Parish Survey
Dear people of Trinity,
As we look toward Trinity’s future, our parish leadership, including the Vestry and Parish Council, has begun an exciting process with a consulting firm to help us create something we are calling a Strategic Filter. Vandersall Collective is a faith-based firm which has worked with congregations like Trinity all across the country, and they are delighted to be partnering with us on this venture.
While “Strategic Filter” might sound like business jargon, the idea is actually quite simple. Our aim is to articulate our shared understanding of who we are as a congregation and what matters most to us, so that when we face decisions about our ministries, finances, buildings, staffing, and future priorities, we have a common way of asking, “Is this consistent with who we believe God is calling Trinity to be?”
Think of it as a plumb line, something that helps us remain grounded in and focused on our deepest values, regardless of who happens to be serving as wardens, vestry members, ministry leaders, or clergy leadership. A Strategic Filter is not a static strategic plan that lays out what we’ll be doing in the next 3 or 5 years, rather it’s a dynamic tool to help guide us in how we make decisions in any situation or environment we might encounter.
Identifying those deepest values should not be the work of only a small group of leaders, because the values of Trinity belong to all of us. And so, we have an invitation for you. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re asking you to participate in a brief survey, to help identify Trinity’s core values. There are multiple ways of offering your response to the survey, including online, hand-written (printed hard copies available August 9 and also by PDF link), and/or in a facilitated group conversation after both the 8am and 10am services on Sunday, August 16. The deadline for participating in the survey is Saturday, August 22.
There are no “right” answers. We are interested in what you have experienced at Trinity, what you cherish, what you hope for, and what you believe God is calling us to become.
Vandersall Collective will use what we learn from the congregation, together with conversations with Trinity’s leadership, to identify the core values that can ultimately shape Trinity’s Strategic Filter. The goal is not simply to come up with a list of attractive words, but rather to discover the deeper convictions which truly describe who we are at our best, and that can guide us as we live into our future together.
We hope you will take a few minutes to participate. Whether you have been part of Trinity for many years or are relatively new to the community, your perspective matters. In fact, the diversity of our experiences and perspectives is part of what makes this process so valuable.
This is an opportunity for us to pause amid all the things we do and ask a fundamental question: Who are we, and what matters most to us? We look forward to discovering the answer together.
With gratitude for all that you bring to the life of Trinity.
The Rev. Elizabeth Molitors, Rector
Brian Bargiel, Senior Warden
Michael Neal Arnold, Junior Warden
