Strategic planning at the Shalom Center

Dear Friends and Family,

For the last month or so, I have been working with the staff on the new strategic plan for the Shalom Center.  In 2015, the Shalom Center will be celebrating 15 years and the conclusion of the start up objectives.  There are many reasons to celebrate!  We have been evaluating and dreaming, sharing and remembering, and working hard to put our vision and mission together into one path ahead.  It is my pleasure to share with you with working draft.  Thanks to each of you who have made the Shalom Center possible!  Shalom, Elena

Strategic plan for the Shalom Center

Pentecostal Church of Chile

2015-2030

Motto of the Shalom Center:   A gathering place

Shalom Center vision:   The Shalom Center of the Pentecostal Church of Chile will be a place to renew relationships with God, self, others and nature.

Shalom Center mission:   Create a safe space through learning for transformation to facilitate peace education, environmental education and spiritual development in an integral way, and so strengthen the dignity and resilience of individuals and communities within the Pentecostal Church of Chile and society at the national and international levels.

Institutional values:

Faith for the Shalom Center is to believe in God, in the best in people, and in restorative processes.

Dignity for the Shalom Center is the inherent value of each person as God's creation.

Safe space at the Shalom Center is the commitment to create, respect and care for the community covenant.

Creativity  at the Shalom Center is the expression of the breath of God in individuals and groups.

Transformation in the Shalom Center is the invitation to healing and holistic development in people, groups and systems.

Theoretical framework: Reconciliation that leads to transformation to build Shalom.

Educational strategy:  Learning for transformation which is, according to the social constructivist model, an appreciative process whereby the methodology (experiential learning cycle), the relationships (healing and reconciliation), and the times/space (safe space) come together to reach desired changes.

General objectives from 2015 – 2030 (By area)

1.    Christian education: Promote the spiritual growth of each participant through the Christian disciplines such as Bible study, prayer and journaling so that, the desire to transform family, church and community flows from a rich and deep relationship with God.

2.    Peace education: Foster sustainable and holistic peace processes through trauma healing and conflict transformation that balance justice, truth, mercy and dignity.

3.    Environmental education: Open educational spaces to introduce people to the natural world propitiating a profound commitment with environmental care and promoting the healing of the relationship with God´s creation.

4.    Health and safety:  Generate spaces that foment holistic health in body, mind, spirit and relationships of the participants and staff.

5.    Capacity building:  Train the staff in all of the fundamental areas of the Shalom Center  so that through personal growth and self care, they will have the tools  to build the safe space for transformation and integral development with the participants and groups.

6.    International delegations and volunteers: Create a network to promote God´s shalom through international and intercultural gatherings and volunteer opportunities to propitiate the healing of relationships at personal, community and structural levels and the exchange of experiences and new learning.

7.     Art and Creativity:  Spread the institutional image of the Shalom Center in the social networks at the ecclesiastical, national and international level, create promotional materials for the Shalom Center programs and activities, design and produce educational and audio-visual materials, and promote activities that foster peace through diverse artistic expressions.

8.    Administration and organization: Install and maintain a trustworthy, transparent and organized institution at the service of our church and the community in general, delivering clear and reliable information, and contributing to decision making, staff appreciation, future projections.

Strategic Plan 2015 – 2030

Phase 1: Years 2015 – 2020 Placing the shalom table

Phase 2: Years 2020 - 2025 Invitation to the shalom feast

Phase 3:  Years 2025 -2030 Celebrating the shalom feast

1.  OBJETIVE Christian education: Promote the spiritual growth of each participant through the Christian disciplines such as Bible study, prayer and journaling so that, the desire to transform family, church and community flows from a rich and deep relationship with God.

1.    Prayer shawl retreats

2.    Trauma healing, resilience development Sunday School materials (in coordination with the Sunday School department of the Pentecostal Church of Chile.)

3.    Leadership course

4.    Re-create camps

5.    Marriage retreats

6.    Retreats for churches, pastors and pastor's kids

2. OBJECTIVE Peace education: Foster sustainable and holistic peace processes through trauma healing and conflict transformation that balance justice, truth, mercy and dignity.

