Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest - Parish Health Inventory Model

Parish Health Summit

The OCA’s Diocese of the Midwest’s recent Parish Health Summit brought together 15 Orthodox priests from 12 growing parishes.

After two days of exploring what is working and not working when it comes to building healthy American Orthodox parishes, attendees discussed how best to share the fruits of their discussions with other Orthodox parishes that were not in attendance.

It was decided to define a clear set of essential "focus areas" -- dimensions of parish life and practice that were consistent with the lived experience of parishes represented at the Summit -- in hopes that this could serve as a model for parishes to apply to their particular situation.

After receiving nominations from each attendee, the list was reviewed, clustered, combined, renamed, and discussed. After spirited debate the group converged on eight essential areas for building health and vibrancy in Orthodox parishes.

Since that time considerable effort has gone into adding useful additional detail to describe one view of good parish practice in each of these eight areas. Each of the eight essential areas is described in terms of:

good practices, behaviors and attitudes,
potential metrics of progress,
discussion questions
an evaluation section to rate the parish's maturity in each area.

The full model is available for download from the link at the right. A brief summary of the model is presented below. The model will be updated and improved as feedback is received.

Inventory Model Document

BUILDING HEALTHY, HOPEFUL, AMERICAN ORTHODOX PARISH COMMUNITIES

A Parish Health Inventory Model

53 pages

Download full document

Inventory Model Overview - Eight Essential Focus Areas

1. Gospel Centered Vision

Mission, Vision & Identity
Parish Self Awareness & Understanding
Atmosphere of Excellence
Growth & Replication

A healthy parish clearly understands that its reason for existence is to serve the Living God and to share its love of God with others. This vision provides a foundation for how it behaves, how it presents itself to its neighbors and what it truly values. The vision is based on a realistic context that integrates its past, its assets, strengths, limitations and environment.

2. Vibrant Worship

Liturgical Preparedness
Congregational Participation
Effective Preaching

Building on the vision of the Gospel, healthy parish communities remember that the fundamental purpose of liturgical services is to worship God. The community strives to please God, not themselves -- and to consistently offer their best through worship that is holy, joyous, peaceful, thankful and enlivening.

3. Shared Leadership

Sharing /Delegating Responsibility
Leading Change
Functional Structures & Administration
Open Financial Practice & Reporting

Healthy parishes craft administrative structures that are appropriate to the size and vision of the community. Ministries are defined, funded and equipped. Parish lay leaders see themselves as stewards of a Christian community collaborating with the rector to build health and vibrancy of the parish. They are NOT the parish business managers, trustees, owners, disinterested commentators and/or critics.

4. Open Communication

Consensus and Dialogue
Dealing with Conflict
Internal Communication Methods

Putting a collaborative leadership structure into action requires an ability to effectively communicate as a body. To do so healthy communities work to establish a clear competency for consensus and dialogue, listening, and an ability to humbly speak the truth to one another. They seek and integrate multiple perspectives and marginal views. Then they consistently reinforce communication by appropriately harnessing multiple forms of spoken, written, visual and electronic communications forms.

5.Authentic Community

Atmosphere of love & honest fellowship
Entry & incorporation mechanisms
Connectedness to larger church
Appropriate facilities

Enabled by an ability to dialogue openly, healthy parishes work hard to establish a culture where their identity as Orthodox Christians is lived out in such a manner that anyone who enters can see the hallmarks of Christian community: love, selfless giving, mutual encouragement, forgiveness, kindness, patience, hospitality and compassion. Christ can be recognized in their midst. People linger, smile and laugh. Healthy parishes think through assimilation paths for new members -- they make room. They see themselves not as independent congregations but as interdependent with other Orthodox communities.

6. Christian Formation

Orthodox spirituality
Education
Financial generosity

Supported by an appropriately comprehensive parish wide education effort, vibrant parish communities develop a commitment to lifelong learning and personal spiritual growth and change. Educational efforts are informational, formational and transformational - incorporating self study, experience events and mentoring in addition to books and classes. There is a clear focus on understanding and applying Orthodox spirituality. Stewardship is taught in the particular context of gratitude and generosity and love of neighbor.

7. Active Service

Discernment of gifts
Effective ministries

Clergy offer consistent endorsement to members as they discern how they can best contribute to the community. Members are regularly, actively encouraged to discover their gifts and to use them for God's glory. An appropriate set of internally and externally focused ministries provide ample opportunity for people to put these gifts and talents to work.

8. Spreading the Gospel

Parish evangelization atmosphere
Personal evangelization practice
Sensitivity to spiritual needs of others
External communication.

Healthy parishes do not see themselves as a closed community --keeping the Good News as "our little secret". They consistently work to shine their light to the community in which they reside with an evangelistic intent not primarily centered on numerical growth but a desire that others will be brought to Christ. The parish does not wait to get everything right on the inside before reaching out -- but consistently works to make things right on the inside while they reach out.