Report of the Strategic Planning Commission

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StrategicPlanningCommissionReport2010.pdf

 
 
 
Report of the Strategic Planning Commission
For the 41st Annual Convention
Of the Diocese of Central Florida
January 30, 2010
 
            The Strategic Planning Commission was created by Bishop John W. Howe in 2009 in response to Resolution R-8 that called for such a Commission “…to infuse this Diocese with the theological vision and values implicit in the [Bishop’s] Pastoral Letter [of April 15, 2008] and to carry its vision and values into the future.”
 
            The Commission has met several times during the past year, and has solicited the contributions of all of our clergy, vestries, and congregations in seeking to determine how to best carry out this charge.
 
            We believe the time is at hand for this Diocese as a whole, by action of this 41st Annual Convention, to reaffirm the Vision, Values, Mission and Goals that were expressed in the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter. We summarize them as follows:
 
The Vision: To be a diocese fully committed to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission: to truly love God with all of our being, and to go into all the world and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything that Jesus taught his original disciples.
 
The Values: We believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. (John 14:6) With our Bishop we believe we are called to proclaim Christ’s resurrection, interpret his Gospel, and testify to his sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings.
 
The Mission: To develop and support congregations of Episcopalians who are truly in love with the Lord and his Word, and who reach out to include others in the adventure of knowing and following Christ.
 
The Goals: We commit ourselves to the ongoing work of
  • Developing Vital Congregations
  • Developing Strong and Effective Leaders, Clergy and Laity
  • Launching New Congregations
  • Developing Outstanding Youth and Young Adult Ministries
 
            Vital congregations are the necessary instrument through which Godly Anglican worship takes place; through which disciples for Jesus Christ are trained; for evangelizing those who have not yet found a vital relationship with God; and for producing the works of righteousness necessary within each congregation’s social context. Therefore, we are committed to strengthening our current congregations to the maximum extent possible.      
 
            This involves teaching our members the eternal necessity of a relationship with Jesus Christ, how to bear a winsome witness to our faith, how to teach that faith to others, how to train new Christians in the discipline of a committed Christian lifestyle, and how to build bridges into the non-church community that surrounds each parish family.
 
            Through the Christian Formation Commission we are committed to working alongside existing congregations encouraging them to initiate “best practices” as discovered and disseminated at the diocesan level.
 
            Through the Congregational Development Commission we are committed to initiating and launching new congregations.
 
            Through the Evangelism Commission we are committed to helping our members learn to share the good news of life in Christ.
 
            Through the Institute for Christian Studies, the Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center, and Camp Wingmann we are committed to providing programs and training that will help both young people and adults “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 15)
 
            Through the Stewardship Commission we are committed to helping all of our people and all of our congregations understand and live into the reality that all of our life comes from and belongs to God, and that our time, talent, and treasure is to be used for his honor and glory.
 
            We affirm the work of the three other special commissions mandated by the fortieth Annual Convention a year ago. We look forward to growing in our experience of Contemporary Worship, the sending out of our people on Mission Trips, and the development of Parish Weekends in each of our congregations. To that end we will pursue the following specific measurable objectives.
 
Specific Measurable Objectives for 2010 -2012
 
This Forty-First Annual Convention asks every congregation of the Diocese of Central Florida:
 
1. To implement a Parish Weekend as it has been developed by The Parish Weekend Commission within the next two years.
 
2. To plan and carry out out, with the help of The Mission Trips Commission, a Mission Trip within the next three years.
 
3. To send a delegation including the rector or vicar and the musician to the Contemporary Worship School being planned for next September. And further we ask:
 
4. Every congregation that does not have a current intentional plan for Evangelism to develop one with the help of the Evangelism Commission within the next two years.  And
 
5. Every congregation that does not have a current intentional plan for stewardship to develop one with the help of the Stewardship Commission within the next three years.