Moderator’s Town Halls: June Strategic Planning Update

In April and May, close to 500 people attended five Moderator’s Town Halls (four in English and one in French) on the topic of strategic planning. Members of the Project Team offered theological reflection and shared information on the origins of the initiative, foundational commitments and values, as well as the challenges and opportunities in the current context. The team invited participants to reflect on three possible scenarios or directions for the General Council Office:

• a focus on supporting regions to nurture vital, vibrant, and connected communities of faith
• a commitment to doing everything possible collaboratively with a focus on deepening partnership
• a focus on strengthening the bold, distinct identity of The United Church of Canada

Excellent feedback was gathered on each direction regarding both strengths and limitations. Each option garnered a significant level of support, with the greatest overall support given to the direction related to bold and distinct identity. Answers to the question on what the church needs to do now to ensure a vital, relevant future focused on:

• enabling “United Church‒style” evangelism and strategies for sharing faith
• equipping people for lifelong discipleship
• supporting communities of faith to reach out to their neighbourhoods and broader communities
• engaging in bold social and ecological justice

Work continues on collating and analyzing all the specific feedback.

The Project Team is overseeing the next phase of the project, a series of approximately 20 focus groups with stakeholders in the church and the broader ecumenical context, and three Indigenous Church Circles. In late June, an initial framework for the plan will start to emerge and be matched with financial projections. Then drafting will begin so a full plan can be proposed to the General Council Executive in late September.

This will continue to be the site for monthly updates on the Strategic Planning Initiative.

Our core values are

• Christian faith
• Sacred story
• Compassion, integrity
• Respect
• Community, equity + reconciliation
• Service
• Humility, innovation

Our core right relations commitments are

• Implementing UNDRIP
• Responding to Calls to the Church
• Becoming a church that is anti-racist, intercultural, affirming, functionally bilingual
• Furthering social and ecological justice
• Living principles of partnership

The PDF below provides the presentation on context that was part of the town halls.

Jennifer Henry (she/her)
Project Manager, Strategic Planning 2021
E-mail: Jennifer Henry