Home of Truth Spiritual Center
Strategic Planning during Leadership Transition

Initial Situation —February 2004

The Home of Truth Spiritual Center is a metaphysical church providing a variety of spiritual and educational services in Alameda, CA. Like many churches, their membership (and therefore financial resources) had been dwindling in recent times, and paying their bills was becoming increasingly challenging. When their minister chose to leave, they decided to make the transition a time of exploring and re-defining their vision for the future. Both the old and new ministers were fully supportive of this approach. They chose the theme of "Under the Stars, Into the Future: Co-Creating a Vibrant Home of Truth."

Inspiring Results' Response

Inspiring Results led an Appreciative Inquiry Summit to "re-vision" the church and create a new strategic plan. We worked with a planning team over a period of four months to plan the event, choosing to do it as a week-end camping retreat. During the 2 1/2 days of the retreat, church members conducted appreciative interviews and completed the 4-D cycle as follows:

• Friday evening began with the appreciative interviews, using a guide that Inspiring Results prepared with input from the planning team. During the interviews, partners shared stories of times that the Home of Truth has been at its very best and their highest hopes and dreams for its future.
   
  
• Saturday morning, small groups met to share the stories they'd heard in the interviews and make meaning of the data. The whole group then reconvened to "map their positive core," based on the strengths identified from the interview stories.
   
  People returned to their small groups after lunch to share their hopes and dreams for the future of THOT and to write dream statements integrating them. The day finished with small groups creating and presenting an enactment of their dream—a skit, poem, song, or other creative description.
   
  
• Sunday morning, we turned to the design phase of the 4-D cycle, mapping the systems and relationships that would be needed to begin moving THOT toward their dreams. Individuals clustered into teams around the design elements they most wanted to create and described the ideal for their element.
   
  The same teams continued working together in the destiny phase to initiate specific actions for moving forward in their chosen area. The week-end concluded with the action teams sharing and integrating their plans.

Results

At the Summit, participants successfully began the process of "Co-Creating a Vibrant Home of Truth," the theme they had chosen. They clarified and recommitted to a new vision of the future they want to create together. This new direction was founded on their positive core—it builds on the key strengths that make THOT what it is when it is at its best. So it provides a sense of continuity between the past and the future.

They also created innovation teams in four specific areas that will start them on the path to making the vision real. They were clear about the ideal systems that need to be put into place, and had specified key action steps to start the process moving.

In addition, the group gained significant awareness of their patterns of relating with each other. They wondered aloud about whether those patterns were creating the relationships they want, and began exploring alternatives that involved more listening, empathy, and clarification. In short, they began a process of cultural change in the ways they interact which can only enhance their success in achieving their dreams.