MISSIONS: financial stability and accountability
Joan Gardner and Joe Chouinard, Canon to Ordinary, DIEM Convener
d. MINISTRY: COM; Clergy Conduct Committee (to be established)
Joanna Shreve, Donna Ross, Gordon Gritter
COM: Jerry Witherspoon and Joanna Shreve
Clergy Conduct Committee: SC, ECCO, Personnel Commission
Contract with Oxford Document Company for background checks
e. PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Personnel Commission; Administrator; Donna Ross
3. DISCERN AND ARTICULATE A DIOCESAN VISION
Responsible: Conference Planning Team
(David Breuer, Keith Johnson, Gary Letson, Barbara Miller, Silito Romero, Joanna Shreve, Jan Wood, Tom Woodward, and Ann Wright, Chair)
GOAL: To develop a vision for the Diocese of El Camino Real for the 21st century to guide the important work of this diocese, through input from all levels of the diocese in discerning our values, priorities, and goals.
The Conference Planning team, working with three consultants, will lead the diocese through a process to develop our vision for the future. This work will have the added benefit of helping us to strengthen our relationships and sense of community, foster spiritual maturity, and clarify where we want to focus our financial resources.
a) September 2004 - Conference for all clergy and laity entitled “Forgiving the Past, Living into the Future” - a day of forgiveness and planning for the future
b) October 2004 - Time with the new Assisting Bishop – to meet diocesan leaders, to begin conversations with clergy, and to be welcomed by the diocesan family
c) November 2004 - Conference for all clergy and laity entitled "Living into the Future, Embracing the Possibilities." Continued discussion of shared ministry with Ron Reed and Dale Simison as facilitators.
d) January 2005 - Diocesan Convention – in a small group exercise, clergy and lay leaders will share perspectives.
e) February/March 2005 - In deaneries, review diocesan history to clarify
common understandings.
f) April 2005 - Clergy and laity meet together to share the historical information
collected in the deanery meetings. From the sharing of stories, we can begin to identify our norms; those we wish to move ahead with and those we wish to set aside.
g) June 2005 - Clergy and laity meet together to finish the work on the norms and move toward discerning core values and priorities.
h) July/August 2005 - Conduct interviews with the larger community, constituencies, and stakeholders to understand collaborative opportunities, mission field, and community perceptions of ECR.
i) September 2005 - Clergy and laity come together to clarify our goals, values, and identity. We plan to celebrate the work we have done to prepare for the next step; developing our vision.
j) October/November 2005 - Develop our vision statement and Goals and Objectives to realize that vision..
k) January 2006 - At the annual Diocesan Convention, we will proclaim our
vision based on our common understanding of our core values and priorities
4. ELECT THE THIRD BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF EL CAMINO REAL
Responsible: the People of the Diocese of El Camino Real
GOAL: To call as Third Bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real, a person whose vision and practice of mission and ministry is in alignment with the values, goals, and vision identified by the people of the Diocese.
a. Conference Planning Team process completed
b. Joint Process Committee takes up work again
c. Search Committee completes tasks
d. Transition Committee completes tasks
e. Third Bishop is Consecrated
f. Bishop and Diocesan Leaders work collaboratively for mission and ministry
What is the Standing Committee’s Long-Term Goal?
GOAL: To determine the direction for the future through the collaborative work of diocesan leaders and the people of the diocese.
The long-term objectives can, at present, be seen only in broad outline. They will be developed as the various entities of the diocese learn to confer and work together, as genuine collegiality and accountability are established, as successive Diocesan Conventions determine the possibilities and directions for the future, and as the crucial process of choosing a new Bishop is brought to completion.
These goals and objectives will be set by diocesan leaders and the people of the diocese (not just the Standing Committee) in a two-step process:
1) during the interim: Goals and objectives will be set by the Standing Committee and Assisting Bishop working with the people of the Diocese through Diocesan Council and the Conference Planning Team in conferences, forums, budget meetings, etc. The Diocesan Strategic Plan, developed in 2002 using the results of the 2001 Diocesan Assessment, is also guiding this work.
2) after the election of the next Diocesan Bishop: In-depth evaluations of the diocese are scheduled every five years by canon law. Goals and action plans are drawn from these evaluations by the Strategic Planning Commission, presented for approval at Convention, and then are administered by the Bishop, the Standing Committee (acting as a council of advice), the Council (exercising oversight over program and budget), and the Corporation (exercising oversight of funds, investments, and property).
Continued ...
