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A Mind for the MissionBuilding Communities of ActionFSLC 2017
Who is here?
• Name
• Where you work
• Types of Catholic institutional experience
• Characterize the ministry’s community and the community it serves
Tom Kiely, Director,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
A Mind for the Mission – Basic Aims
• Identify issues that will develop your community strategically around the essentials of the ministry’s mission
• Envision your leadership role in this process: Whom will you lead?
• Become comfortable with articulating the faith as a leader in the community
A Mind for the Mission - Objectives
• Think about the nature of “mission”• Analyze Catholic institutions’ mission
& some mission statements• Dissect community dynamics • Apply some concepts &
“get strategic”• Find what components of the faith
fit your situation
What is “Mission”?a sending a messenger apostolos
What is Jesus’ Mission?He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophetIsaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luke 4: 16-21
What is the Church’s Mission?
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
Matthew 28: 19-20
What is the Church’s Mission?
“The Mission has a Church.”Stephen Bevans, SVD
Example: What is the Mission of Catholic Schools?
from “To Teach As Jesus Did” (1972)
• Message – the Gospel• Community – church, local, nation• Service – “seeking solutions to a host
of complex problems”• Worship & Prayer
What is the Mission of Catholic Schools?
from the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Schools(2012)
The Defining Characteristics of Catholic Schools
o Centered in the Person of Jesus Christo Contributing to the Evangelizing Mission of the Churcho Distinguished by Excellenceo Committed to Educate the Whole Childo Steeped in a Catholic Worldviewo Sustained by Gospel Witnesso Shaped by Communion and Communityo Accessible to all Studentso Established by the Expressed Authority of the Bishop
3 Theological Approaches to Mission
Type A Type B Type C
Culture of Origin Roman Hellenistic/Greek Near Eastern
Defining Concept Law Truth History
Idea of Church Institutional Model Mystical Communion; Sacrament
Herald; Servant
Salvation & the Last Things
Individual; Spiritual; in the Future
Individual; Holistic Now & Forever;
Historical; Holistic; It has begun…
Idea of the Person Sinful; hierarchical Blessed; hierarchical Blessed; Equality
Relation to Culture Counter-cultural in some aspects; cultural in others
God is at work in culture Culture is the place where we labor for God’s Kingdom
3 Theological Approaches to Mission
Type A Type B Type CMajor Figure St. Francis Xavier, SJ Matteo Ricci, SJ St. Francis of Assisi, OFM
Scriptural Idea “Go therefore…”Matthew 28
“And the Word became flesh…” John 1
“Today, this Scripture is fulfilled…” Luke 4
Purpose of a Catholic Organization• Religious Life• Learning• Community Life• Relation to local
community• What students should
leave being/being able to do
• What clients receiveSource: Bevans & Schroeder.
3 Theological Approaches to Mission: Practical Issues
Type A Type B Type C
Purpose of a Catholic School• Religious Life
• Learning
• Community Life
• Relation to local community
• What students should leave being/being able to do
Individual
Vs.
The Community
Voice of Culture Vs.
Voice of Faith
Spirit of Groups Vs.
Spirit of the Whole School
A Mind for the Mission – Some Research
Strengths of Catholic schools have been found in the following areas:• the positive effects of voluntary
association• the common curriculum• shared goals• social relationships vs. individualistic
policies• commitment among the adults in
the building--Anthony Bryk
A Mind for the Mission – Summary Exercise
From your vantage point what does your school/institution do on a daily basis?
How does it fulfill it’s mission?
Mission Statements, Etc.
Who are you?Whom do you serve?
What will students/clients be when they are finished?
What will you do with them while they are students/clients at your school/institution?
Mission
Vision
PhilosophyValues, etc.
Mission Statement Postures
Followers
Drivers
Passengers
Spectators
Mission Statements vs. Brands
What are you known for?
Do you have a motto?
Do you have a tag line?
Brand
A guiding principle
Tied to the Brand
Mission Statement Exercise
Guiding Questions: 1. Are the authentic roots of the organization represented?2. Is the community being served identified” 3. Is the service being provided clear to both the provider and the consumer?4. What is the bridge from rhetoric to reality?5. Is the statement more inspirational or practical?
Mission Statements
______Catholic High School is a suburban, college preparatory school. It educates young men and women spiritually,
academically, socially and physically in a faith community to develop as life long learners and leaders in a global society in
the Catholic tradition..
At ------, a Catholic high school sponsored by the ------, we inspire our students to excel, serve, and love.
Mission Statements------School is a Catholic, -----, urban, college-preparatory school for young men. ------strives to form leaders who are:religious, loving, seeking intellectual excellence, committed to justice and open to growth.
------Regional School is a Catholic learning community with a long standing tradition of rigorous academic standards and spiritually relevant teachings. Embracing community involvement, our parishes, faculty, parents, and alumni build an environment for our students where faith and knowledge meet. We empower learners to be motivated, intellectual, and responsible citizens with a lifelong commitment to serving God and others.
