Process of Planned Change & Discernment
-Module Three in Saint Benedict Cycle-
-Sessions and Assignments-
April 12, 19, 26, May 10 and 17 (note we skip May 3)
Friday Eastern 12:00 pm Central 11:00 am Mountain 10:00 am Pacific 9:00 am
There will be some revisions to this before we begin and as we move through the module.
Martin Buber said, “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” We hear in that an invitation to humility. When we plan, we are often tempted to think we control all these things. But there are always consequences we don’t anticipate. There are always challenges and possibilities that emerge during the process that we didn’t expect. Our task is finding God in all things. Our focus in this module is on using the process of planned change and doing that in relation to Christian discernment.
For Session 1
Case: St. Paul’s. Around 35 parish leaders gathered for a Friday evening all day Saturday consultation. This was in anticipation of the rector retiring in the coming years.
Focus & Method: Diagnosis. While we want to have an overall impression of the consultation, our focus will be around the diagnostic work done. So, we need you to concentrate your attention on: 1) the diagnosis step and Survey Feedback as seen in Finding God in All Things and other readings and 2) On the diagnostic work done by those who gathered that weekend. We’ll seek to better understand the work of diagnosis as a basis for productive conversation and developing a sense of direction.
Parish Development Role: External consultants (Review “Initiating change and change roles” in Chapter 6 Finding God in All Things)
Readings
On Diagnosis
1. The beginning of chapter 2 on the Process of Planned Change through section on Diagnosis and the later section on Survey Feedback in Finding God in All Things. Also this brief overview Diagnosis
2. Overview - one page diagram Also in Finding God in All Things in Introduction to Chapter 2. Please learn the four stages of the process. You may find it useful to keep a copy in front of you as we go through this module.
Saint Paul’s Process and Data
1. Read: St. Paul’s Newsprint – Pictures of what was recorded on newsprint as the group worked. Special attention to the Parish Life Cycle (p.3) and Assessing Parish Spiritual Practices (pp. 8 – 16) You’ll find the background material on those items in the working packet below. Have this available to refer to during the session.
2. Read: Pages 1 - 19 St. Pauls Fayetteville working packet. Have this available to refer to during the session. Special attention to: Introduction (p.1), Parish Life Cycle (p.6), the In Your Holy Spirit model (pp. 8 – 11), and Assessing Parish Spiritual Practices (pp. 12 – 17).
3. Pictures of the consultation
Questions: Participants will want to consider how the theory and methods of diagnosis were used in this particular situation.
-Identify how this was a form of survey feedback. From the information you have, what elements of Survey Feedback stand out in this situation?
-What in the data seems most important? If called for, what additional data gathering might be useful? (as in “diagnosis is like peeling an onion” from Finding God in All Things) and in “Nothing so contagious as holiness” Chapter 11. - Life is like an onion; you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep. -Carl Sandburg
-Do you have an impression of the “readiness” (p. 35) of the parish leaders to engage this work?
Session 1
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements |
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9:10 – 9:40 |
The first part of the session will be Sister Susan interviewing Sister Michelle about the process she used as an external consultant for St. Paul’s parish weekend. |
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9:40 – 9:45 |
Break – five minutes |
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9:45 – 10:20 |
Groups of 5. Go around the group. Each person taking a few minutes to share learnings, surprises, wonderings about the diagnostic process in this case and more broadly. Then discuss. |
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10:20 – 11:00 |
Whole Group: Comments, Q&A |
For Session 2
Case: St. Elisabeth’s South Philadelphia. Brother Robert’s first long term in-charge position.
Focus & Methods: Planning
Parish Development Role: Rector (Review “Initiating change and change roles” in Chapter 6 Finding God in All Things) He was the Vicar of St. Elisabeth’s
Assignment: Do all the readings and make notes for use during the session
Questions: What to you think:
1) Robert’s objectives were in his first few months? Any sense of what data he was focused on. His method of diagnosis?
2) Robert’s objectives were after setting in?
3) The parish’s objectives were after the first year with Robert?
4) What kind of planning method was being use?
Readings
On Planning
Section on Planning in chapter 2 of Finding God in All Things
”Where should I begin?” on Substack - A Wonderful and Sacred Mystery
Change Formula
In Finding God in All Things, Chapter 2, the section on The Change Formula
In the St. Elisabeth situation — Was Dissatisfaction suppressed by a lack of hope? Was “hope” developed by a bit of Vision (direction) and First Steps (concrete action taken)?
St. Elisabth’s Information -
Saint Elisabth’s Stories and Issues - Note the analysis questions on pp 4 - 5
St. Elisabeth’s South Philadelphia 1975 - 1981
St. Elisabeth’s South Philadelphia Assessments 1975, 76, 77, 78.
