Envision Report
To the St. David’s Parish Family,
In the latter part of 2005, the rector and vestry of St. David’s resolved to establish the Envision Task Force to lead the parish through a process to discern what St. David’s will look like in 25 years. More specifically, the commission of the task force included articulating core values, identifying needs of the congregation and the Austin community, and developing St. David’s call to respond.
The response that we, as a community, established is challenging. With this in mind, we should take comfort in the words of the late Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero regarding the future:
“We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection; no pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
“This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
“We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”We are pleased to submit the enclosed strategic plan and assessment to the parish.
Peace,
Envision St. David’s Task Force
Our Core Values
Core values are defined as an “organization’s essential and enduring tenets” (from Build to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, by Jim Collins, 1994). They help define who we are as a community. As St. David’s meets the opportunities of the future, the vestry, ministries, programs, and guilds will use these core values as a guide for decision making.
The core values of St. David’s are:
* Faith: believing in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as articulated in the scripture and Baptismal Covenant and as lived out in prayer and worship
* Learning: deepening our relationship with God through education, reflection, and application
* Diversity: welcoming in the spirit of the New Covenant all people who are seeking God
* Serving: doing Christ’s work in the world by serving others
* Tradition: honoring our Anglican heritage as well as our history of civic engagement in Austin since 1848
* Participation: encouraging all parishioners to participate actively in our community of faith
* Authenticity: striving for truth and openness in our relationships with one another
Our Strategic Direction
In defining a path for the future of St. David’s, the Envision team identified six categories to encompass all we do as a church:
* Worshiping
* Caring
* Educating
* Serving
* Growing
* Operating
We encourage you to read the complete Envision Report 2006.
