2010 Diocesan Program and Budget Overview

Program and Budget

Grow, Give, and Serve: Overview of the 2010 Diocesan Program and Budget

The 2010 budget more fully incorporates the mission statement of the Diocese: to GROW in faith, numbers, and resources for mission, to GIVE sacrificially as a spiritual surrender of self to God, and to SERVE the world together as the risen body of Jesus Christ. These priorities were developed by the Program and Budget Committee and approved by Diocesan Council. The Diocesan Council also approved 13 resolutions to implement the Diocesan mission. These Mission Strategy Resolutions follow the mission statement.

GROW in faith, numbers, and resources for mission

• Provide resources for building community and establishing identity as Episcopalians in the Diocese of Ohio (this includes developing and expanding communication models for reaching out to both current Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians),

• Develop and employ creative models for congregational ministry—Comprehensive revitalization, Natural Church Development, Urban congregations, College Work, and provide support for parochial advertising
• Provide Christian formation opportunities and resources for children, youth and adults to grow in faith and understanding, recognizing that the spiritual journey is never ending.
  
  

GIVE sacrificially as a spiritual surrender of self to God

• Develop culture of giving through Annual Appeal, planned giving, gift development
• Invest in ministries of Service and Justice—commission for Global and Domestic Mission, Millennium Development Goals funding
• Encourage and assist congregational teaching in Giving as a spiritual discipline
  
  

SERVE the world together as the risen body of Jesus Christ

• Develop Domestic and Global Partnerships—i.e. companion dioceses, collaborative ministries between the Diocese of Ohio/Diocese of Southern Ohio, etc.
• Promote and support mission trips for all ages as a central part of spiritual formation and Life Long Learning.
• Inspire and form servant leaders—equipping people of all ages for ministry, lay and ordained.
• Form and deploy deacons in collaborative service.
  
  

Mission Strategy Resolutions Resolution #1a

The Bishop and Office for Christian Formation are authorized to appoint members to a new Christian Formation Commission. The CFC is responsible for providing oversight for Christian Formation Programs in the Diocese (children, youth, and adult). The Commission reports to the Diocesan Council and is supported by the work of the Christian Formation Office.
Anticipated actions:

1. Using a template created by the Christian Formation Office and CFC, each parish will be asked to present an inventory of its relevant programs
2. CFC will assess the gaps and needs (particularly in the areas of gifts discernment, sacrificial stewardship, servant leadership, lay leadership development, youth formation and leadership training, college work, and Cedar Hills summer camp), facilitate collaboration between parishes, and formally present its findings to Convention.

Projected Timing: Inventories to CFC by Convention 2008; CFC presentation at Convention 2009

Resolution #1b

Natural Church Development will be the primary church growth model used in the Diocese of Ohio through at least 2012. The Congregational Development Commission is tasked with developing an infrastructure by which the number of parishes utilizing NCD can grow by at least 12 parishes a year.

Resolution #2

The Commission on Ministry is directed to consider and recommend to the Bishop additional models of priestly formation, beyond residential seminary model, that can be utilized within the Diocese of Ohio to ensure that we have a sufficient number of trained priests to serve the needs of the Diocese.

Anticipated actions:

1. Research models within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion
2. Identify potential options for use in our Diocese

Projected Timing: Pilot programs in place in 2011

Resolution #3

The Congregational Development Commission is charged with developing a model for facilitating Regional conversations among parishes concerning congregational reorganization and church closings. This model should result in a plan for allocating resources, assets, and parish ministries so that we are more faithful stewards and better able to build healthy communities wherever we are. This must be done in a way that is both revitalizing and pastorally sensitive for those who are grieving the transition and sense of loss.

Anticipated actions:

1. Diagnostic tools must clarify parish circumstances and provide options for collaboration and reorganization (including ecumenical collaboration). Cases of successful transitions should be identified so that parish leaders might have access to those who have experienced and guided successful transitions inside or outside of the Diocese or in other denominations.
2. In the event that there is a mutual decision among concerned parties that a congregation must close, there needs to be an intentional regional discussion and process to assist parishioners and ministries with the transition into the life of another congregation in a pastorally sensitive manner.

Projected Timing: Diagnostic tools, case studies, and contacts by Convention 2009; application and revitalization as needed over the next decade.

Resolution #4

The Bishop and Executive Committee of Diocesan Council are authorized to appoint a Deanery Review Committee for research, development, and implementation of a new model for collaborative mission and ministry between local parishes on a sub-diocesan level.

