The South England Conference (SEC) Directors and Area Coordinators convened at the Conference's Hay's Wood Retreat centre, Kings Lynn, Norfolk from 15th to 17th October 2023 to craft the SEC's strategic plan for the next four years.
Leading the meeting was recently elected SEC President, Dr Kirk Thomas, who expressed his intention to "truly make our members want to be part of the mission of the church".
Thomas was assisted by guest facilitators, Dr Keith Burton from Advent Health, alongside Organisational Development Consultants, Pr Mfakazi Ndebele, and Antonio Belgrave. Dr Burton not only contributed expertise but also provided spiritual guidance in setting the tone for strategic discussions with daily morning and evening devotionals.
Participants engaged in extensive discussions, workshops, and collaborative efforts to formulate a framework for the strategic plan, encapsulated in the vision, "Go SEC: Inspired for Mission." They also outlined mission areas/focus, strategic shifts, and shared values. Additionally, pressing issues impacting church members including knife crime, mental well-being, and dementia were also addressed. Furthermore, the framework incorporated key performance indicators (KPIs) to serve as benchmarks for evaluating the Conference's success in implementing the plan effectively.
Subsequent meetings are planned to finalise the strategic framework for the new quadrennium, which the SEC Administration intends to present in detail to the church membership at the SEC Evangelism Expo in January 2024.
