St. Thomas' Episcopal Church

From the Bishop’s Office:

The Episcopal Church
Office of Public Affairs

Strategic Planning Committee maps the future
for The Episcopal Church
 
Survey developed to solicit opinions

 
[June 24, 2009] A newly named Strategic Planning Committee has already set to work, announcing that its first step will be to solicit opinions from throughout The Episcopal Church.
 
The Strategic Planning Committee was established by Executive Council in January 2009 to develop a strategic plan for the Episcopal Church Center and the Executive Council which addresses mission and ministry, growth, finance, challenges and opportunities, issues and concerns, and to map a way to address all these topics.
 
Committee members were appointed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson.
 
Gathering for a recent three-day retreat and meeting, the committee outlined goals, identified issues to be addressed in the strategic plan, and detailed steps in their process.
 
Survey

Clearly apparent throughout the three-day discussion was the desire and need to tap into the resources and knowledge of the church and to seek comments from all people and areas.
 
To do so, the Strategic Planning Committee developed survey and encourages all Episcopalians to complete it. The survey is currently in English; Spanish and French will be available shortly.
 
Among the areas addressed in the survey are: evangelism; multicultural issues, worship, music, and liturgy; youth and young adults; mission; leadership; congregational development; church administration; stewardship; advocacy and social justice.  Additionally, there are a series of options and possible responses to the question: “To achieve your vision of a vital Episcopal Church in 2019, how much effort needs to be given to each of the following paths or strategies?"

To access the survey visit the Rochester Episcopal Diocesan website at: www.episcopalrochester.org.

The survey will also be available to be completed at the Episcopal Church Center booth at General Convention in Anaheim, California July 8-17.
 
The deadline to complete the survey is July 28, 2009.
 
Moving Forward

Resolutions will be presented to General Convention 2009 that will address the work and importance of a Strategic Planning Committee.
 
A draft of a Strategic Plan will be submitted to Executive Council by December 31, 2009.