The
Journey of Discovery is indeed a “journey.” However, it is a journey
with no fixed endpoint. The Journey of Discovery is an ongoing
continuous process; a journey necessary
for all congregations, not a program done
by a few congregations. In the Northwest
Region, the Journey of Discovery involves
moving through five phases of transformation. Each phase leads to a different and deeper
level of change. Each phase builds upon
the one that preceded it. The first two
phases help build readiness throughout the
congregation for major and profound change. The final three phases involve discerning
God’s vision for the congregation;
planning for the changes necessary to respond
to that call; and implementing those changes
in such a way
that the congregation learns
a whole new way of “being church”.
Phase
One: Getting Ready for the Journey
During
this phase, the congregation gets ready
to engage in the transformation process.
It’s equivalent to the Israelites
getting ready to leave Egypt. The Israelites,
in spite of their bondage and persecution
by their Egyptian taskmasters, were not
eager to leave Egypt. When Moses arrived
on the scene, they did not immediately
pack their belongings. Moses not only
had to deal with resistance from the Pharaoh,
but he also had to deal with internal
resistance from the Israelites. The same
is true in many of our Disciples congregations
today. They are comfortable with the way
they are now and have been in the past. It is familiar, non-threatening. They
know where the boundaries are. They feel
relatively secure.
Getting
ready to launch into transformation can
be the most difficult part of the entire
process. Congregations must become aware
of the gap that exists between what they
are today and what God is calling them
to be tomorrow. It is only when a critical
mass of the members comes to recognize
this gap that the congregation will be
ready to embark on the transformation
process.
So,
the primary task of this first phase is
to create and stimulate readiness for
major change. Phase One is expected to
take about 5 months.
Phase
Two: Developing a Common View of
Reality
During
this phase, the congregation develops
a common view of their
current reality. Complete
information about the congregation’s
heritage, context, constituency, and internal
organization is gathered and summarized. All of this information is shared within
congregation in order to develop a common
view of its reality so that the members
can come to consensus on the strategic
issues that must be addressed.
Phase
Two helps people become ready for major
change. By the time it is completed, the
congregation will be able to describe
accurately and specifically the areas
where change must occur. Phase Two is
expected to take about 8 months.
Phase
Three: Discerning God’s Call
In
this phase the congregation engages in
serious theological and prayerful discernment
processes in order to determine what God
is calling it to be and do in the future. During this phase the congregation takes
four major steps. It will:
-
identify and embrace strategic
issues;
-
discern God’s call and create a
guiding vision;
-
explore alternative futures;
-
and then craft an organizational strategy,
containing a vision statement, a mission
statement, and key results and goals. Phase Three is expected to take approximately
8 months.
Phase
Four: Designing Congregational Life
and Witness
During
this phase the congregation becomes more
exacting in the transformation process
as a new focus for its future unfolds. Several existing or specially appointed
task forces will develop action plans
simultaneously and these groups, under
the leadership of the congregation’s
coordinating team, will formulate those
action plans into a comprehensive or strategic
plan. That plan will describe the actions
that the congregation will take as it
moves into the future. Phase Four is expected
to take about 8 months.
Phase
Five: Living into a Faithful Future
In
this phase the congregation manages both
the changes and the transitions necessary
for it to move into the discerned future. The congregation develops and puts into
place all the systems required to implement
the new strategic direction: organizational
structures, policies, procedures, priorities,
resource allocation, and quality controls. The congregation will create a special
transition plan to change its institutional
life from their old patterns into this
new way of being church. Creating the
transition plan is expected to take about
7 months. Implementation of the plan is
an iterative, on-going process involving
periodic systemic reviews that result
in necessary updates and changes to the
plan as the future unfolds.
