Dear Friends,

A very exciting project is now underway which will involve you in helping set the future direction of our Congregation. We are beginning a planning process for setting our goals for the next five years, asking questions such as how large do we want to be; what kind of programs should we offer; what kind of staff should be in place; what should our facility look like?

We need your participation; the process will involve the entire membership, not just the committee members. For the board to make long range decisions that will be enthusiastically supported, we first need a vision of the future of our Congregation that is shared by the members.

Three strategic thinking conferences will be held for all congregants. They are sessions in which each of us, in small facilitated groups, can voice our hopes and concerns regarding the future of Congregation Albert. Our ideas will be recorded and together we will build a vision of what we want Congregation Albert to look like in five years. The meetings will take place this coming Nov. 8, Jan. 17, and Feb. 7, and each will last four hours. Lewis Barsky, a Congregation member, who professionally helps organizations design and implement change, is working with the committee to design our process and will facilitate the meetings.

The first meeting, Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will focus on our present state, where we are today as a congregation, and our congregation's history and the lessons learned from it. We will take away insights on a core set of values that will guide our planning for our future.

The second meeting, Jan. 17, will focus on building a shared vision of our preferred future - what do want our future as a congregation to look like in five years and beyond.

The third meeting, Feb. 7, will focus on defining key goals - what we as a congregation commit ourselves to achieving in pursuit of our vision of the future of Congregation Albert.

Each meeting leads into the following one, so it's important to be at all three if possible. Attendance at one of the first two is a prerequisite for participation in the third on Feb. 7. Remember these meetings will set the stage for the board to make decisions that will have a positive impact on our futures. You will be hearing more details in the weeks to come. So, participate! Without you, we cannot succeed!

May you have a good and sweet new year,

Toby Grossman
Chair, Long Range Planning Committee

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