Quick skim. Pictures of the parish 1975 - 81 St. Elisabeth’s Plan 1981-85
Optional: Stay in the City - Short explanation. Stay in the City booklet
Session 2
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements |
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9:10 – 9:45 |
Groups of 5 – Discuss what questions you may want to ask Brother Robert. Begin by identifying someone to ask those questions when we gather as the whole group. You may find it useful to focus your questions on issues of: 1) initiating change and change roles, 2) “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware,” and 3) anything related to what happened in diagnosis or planning stages. |
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9:45 -9:55 |
Return to the whole group – take a break. |
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9:55 – 10:30 |
Group questions for Brother Robert |
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10:30 – 11:00 |
Sisters Susan and Michelle share their observations about planning at St. Elisabeth’s. |
For Session 3
Case: St. Clements Seattle. A parish development process
Focus & Method: Implementation. Monitor and initiate
Parish Development Role: Internal Consultants/Rector-Parish Development Team (Review “Initiating change and change roles” in Chapter 6 Finding God in All Things)
Readings
1. On Implementation
Section on Implementation in Chapter 2 in Finding God in All Things
Handout Implementation
2. On St. Clements, Seattle - As you read, make notes regarding, how did the parish struggle with and address implementation issues?
In Nothing so contagious as holiness “Chapter 11: Parish Organization Development Process.” This is the story of an OD/PD intervention at St. Clements Church, Seattle.
St. Clements 2040 Assessments in 2022 -
The assessment forms used included - Key Factors (2021) Walrath Size Chart.
3. Optional - Listen to Sister Michelle’s sermon. Toward the end she touches on the St. Clements 2040 process and she wonders about several issues facing the parish. Sermon begins at 28:00
Session 3
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements |
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9:10 – 9:45 |
In groups of 5 (or 4) discuss how the parish struggled with and addressed implementation issues. When we return to the whole group you can test those ideas and ask questions Sister Michelle. |
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9:45 – 9:50 |
Break when returning |
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9:50 – 10:20 |
Comments, Q&A |
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Around 10:20 |
During the 2040 effort several events occurred that drew the attention of parish leaders away from implementation in the planned change process. Sister Michelle will describe one such event and explore how in that situation there were developmental possibilities present. Presentation followed by Q&A. |
For Session 4
Case: St. Brendan’s, Deer Isle, Maine
Parish Development Role: Internal consultant (Review “Initiating change and change roles” in Chapter 6 Finding God in All Things)
Focus: Discernment
Readings 1) Discernment - three threads 2) Communal discernment 3) Related worksheet
4) In Chapter 2 of Finding God in All Things “Communal Discernment” and “Case: St. Brendan’s Church in Discernment”
5) Deer Isle Airport story - an orientation to the regional context
7) Results - possible futures 2001
Task: Start with the assumption that discernment is happening in all Christian communities. It may be more or less skilled, grounded or intentional. Discernment is already happening in all parishes. We may strengthen our capacity for discernment. Your task is to make use of Discernment - three threads and Communal discernment in an assessment of your parish church. Note strengths and gifts, weakness and blindsides. Are there issues or dynamics facing the parish now that may call for a more intentional form of discernment? What are they?
Session 4
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements |
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9:10 – 10:00 |
In groups of 4. Share what you came up with in assessing your parish (see above). |
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10:00 – 10:10 |
Break – you’ll be brought back into the whole group and have a break. |
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10:10 – 11:00 |
Q&A and sharing – about your task, the group work, the St. Brendan’s case. |
For Session 5
The work of this session: We’re going to use a group development theory (Tuckman) and a method for clarifying expectations (Inter-group Team Building Process) as a form of evaluation to close out this cycle. In using the Tuckman Model we’ll be looking at the whole group (participants and trainers) as the team. As we have another year to go, we will use just the first four stages in our work. The Inter-group Team Building Process will be a process between the participants and the trainers. Be kind - we’ve only ever done this with in-person groups. So, we’re adapting it for our Zoom world. We hope it will both be useful in our shared learning process and clear enough that you can see how you might use it in the parish.
Read:
1) Section on Evaluation Chapter 2 in Finding God in All Things and Review “Initiating change and change roles” in Chapter 6
2) Evaluation
3) “The Tuckman Model” on group development (five stages of development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.) In “Chapter 5: Understanding parish dynamics”, Finding God in All Things: Contemplation, Intercession, and Intervention A PDF of the Tuckman Model
Download a copy and read
1) Using the Tuckman Model - fill out the form assessing our team work together, participants and trainers. [Optional: fill in the form a second time, this time on your parish or a group within the parish]
2) Preparing for the session on the Intergroup Team Building Process. Download and fill in this form.
3) Inter-group Team Building Process – Bring to the session. You don’t need to read this carefully at this point. Just get a sense of the broad elements. You will want to make use of the details if you use it in your parish in the future.
Session 5
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements |
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9:10 – 9:25 |
Presentation on the Tuckman Model |
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9:25 – 9:45 |
Assessment – use raising fingers method to get a read on responses to Performing stage of the model. Comments. Q&A |
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9:45 – 9:55 |
Break |
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9:55 – 10:55 |
Use Inter - Group Team Building Process (a variation) To assess STP and consider ideas for the future. The process is described at the bottom of Preparing for the session on the Intergroup Team Building Process. |
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10:55 |
Close session and St. Benedict Cycle |
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