Listening in Spirit Update - August 1, 2024

Dear friends,

I wanted to write to give you a brief update on our Strategic plan process. As we head into August, Anna Bubel, our Diocesan Strategic Planning Committee Consultant, has met with nearly every parish, either in person or in a couple of extraordinary cases, via video or phone conference. We are grateful to all of you for listening in spirit together by completing the membership survey and/or participating in a parish engagement session. As with any plan, we first needed to listen to our parishes and parishioners.

With the discovery phase of our strategic planning journey nearing completion, Anna is now summarising her learnings to share with participating parishes by the end of September or, at the latest, the first week in October. She is writing a comprehensive report for all of you to read and meditate on. Our hope is you will each have time to reflect on Anna’s findings before our Diocesan Synod.

Her report on the parish engagement phase of the strategic planning process will be presented at our 69th Synod, “Hearts Burning Within Us,” scheduled to take place on October 18 and 19. We plan to spend several hours as a Synod talking and praying about the report. This is important work because it is from these conversations that we will develop the Strategic Plan for our diocese and parishes. Executive Council will use the insight gleaned from our discussions about Anna’s report to chart a course for our next five years together.

We are in a challenging time as a church, and we need to discern together where Christ is calling us currently to invest our time and resources. We are a family of churches joined together for the work of the Gospel in Central Alberta. Please pray for our discernment as we listen to the voice of God together.

Thank you for embarking on this journey in faith together.

Blessings, Bishop Steve