Feels more like a Charge than a Retreat

I don’t know why they call them retreats, but the full board is traveling out to rural Massachusetts (actually to Rev. Mason’s house) for a “retreat” this weekend. We are taking the time together to plan ahead in two areas. First, we are laying the groundwork for the next phase in our capital campaign. The upcoming phase builds on the first phase, but is quite different from it. The first phase was focused on restoring and repairing our precious building so that it is a safe, hardy and beautiful foundation for our future. And that phase was highly successful.  Now, the second phase is focused more on what we want our buildings and facilities to do: what kinds of programs, services, events, media productions, sacraments, investments, are critical for our future role in our community and in the larger world. Once we have a clearer picture of that, then we will be able to begin phase two in earnest. Our process along the way is to raise a few open questions which we will bring to the whole congregation, questions which guide our mission ahead, and the people, programs, and buildings we will need to fulfill that mission.

Second, we will also spend some time on “governance.”  In our present structure, there is some “creakiness” in how decisions are made, how priorities are set, how people are encouraged to work together and to be held accountable, and so forth. So, we will spend some time on trying to set a path toward more effective governance so that our ministers and volunteers have the least “friction” possible in their important work.

Leading us in these efforts will be Dan Hotchkiss, author of Governance and Ministry. He is an extraordinarily experienced guide for churches and congregations like us. He helped us launch Phase One of the campaign and we are returning to him now to help us develop Phase Two. At the end of our day we will race back to relax at Voices on the Green – hope to see you there.

 

David & Katie