Strategic Plan 2011 – 15

Our Vision Statement – A joyous, worshipping, accepting, & loving community of caring people

Our Mission

To joyously proclaim God’s love with compassionate outreach to all.

Introduction: Rationale and Method

This Strategic Plan is a working document to guide the activities and work of the people of God in this faith community; to realise our mission of proclaiming God’s love to all with compassionate outreach to those in need.  The life of discipleship, of being Ambassadors for Christ, is a journey of discovery and response, listening and supporting, loving and caring those we encounter.  It is a life based in shared, meaningful and innovative prayerful worship from which we draw strength and courage, restoring us by word and sacrament to meet the challenges that arise.  This plan is a work in progress, the impact of which is realised in the process of transformation of ourselves,  and those we seek to serve over time, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work amongst us.

Process

Appreciative Inquiry was used as a guide to gather the insights and experiences of those involved in the activities of the Parish.  The “strengths-based approach” captures the skills and abilities, hopes and dreams of parishioners of the four congregations of the Parish.

The Strategic Planning Portfolio committee reviewed the theory, method and implementation stages of Appreciative Inquiry.  The interview prompt sheet was developed to gather data.

Parishioners were invited to form small groups in two centres during Sunday morning tea and the questionnaires were completed.  In addition one focus group was conducted with parishioners from the two smaller centres.

The data were analysed using theme analysis and were classified into six domains.  The results were presented and reviewed by the Parish Council at a daylong retreat in October 2010, and the vision statement and mission statement were developed.  The six working domains definitions and activity statements, and suggested timetabling were then developed and presented to Parish Council in conjunction with the calendar for 2011 – 2015.

The seven domains were:  Worship; Education; Pastoral Care; Hospitality; Stewardship; Community Outreach; and Promotion.

Implementation Phase

The Strategic Plan indicates ongoing well-established activities; new opportunities identified in the data; and innovations that contribute to the realisation of our mission.  The activities for 2011 are indicated in the calendar, which is integral to the Strategic Plan.   Ongoing evaluation and review and the scheduling for activities 2012-2015 will be undertaken during 2011. In April 2011 at a Parish Council Retreat the plan was reviewed and the Domains  revised and  approved. This was revised and updated at the 2012 Parish Council Retreat.

The Executive Summary on the next page outlines the Domains.