Listening to God’s Voice: Planning for our Future
Paul H. Carew, Vestry Member

On September 19, the vestry took a significant step in approving a long-range planning process. This was not a decision made in haste but, as the senior warden noted in his article, one that evolved thoughtfully and prayerfully, beginning with the vestry retreat last May. The long-range planning process will challenge the parish by asking each of us to look 5-15 (or more) years into this future and envision in our mind’s eye what God is calling the Chapel of the Cross to be and do.

The following design outlines the role of the Long-Range Planning Committee and the process the committee will follow over the coming year.

Mission: To develop a vision for the long-range future of the Chapel of the Cross and prepare a plan to guide the parish in reaching that vision. This will include an intentional discernment element to educate us on how to ensure that we as a parish are responding to God’s will in making the plan. The plan will provide goals and recommendations in these areas.

Organization: A committee composed of 12-15 members, representing various constituencies in the parish (seniors, youth, outreach ministries, Christian education, campus ministry, music) will be developed. At least two would be vestry members and perhaps one or more would have served on the former Space Use Committee. The committee would divide into smaller subgroups to work on discrete issues, and those subgroups might be expanded to include other parishioners and subject-area experts, as needed.

Process: The Long-Range Planning Committee will start with a broad focus to gather as much information and parish input as possible, then apply these data to a specific plan for the future, with timelines, goals, and recommendations. The committee will present a draft plan at the 2003 vestry retreat in the spring, with a final plan to be presented in the fall of 2003. The committee will lead a parish-wide discernment process that will include a large-group parish retreat, small-group meetings, focus groups, survey(s), and demographic data such as projected community growth, church growth and plans of other churches. The committee will revisit the Parish Mission Statement as part of the process.

Product: The plan will consist of a vision statement, goals and recommendations, and a detailed workplan with specific steps on an identified timetable. The intent will be to commit the parish now to definable programs and resources for the future.