Plan-do-evaluate-plan-do-evaluate…

For most of us, the subject of restructuring Diocesan Council is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But the restructuring that is going on right now could have some much more exciting possibilities for the Diocese.

Diocesan Council, with elected and appointed members from across the Diocese, functions a bit like a vestry or bishop’s committee for the whole diocese. They oversee the program of the diocese and develop the budget. Bishop Waggoner is the president of Diocesan Council and the Rev. Anne Barton is vice president.

Our canons give the council responsibilities in four areas: mission, education, finance and social ministry. The tricky part is for the council to keep up with all of the program areas in those four categories – the hopes and dreams of those ministries as well as their challenges. How does the council stay involved in everything from college ministry to the United Thank Offering?

Our diocesan Mission Imperatives also shape the ministry of the diocese and help to set the budget priorities. We remember that we’ve prioritized our ministries of  Christian formation for all ages; of attracting and involving younger members; of strengthening Hispanic ministry; of engaging in bold new ventures;  inviting and including all;  focusing our outreach; and strengthening diocesan community.

This year’s council began its work by organizing itself into four new committees:  Administration and Finance, Formation for Ministry, Mission Strategy, and Social Justice and Outreach. Each of those committees will work with a group of program areas during the year, staying in regular communication. They’ll begin by reviewing mission statements and goals of each one – an exercise in “getting to know you.”

But there is another step. Those committees are also asking the program groups to use a  method called the “Mutual Ministry Cycle” to do their program planning for the year.   Some congregations have used the Mutual Ministry Cycle to do their annual planning, but it is also works well with programs.

Essentially, it is a cycle of planning and goal-setting, doing the work and then evaluating the results as plans begin for another year. We can ask questions like, “What can we celebrate about our work last year?”  or “What might we have done better?”  “What have we learned from last year’s work?”  The answers to those questions lead toward the next year’s goals and plans.

Council members and program group leaders have been invited to a training session at the end of March that will help them enter into this process.

In a way, this shift is a small step, but could be a very important one as the council lives into its responsibilities of guiding the program life of the diocese and being good stewards of our resources. And maybe the style of planning, doing the work, evaluating and then planning some more will become “contagious” in a good way – a way that makes all of our work together more fruitful.

Is it exciting? Kind of. Is it important? Absolutely.