Input will be collected from Diocesan and Bishop's Council members  prior to their meetings in May 09. Substantial portions of the  May meeting for these bodies will be dedicated to the vision and planning topic. Based on the results of these discussions, subgroups may be commissioned to explore key issues and efforts will be undertaken to engage deaneries as well. 

This decision provides the budget to enable the Diocese to continue to fund important projects and efforts that benefit a broad cross section of the Diocese' missions AND parishes.

Some key efforts that are, as a result, in various stages of planning are:

• Continuation of parish health grants (see next article)
• A series of webinars focused on training and skill development for parish leaders (see related article)
  
• A  Parish Life Conference, whose theme would focus on the unique issues and challenges facing Orthodox Urban parishes, is in early planning stages for the second week of July 2009 in Cleveland OH. The conference may also offer a set of topical/subject matter seminars in the areas of liturgical music, Deaconal training, church school teacher development and/or laity giftedness evaluation. (more below)
  

A bit more info can be found here.

As the St. Mark's team continues their effort perhaps they will discover other useful insights.

We feel compelled to share a few recent encouraging conversations and experiences.

1. Grant team leader Edith Marshall Roberts of St Mark's church shared with us recently that the St Mark's team is now meeting weekly to move their project forward. "One of the really great things about this effort has been the enthusiasm and commitment that has developed among our team. We've planned this project and it was our idea. Our discussions are enjoyable and stimulating and our team really feels like we're doing something important -- not only for our parish but hopefully we're doing something that can be valuable for other parishes as well. And, our group's interest is beginning to be felt by  the rest of our parish," said Edith.

2. In another parish the rector blessed a book discussion on a book outside the normal realm of Orthodox study. "I was amazed and pleased. Normally it is difficult to get people to attend our education sessions. In this case they all decided to meet regularly on Saturday AM. I'd have never expected it --but attendance has been good. They made time for it.  Our discussions are very engaging and useful." said the pastor.  A priest in Connecticut channeled similar parishioner energy, on the same book, in the same empowering manner -- and got the same results.

3. In a third parish a "Church Health Team" formed to bring renewal to a contracting parish that had  lost some of its zeal and "saltiness". The parish community was virtually unaware of the team's existence -- or the important challenges confronting the parish that caused the team to be formed years earlier. With prodding the group came to a renewed understanding of its important role in bringing momentum and fresh approaches to the parish.  This core group planned a Saturday workshop for parish leaders and over 25 people attended the day long session. Using the Diocese' Parish Health Inventory Model to structure the day's discussions, leaders agreed on Gospel Centered Vision and Christian Formation as areas of focus for the next year. The workshop's decisions led to important proposals and decisions at the annual parish meeting --significant decisions that were made openly, intelligently and maturely. New projects and initiatives are now scheduled and parishioners of all ages are being nudged into a palpable feeling of momentum and renewal. The "health team" feels valued and is brimming with energy and enthusiasm. 

4. A parish council at another parish recently held a similar Saturday workshop. They used the workshop to put a period of parishioner losses and overall decline behind them. Instead, they spent part of the day outlining a healthy new structure for ministries for the parish as it exists and as it can become in the future. Other groups worked on defining efforts that could build community and formation. Nobody knows what the future will hold but the group left with a feeling of hope and vision of vibrancy.

So -- What's Going On Here? How Are These Related? What Can Be Learned?
Drawing conclusions from a limited set of anecdotal situations can be dangerous -- but here are the relationships and themes we see in the above stories.

Ruts are Bad
OK -- you knew that! (But we needed a good way to create relevance for the great photo at right. Any conceptual resemblance to your parish? Perhaps we can try a new path on occasion?)

The hard part is getting out of the rut. Read on.

Permission
Many clergy are realizing the amazing power of trust. By giving people permission they often --not always -- respond by undertaking important, valuable efforts that fit their hopes dreams and concerns for their church.  They find the things for which they have gifts and talents. They begin to work on tasks that they feel called to do. And the outcomes are often infectious.  Try to say (or imply) "No" less often. Instead work on "Sure, let's try it".

Core Groups
Small groups can be potent hotbeds of fertile ideas for strengthening parishes. It takes time for such groups to blossom but when they do they often form a core for changing and strengthening an important dimension of parish life. People are learning to talk to one another about Christ and building his church --and many of those conversations are happening in small groups. Find ways to stimulate formation of small groups. Give guidance, assistance and boundaries. But mostly offer encouragement and when necessary be prepared to get out of the way.

Tasks and Projects
Ongoing ministries are important but can often become stale and tired. Find groups that are willing to tackle a "project". Find something that won't continue indefinitely but instead has a clear end point and a "product".  Such products can be an event such as a retreat, a class, a video or a document or a major revision to an an existing ministry etc. One parish is exploring a major renovation to its youth activities to find ways to strengthen how the youth program helps generate well formed Orthodox Christians --while also having fun and creating friendships. Once the renovation is complete the team can disband. Or, find a new project!

Structure and Process
Too much structure and process can impede progress, but we find that the preponderance of anecdotal evidence indicates that structured approaches help groups to coalesce on something significant. In the above cases either a book, the expectations and planning associated with grant funding or the framework of the Parish Health Inventory Model all helped focus the work of core groups on something stimulating.

From Few -- to Many
Sometimes the product of a core group can be a ministry carried out by that group in relative isolation from the remainder of the parish. In other cases however, approaches need to be found for the work of the small group to touch the entire parish. Various tools can be used to propel these efforts into the parish's consciousness. One team used a parish wide survey to gather insight for an education program -- as well as to raise interest in their effort. In other cases presentations and discussions and concrete proposals enabled to the parish annual meeting to offer its "Amen!" to the work of the team. Other obvious approaches involve newsletter articles and coffee hour presentations.

Orthodox Christians Love Their Parish
Its true. As we work with parishes we consistently notice that most people seem to love their parish. Yes, sometimes it can be too much or misplaced. This can lead us to a sense of  insularity or even entitlement. It can lead to competitiveness vs. other communities or a lack of connectedness with others. We may love the building more than the people. This focus may set up "the parish" as the object of our love --rather than God.

Nonetheless our church is where we worship and where we --hopefully-- learn to "love one another". A first step on the path to building a love of God can be to harness and channel parishioners' energy to make their church community a good place.

As we travel around our Diocese we notice that as parishes find ways to engage laity on a project that is valuable, important  and interesting to them -- good things start to happen. Energy builds and this energy can become infectious for the whole community's life in Christ.