Pastoral PlanningIntroduction & Overview

Session I

Mark Mogilka MSW, MA

Presbyteral AssemblyDiocese of Spokane – September 3, 2012

Overview

• Opening Comments

• Good Reasons – For and Against Planning

• Planning & Pastoral Planning

• Pitfalls

• Why do it? (motivation)

• Characteristics of Effective Pastoral Planning2

Group Exercise - Brainstorm

• Side One - What are all the good reasons not to do planning?

• Side Two- What are all the good reasons to do planning?

Planning Is…,

• A Fundamental Way of Creating Things

• How many here have planned?– A garden– Parish or Home remodeling or building project– A vacation

– How many of those efforts can be successful without Planning?

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The Parish & Planning

How many of your parishes have a plan?

How many of you know where your parish is heading in the next 3-5 years?

How many of you know what the priorities are for your parish for this year?

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Planning Is…,

• The process of being clear about the present

• Projecting a future that is desirable – (enticing)

• Specifying steps necessary to arrive at that future

Pickett – Concise Guide to Pastoral Planning

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Planning is…,

A process where a preferred future is identified,

and then plans are made to help the organization to move from its current reality to the preferred future

Planning is…,

• A powerful management tool that can help to align the resources of in organization in such a way as to significantly improve the organization’s

EfficiencyEffectiveness

Morale

Planning is …,

• Good Stewardship

– Every Parish – Blessed many good gifts

• People – Time & Talent• Material Goods – Treasure - facilities

– Pastors called to be good stewards of those gifts• Parable of the Talents Mt 25:14-30

Strategic Planning

• SWOT Analysis

–Strengths–Weaknesses–Opportunities–Threats

Brainstorm – Goals & Objectives

Classic Planning1. Get Organized & Get Commitments

2. Articulate a Vision (mission)

3. Assess the Current Realities

4. Develop Action Plan - move the organization

from current situation toward the vision

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Strategic Church or Pastoral Planning

– is different

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If you Want to Make God Smile…,

Ask for God’s help and advice

Strategic Pastoral PlanningBasic Elements – Steps

1. Get Organized & Commitments

2. Determine God’s Vision

3. In Faith – Look at Current Realities

4. Prayerfully Discern and Commit to Plans

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Pastoral Planning

“A way of serving God, of bringing into being something God wants to create through you”

Smith & Sellon Pathway to Renewal - 2008

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Pastoral Planning Is…,

“A Holy and structured conversation among multiple partners –

–Parishioners– The Pastor(and/or Planning Committee)– The Tradition – Basic Teachings– The Discerned Will of God”

Adapted from - Rendle and Mann – Holy Conversations17

The Call to Planning

“we must set about drawing up an effective post-Jubilee pastoral plan”

“in local churches…, a detailed pastoral plan can be identified…, to plan the stages of the journey ahead”

Pope John Paul II – Novo Millennio Ineunte –200018

The Call to Planning

“It is up to the bishop with the help of the priests, deacons, religious, and lay people to implement a coordinated pastoral plan which is systematic and participatory involving all members of the church and awakening in them a missionary consciousness.”

Pope John Paul II – Ecclesia in America, 36 - 1999

The Call to Planning

“each parish should have a master plan for the current and future allocation and augmentation of its resources…, (it) contains the parish vision and priorities…,”

Built of Living Stones – USCCB 2000

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Role of Pastor

• carries out for his community the duties of teaching, sanctifying and governing,

• with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful.

Canon 519

Pope Benedict XVIMeetings with Italian Priests July 2007

Q – How can priests/pastors handle growing responsibilities and multiple churches?

(Bishops) - “must see clearly how to ensure that the parish priest continues to be a pastor and does not become a holy bureaucrat.”

Origins – 8/30/07 Vol. 37 #1222

Pope Benedict XVI

“Furthermore, I think it very important to find the right ways to delegate…., (the priest) should be the one who holds the essential reins himself but can rely on collaborators.”

Meetings with Italian

Priests July 200723

Planning Pitfalls

1. Instead of planning – just have radical openness to God and let the future unfold

2. Use business models of planning that allow limited room for the action of the Holy Spirit, for utilizing the Wisdom of the Church, for transformative conversation and creativity.

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Planning Pitfalls

• Belief that I (we) are doing just fine – “if it ain’t broke – why fix it”

• Seven Last Words of the Church“We’ve always done it that way”

• CAVE Dwellers

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Proposed

Change

Expected

Resistance

Planning Pitfalls RESISTANCE

The predictable energy that rises up to counteract any change or threat to a system

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Responding to Resistance

• Transparency & Openness• Compassionate Listening• Emphasize Vision – How Change Will enhance

• Focus on Facts• Note Alternatives Considered• Anticipated Outcomes – If Change Made or Not Made

Motivation (Energy) for Planning

• Ouch! (Pain)

• Hope

• VisionRendle & Mann – Holy Conversations 2003

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Motivation (Energy) for Planning

• Ouch (Pain)– Loss of membership– Loss of income – economic base erosion• Inability to fund

– Staff– Programs, ministries, services– Building maintenance

– Aging of community– Diversity of neighborhood– Awareness – “It ain’t workin!”

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Motivation (Energy) for Planning

• Hope– In the face of major challenges – “We’re more cynical,

impatient, fearful, angry, defensive, anxious”

– Planning may offer us the ability to get excited again for the future – with hope…,

– Through hope - “We become people we respect, people who are generous, loving curious, open, energetic”

Margaret Wheatley – Turning to One Another30

Motivation (Energy) for Planning

• Vision

We are called to do pastoral planning

“The movement from fearless contemplation of what is, to bold imagination of what might be”

Rendle & Mann - Holy Conversations

What if we were 10X Bolder?

What if our parishes became “for prophet”

The Reid Group 31

Motivation(Energy) for Planning

• Vision

– A satisfied parish is the hardest to lead – it doesn’t want to go anywhere…,

• Good to Great – book by Jim Collins

– Consider opening hearts, minds, souls to God’s vision for the parish community…,

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Motivation (Energy) for Planning

• Vision

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” – Rm 12:2

“Go forth, make disciples” – Mt 28:19

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Characteristics of Effective Planning

1. Comprehensive

– Addresses all aspects of parish life

– No programs or ministries are left out

Pickett – Concise Guide to Pastoral Planning

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Characteristics of Effective Planning

2. Resource Realistic

– Personnel and Fiscal Resources– Plans that significantly overextend – hurt don’t help– Plan may call to expand cultivate more resources– Consider budget a theological statement of what the

community believes its priorities to be– Saying yes of one thing may mean saying no to

something else

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Characteristics of Effective Planning

3. Involvement of Those Affected

– Every group, ministry, organization, staff member. Lay leader, parishioner

– All enter into holy conversation• 4X6 Cards• Town Hall Meetings• Home Meetings• Focus Groups• Phone Calls• Surveys

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Characteristics of Effective Planning

4. Effective Leadership

– Leadership – the ability to articulate a vision and then to engage people to help make vision a reality

– Pastoral Leadership – the ability to personally and communally discern God’s Will for the future of the parish and then to collaboratively make and put into place plans to make God’s Will a reality

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Characteristics of Effective Planning

5. Prayer and Faith Sharing

– Prayer isn’t icing on the cake – it is the marinade in the meat.

– The haunting Question – “What would Jesus call us to do if he were here?”

– Jesus regularly went off to pray and discern - See Mk 1:35

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Two Models – Pastoral Planning

• Model One –

Traditional Pastoral Planning

• Model Two –

Appreciative Inquiry

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Wrap Up

• Looked at Pros and Cons Planning• Looked at what planning is and difference

between planning and pastoral planning• Considered pitfalls• Looked at Motivation• Explored Characteristics of Effective Planning

Next Session• Need Your Input – 4X6 Cards– Side one – What are the greatest strengths found in

the parishes and diocese of Spokane

– Side two - what are the biggest challenges facing the parishes and diocese of Spokane

Session II Highlights- Focus on Parish?- Spokane Strengths & Challenges- National Church Trends

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Mark Mogilka, MSW, MAMark Mogilka, MSW, MA

Director Director Dept. of Stewardship & Dept. of Stewardship &

Pastoral ServicesPastoral ServicesDiocese of Green BayDiocese of Green Bay

PO Box 23825PO Box 23825Green Bay, WI 54305-3825Green Bay, WI 54305-3825

920-272-8297920-272-8297email: mmogilka@gbdioc.orgemail: mmogilka@gbdioc.org

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