Disciple: Mission Strategy: Build Your Snapshot

By Christine McTaggart

At the 206th Annual Convention in November 2021, the next steps relating to the diocesan mission strategy were shared as we looked ahead to the March Special Convention, the focus of which was the mission stra-tegy itself.

For congregations, the next step was simple: have a conversation.

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: the mission strategy of the Diocese of North Carolina belongs to us all. It is a continuation of the journey we have been on for years—the journey to Becoming Beloved Community. The mission strategy is not a new start but rather the next step in that journey.

CELEBRATE AND DREAM

Prior to the Special Convention, congregations were encouraged to gather and build a snapshot of their church life together. This was because Convention itself was designed as an interactive experience, including time for conversation among delegates and guests following the presentation of each mission strategy priority. The idea was that attendees would get more out of the experience if they’d had a chance to think about their church life before arriving on-site.

The conversations matter not only because of Convention but also because they are a key and integral step in seeing your congregation in the mission strategy. If your congregation has not yet had a chance to build a snapshot, there is no wrong time to do it.

The idea is to build a picture of where you are as a congregation today. What work are you doing? What ministries do you offer? Of what partnerships are you a part? What are the strengths and characteristics of your congregation in which you take pride? What did you have to lay down during the pandemic that you miss? Is it ready to come back? Is anything ready to be let go? Of what do you dream?

Celebrate who you are, and be inspired by where you want to go.

If you need help getting the conversation started, the Diocese has created a downloadable “conversation starters” worksheet available at episdionc.org/mission-strategy. It’s a tool only for you—there are no reports to generate or task lists to complete.

As your conversations progress and your snapshot develops, check in with the mission strategy and the diocesan priorities on which it is built. Which priority or priorities are connected to your work? Do you see more than one? If you do, how and where do they intersect? Too, what resources do you need to continue or expand your work?

REMEMBER: THAT ONE THING

When it comes to the mission strategy, there is a lot of information to absorb because there is a lot of work in progress and more that’s ready to start! Don’t get overwhelmed. We’ve said this before, too, but it bears repeating because it’s one of the most important things to remember: You do not have to do it all. Though our diocesan priorities and the mission strategy goals have natural intersection points, “doing it all” has never been the point nor is it the goal as we move forward. Our goal is to work together toward Becoming Beloved Community, and every contribution, whether big or small, takes us one step closer. So as you look at how your work is reflected in the mission priorities or you dream about where you would like to go, we can’t say it enough: It is not about doing it all. It is about finding the place or places calling to you. You don’t have to do everything—you just have to find that one thing God is calling you to do and start there.

You have a place in the mission strategy and a contribution to make to it. So have the conversation and build your snapshot; celebrate where you are, dream of where you want to go, and know you are helping the Diocese of North Carolina realize our own collective dream of Becoming Beloved Community.

LEARN MORE

All available information relating to the mission strategy can be found on the diocesan website.

Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina.