Usually when you think of a Retreat, you picture a quiet setting by the lake spending the day reading and relaxing as you refresh from the strain of normal day-to-day demands. Well, our Retreat is part of that. The Board spends the day at Lake Quivira. However, we didn't do much relaxing. We had a full agenda, and thanks to our Lord and to the hearts of the Board for action and unity, we accomplished much.
First up was a devotional emphasizing the right perspective on leadership. 1) Think rightly about ourselves. Paul emphasizes in I Corinthians 4:1-2 that we are a galley slave to our Lord. We are broken vessels designed for service to Him and others. 2) In John 15:1-8, we are reminded that our only source of strength is through the vine as long as we are grafted in. 3) That the office of leadership is a weighty responsibility not to be entered into lightly as James 3:1-2 reminds us.
Our first order of business was to look at our Board structure in light of recent resignations from the Board including mine. Since I have become an employee of the school I can no longer serve on the Board. So I am delighted to report that Blake Welch was named Chairman and will also serve in the office of Treasurer. Sean Slattery will continue as Vice Chairman where he served as an invaluable partner for me as we considered actions and plans for the Board. Brandyn West assumed the role of Secretary. As the Board continues to mature and adapt to the changing environment, we spent some time talking about the right structure of the school including whether the committee structure we currently operate under is the right one for the future. After some discussion, this was tabled for the next Board meeting and members were asked to pray, review By-Laws and an ad hoc committee was commissioned to come back with a recommendation for changes. Any additions of new members to the Board will be postponed until that recommendation is dealt with.
Next up on the agenda, was clarification of the priorities for the superintendents for this year and beyond. This list of key themes will serve the bases for the strategic plan for the school. The top 3 things for this year are: 1) Accreditation renewal, 2) Attract/Retain students (develop a plan and action steps to ensure we are doing everything we can to encourage families to stay and new families to choose Maranatha) and 3) Personnel - evaluate whether culture,activities and people are positioned and enabled to bring the most success to the ministry. Other things on the list in lower priority (you can't put in-depth focus on everything at once) but also very important: Plans for facilities (especially North Campus), Web site, Top Line Revenue(outside of students), outbound communications, academic initiatives, environment evaluation for trends and risks, technology(both ease of doing business with Maranatha and integrating tech in classroom) and ensuring the success of the preschool.
Finally we devoted time to discussing various situations that may arise and how the superintendents will respond and what their responsibilities are. Then we sought clarity for what the Board's role was in each of these situations so that as a group we are consistent and unified.
So a very productive day, and we are so grateful for the Lord's presence in this meeting and for His guidance in all our actions and planning. Thank you for your prayers as we continue to work on these plans for leading the school.
