What Is The Transformation Experience?
The Transformation Experience is a whole-ministry transformational initiative designed to create thriving ministries and enlightened leaders. This three year, full-community engagement facilitates a measurable shift in a ministry’s capacity to fulfill its mission and co-create a world that works for all. This is accomplished by integrating the wisdom and divine consciousness of the Unity movement with the leading-edge practice of the Thriving Ministry Model.
Its concepts and design are based on:
Input from ministerial and lay leaders in Unity
Research and analysis of best practices
The integral model of ministry developed by Rev. Dr. Gary Simmons and endorsed by Ken Wilber
The Thriving Ministry Model is based on the integral approach formulated by Ken Wilber. The integral framework is a holistic context for understanding and working with church evolution and development. It provides insight and clarity into how church evolve and maps the trajectory of development in all four quadrants while not reducing the wole of ministry to any one of its parts.
For the Whole Unity of Toledo Community
Sense the beginning of the New Year Unity of Toledo has been a bundle of activity. Some of you have asked for more clarity regarding our
Transformation Experience Pilot Program. The program is a process-oriented experience, there isn’t a defined outcome that will be imposed on us by anyone from the outside.
The journey began by clarifying who we are, our vision, mission
and core values. As these pieces become clear the program will
support us in fulfilling more of our unique potential as a ministry.
The Transformation Experience is NOT about making us into something we are not. It IS ALL about helping us discover more about ourselves and how to live more fully into the unique expression that we are.
We will continue to have the support of Frances Fujii, our consultant guide and a few structured processes. I am already hearing stories from people who’s lives have been changed in the short time sense the beginning of the program. I know we will continue to grow spiritually, as individuals and collectively, through this experience. Of course, the more of us that participate in the events the greater the benefit will be for us and for our ministry as a whole.
Here is quick look at where we are in the process and what is coming –
*Our Leadership Group (LG) who provides the overall
coordination for this program was formed at the end of last year
and has met several times. The LG consists of our full Board and
16 of our volunteer ministry team leaders.
*We had our first weekend visit with our Church Consultant-Guide Frances Fujii on December 4-6, 2009. Thirty people participated in part or all of the weekend. In addition to getting to know each other and engaging in some fun, interactive learning exercises, one of the primary outcomes from the weekend was beginning work on writing up a set of core values for our ministry. We have a team of five people that are currently working on refining the write-ups that came out of the weekend. During our last visit with Frances, February 18-21, a draft of these write-ups was shared with all those in attendance in order to get more input and the team continues to refine the definitions of each core value.
*The weekend of February 4-6th we engaged in a process called the “Four Whys model” that is designed to help us update our mission and vision statements. Rev. Therese Lee from Lee’s Summit, Missouri came in to facilitate this process with us.
*Frances Fujii made her 2nd weekend visit to our church on February 18-21st. During this weekend, Frances led us through an experience that is known as a “geno-gram” of our ministry – to appreciate our past and learn more about the foundation upon which we are building for the future.
*Our Evolutionary Council (EC) is a group of people within our
congregation trained to facilitate small group conversations about
our ministry. These are called “Conscious Conversations” and
the purpose is to elicit information about what people appreciate,
and your hopes and dreams for our ministry. Be sure to sign-up for
your Conversation!
*Our next visit from Frances will be May 28-30th. We have shifted
the community event to Sunday afternoon to make it easier for
more of you to attend. We look forward to hearing more of your
stories of transformation. THAT is what the three-year pilot
program is all about.
For the Evolutionary Coucil
Evolutionary Council Leader & Members
Commitment
*Agreement is to serve a minimum 18 months, meeting together an average of 1/month in person and participating in additional research and other Transformation Experience activities between meetings.
*Commit to deepening spiritual maturity by transparently seeking to embody the values and principles of Integral Growth & Evolution.
Key Activities
This group has three primary Objectives:
1. This Council will initially be trained to intentionally engage the community in “The Conversation” about the Community, and to Map the Heart of what is moving, evolving, and emerging in the attendees. They will act as a conduit and mirror in reporting back the themes to the entire Community.
2. Research and compile information for a “Report on What Is” that they present to the community. This research and report will cover the recent history and characteristics of the church’s services/ministries; attendance and giving trends; staffing and Board performance; visions; successes; and tensions for evolution.
3. Assist in a later analysis comparing the “What Is” picture with the Intents /Goals/Objectives resulting from the 4 Whys process.
Goals / Outcomes
*Facilitate transparency & shared awareness of church/organizational state
*Develop engagement and leadership capacity in Congregation members
*Align culture around what they are there to be and do in the community
*Educating membership and soliciting/incorporating their vision/input
The Leadership Group
The Leadership Group (LG) is the overall guiding, leadership body for the Transformation Experience. It is also the group that will participate in the Enlightened Leadership Program elements and assignments. It is intentionally defined to include Congregation A and select B attendees and staff:
Membership
-Ministerial staff
-Board
-Select additional staff
-Select Congregation B attendees
-Select Licensed Unity Teachers
-Possibly select others who meet fundamental criteria of meaningful and consistent participation in Community and offering additional valued contribution.
Requirements
- Able to stably and consistently participate in LG for at least 18 months
- Observed to have made meaningful and consistent participation in
Community and offering additional valued contribution to the LG
- Willing to commit to participate in additional 2-3 meetings/quarter as well as the Quarterly Enlightened Leadership virtual sessions.
- Willing to actively engage in the guided divination of the unique way the Transformation Experience will unfold in Community
- As part of designated Meeting time… oversee the activities of the
Evolutionary Council (EC)
- Be willing to assist in feeding back to the Community the progress of the Transformation Experience and selected reports on Planning
Processes and general status of the evolving Pilot Community.
Be a part of the conversation by visiting the
TE Interactive website
