Time: Sunday 9:30 A.M - Lunch
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Understand the underlying dynamics of congregational growth
- Using a Congregational Systems model approach, learn the specifics of and have an integrated context within which to examine both the membership and the monetary aspects
- Understand how a congregation’s stage of development relates to new ideas for reaching out to attract new members and reaching in to strengthen already-existing members
- Learn creative approaches to congregational fundraising and development
- Learn leadership strategies to successfully address obstacles and barriers to growth
- Network with others from Western Region JRF communities who share similar interests and challenges related to congregational growth
- Learn from JRF staff’s extensive consulting experience working with trends, challenges and successful models of congregational growth from across North America
Who Will Benefit?
This workshop will benefit congregational presidents, board members, chairs and members membership, programming, and development committees, treasurers, planned giving and capital campaign champions, rabbis, cantors, senior administrators, educational and program directors, up-and-coming leaders, and others whose mission includes congregational growth and development.
Workshop Agenda
I. Overview of Lifecycle and Growth Dynamics Within a Congregation/Havurah
- What’s beneath the desire to grow?
- Text study
- Dynamics of change
II. Breakout Sessions (Choose A or B)
A. Hitpatchut: Reaching in/Reaching Out with Rabbi Shawn Zevit
- Maintaining connection at different stages of membership growth
- Linking inreach and outreach
- Your Growth Plan/tools for reaching in and reaching out
B.“Dr. Fundraiser” with Barry Nove
- The Doctor is in: Lifecycle Fundraising Needs
- Making a strong case for giving
- Approaching donor recognition Reconstructionist-style
- Addressing your congregation’s or havurah’s ailments
III. Bringing it Home: Sharing and Integrating Insights and Approaches
Being a Reconstructionist Congregation or Havurah means taking the building of sacred community to heart. Inreach and outreach are mutually interdependent and growth is not only defined by numbers of households, but the qualitative experience of the members. It also means making conscious efforts to grow, strengthen, and deepen the love for our community, the Jewish people and the world at large.
—adapted by Rabbi Shawn Zevit from the Inreach/Outreach committee of Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emeth, New York
Barry Nove, JRF’s Director of Development, also becoming known as “Dr. Fundraiser” by Reconstructionist congregations/havurot from coast to coast, wants to help your congregation treat ailments of raising money by sharing approaches other communities are finding and have found successful. Barry serves as JRF’s fundraising consultant to affiliates. His fundraising expertise is wide ranging and includes planned giving and endowment.
Rabbi Shawn Zevit is the JRF Director of Outreach and External Affiliations. He has led the JRF in many social justice initiatives, including ones on Sustainability, Congregation-Based Community Organizing and Interfaith Responses to Hunger.
Dr. Carl Sheingold is the JRF's Executive Vice President.
