Strategic Project Leader Guide: Leawood Campus

Fall 08 Changing Lives, Transforming Communities, Renewing Churches 2016

PREPARING FOR IMPACT

T h e U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h o f t h e R e s u r r e c t i o n Inputs

Church Council Planning Retreat

Project Team Implementation

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 2 2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT CHANGING LIVES, TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES, RENEWING CHURCHES

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Leawood Campus Priorities

- Enhance ministry with young families In 2016, we will launch initiatives aimed at inviting, welcoming and ministering with young adults and young families. We will elevate ministry with young adults with the hire of a key leader in the role of Pastor of Young Adults. We will further refine and expand upon the impact of the 9am worship service as a draw for young adults. And we will follow on the model of Care Night and Grow Night, by launching Family Night on Wednesday nights- offering opportunities for busy families to come to church together on to experience an affordable meal together and a wide variety of programs, including Zone, Wild1s, Middle School Youth Group and High School Small Groups, plus a range of new groups launched for dads, moms, couples and opportunities for families to remain together as they grow in faith.

- Ministry with those in need living in Johnson County Johnson County has become known for affluence, yet it now has the fastest growing rate of poverty in the metropolitan area, with much of the county’s poverty hidden from plain site. Addressing the needs of the poor in Kansas City has been a hallmark of Resurrection’s mission ministries, yet nearly all of our work has been focused beyond the Johnson County community. In 2016, we will establish a team to 1) examine the needs of the poor in Johnson County, 2) begin developing strategies and resources to increase the Leawood Campus’ engagement with those neighbors who lack essential support and 3) determine how our new facilities can be utilized to serve the needs of the community.

- Section Communities in Worship We are passionate about building a Christian community and are known for the warmth of our people and excellence in hospitality. Even so, one-third of our people tell us they have few social connections and some report feeling a lack of interpersonal connection, particularly in our largest worship venues. Therefore, we will establish a greater sense of connection with those around us in worship by preparing a leadership team for each seating section in our new sanctuary for every service. These teams will make sure everyone has an opportunity to experience hospitality, fellowship, communion and care.

- Current Sanctuary Remodel Throughout 2016, planning teams will work with our architects to fine tune the architectural plans in order to maximize the impact of Building B. The design team will engage the voices of Vibe attendees, Matthew’s Ministries families, Sunday School and Small Group leaders, Children’s Ministry and Local Mission leaders to ensure the remodeled facility will be a powerful and creative tool to help the church reach and connect with new people, serve the community and become a spiritual home for our congregation for years to come.

- Move into the New Sanctuary The grand opening of the permanent sanctuary is an important moment in our church’s history, setting the trajectory for years to come. As we “prepare for impact” we will capture the momentum of this move as we reach out to invite, welcome and connect thousands of people in our community, many who will become followers Jesus Christ for the first time. To capture the momentum of this pivotal time, plans will include grand opening events, volunteer recruitment, operational support, public communications, unveiling of the stained glass window, tours of the new sanctuary and support for person-to-person invitation.

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 3 Project Team Roles and Responsibilities The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

Everyone-  Champion the church’s commitment to the project  Pray consistently, seeking God’s guidance and blessing for this project  Implement any action steps assigned by Project Leader

Church Council Liaison-  Monitor project implementation on behalf of the Council  Participate in project team meetings, whenever possible  Update the Council on progress throughout the year

Executive Liaison-  Assist the Project Leader in the selection of project team  Participate in project team meetings  Confirm the involvement of key stakeholders  Provide leveraged assistance in key matters requiring resources and/or collaboration  Update the executive team, securing any necessary approvals  Support, equip and provide direction to the Project Leader

Project Leader-  Convene meetings of the project team (one meeting/month, or less)  Lead the team through project stages, including: o Research and idea generation o Identification of key strategies o Assignment of action steps and deadlines o Monitoring of progress o Evaluation of impact  Provide the Council Liaison, Executive Liaison and Team Members with single-page monthly updates identifying actions taken, actions pending, key successes and significant challenges

Project Team Member-  Confirm availability for project meetings with supervisor  Provide input, insights and strategic suggestions during project team meetings  Participate in the action steps, when assigned  Provide feedback and evaluation throughout the year

Project Administrator (optional)-  Prepare and distribute meeting agendas and meeting minutes  Monitor pending activities and provide reminders to the responsible parties  Develop a draft of the project’s monthly reports for approval by the Project Leader  Manage meeting logistics and invitations

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 4 2016 Leawood Campus Project Team Assignments The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

Project 1: Enhance ministry with young adults and young families Church Council Liaison: TBD Executive Liaison: Randy Meyer Project Leader: Chris Folmsbee