Projected Timing: Proposing a plan and canonical changes by 2009 Annual Convention and implementation by 2010 Annual Convention.

Resolution #5

The Diocesan Council encourages and invites each parish in the Diocese to enter into at least one 3-year covenantal relationship with another parish within the Diocese of Ohio; their covenant will set forth how and with what expectations they will work together, and in what areas they intend to interact (e.g., worship, finances, clerical/lay leadership, fellowship, community building, service/mission efforts, Christian formation, small-group ministries).

Anticipated actions:

1. The Bishop would facilitate discussions with clergy regarding the potential and need for intentional grassroots collaboration
2. Congregation Development Commission will facilitate parishes’ conversations around previously identified and developed models of covenantal relationships and exchanges

Projected Timing: All parishes engaged in preliminary covenantal conversations by the 2008 Annual Convention; presentation of covenants and actions at 2009 Annual Convention

Resolution #6a

The Diocesan Council calls upon the Bishop, Diocesan Staff, Commission and Committee Chairs to enable greater representative diversity in Diocesan committees and commissions through a) scheduling (times and locations), b) rotating the geographic locations of the Mission and Ministry Conference and Annual Convention around the Diocese, and c) establishing more immediate communication of Diocesan actions and opportunities through all communication channels (including Sunday worship).

Resolution #6b

The Diocesan Council charges the Diocesan Technology Committee to offer assistance in enabling greater representative diversity in Diocesan committees and commissions through the use of current technologies (audio/video conference, web-meetings).

Resolution #7

The Bishop and Diocesan Council Executive Committee are authorized to appoint a Diocesan Advocacy Committee.

Anticipated Actions:

1. The Bishop is asked to discuss with the Episcopal Community Services Foundation as to whether Diocesan Advocacy falls within their responsibility.
2. ECSF or the appointed Diocesan Advocacy Committee will assist in identifying a potential focus for advocacy and being a resource to parishes participating in diocesan advocacy.
3. The Bishop and Diocesan Council will then name a fundamental societal need that parishes can address individually and collectively to effect transformation and healing

Projected Timing: Annual review and recommitment beginning in 2008

Resolution #8

The Commission on Domestic and Global Mission, in consultation with the Bishop, is to recommend to the Bishop and Diocesan Council at least two potential dioceses outside the United States (one in Africa/Asia; one in Caribbean/South America/Central America), with whom we can enter into covenantal relationships. The covenants should build upon existing relationships and initiatives. These relationships should not exclude other international relationships by parishes or the Diocese but be opportunities for common ministry in which each parish in the Diocese is called to and can participate in some manner.

Anticipated Actions:

1. Review results of Mission Inventory as a basis for discerning where there is already a broad commitment to international mission work upon which we might explore establishing a covenantal relationship with the local diocese of a Province in the Anglican Communion.
2. Enter into conversation with leaders of dioceses with which we might enter into a covenantal relationship.

Timing: Approve and sign covenants by 2009 Annual Convention.

Resolution #9

By 2013, the Diocese will allocate at least 15% of the sum of the total operating budget and all diocesan non-operating funds not otherwise restricted from such projects for domestic and international mission and service projects. It shall be the responsibility of the Finance Committee of Diocesan Council to propose annually an amount of spending from the diocesan operating fund budget for domestic and international mission and service projects in order to move towards and meet this goal.

Timing: This plan is to be proposed for adoption at the 2008 Annual Convention and the first incremental increase evidenced in 2009 Diocesan Operating Budget.

Resolution #10a

The Congregational Development Commission, through a revitalized Evangelism Working Group, will create and offer throughout the Diocese a program of education for evangelism and invitation, designed to encourage our people to reflect on and share their own faith experience with those who are seeking God.

Timing: Report to 2008 Annual Convention

Resolution #10b

The Congregational Development Commission is charged with designing a strategic plan for starting new congregations in places where we do not currently have active congregations, using new models of ministry-focused congregational organization as much as possible, and estimating as realistically as possible the resources that will be necessary to implement the plan.

Timing: Report to 2009 Annual Convention

The budget narratives which follow provide more detail on the specific priorities listed above.

As in prior years, the budget summary which follows presents only the “operating budget” of the diocese to the annual Convention for approval. The operating budget governs the money received from parish contributions and investment income that it will spend on regular diocesan ministry. The funds received and expended for other ministry areas, such as parish loans and grants, ECSF and Church Home, and activity of the Joint Investment Fund are not included in the budget presented here. The expense portion of the operating budget is again presented in two different ways: by ministry area and by management area.