Mission Statements
St. ------ Catholic School is dedicated to the sacred ministry of providing quality education, anchored in the Roman Catholic tradition, which nurtures children in Catholic values and promotes excellence in education and a life of service.
Saint -----School, in partnership with the home and parish, commits itself to nurturing students’ life-long faith formation, spirituality, compassionate service, and intellectual growth by promoting Gospel values and by fostering an environment of academic excellence comprised of rich, rigorous curricula and opportunities for immersion in school and parish life, in preparation for their future roles as global citizens.Recognizing that everyone is a child of God, we strive to be an inclusive community where all are treated with respect and dignity.
Mission Statements
Our Lady ------School exists out of the conviction that: religious commitment is the central and integrative reality of life learning and living must be illumined by the light of Faith human, secular and scientific knowledge derives its most profound and most significant meaning only when seen in the context of God’s providential plan of creation religious truths and moral values are the underlying realities from which the student’s experiences of learning and living achieve coherence and derive its deepest meaning.
St. ------ Parish School, in partnership with parents and the parish community, believes in providing quality Catholic Christian education of the whole child within an environment which fosters a positive self image.
Mission Statements
At ------Catholic School, our mission is to serve a diverse urban community through strong academics and service rooted in the Catholic tradition. We form productive citizens who live the message of Jesus Christ.
-----Catholic School is a K3 - 8th grade school dedicated to serving a diverse urban community, providing students with a quality education rooted in the Catholic faith ad the teachings of Gospel values
St. ----- School is a Catholic, urban school preparing students for post-secondary education.
Mission Statements
Saint -----School, in partnership with the home and parish, commits itself to nurturing students’ life-long faith formation, spirituality, compassionate service, and intellectual growth by promoting Gospel values and by fostering an environment of academic excellence comprised of rich, rigorous curricula and opportunities for immersion in school and parish life, in preparation for their future roles as global citizens.Recognizing that everyone is a child of God, we strive to be an inclusive community where all are treated with respect and dignity.
St. ----- School is a Catholic, urban school preparing students for post-secondary
education.
Analyze:
Who/What is the school?
Whom does it serve?
What will students be/be able to do?
How will the school get them to this destination?
Ex. AEx. B
Mission Statements
Saint -----School, in partnership with the home and parish, commits itself to nurturing students’ life-long faith formation, spirituality, compassionate service, and intellectual growth by promoting Gospel values and by fostering an environment of academic excellence comprised of rich, rigorous curricula and opportunities for immersion in school and parish life, in preparation for their future roles as global citizens.Recognizing that everyone is a child of God, we strive to be an inclusive community where all are treated with respect and dignity.
St. ----- School is a Catholic, urban school preparing students for post-secondary
education.
Analyze:
What do the verbs indicate?
What type of claims are being made?
How can progress or effectiveness be measured?
Ex. AEx. B
Mission Statements
Saint -----School, in partnership with the home and parish, commits itself to nurturing students’ life-long faith formation, spirituality, compassionate service, and intellectual growth by promoting Gospel values and by fostering an environment of academic excellence comprised of rich, rigorous curricula and opportunities for immersion in school and parish life, in preparation for their future roles as global citizens.Recognizing that everyone is a child of God, we strive to be an inclusive community where all are treated with respect and dignity.
St. ----- School is a Catholic, urban school preparing students for post-secondary
education.
Analyze:
What assumptions are being made?
What components of the community are being addressed?
Can the mission drive ongoing work?
Ex. AEx. B
Mission Statements
Saint -----School, in partnership with the home and parish, commits itself to nurturing students’ life-long faith formation, spirituality, compassionate service, and intellectual growth by promoting Gospel values and by fostering an environment of academic excellence comprised of rich, rigorous curricula and opportunities for immersion in school and parish life, in preparation for their future roles as global citizens.Recognizing that everyone is a child of God, we strive to be an inclusive community where all are treated with respect and dignity.
St. ----- School is a Catholic, urban school preparing students for post-secondary
education.
Analyze:In your case….
Does the mission need to be changed?
How does the vision hold up?
Are your documents aligned with the school’s functioning?
Ex. AEx. B
What will your school/institution be known for?
• Community diagnosis : NSBECS +• What emerging topics require
complex collaboration?• Prioritize community needs:
• Internal – faculty/staff• Internal – families/clients• External – What can be your
school’s radius of outreach?
Community DynamicsHow is your community suited to growth and change?
What is your community’s social capital?
“social capital” refers to features
of social organization such as
networks, norms, and social trust
that facilitate coordination and
cooperation for mutual benefit.
R. Putnam
Community DynamicsBefore October 29, 1997, John Lambert and Andy Boschma knew each other only through their local bowling league at the Ypsi-Arbor Lanes in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Lambert, a sixty-four-year-old retired employee of the University of Michigan hospital, had been on a kidney transplant waiting list for three years when Boschma, a thirty-three-year-old accountant, learned casually of Lambert's need and unexpectedly approached him to offer to donate one of his own kidneys. "Andy saw something in me that others didn't," said Lambert. "When we were in the hospital Andy said to me, 'John, I really like you and have a lot of respect for you. I wouldn't hesitate to do this all over again.' I got choked up." Boschma returned the feeling: "I obviously feel a kinship [with Lambert]. I cared about him before, but now I'm really rooting for him." This moving story speaks for itself, but the photograph that accompanied this report in the Ann Arbor News reveals that in addition to their differences in profession and generation, Boschma is white and Lambert is African American. That they bowled together made all the difference. In small ways like this — and in larger ways, too — we Americans need to reconnect with one another. That is the simple argument of this book.
