Ministry In A Changing World Initiative
What is Ministry in a Changing World?- What are Cohort Groups?
- How many persons from each church will be expected to participate in the process?
- Will there be more than one Cohort Group?
- Will Cohort Groups be formed on a “first to apply, first to be in a Cohort Group” basis?
- What will the cost be for my church?
- Who will lead the initiative?
- What is an overview of the process for a church that will participate?
- What are the deliverables for each church by the end of the third retreat?
- Who can I contact if I am interested in becoming a coach?
- Who can we contact if our church wants apply to participate in a Cohort Group or wants more information?
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1. What is Ministry in a Changing World? This is an initiative of our Presbytery sponsored by the Church Development Team (CDT) and supported by a grant from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and the General Assembly. Its purpose is to assist our churches in doing ministry in a changing world, and it is directly related to the Presbytery’s vision, “We fearlessly follow the Holy Spirit into a Changing World.” The two main components of this initiative are Cohort Groups and one-day Conferences for all churches. The Cohort Groups have four churches in each group and each church goes through an individual assessment, visioning, and implementation process with the assistance of a trained coach. The first Conference was held in April 2012 and two additional Conferences will be offered, one in 2013 and one in 2014. Throughout the initiative, we are partnering with TAG Consulting. (For more information on TAG, go to www.transformingchurch.net.
2.What are Cohort Groups? These are groups with four churches in a group. The four churches and their individual coaches will attend an Orientation Session and the three Visioning Retreats, as outlined below.
3.How many persons from each church will be expected to participate in the process? Each church will be expected to have the pastor and three or four church members attend the Orientation Session. Also, each church will bring up to 16 leaders (including the pastor and coach) to the three Visioning Retreats. The retreat participants commit to participation in all three retreats plus serving in a leadership role for a minimum of 6 months after the final retreat (the Implementation Phase).
4.Will there be more than one Cohort Group? Yes. We began with one Cohort Group in 2012. We plan on six more Cohort Groups, one of which has already begun. There will be two more Cohort Groups in 2013 – likely beginning in June – and three more in 2014.
5.Will Cohort Groups be formed on a “first to apply, first to be in a Cohort Group” basis? Yes.
6.What will the cost be for my church? Approximately $560 for a Transforming Church Index (survey) for your church and the cost of three books for participants, for a total of about $750. The books are The Transforming Church ($5.00), The Leadership Triangle ($20), and The Millennium Matrix ($20). Books can be shared among church participants. We have the books on hand and they can be obtained by contacting Rev. Newell Krogmann (contact information below as the last item in this FAQ sheet).
More about the Transforming Church Index (TCI): Cost per church: $500 plus $60 for up to 20 paper surveys. Churches with average worship attendance over 250 have an additional cost of $2.00 per person over 250 average worship attendance. (Example: Average worship attendance is 300: $500 + $60 + $100 = $660)
7.Who will lead the initiative? Rev. John Holm from TAG Consulting will be our consultant. Rev. Newell Krogmann from our Presbytery will coordinate the program, and trained coaches from our Presbytery will work with participating churches. Of course, leadership from each church will be a key to the initiative.
8.What is an overview of the process for a church that will participate?
Orientation Session – on a Friday evening
Three 1.5 Day Retreats:
1.5 Day Visioning Retreat #1 (Friday Night 5:30 -8:30 p.m. Saturday 8:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m.): Articulating Identity, Reality & Purpose
- Discovering congregational identity: Code
- Knowing the context: Demographic Implications
- Reality: SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats
- Target Audience
- Mission identification and articulation
1.5 Day Visioning Retreat #2 (Friday Night/Saturday): Strategic Focus Identification
- Review and editing of draft work from Visioning Retreat #1
- Discovery and articulation of missional strategic areas of focus
High level Strategic Objectives, Targets, Initiatives and Resources
1.5 Day Visioning Retreat #3: (Friday Night/Saturday): Strategic Object Development and Change/Conflict Management
- Review and edit draft work from Visioning Retreat #2
- Project Planning basics
- Change/Conflict Management
All three retreats outlined above will be completed in about five to seven months, and an implementation period of about one year will follow during which the church will be assisted by its coach.
9. What are the deliverables for each church by the end of the third retreat?
- Transforming Church Index (TCI) Report
- Focus Group Assessment
- Assessment Report (written by coach)
- Mission Insight Report (provided by the Presbytery)
- Demographic Report Template (written by coach and congregational leadership team)
- Identity Articulation
Core Values
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
Target Audience
Mission Statement
- 3 -5 Strategic Areas of Focus
Targets
Initiatives
Enablers
- Project Planning Basics
- Next Steps Articulation
Congregational Buy-in
Creating Strategy Implementation Teams
10. Who can I contact if I am interested in becoming a coach? See next FAQ,
11. Who can we contact if our church wants apply to participate in a Cohort Group or wants more information?
Rev. Newell Krogmann Rochelle LeTourneau, CDT Chair
507-665-3198 or 612-432-2678 952- 239-3884
cdtstaff@ptcaweb.org rochelle.letourneau@gmail.com
We fearlessly follow the Holy Spirit into a changing world.