An outline of our Long Range Planning Process

This is a copy of the article I wrote for our April newsletter:

Re-starting the Long Range Planning Process

By Bill Fulton, Vicar

For many years at St. Antony’s, we’ve had a dream of building a better facility. Over the twenty five years of our existence, we’ve engaged architects and consultants, drawn up building plans, raised money, and looked for alternative sites, but we haven’t been able to accomplish the dream. I think the time has come for us to sit down together and agree on a plan we can accomplish.

I’m proposing a parish-wide process to come to some decisions on our building plans this year. Because this is a major parish decision that requires broad consensus, I think we need a comprehensive process that is transparent and inclusive. I presented a plan at the March meeting of the Bishop’s Committee to accomplish this, and they refined and endorsed the plan.

The process I’ve suggested involves three parish meetings – one to explain the process and start our research on what’s been accomplished to date; one meeting to share our findings and provide information; and one meeting to come to a decision. I envision these meetings to take place in April, July, and November. A flow chart of this process is posted in the narthex.

In the research and information phase, we’ll share what’s been done so far; look at past building plans and their price tags; and analyze our fundraising efforts to date. In the decision-making phase, we’ll come up with various alternatives and present them to the parish for a decision. All of this needs to be done quite openly and communicated clearly.

We have considerable resources to work with and impressive talent among our membership. The key is to have a well-understood process, good communication, and broad participation from our membership. I hope you’ll take the time to come to the meetings, absorb the information, and participate in the process. Our first meeting will be Monday, April 12, at 7:00 PM.

Please contact me, Bob Meith, or Heather George with your suggestions and any questions you might have. By working together with a good plan, we can have a successful outcome.