"In Christ we are ever being transformed into a New Creation"

In January/February, 2012 There will be five Diocesan Gatherings to do VIVA 3 (Goal Setting). When all five have been completed, LIFT will consolidate all the five "drafts"into one document that will become the basis of our 2012-2013 Diocesan Action Plan. As the drafts are available they will be listed below.

1. Draft of goals by the LIFT task force meeting on 1/11/12 (Click Here)

2. Draft of goals by the Standing Committee & Ex. Counsel meeting on 1/14/12 (Click Here)

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Our New Vision Slogan and Vision Narrative, released on Easter Sunday (Click Here)

Summary of Responses to the Five Questions: "The Best of What the Diocese of Eau Claire Can Become"

Click Here

Pictured below are those who particiated (over 100) in the VIVA 2 North, Central and Southern Convocations.

Minutes of February 9, 2011 LIFT meeting can be found here.

November 30, 2010: Task Force completes work on VIVA 2 Vision Statement. (Click here)

VIVA 2 workshops will convene in our three Convocations in March. Vision Statements from these gathering and one from our Leadership Gathering will be added to ultimately create a final statement and narrative which will be presented to all of our congregation on Easter Sunday, 2011. From the Vision statement and narrative , goals and an action plan will be formulated and launched at our November 2011 Diocean Convention.

Members of the task force (left to right): Missy Stepanek (Christ Church Cathedral), Jeanne Stout (St. Alban's, Spooner), Steven Burns (Ascension, Hayward), Art Hancock (Ascension, Hayward), Bob Rodgers (St. Alban's, Spooner), Patrick Augustine (Christ Church, La Cross), Guy Usher (St. Paul's, Hudson), and Ed Leidel. Not pictured: Jo Glasser (Christ Church, La Cross).

October 7, 2010

Final Diocesan Idenity Slogan with Narrative adapted at our November 5-6 Diocesan Convention.

Click (here)

Snapshots of our Diocese at its Best:

Standing Committee-Exec Council-Trusttees "Snapshot" (Click here)

Eastern Convocation "Snapshot" (Click here)

Western Convocation "Snapshot" (Click here)

Your LFT Task Force met on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 and did a 4 hour workshop on VIVA 1 (Appreciating the Best of What the Diocese of Eau Claire is NOW). The task force will be working on VIVA 1 workshops with Bishop Ed throughout the diocese in preparation for our 2010 Convention in Eau Claire where a new draft Identity Sentence will be presented to the diocese. This will represent an affirmative way of retelling our story as we launch into a year long journey of disceerning "what might be" > "what should be" > "what will be" the new shape of our diocese. The LFT task force first attempt at giving our diocese an affimative present identity is grapically portrayed in this attachent (click here). The East and West Convocation Gatherings will produce more snapshots of our what is GOOD about our diocese today.

Living into the Future Together Task Force

Your new Living into the Future Together Task Force met for the first time on September 28 to begin to explore a process for all to participate in to get the diocese to a better and sustainable place.

The TF decided to use pieces of a process that Bishop Ed developed in the Canada and that he uses in his coaching ministry. The design has four stages and utilizes principles of an organizational process called Appreciative Inquiry. The four stages are:

          The next question to ask is, how will be get from 1 to 2; from “the best of what is” to the “best

          of what might be?” In the diagram below, 3 proposes an answer to that question.

1.   Determining “What Should Be.” The third stage brings us to familiar territory. We have all formulated goals before. But now, we are basing our goals on the realistic present identity and an appropriately related preferred future. “What should be” will only be given birth if we have or can find the resources to bring it into reality. This is a check and balance piece to the process. There is no point in dreaming of a new diocese that is totally unreachable, and un-resourceable. Stages 1 and 2 are descriptive pictures with lots of nouns. Stage three is full of verbs; it describes what it is that that we must do to get from 1 to 2.

2.   Creating “What Will Be.” This is the stage that brings transformation and renewal. Too often, churches and dioceses want to get right to this stage without doing the essential work of stages 1 through 3. This whole process takes time. It cannot be done in one overnight retreat. In the past many of us have done a retreat to come up with a “mission statement” which usually gets to the front of our Sunday bulletin, but which is never really lived into or even remembered. Grinding out an Action Plan with timelines and clarity about who does what when, where and how is critical. If 1 through 3 are done well there is already a commitment and an excitement about getting to the finish line. Accountability becomes a joy rather than something held over our heads. I call the four stages “a Holy Conversation” as it becomes a way of being Church; a new habit for our hearts to continuously engage in. It is a process that calls out the best in us. It is a process that requires prayer, faith and a willingness to risk and to “fail” (that is to say) a willingness to learn from our ongoing experience.

Your Living into the Future Together TF invites you to come and share in the adventure. This process really works; but it will work BEST if you are in it.

Members of the Living into the Future Task Force are: Patrick Augustine, Steven Burns, Jo Glasser, Art Hancock, Ed Leidel, Bob Rogers, Missy Stepanek, Jeanne Stout and Guy Usher. You will see these folks in action as they share with me in leading the East and West Convocation Gatherings on Saturday, October 9^th. The East Convocation will be at Grace Church, Rice Lake from 9 to 11am; and the West Convocation will be at Grace Church, Menomonie from 1 to 3 pm.

YOU ALL COME!