LCC Purpose & Priority Planning Process

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  |  Romans 8:28

CANADA – A planning process to identify priorities and to develop effective plans to inform and support local, regional, and national mission and ministry is now underway in Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC). Our goal is to create a shared vision of the future for LCC. By involving many stakeholders, we aim to:

• Clarify our mission and priorities;

• Define measurable outcomes and accountability standards;

• Guide resource allocation and funding priorities;

• Enhance communications and transparency, and;

• Position LCC for mission expansion and congregational vitality.

Earlier this year, LCC’s Board of Directors, together with Synodical leadership, enlisted the services of Zacharias Advancement Consulting to help with this planning process. A series of internal assessment interviews with individuals from across Synod (pastors, lay leaders, auxiliary leaders, seminary leaders, and Synodical leaders) highlighted some key challenges affecting LCC. As a result, the Purpose & Priorities Planning Committee was established to gather feedback from many different voices across our Synod and develop a multi-year plan for mission and ministry, to be presented at the 2022 Synodical Convention. Arnold Drung, LCC Board Chair, and Cam Pelzer, LCC Board Vice Chair, are acting as co-chairs of the committee, which will also include 6 members of the clergy and 12 members of the laity.

Listening and information gathering are the centrepieces of the Purpose & Priorities Planning Process. The process is broken down into four key areas:

• Planning to Plan

Develop an online Formative Survey utilizing data already gathered from the internal assessment interviews. The survey was sent to pastors, leaders, key stakeholders, and a broad spectrum of the laity, to determine perceptions, attitudes, hopes and concerns for LCC. Completed with over 300 responses.

• Environmental Assessment

Conduct a series of facilitated Virtual Focused Leadership Events with key constituencies (pastors, lay leaders, LCC board members, donors, and laity of various age brackets) to determine attitudes and perceptions of LCC and our collective vision of the future. Completed eight events with over 100 participants.

• Clarify & Affirm Mission, Vision, Values & Priorities

Conduct a two-day Planning Retreat that will include LCC Board Members and the PPP Committee to gain consensus around  priorities in order to develop a  framework for LCC’s mission, vision, values and goals. Coming up: February 2022.

• Refine the Framework & Plan

Engage Ministry Action Teams (a subset of the PPP Committee) and LCC leadership to identify initiatives and measurable outcomes for the the Mission and Ministry Plan. Coming up: March-June 2022.

• Present the plan at the 2022 Synodical Convention.

We ask that you keep the committee, LCC leadership and the process itself in your prayers. For further information of if you have questions, please contact David Friesen, LCC Director of Advancement at dfriesen@lutheranchurch.ca

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