CHARTING OUR FUTURE

(Please read the post, 'Forum For Seekers' before reading this post.)


Dr. Michael Smith, Dean of Education at Lourdes College in Toledo, was hired by our Parish Staff to facilitate a Strategic Planning Process for the Transfiguration of the Lord Parish. The Process will be in effect from July until May. His fee is $13,000, half of what he usually receives.
The Statement of Purpose of the Strategic Planning Process is: "To engage in a planning process that will provide direction as we strive prayerfully, to live our Parish Mission."

Guiding Principles for the Process: "As we proceed with the planning process we will strive to:

1. promote open, honest and respectful dialogue.
2. provide on-going communication.
3. be inclusive (as appropriate) in seeking input from the parish community, and
4. maintain our focus and remain faithful to the task.

The Process will be called, "Charting Our Future". There will be a Parish Leadership meeting for "Charting Our Future" on Aug 29th at 7:00. Individuals were invited by the staff on the basis of their leadership roles in specific parish ministries. The purpose of this meeting is "To identify and prioritize issues related to mission, programs, people, resources, and facilities."

Many on the Pastoral Council feel that the idea of a strategic plan for the growth of our parish is a commendable idea. I do not disagree with the basic idea, but question the implementation of that idea. I was speaking with a parishioner about our parish leadership, and she said she wished that we could "Get the elephant out of the room." She went on to say that the "elephant", so to speak, was the HUGE barrier of mistrust between many of the parishioners and our staff. This mistrust blocks any truly open and effective communication that would ultimately provide the same results that Mr. Smith's planning process intends to provide.

Does our Parish really need a "plan" to come together??? I hear over and over, from people in leadership positions, that our Parish needs to unite. I have asked many people to give me three criteria that would satisfy this demand for unity. I have yet to receive an answer. Come on, I'm serious! Dialogue is very important. It would be easier to work towards a goal, if it were stated plainly for the people to understand. It does not seem fair to criticize our parishioners for not "accepting change", when what they are expected to change into is really not spelled out. Does 'uniting' mean building a new church and tearing down all of the buildings? To be good Christians, should the people of St. Peter's, St. Mary's and St. Joseph's have embraced the directives of the Diocese without question? Parishes around the country are solving their problems with creativity, not closure.

I do not really think of the people in these communities as petty, uncooperative people. I tend to think that they are intelligent, thoughtful, spiritual people who willingly, and lovingly share their many gifts and talents. Throughout the year, the people involved with "Charting Our Future" will be asked to gather data about the people in our Parish. The staff (our priest and our Pastoral Associate) will conduct focus group meetings in the homes of parishioners this winter. These focus group meetings will not be in everyone's homes. The facilitator said that it would be a chance for people to "ask the tough questions" to our staff. Tough questions have been already asked. Genuine and thoughtful interaction between the staff and the parishioners would have already provided the answers. Investing our time, money and resources in any program such as "Charting Our Future", will be nonproductive until we escort the "elephant from the room".

In the meantime, let's respect our past, believe in our present, and THEN.........plan for the future.