We’re
excited to have you join us for a new and unique experiment in learning,
networking, and congregational renewal.
This will be a collaborative journey.
Your congregation’s team along with 4 other congregational teams will
spend 12 months together; building relationships, sharing successes, and
addressing challenges as we look at where we are, what needs to change, and
what we need to do to move forward to engage more fully in God’s mission today.
We’ll begin
this journey by taking a look at where we are as congregations. The best way to figure out what’s going on
within a congregation is to ask… everyone.
Yes, everyone! We’ll be using the
Congregational Assessment Tool (CAT) from HolyCow!
Consulting to survey members of your congregation. It’s a 95 question on-line assessment that
gives leaders a report (Vital Signs Report) on the health of the church, a
sense of where members think the church should head in the future, and a description
of the church as a unique body of people. For those members without access to
the internet the survey can also be printed and paper copies can be entered
manually. But for most, the on-line
survey is optimal; it can be done at home, the survey is submitted
instantaneously and responses are anonymous and confidential. Once the survey period is complete, within 48
hours a Vital Signs Report will be generated.
At that point a trained facilitator will meet with congregational teams
to interpret the data. This data will be
used to build a map of possibilities for change and growth within the
congregation that we’ll refer to as we move through the Forward Leadership
program year. Please read the document: “Administering the CAT” for outline of
the preparation for administering the CAT.
We will give you the information
to log-in and register your congregation at the upcoming retreat, but in the meantime, please make sure you
have a comprehensive list of current email addresses for your members. This
will make the whole process run more smoothly. For more information about the
CAT visit https://holycowconsulting.com/support/frequently-asked-questions/
Our first
retreat is just around the corner! The
theme for the beginning of our work together is “Bold for Change”. We’ll spend Friday night getting to know one
another, sharing our hopes for what this program will help our congregations
achieve and team building. On Saturday
we look at the nuts and bolts of administering the CAT and then we’ll begin to
think creatively about things that need to change in our communities,
congregations and world and in the afternoon the teams will practice developing
action plans and strategies to implement solutions. We gather at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 183 W. Main
Street, Westborough, MA 01581, on Friday, January 10th through
Saturday, January 11th 2014. Link to map and directions: Good Shepherd Website. For those of you not commuting and needing
overnight accommodations, the Courtyard
by Marriott, Boston Westborough (3 Technology
Drive, Westborough, MA 01581, Phone: 1-508-836-4800) is about 4 miles from Good Shepherd
and offers reasonable rates. Courtyard Westborough Website.
Thank you
once again for taking this journey with the Forward Leadership Community. If you have any questions please feel free to
contact us at anytime. Blessings to you
and your congregation as you seek to Think Forward, Face Forward, Move
Forward!
