Proud Past Christ-Centered Mission Strategic Future - Wisconsin ...

Strategic Ministry Planning
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
Summary of Online
Survey Results
• Strong participation and
almost 10,000 comments
• WLHS’ overall strengths are
being Christ-centered, faculty,
and academics.
• Improving facilities was expressed
as important.
• Highlights for students include
spiritual life and service, athletics,
and Fine Arts. Campus morale is
very positive and school safety is
very good.
• School pride is strong. 74.2% gave
this a very good or excellent rating.
• Engagement is high—regarding
recommending WLHS to others,
86% would recommend or were
very likely to recommend.
• Areas in need of improvement
include:
– Engagement between WLHS and
WLHS Conference Congregations
– Recruitment
– All categories of communication
At WLHS, we want our students and their families, our administration and board,
faculty and staff, the WLHS Conference Congregations and alumni, donors and
the community to understand our mission and have confidence in it. A strategic
ministry plan for the future of WLHS needs to be a plan anticipating change and
self-improvement. The planning process considers WELS, non-WELS, city, suburban,
and even international viewpoints. The plan will help determine how to balance
the differing needs of all those individuals. “The process of developing a strategic
ministry plan,” states Pastor Ken Fisher, “sought collective answers and wisdom
that the whole WLHS Conference can get behind. Not just my thoughts, or the
board of directors’ thoughts, but of everyone with an interest in WLHS.”
A comprehensive Strategic Ministry Planning (SMP) process at WLHS began in
August, 2012, and will continue throughout this school year. With a Strategic
Ministry Plan, WLHS will have an outline for the future with a continual plan
for anticipated change and clear specifics to best serve our students.
Process
“If we could first know where we are, and whither we are
tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it.”
- Abraham Lincoln
The process started with developing a planning framework to decide how best to
involve as much input from people as possible. The first step in the process was
formative interviews by our consultant, Alan Zacharias, with a cross-section of key
leaders of stakeholder groups. These groups included our faculty and the WLHS
Conference pastors and principals. He also met with the WLHS Foundation
Board and the WLHS Conference delegates.
Also, over 5,000 individuals were invited to participate in the Online SMP Survey.
This included alumni, students, parents, faculty and staff, pastors, principals,
donors, and WELS church members. (See highlights of the results to the left.)
With the gathering of all this valuable input having occurred, a Strategic Ministry
Planning Committee (SMPC) was formed and held a focused meeting in October
with the committee, the WLHS leadership team, and members of the board of
directors. Following a concise situational analysis, Zacharias led the team through
a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis and
discussion about how SWOT shapes the mission, vision, values, and goals for
WLHS’ future ministry.
Expected Outcomes
The following outcomes are anticipated based on the strategic planning findings
that have been identified with key stakeholders:
Online survey text analysis of words;
the bigger the text the more frequently
a word was mentioned
- Encourage open communication, broad involvement, and diverse
opinions as we discern God’s will for WLHS.
- Affirm our Great Commission mandate and commitment to
confessional Lutheranism.
- Provide a pathway to serving both the needs of urban and suburban
churches and schools.
- Strengthen the WLHS Conference.
- Mitigate the perceived tension of WELS/non-WELS, Choice/tuition students, etc.
- Present with crystal clarity the mission, vision, values, goals, and plan
for the future.
4 CONTACT Fall 2012