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Greetings in the name of the risen Christ from the Office of the Presiding Bishop.

The ELCA Church Council adopted on April 6, 2003 the following material regarding Faithful Yet Changing, the ELCA's strategic planning process. It includes a paper on the Biblical and theological foundations for planning, and a mission and vision statement for the entire ELCA. The operational values and five strategic directions are for the ELCA churchwide organization and will provide focus and direction for our work into the next decade. The strategic directions open with a section that describes foundational and essential strategic threads that must be realized in order for the plan to succeed. The mission statement, vision statement and strategic directions will be shared as information and the strategic directions  provided daily themes for the 2003 Churchwide Assembly. Also included for reference is a brief history of the planning process and a list of the many groups of people that have participated to date in the planning process.

The Planning Team is now coordinating efforts to develop case statements, specific strategies, and measurable outcomes for each of the strategic directions, as well as plans to restructure the churchwide organization to best achieve the aims of the strategic plan. Portions of this work will continue through the fall of 2004.

Please take a look at the material provided and begin to think about ways the mission, vision and strategic directions might come alive in your ministry context.

Background Materials and Suggested Reading

 

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