VIP Roles and Responsibilities

Support from the bishop is crucial for the success of this initiative.

Responsibilities include:

• Knowing the participating congregations and maintaining contact with each one at least quarterly.
• Creating space in diocesan structure to notice, name, and nurture VIP congregations and what they are learning and accomplishing.
• Appoint Diocesan Project Team Leader.
• Work with the Diocesan Project Team Leader to review the goals of the grant and to assess progress.
• Work with the Diocesan Project Team Leader to adjust strategies in response to progress and blocks to progress.

Estimated time commitment: 4-6 hrs/mo.

Minimum of 5 people (7-8 preferable) from within the diocese (staff, clergy, lay volunteers) who will be recruited based on the responsibilities below.

Responsibilities include:

• Become resident experts on the project’s expectations, and develop policies and procedures to ensure full implementation in a timely way.
• Recruit 7-10 participating congregations.
• Support, encourage, and coach the participating congregations.
• Create feedback loops so that learnings of the congregations are communicated to the diocese (and larger church) in creative and compelling ways. You may wish to recruit a communication liaison from within your group.
• Meet at least monthly (or more if team discerns a need).
• Meet with the FaithX team as requested.
• Provide a review of progress every six months in collaboration with VIP congregations.

Estimated time commitment: 4-6 hrs/mo/member.

Staff member or layperson who coordinates the work of the Diocesan VIP Team and who is invested in the process of encouraging congregational vitality.

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate work of Diocesan Project Leadership Team.
• Serve at interface with Bishop and FaithX.
• Define and assign PVIT team member roles in collaboration with the team.

Estimated time commitment: 6-8 hrs/mo.

A team of 4-6 members of the congregation (representative cross-section) that assists their congregation in implementing purposes, goals, design, and anticipated outcomes of the project.

What is the purpose of the PVIT Teams? 
The members of the teams commit to serve as the local leadership for the VIP. The team provides information requested by the diocese in a timely way and uses the information received from the diocese and FaithX to assess the gifts, opportunities, and challenges of the local congregation in their context. Over the course of the program, the congregation begins to assess, discern, and explore the real world opportunities for increased engagement and vitality based on the data they are receiving and what they are learning in the diocesan cohort. Under the leadership of the team, the congregation begins to “try on” some new behaviors and practices that lead to new experiments in vitality.

How much time is required of the team?
We anticipate PVIT team members will commit up to 4-6  hours per month to the project (this will vary from month to month depending on the opportunities your team chooses to explore and the specific expectations of the VIP project at that time). We anticipate that the PVIT team will meet 1 or 2 times/month, as needed.

Responsibilities include:

• Discern, develop, and implement goals, strategies, and action plans discerned by the team with input from the congregation.
• Assess progress on goals and delineate responsibilities.
• Fully implement the expectations of the program, recruiting more help from the congregation as needed.
• Meet at least monthly or more if team discerns a need.

Estimated time commitment: 4-6 hrs/mo/member (1-2 mtgs/mo)

Coordinates the work of the PVIT team.

Responsibilities and characteristics include:

• Serve as the main point of connection with the diocese and with FaithX.
• Be both detail oriented and have the ability to see the big picture of what is happening with the team, and in the church and community.
• Be willing to share leadership with the team and invite the team’s gifts into the process.

Estimated time commitment: 6-8 hrs/mo.

Coordinates communications for the PVIT team.

Responsibilities include:

• Serve on the team.
• Energetically and creatively communicate across media (e.g., print, bulletin boards, social media, email) to the church, cohort, and diocese the work of the VIP team.
• Invite participation from the church and community on behalf of the team.

Estimated time commitment: 6-8 hrs/mo.

Support of the rector/priest-in-charge is crucial for the success of this initiative.

Responsibilities include:

• Meet with PVIT team monthly.
• Support the PVIT Team Leader in facilitating work of the team and actively encourage the leadership and gifts from those on the team. 
• Work with PVIT Team Leader and Diocesan Team Leader to review program goals and assess progress.
• Work with PVIT team leader to adjust strategies in response to progress and blocks to progress.
• Create space in congregation structure to notice, name, and nurture the congregation in what it is learning and accomplishing (e.g., sermons, vestry meetings, communications). 

Estimated time commitment: 6-8 hrs/mo.

In cases where the congregation is operating without a rector or priest-in-charge, a lay leader with sufficient authority fulfill the responsibilities below and make commitments on behalf of the congregation may serve in this roles.