As part of the Pathway Process that was affirmed by a majority of delegates at the November 2022 Conference Assembly, the Pathway Steering Team (PST) continues to work on the two-year strategic planning process, as developed by the Mosaic Board.
June and July were critical months for Mosaic’s Pathway Process and the PST. During these two months, 16 focus group sessions (which included 125 participants) and 14 individual interviews were performed by the PST. Those that were included in these focus groups and interviews were: Board members, Conference committee chairpersons, Conference Staff, Conference Related Ministry (CRM) leaders, and Credentialed Leaders.
The interviews and focus groups provided continued dialogue and data gathering regarding Mosaic’s strategic planning process, with the purpose “to set a pathway within our priorities, to clarify our relationships with each other, other Anabaptist communities, and Mennonite Church USA.”
The dialogue questions, designed by the Steering Team and Grovider consultants, were the next step for the Pathway Process, following the 2022 Listening Tour and feedback from congregations, leaders, and CRMs throughout the past year. Led by members of the PST and Grovider consultants, all sessions and interviews were completed by late July.
Moments of hope, vision, optimism, pain, frustration, clarity, and complexity were all part of the dialogue. Stories illustrated how the Spirit is currently working through our congregations and CRMs. While sometimes difficult for peace-loving participants to share, challenges, fears, conflicts, and disappointment were also named. Many expressed their expectations, hopes, and dreams for the future. Overall, the dialogue was rich and diverse, as leaders from congregations and CRMs, staff, and board members grappled with our calling and priorities as a conference and broader denomination, amid the challenges of this season.
In the coming weeks, Grovider Consultants will consolidate the data from the focus groups and interviews and provide the Pathway Steering Team with a memo of the findings. The Pathway Steering Team will share feedback with Conference delegates before and during the fall Assembly on November 4 for further discernment and discussion.
We encourage you to continue to fast and pray for listening, discernment, and yielding to God’s Spirit in the work of the Mosaic Conference and the Pathways Process.