# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S89 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) SYNOD REPORTS, 89 This project recognizes that natural disasters and other crises diminish the capacities of local professional ministers pursuing the mission vigorously to proclaim the message of Christ in the stricken community and church. This project allows for people of the LCMS, sharing the mission, and unified in the message, having been properly trained for providing support in time of crisis, to be instruments of God’s strength and renewal to the LCMS profes- sional ministers involved in the crisis. This project will focus on the selection and training of responders and is pursued in harmony with the efforts put forth by the LCMS Board for Human Care. The actual future deployment of these trained responders in support of LCMS professional ministers will be carried out in conjunction with the broader response of LCMS Human Care. It is anticipated that as many as ten LCMS individuals from each of six geographical regions of the continental United States will be selected (after a nomination process) to receive special training for assisting professional church workers in and immedi- ately after a time of crisis. The assistance provided will be in the nature of fraternal presence, along with spiritual and personal care. — Retaining Church Work Professionals in the Parish—In 2006, Research Services of the LCMS, under the Leadership of Dr. John O’ Hara, completed the third in a three-part series of studies related to “Parish Professionals Who Left Parish Ministry.” This third study is part of a three-year project, supported in part by the Lilly Endowment and Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans, and is entitled “Results of Survey of Directors of Education who left Parish Ministry.” Prior surveys, covering pastors and teachers who left parish min- istry, are reported elsewhere (Pastors in Transition by Dean R. Hoge and Jacqueline E. Wenger, Eerdmans Publishing, 2005; “Teachers Who Left LCMS Schools,” John P. O’Hara, March 2004). The following results are based on a survey of Directors of Christian Education (DCEs) who had left parish ministry between 1998 and 2003. From the files of rosters and statistics, we identified 97 DCEs who appeared to fit the criteria for the study. We received 31 useable returns from the 80 net eligible participants, a 39 percent return rate, slightly lower than the rate for pastors (43 percent) or teachers (47 percent). Due to the low response rate, we assume the most disaffected workers did not respond. Several key findings are reported here: ¢ DCE respondents were asked to list their main motivations, in their own words, for leaving their parish positions. ¢ Like their teacher colleagues, the most common reason for leaving was personal/family reasons, accounting for one in three. ¢ The next most common reason was a different ministry posi- tion (26 percent). ¢ Third was conflict, usually with the board or other staff (19 percent). ¢ Another 11 percent left due to staff reductions, brought on by financial problems. ¢ A small number cited “frustration with the congregation or its leadership.” - ¢ Like their pastor/teacher colleagues, a sizable minority (29 per- cent) reported their last congregation was involved in “major” conflict. ¢ Also, like the previous respondents (and the larger interdenomi- national pastor sample), the two most-cited causes of conflict were “pastoral leadership style” and “finances.” ¢ When asked to identify the extent to which certain issues were problems in their last position: ; ¢ “finding time for recreation, relaxation, or personal reflection” (60 percent said it was a “‘great’”’ or “somewhat of a problem”); ¢ “relationships with other staff’ (49 percent, a problem); ¢ “lack of agreement on my position responsibilities” (40 per- cent, a problem). ¢ These respondents also experienced (very/fairly often): * “stress as a result of dealing with individuals who are critical of your work” (47 percent); ¢ “stress as a result of the challenges you faced in that congre- gation” (61 percent); ¢ “feel lonely and isolated” (43 percent). ¢ When asked how important various reasons for leaving their po- sition were, more than 40 percent cited feeling “drained by the demands on me” (48 percent “great/somewhat important”) or “lonely and isolated” (44 percent). The studies of those leaving parish positions may be accessed for review at cmgs.lcms.org. Based on the studies and evidence from prior research, the fol- lowing seem to present themselves as major considerations in the effort to retain professional ministers in parish positions: ¢ Newly placed professional church workers would benefit from a strengthening of preparation for the practical aspects of parish ministry while at our universities and seminaries. ¢ Retention of newly placed professional church workers would im- prove with a closer “match” between parish and worker. (The process would benefit from a more candid dialogue about expec- tations between candidates and congregations.) ¢ Retention of professional church workers would improve with meaningful and ongoing support from national and district offices, especially during transitions. ¢ Retention of professional church workers would improve with support in times of conflict or crisis, even if that comes from out- side the Synod system. ¢ Retention of professional church workers would improve as con- gregations become more realistic about expectations of the workers. ¢ Retention of professional church workers would improve with ed- ucation and resources for dealing with issues of stress and work/family conflicts. See Exhibit A for “Common Threads in the Three Studies of Parish Professionals Who Left Parish Ministry.” The What a Way Initiative has continued to develop and pro- vide materials to enhance the recruitment and retention of church workers. Resources are available for anyone considering a profes- sion in the church, for us who know of someone with the aptitude and ability to pursue a career as a church worker, and for everyone who is currently serving in a church vocation. The CMGS is hon- ored to be one of three groups from the LCMS (also Board for Pastoral Education and Concordia Publishing House) providing leadership for this important initiative. A complete list of resources is available at whataway.org. — The Coaching Principals Initiative—supported by a grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, was finished in December of 2005. The initiative sought to determine if the coaching model, used in the corporate world, would be of benefit to Lutheran school administrators as they work as mentors/encouragers of the mem- bers of their faculties. Twelve Lutheran School administrators were trained as coaches and were paired with active Lutheran school principals wishing to experience coaching. Outcomes ¢ Fewer principals participated in coaching than anticipated. (Thirty of a potential seventy-two). ¢ Fewer evaluations of the Teacher2000 survey were returned than anticipated, with the small sample making the benefits of the coaching initiative difficult to determine. ¢ Principals who took part in the coaching initiative expressed (through informal surveys) gratitude and satisfaction with their coaching experience. ¢ A report, along with an expression of thanks for the grant, were sent to Thrivent in 2006. 2007 Convention Workbook