In the fall of 2021, the Vestry of St. Bart’s approved a strategic plan to guide the work of the parish from 2022 to 2025. The plan aims to further the parish’s mission of Transforming Lives, Transforming the Church and Transforming the World by ensuring stewardship of our building and financial resources and by creatively investing in the growth and development of our vibrant faith community. This work comes at a crucial time for St. Bart's and the wider Church as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person Sunday attendance is down around 40% from pre-COVID levels, but total Sunday attendance, with virtual worshippers included, is up around 20% over pre-COVID levels. The strategic plan is intended to position St. Bart's well for the new future that is on the horizon.
At the 2022 annual meeting in February, the Rector and Wardens pledged to offer regular updates to the parish on the progress of the plan. Beginning this month, such updates will be periodically included in the weekly enews. In addition, progress on the plan will be shared at a session of The Forum on Pentecost (Sunday, June 5).
Since the plan was adopted, the following tasks have been completed or are ongoing:
Pillar One (Building Our Organization to Support Growth)
- A search firm has been hired to manage the search for a Chief Operating Officer. Candidates are currently being interviewed, with a hire expected shortly. By hiring a COO, St. Bart’s seeks to drive more revenue and better support the complex operations of the parish.
- The accounting firm Citrin Cooperman has been engaged to assist in the streamlining of financial procedures.
- The leaders of St. Bart’s are in the process of establishing key performance indicators for key staff members.
Pillar Two (Achieving Financial Stability & Increased Giving)
- Jama Toung was hired as Director of Stewardship & Development and has begun revitalizing our approach to raising funds.
- 2021 stewardship revenue of $2.85 million surpassed the goal of $2.7 million. The vestry has set a goal of $3.3 million for 2022.
- Education of the congregation around stewardship topics has been integrated more fully into worship and adult education offerings.
Pillar Three (Growing & Diversifying Membership)
- The Reverend Zack Nyein was hired as Senior Associate Rector and is undergoing a comprehensive review of our newcomer welcome process.
- The hiring process for new staff in the area of Newcomer Welcome and Engagement has commenced, with a hire expected this summer.
- Newcomers to St. Bart’s received Welcome bags on Easter Sunday, and Welcome Sundays will return in the coming months.
Pillar Four (Boosting Parish Engagement)
- The hiring process for new staff in the area of Parish Life has commenced, with a hire expected this summer.
- The lay Pastoral Care team, established in mid-2021, has expanded its size and scope under the leadership of The Reverend Meredith Ward.
- The St. Bart’s Connects small group initiative launched its second season with 71 parishioners participating.
Pillar Five (Fully Leveraging Building & Mission Supporting Activities)
- As mentioned in Pillar One, a search firm has been hired to manage the search for a Chief Operating Officer. Candidates are currently being interviewed, with a hire expected this summer.
- The firm VVA has been hired to develop a long-term building maintenance and improvement plan. This plan will Include both "have to" and "beautification" projects and will serve as the basis for a long term funding plan.
- Church leadership has approved a new HVAC system for the gym, which will open up the possibility for greater revenue from athletic rentals.
Pillar Six (Capitalizing on Digital Trends)
- The hiring process for new staff in the area of digital communications has commenced, with a hire expected this summer.
- Spending on digital advertising has increased, resulting in more followers and greater engagement on digital platforms.
- An audit of the website has been conducted and improvements to the website have been implemented.