Once your parish has discerned its vision for the future, create a plan to set out how the vision will be realised and the new priorities of the parish.
Here are some key things to bear in mind when implementing change in your parish:
Making your plan
- Collaborate: Try to ensure this is a collaborative activity so the whole congregation has ‘ownership’ of the plan;
- Commission: Consider holding a commissioning service where the PCC and the church commit themselves to the plan;
- Manage Responsibilities: The RACI tool offers a simple framework for mapping responsibility, accountability, who is to be consulted and who is to be informed.
- Execute: Once you have agreed your strategy, plan your execution to ensure your goals are met. The Four Disciplines of Execution offers a simple framework to ensure that the most important work gets done.
- A SMART checklist also ensures that your plan is simple, concise, understandable, achievable, relevant to your context, specific and time-bound and that people are nominated to take responsibility for each element of the plan. When writing goals, ensure they are:
- Specific and Stretching: Is the goal specific enough for clarity?
- Measurable: Is there a way to measure the success of the goal?
- Achievable: Is the goal truly achievable?
- Relevant and Realistic: Is the goal aligned with your overall plan?
- Time-bound and Timely: Are there completion dates assigned to goals?
Next steps: Once you have made your plan
- Communicate the agreed plan to the congregation: Summarise on a postcard to leave in pews and display on posters and leaflets so everyone knows the collective vision. Preach on aspects of the vision regularly. Also communicate to the wider community so that they know who the church is and what you’re becoming.
- Regularly view and update the plan: Make it item 1 of your PCC agenda after Apologies to ensure that it is regularly reviewed and communicated; Where are you with it? What’s working? What’s challenging? What needs updating?
- Establish feedback and reflection processes to gather views and reflect together: Think about holding open meetings after church, one to one meetings with congregation members or feedback suppers.
- Celebrate key markers or things that have been achieved as a result of the plan.
- Keep the document alive: It’s the working document guiding the activity, decision and actions of your church. Update with examples of milestones met, key successes and prophetic words to encourage all involved in realising the vision God has given you.
Coaching Programme
This programme for ordained and lay ministers is being introduced in autumn 2024. It will help ministers not only develop a personal plan but will support cultural change process where appropriate. Contact Jeremy.andrew@bristoldiocese.org.