R. Putnam
Community Dynamics
Community Dynamics
What serves as the bowling league for your school or community today?
Community DynamicsShaped by Communion and
CommunityCatholic school education places an emphasis on the
school as community—an educational community of
persons and a genuine community of faith. Catholic
schools should do everything they can to promote
genuine trust and collaboration among teachers, with
parents as the primary educators of their children, and
with governing body members to foster appreciation of
different gifts that build up a learning and faith
community and strengthen academic excellence. The
Catholic school should pay especially close attention to
the quality of interpersonal relations between teachers
and students, ensuring that the student is seen as a
person whose intellectual growth is harmonized with
spiritual, religious, emotional, and social growth.
Strategic Areas to Examine
“A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9
Where to begin?
Use the tools of ethnography
▪ Community meetings▪ Surveys (beyond the NSBECS)▪ Interviews & Oral histories▪ Focus Groups▪ Asset inventory▪ Community mapping
Strategic Activities to Examine
• Listening sessions/What does data say?• Communal prayer• Service Experiences (Identification; analysis; action;
reflection; evaluation)• Creative activities • Church attendance & how to address it• Athletics (beyond competition)• Community activities with those from outside the
school/church• Advocacy and Service• Partnerships between faculty and administrators
and the community• Exploration on how the community can reach out• Partnerships with other Catholic organizations
“A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9
o Messageo Communityo Service
Setting a Strategy
“A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9
▪ What is needed? ▪ What is your theory of action?
(If we do ---; --- will happen)▪ What do people not know they need and that
the school can become the provider?▪ How multi-generational is your approach?▪ What are the lines of division in the community?▪ Who is in which clique?▪ How well do you know the history behind the
current state of affairs?
Focus on 1 Project: *Tie it to school improvement!
“A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9
▪ What is the desired outcome?▪ Who needs to be engaged?▪ How do you reach out?▪ Who will coordinate the effort?▪ What is the timeline and is there a budget?▪ What are the moments of real community
interaction?▪ Celebrate the result▪ Measure the reactions (Diagram)
Who is involved?: Strategic Groupings
“A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.”
Galatians 5:9
▪ Towards what groups does the data lead?ex. Faculty; PLCs; PTA; Boards; special interests?
▪ Lead these groups towards collective ownership of the problem
▪ Tie all work to the mission: how does the content of the mission affect planning, debate, and the outcome.
Faith & Community: What is your strength?Where will you need assistance?
▪ Dimensions of Scripture, Prayer and Worship▪ Sharing the Message: How is this part of your school’s
mission? ▪ Family & Discipleship: What kind of people are we? ▪ Serving the “least of these”- the margins of your
community - Outreach, Charity, & Justice▪ Creating Community & Building Solidarity▪ Respecting Diversity & not alienating people
Faith & Community: What is your strength? Your Charism?Where will you need growth or assistance?
Creed & Doctrine
Liturgy & Worship
Morality & Ethics
Prayer
Believing & Teaching
Celebrating & Gathering
Acting & Serving
Relating & Discerning
Religious Category Individual Activity
A Mind for the Mission - Objectives
✓ Think about the nature of “mission”✓ Analyze Catholic institutions’ mission
& some mission statements✓ Dissect community dynamics ✓ Apply some concepts & “get
strategic”✓ Find what components of the faith
fit your situation
A Mind for the Mission – Basic Aims
• Identify issues that will develop your school community strategically –around the essentials of the school’s mission
START SMALL, TARGETED, PARTNERSHIPS• Envision your leadership role in this
process - BUILD A CONCRETE TO DO LIST• Become comfortable with articulating the faith as a leader in the community –
BEGIN WITH A FEW CLEAR CONCEPTS
A Mind for the Mission – Selected Sources
Bevans, Stephen B & Schroeder, Roger P. Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today, Orbis Books, 2004
Bryk, A. (2008). Catholic Schools, Catholic Education, and Catholic Educational Research: A Conversation with Anthony Bryk. Journal of Catholic Education, 12 (2). retrieved from http://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/ce/vol12/iss2/11
Community Assessment Tools: A Resource for Rotary Projects available at www.rotary.org
National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools, Loyola University Chicago & Boston College, 2012 available at www.catholicschoolstandards.org
Program Development and Evaluation, University of Wisconsin-Extension available at http://fyi.uwex.edu/programdevelopment/logic-models/bibliography/
Putnam, Robert, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American CommunitySimon & Schuster, 2000
To Teach As Jesus Did: A Pastoral Message on Catholic EducationNational Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972
U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish available at usccb.org