May 19, 2006

connecting the Community of Christ Mission Support Ministries community

Redesign News

The Mission Support Ministries Implementation Team met this past week on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 16–17. The purpose of this Implementation Team is to finalize the redesign to include staffing the structure and development of the process to insure that Mission Support Ministries meets the design objectives established by the WMCT and the design goals established by the September 2005 Summit. The Implementation Team will also develop and implement a transition plan and a change management process for moving from the current organization to the redesigned organization by January 1, 2007. Their work is far from finished, but they are making good progress so the redesign can be shared with staff by mid-June. Your continued prayers are appreciated.

The filling of new positions and the announcement of incumbents has created some questions. People are wondering who their supervisor is: Is it the Enrichment Group Leader or their current Coordinator? The current organization departmental structure for headquarters is still in place. Most staff will not be filling their new positions until this summer or fall, and many will be official on January 1, 2007. The final redesign for Mission Support Ministries will not be in effect until January 1, 2007. The Implementation Team will design a transition plan for how we move from the current organizational design to the new design. This transition plan will be presented to staff so everyone knows how and when things are changing. You will be personally notified when your supervisory relationship changes, so it will be clear and there will be no surprises.

Through a series of announcements, various filled and incumbent positions have been shared. Below is a complete list of these positions and the names of those filling these positions:

Conflict Mediation Specialist	Sandee Gamet
Controller	Dave Brown
Customer Service (Herald House) Specialist	Jan Marshall
Director of Human Resource Ministries (effective at Bill Barnhard’s retirement in 2007)	Scott Murphy
Director of Leadership Development	Becky Savage
Editorial Specialist	Jim Hannah
Enrichment Group Leader: Facilities, Guides, Historic Sites, etc.	Carina Wilson
Enrichment Group Leader: Message Shapers and Deliverers	Jane Watkins
Enrichment Group Leader: Volunteer Services	Shelley Ruhlman
Enrichment Group Leader: Legal, Fiscal Services, Human Resource Ministries, etc.	Susan Naylor
Executive Assistant to the Director of Field Ministry	Gregg McDonald
Executive Assistant to the First Presidency	Sue Sloan
Facilities Coordinator	Louie Jorgensen
General Counsel	Karen Minton
Historic Sites Coordinator	Lachlan Mackay
Human Resource Ministries Coordinator	Kathy Marek
Language Specialist	Larry Tyree
Multi-media Communication Specialist	Jenn Killpack
Peace and Justice Coordinator	Andrew Bolton
Director of Music and Principal Organist	Jan Kraybill
Project Specialist	John Pinkerton
Spiritual Life Ministries Specialist	Carolyn Brock
System Technology Support Specialist	Steve McCrosson
Temple Ministries Team	Kenneth McLaughlin
Worldwide Production Specialist	David Wheaton
Worship Coordinator	Jane Gardner
Young Adult Disciple Formation Specialist	Mikki Young

As previously announced, the titles of incumbent positions may change and minor adjustments may be made to their responsibilities as the redesign is finalized.

The Executive Assistant to the Presiding Bishopric and Events Specialist positions are incumbent positions. The persons filling these positions have accepted new roles so these positions will be posted next week.

Additionally, Vicki Cash has announced acceptance of the voluntary separation package and her resignation. She will be leaving on July 15, 2006. To keep our summer tour season running smoothly, Vicki's position will also be posted next week. We hope to fill this position in time to allow for transition with Vicki before she departs.

The Pastor and Priesthood Development Specialist position was removed from the interview process to allow further shaping by the Mission Support Ministries Implementation Team. The modified position description will be posted in June with other new positions for Mission Support Ministries.

The hiring process for the World Church Secretary position is still under way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Voluntary separation has a window of acceptance from May 1 to June 30 (according to early statements about severance offerings). If someone leaves after June 30, is it considered involuntary separation? Is it considered involuntary separation if someone leaves soon after the final new jobs are posted, because their position or something comparable is not available under the redesign?

A: The May 1 to June 30 deadline is only for those who qualify for the early retirement package being offered by the church. Voluntary separation is an option for staff (those who do not qualify for the early retirement offer or regular retirement) between now and the end of this calendar year. As we continue to shape the new design, the time may come when all positions have been filled. At that point Human Resource Ministries will begin to discuss involuntary separation with staff who will not be part of the new design.

Q: It was recently announced: “Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Kenneth McLaughlin has agreed to serve on the Temple Ministries Team, devoting a significant portion of his assignment from the First Presidency to this effort.” What is the Temple Ministries Team?

A: The Temple Ministries Team is a team chartered by the First Presidency to explore and deepen our understanding of Temple Ministries. This team is currently led by President Robinson in response to the letter of counsel received by the church in June 2005.

Around Headquarters

The Auditorium will host 14 graduations this spring. More than 45,000 guests and graduates will come through the Auditorium. Great appreciation goes to our events staff, facilities services, electronic media, staff organists, and others who graciously hosted these life celebrations.

Congratulations to Louie Jorgensen’s daughter, Nancy Burke’s son, Paul Davis’s son, and all others who have completed requirements for graduation. We wish them all the best on their continued life journeys.

Poul Wilson, Discipleship Formation Specialist, Discipleship Ministries, received a master of science in counseling psychology from Avila University, Kansas City, on Saturday, May 13, 2006. Poul serves as the coordinator for the Congregational Leaders Workshop and coordinates the annual reunion resources for worship and children and youth discipleship

If you have a graduate you’d like to recognize, click here, and let us know.

News Updates

The World Conference logo was debuted earlier this week on the World Conference Web page. Updates and Conference information is located at this site.

Remember that a week from Monday, May 29, is a staff holiday. Tours of the Auditorium and Temple will continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tours are beginning to increase as the vacation season begins. There are 18 bus tours scheduled for June. These busses will bring approximately 2000 visitors, and an anticipation of an additional 2500 walk-in families and unscheduled busses. Beginning Thursday, June 1, the daily organ recitals begin for the summer season (June, July, August). These recitals will feature global music.

Preparation for the 2006 Congregational Leaders Workshop (CLW), Sharing the Peace of Jesus Christ, is in full swing and registrations are streaming in. Currently there are over 100 persons registered for CLW with expectations for attendance to reach 300. This year’s experience will include morning general sessions, several classes that are experientially focused, and of course evening worship and special activities. Registration forms may be downloaded from http://www.CofChrist.org/clw/. You may mail, fax, or phone in your registration. Please join us in this relaxed atmosphere to explore issues important for healthy congregations.

Thought You’d Like to Know

Remember to press the “Send Calls” button on your phone when you leave your desk for a length of time. This action will send the caller more quickly along the cover path. When preparing to leave a message and listening to the greeting at the beginning of a voice mailbox, you can skip the greeting by pressing 1 and start your voice-mail message.

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