where Zion is going
Zion’s congregational council is in the midst of a strategic planning process. With help from Pastor Elaine’s husband, Terry, council is writing a Zion strategic plan. A strategic plan is a tool any organization can use to orient itself and move into the future. This strategic plan aims to describe faithfully who we are as Zion Lutheran Church, where we are now, and where God is calling this congregation to go over the next five years.
Why? Why now?
As soon as new and continuing council members got together at the beginning of the year, there was a spark. God seemed to call these particular people together for this particular time. We stumbled into conversations about Zion’s mission and vision. (I say “stumbled” but that’s how it seems from our point of view when the Spirit leads.) We discovered that the council had neglected for some time this primary responsibility, as stated in Zion’s constitution, “to lead this congregation in stating its mission, to do long-range planning, to set goals and priorities, and to evaluate its activities in light of its mission and goals.”
So the council started working with Terry. Terry has extensive experience with strategic planning and using such plans in for-profit and non-profit mental health care organizations. As of this writing, council has met twice with Terry on Saturday mornings in September and will meet a third time, Saturday, October 11.
Not so new
This strategic plan builds on good work and leadership from over the years. Kirby Winn, Zion's vice president, recommended what Tom Handlen wrote for potential new pastors some 15 years ago about who Zion was then and still is now. This will be the basis of the “Who We Are” part of the strategic plan. The “Core Values” part of the strategic plan is almost word for word those adopted by council in 2022 and hanging in the lounge, library, and narthex. Terry affirmed what Zion leaders wrote as a mission statement some 30 years ago. The line, “Growing in faith to reach out in love,” was part of that old mission statement. It’s the “Vision Statement” part of the new strategic plan.
And from the beginning, the council knew you had offered us an invaluable resource for strategic planning in the August 2024 Kingdom Caucus and the listening campaign that inspired it. This, council adapted for the “Strategic Goals” part of the strategic plan. Paraphrased, these unfinished goals are:
- Engage and excite young people
- Care for the body of Christ within Zion
- Optimize resources for Zion’s ministries for the sake of sustainability
Goals, sub-goals, and what vs how
These “Strategic Goals” are the big picture of WHAT Zion will do. On October 11 council begin to add sub-goals for each, the HOW. If you remember the Kingdom Caucus, you’ll see a few significant priorities you identified at that time are not in these strategic goals. That's because the council decided they are HOW we may achieve these goals, not WHAT Zion primarily needs to do. Look for them later in the sub-goals. The sub-goals will get quite detailed about who, what, and when.
Council will likely not have a full draft of the strategic plan by Sunday, October 12. When there is a draft, council plans to find ways to share it with you and get your feedback. It needs to be Zion’s strategic plan, not council’s strategic plan. Together, in faith, we may ultimately affirm it as God’s strategic plan for Zion, trusting that, by the Spirit’s leadership, we will keep adapting it as we go along.
Thanks be to God.
Pastor Clark