Project 2: Ministry with those living in need in Johnson County Church Council Liaison: TBD Executive Liaison: Carol Cartmill, Karen Lampe Project Leaders: Roberta Lyle, Jennifer Creager

Project 3: Section Communities in Worship Church Council Liaison: TBD Executive Liaison: Glen Shoup Project Leader: Yvonne Gentile

Project 4: Current Sanctuary Remodel Church Council Liaison: Dennis Wellner Executive Liaisons: Dan Entwistle Project Leader: Dick Cooper (staff leads below; Building Committee liaisons tbd)

Jennifer Ross Matthew’s Ministry Wendy Chrostek Vibe Worship Michelle Kirby Fellowship Grow and Care Nights Jerri Jenson (confirm) Commons- Bookstore, Café and Guest Connections Lori Trupp Children’s Ministry Carol Cartmill Mission Ministries Debi Nixon (confirm) Conferences and Special Events Brent Messick (confirm) Operational Support

Project 5: Move into the New Sanctuary Church Council Liaison: TBD Executive Liaison: Dan Entwistle Project Leaders: Subgroup Leaders (below)

Cathy Bien Grand Opening Communications/PR Brent Messick (confirm) Move-in Logistics Glen Shoup Worship Logistics Yvonne Gentile Hospitality Wendy Connelly Community Outreach Events and Tours Carol Cartmill Missions, Mission Center Debi Nixon, Clayton Smith (cnfrm) Capital Campaign, Donor Development

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 5 Components of Resurrection’s Strategic Planning Process

Strategic Priority- • Outlined by the Church Council • An initiative that will positively change the trajectory of the church, and is critical to the church’s present and future success • Presented as a vision that will engage the hearts and minds of the congregation • Wording provides sufficient clarity on outcomes while leaving strategy development to the project team

Project Team- • The Project Team identifies which choices should be made, by whom, and when • Project teams develop measurable strategies and action steps to be completed • See the project through to completion

Strategies- typically 3-5 per project • Describes a specific activity or cluster of activities key to the completion of the project • Starts with a verb -- describes action to be taken • Includes a definite time dimension

Action Steps- typically 10-20 per strategy • Reduces everything to bite-sized, short-term units of work • Identifies who will do what and when • Names an identifiable result • Estimates the resource cost

Example of a properly developed thread within a Strategic Plan: Strategic Project: Raise Up Young UMC Pastors – Recruit and prepare young adults to become UMC pastors, and develop formalized systems for tracking and supporting pastoral candidates. Strategy (one of several): Implement a web-based tracking system to track all potential clergy candidates through the stages of candidacy from inquiry to ordination. Action Step (one of many): Complete research on the suitability of Arena as a tracking tool. Primary Responsibility: Joe Smith Completion Date: June 19, 2017 Expected Expenditures: -$0- Result: An up-or-down decision regarding the usefulness of Arena as our tracking system.

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 6 Project Team Meetings

Project Teams function as an advisory team or a think-tank. Their key role is to enhance the project by bringing additional expertise, discernment, and key support to the table. Each of the church’s strategic project teams will be comprised of a group of ten or more interested staff and volunteers. The project will be enhanced as a result of the ideas, contributions and suggestions brought by each member of the project team. However, team members are not ultimately responsible for setting the strategies and tactics- this is the unique responsibility of the project leader with oversight given by the executive and council liaisons. Additionally, the work of the project does not rest solely on the shoulders of this team. Instead, tactical action steps will likely be assigned to a wide array of staff and volunteers across all divisions of the church’s ministry.

Below is a suggested workflow for the project team meetings. This is a generic draft and is only provided as a resource to assist project leaders.

Meeting 1: Strategy Identification Key Outcomes: 1. Enthusiastic Launch of Project Team 2. Prayer for the Project 3. Consensus Draft of Key Strategies Prior to meeting:  Review and confirm the list of prospective team members; invite them to your initial meeting  Invite additional persons to join the project team after confirming their availability with their supervisor.  Draft the tentative list of strategies (without tactics) and preview them with the executive liaison. During the meeting:  After opening in prayer, review the priority and project, pointing out the project’s significance with regard to the church’s purpose, vision and journey.  Review any available data or research to help orient the team and help them understand the landscape- challenges and/or opportunities.  Cast a vision for the impact of a successfully implemented project  Share your expectations of project members and the desired outcomes of this meeting.  Spend time in extended, participatory prayer  Present your tentative draft of 3-8 strategies (without tactics) to gather feedback on the overarching themes. Some key questions to consider: o If we do these things well, do we believe the church will experience the desired impact of this project? If not, what is missing? o What might God be calling us to do that hasn’t yet been named in these strategies? o Do the strategies have an appropriate degree of focus? Are they perhaps too limited or maybe too broad? o Might any of these strategies have unintended consequences that could negatively impact the church or a particular ministry area? o Would this direction cause us to take appropriate risks?

