St. Theresa Develops Strategic Plan to Best Serve Parishioners and Community

A parish’s mission has many facets — in addition to providing the Mass and sacraments, parishes also provide faith formation, a community for parishioners, and service to others. To effectively carry out this mission, however, it is extremely important to have a plan in place. St. Theresa is working with the consulting firm Linda Morgan & Associates, Inc., to develop a strategic plan that will encompass every important aspect of parish life over the next few years.

“Fr. Terry reached out to me, and we talked story about how the parish and Hale Kau Kau were doing, what was on the horizon, and what was needed,” Linda says. “It’s the kuleana of the parishes here to make a plan every several years, and I think the core idea has been with Father for a long time.”

As Linda explains, Strategic Planning is a systematic, dynamic process through which an organization agrees on priorities to fulfill its mission.

“For St. Theresa, this means asking how we can make ourselves be of highest service, truly doing the work of Jesus, while also becoming sustainable for the future,” she says.

This past winter, the parish put together a planning committee to develop the strategic plan. While the COVID-19 pandemic onset in March created complications, the committee has nonetheless pushed forward and began meeting again — both virtually, and in-person while socially distanced — over the summer months. The plan will encompass every aspect of parish life — community, financials, stewardship, ministries, liturgy, and everything in between.

“It’s not possible to tackle every aspect of any parish or business or organization all at one time, but the plan will address all of it,” Linda says. “It has a wide lens rather than a narrow focus, but within that lens, we will begin to set priorities.”

As Linda notes, a good plan will answer the questions, “Where are we now?” “Where do we want to go in the future?” “How will we get there?”

“The organizational assessment will point us in the direction we need to go by identifying what our strengths are, what needs attention, and where there are opportunities to grow,” Linda says.

"We are designing a focused 2021 plan with three-year milestone targets and a future Vision Statement. This will set 2021 into action,” she adds. “It will have goals, strategies and plans to accomplish those strategies and success measures. Parishioners are also going to have a chance to give us feedback on the plan, both after Sunday Mass as well as online. A sampling of community members are being interviewed for their perspectives as well. Then, going forward, the parish can use the model for Year One to activate a plan for Year Two.”

One of the plan’s most important goals is to engage and energize the community, both internally and externally — meaning both the people who engage at the parish, as well as those in the community who are served by the parish.

“The plan will allow us to be in service to both the internal and external community, to the extent of our capacity,” Linda says. “Then, with a very solid plan under our feet, and working to help the community, we will be able to build the parish’s sustainability going forward. This will take the parish through the next years, through when Fr. Terry will eventually retire and will set his successor up for success.”

When thinking about the strategic plan, it’s important to remember that it is a journey, not a destination, and a good plan is easily adaptable to any changes or bumps in the road. It’s also one important piece of a larger puzzle.

“I always like to tell people that it is only part of what an organization will use, one of its assets that will come

into play to help guide the parish forward,” Linda says. “It works in concert with everything else that is going on. It is a guide with guardrails that keeps the parish on track, will help it feel more aligned to purpose, and to serve its constituents better."

“When we’re done with the initial planning stages, there will be a lot of opportunities for volunteer engagement and support,” she adds. “The plan is the guide, and the people are the ones who make it work. St. Theresa has fabulous, caring and loving people who work very hard, and it’s these people who will bring life into the strategic plan and make it successful. We are very grateful for them.”

Stay tuned for more information about the strategic plan, as well as opportunities to give feedback and help out!