Senior Warden’s Report It is with great energy and excitement that I update the parish on the events of the last year. Two major objectives rose to the top of the 2017 list: developing a fiveyear Vision Process, and shifting the Vestry to be more generative and strategic. Therefore, I wanted to offer some specific thoughts on these two objectives as completed by the Vestry, Clergy and staff. Eric Conner Senior Warden
Find Your +1 As has been beautifully engrained in us throughout the year, membership at Saint Michael is about more than just attending. Exploring how SMAA defines membership encourages parishioners to find or enrich their +1 (a particular ministry group or small group offering) and gain a deeper sense of community. Highlights include: • Hiring a Membership Coordinator dedicated to this series of Initiatives • Developing the Welcome Center Concept and expanding the Greeter program • Linking the “+1” concept with the Discovery class and overall marketing efforts.
FIVE YEAR VISION
Last year’s Senior Warden, Matt Waller, commented that the 2017 Vestry would “work to reimagine what SMAA might look like in 5 and 25 years” and “dare more boldly under Chris’ leadership”. I am thrilled to report progress on both fronts.
This theme should lead to inviting others to experience this parish, to thoughtfully welcome them, and then to connect them to a “+1” experience that feeds their spirit. Build the Future This is a unique time in Saint Michael’s history. Several transformative events are in process that will help shape the future of the parish for the next 5, 10 and 50 years. Major accomplishments include: • Development of an on-line member portal. • Filling 8 key positions in Membership, Music, Communication, Formation, Youth, etc. • Streamlining the org chart and developing standardized staffing practices. • Expanding live streaming, integrating social media and developing initial branding strategy for SMAA as a whole. • Identifying “Big Rock” massing for the current campus and continuing conversations with our development partner in concert with the Preston Hollow Task Force Report. • Developing a Shared Life Committee and joint communication plan with SMES as it obtained accredited status (note; the Saint Michael Episcopal School is now an independent entity).
Over the course of three months, clergy, staff and the Vestry developed a series of Imperatives (cornerstone themes) and Initiatives (organizational priorities) to help set the course through 2018. Hopefully, these are not unfamiliar terms at this point, but a recap is provided below (along with the full list of Initiatives on the next page). Feed the Spirit We are all Disciples of Christ with a need to be spiritually fed. That feeding (while ultimately personal) can be shaped by developing formative and educational opportunities for all ages, by insisting on excellence in the overall worship experience, and by offering new and uplifting ways to serve and be served. The collective team (vestry, clergy and staff) has accomplished a lot in a short time including: • Redefining the Confirmation process and expanding the opportunities for Youth and CFM on several levels. • Upgrading technology and overall worship quality/consistency in all services • Deepening elements of youth involvement in music and establishing new choir norms. • Crafting a plan to market SMAA Remarkables to the disconnected and disengaged.
Most importantly, this theme urges us to think boldly, to change the way our systems and technology work, to alter the way our campus looks, to adapt and target the ways we communicate, and to develop partnerships that expand our outreach and enhance our growth. As part of the five-year process, new Initiatives will be generated annually. The Vision will be further unveiled in the coming months, thus tying together the entire plan (www.saintmichael.org/imperatives). This process encourages
Proudly, this theme emboldens us to define and own what makes us great and what enriches our own spirit, so that we can fully engage the greater community and share with them the enormous gifts SMAA has to offer.
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