Meeting 2: Tactical Assignments Key Outcomes: 1. Growing clarity about what is to be done, by whom and when 2. Prayer for the Project Prior to meeting:  Finalize strategies, and confirm them with the executive liaison.

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 7  Draft tactics, assigning each action to one person by a specific date (reserve considerable time for this); preview this list with the executive liaison During the meeting:  After opening in prayer, remind the team of the project’s significance with regard to the church’s purpose, vision and journey.  Review any additional data or research  Cast a vision for the impact of a successfully implemented project  Remind the team of your expectations of project members and the desired outcomes of this meeting.  Present the finalized strategies with the draft of tactics. Gather feedback, without getting bogged down in specific action steps. Some key questions to consider: o Under each strategy- If we take these actions, will we accomplish this strategy? If not, what is missing? o To the best of your knowledge, would this activity distribute work appropriately among our staff and volunteers? o Are there any tactics listed that are not necessary to the success of the project?

Meetings 3+: Implementation and Ongoing Evaluation Key Outcomes: 1. Evaluation and reflection on the Project’s progress 2. Prayer for the Project 3. Clear understanding and assignment of next steps Prior to meeting:  Finalize strategies and tactics with the executive liaison.  Communicate tactics to assigned persons (note: give each person a chance to affirm and/or negotiate their involvement) During the meeting:  After opening in prayer, remind the team of the project’s significance with regard to the church’s purpose, vision and journey.  Review the full scope of strategies and tactics.  Monitor progress vs. expectations.  Gather feedback for improvement.  Key questions to consider: o Where are we seeing significant successes in this project? o Which hurdles have been more stubborn than we anticipated? o Are there any mid-course corrections we should make at this time? o What new opportunities for action exist in the months ahead? o How can we better evaluate our progress? Is there a more accurate measure of success that we should begin using? o What people deserve additional recognition and/or appreciation for their efforts on this project?

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 8 Strategic Project Timeline (future dates subject to change):

2015 April 20-30 Leawood Congregational Survey August 20 10,000 Reasons Team Presentation to Executive Team Oct. 10-11 Congregational Feedback via 25th Anniversary Cards November 11-12 Council Strategic Retreat, Leawood Priorities Confirmed December 9 Directors’ Briefing

2016 January 29 Priorities Distributed to the Congregation at Annual Gathering February 25 Collect Staff Input on Preparing for Impact and Project Team Interest at All-Staff Luncheon March 10 Initial Draft of Project Teams March 24 Project Leader Meeting March 29 Council Liaisons Selected March 31* Project Teams Confirmed and Invited to Initial Meeting April 5 Director Retreat (Leawood and Operations)- Project Leaders Present High-Level Strategies April 26* Project Teams Hold Initial Meeting May 31* Project Teams Hold Second Meeting May 31 Month-end Update Submitted June 29-July 1 Executive Retreat June 30 Quarterly Project Report Submitted to Council Liaisons and Executive Staff July 31 Month-end Update Submitted August 23 Church Council Meeting- Council Liaisons Present Updates September 30 Quarterly Update Submitted to Council Liaisons and Executive Staff October 31 Month-end Update Submitted November 1-2 Council Strategic Session November 30 Month-end Update Submitted December 31 Quarterly Update Submitted

* Deadlines

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 9 Project 1: Enhance ministry with young families Strategic Project Monthly One-Page Update; March 2016 Project Leader: Chris Folmsbee; Executive Liaison: Randy Meyer; Council Liaison: TBD

HIGH-LEVEL STRATEGIES (list of key strategies, regardless of current progress or completion date)  Strategy 1: Resource ministry with an elevated staff position, Pastor of Young Adults by May 2016  Strategy 2: Refresh the 9am service in music and liturgy with target of reaching young families by September 2016  Strategy 3: Launch Family Night with dinner and growth programs for kids and parents by September 2016

KEY ACTIONS TAKEN THIS MONTH:  Action 1  Action 2  Action 3

KEY ACTIONS PENDING IN THE COMING MONTH:  Action 1  Action 2  Action 3

SIGNIFICANT SUCCESSES:  Success 1  Success 2  Success 3

SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES:  Challenge 1  Challenge 2  Challenge 3

2016 | PREPARING FOR IMPACT 10