1.    Conflict transformation workshops

2.    Mediacción: youth mediation course

3.    Roots in the ruins: hope in trauma courses

4.    Support for churches or communities that suffer some kind of trauma.

3. OBJETIVE Environmental education: Open educational spaces to introduce people to the natural world propitiating a profound commitment with environmental care and promoting the healing of the relationship with God´s creation.

1. Develop and implement an interpretive trail
2. Organic garden and tree farm (native species only)
3. Creacción camps for elementary school children (Environmental education)
4. International environmental education gathering
5. Environmental education games and materials
6. Healing through nature retreats

4. OBJETIVE  Health and safety:  Generate spaces that foment holistic health in body, mind, spirit and relationships of the participants and staff.

1. Certification of staff
2. Emergency simulation activities
3. Maintenance and purchase of emergency equipment
4. Menus based on needs and according the Shalom principles
5. Workshops on health and wholeness during retreats and camps.
6. Health activities in the local mountain community around the Shalom Center

5. OBJETIVE Capacity building:  Train the staff in all of the fundamental areas of the Shalom Center  so that through personal growth and self care, they will have the tools  to build the safe space for transformation and integral development with the participants and groups.

1.    Three all-staff meetings a year

2.    Emergency simulation and spiritual retreat in alternating years.

3.    Annual theme preparation along with educational materials

4.    Training workshops around specific topics (such as abuse prevention)

5.    Training in all of the programs of the Shalom Center according to interests and needs.

6.    International camp gathering  (July 2015, July 2016, January 2017

7.    Certification process for Challenge Course Instructors

6. OBJETIVE International delegations and volunteers: Create a network to promote God´s shalom through international and intercultural gatherings and volunteer opportunities to propitiate the healing of relationships at personal, community and structural levels and the exchange of experiences and new learning.

1.    International delegations

2.    Preparations in local churches to receive delegations

3.    Staff training in international camps and gatherings

4.    Organize international volunteer opportunities

7. OBJETIVE  Art and Creativity:  Spread the institutional image of the Shalom Center in the social networks at the ecclesiastical, national and international level, create promotional materials for the Shalom Center programs and activities, design and produce educational and audio-visual materials, and promote activities that foster peace through diverse artistic expressions.

1.    Create institutional image manual

2.    Create promotional materials

3.    Design webpage and Facebook page

4.    Train staff for communication and public relations

5.    Promote the Shalom Center at all national church activities and in different community activities

6.    Network with other organizations

7.    Workshops at camps and retreats

8. OBJETIVE Administration and organization: Install and maintain a trustworthy, transparent and organized institution at the service of our church and the community in general, delivering clear and reliable information, and contributing to decision making, staff appreciation, future projections.

1. Audits, cost analysis, review organizational charts, inventory
2. Accounting plan
3. Quality plan that includes documentations, systematization and best practices
4. Annual budgets and reports
5. Service team
6. Financial strategy
7. Follow process to become a non-profit
8. Evaluations

Wendell Berry

....So, friends, every day do something that won't compute.  Love the Lord.  Love the world.  Love someone who does not deserve it.  Ask the questions that have no answers.  Invest in the millennium.  Plant sequoias.  Put your faith in the two inches of humus that will build under the trees every two thousand years.  Laugh.  Laughter is immeasurable.  Be joyful although you have considered all the facts... Practice resurrection.   Wendell Berry

e.e.cummings

I thank You for most this amazing day
and for the leaping greenly spirits of
trees and a blue true dream of sky; and
for everything which is natural which is
infinite which is yes

(I who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the
birth day of life and of love and wings:
and of the gay great happenings
illimitably earth)

How should tasting touching hearing
seeing breathing -- lifted from the no
of all nothing  -- human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(Now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e. cummings

Strategic planning

Dear Friends and Family:

This past weekend the staff and board of the Shalom Center met to look at the vision and mission of the Shalom Center, to evaluate the first fourteen years of work, and to begin to create a new strategic plan that will go into effect next year.  As part of the evaluation process, Rodrigo Martinez prepared this video.  I would like to say GRACIAS to each one of you who have made the Shalom Center possible.  This video is dedicated to you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NtNXmURJN0&feature=youtu.be

Shalom
E

With the wings of the soul

I dedicate this song to those who are struggling to fly on the wings of their souls in northern Chile and Valparaíso.  I have roughly translated this tango into English further down.  Shalom, EH

Con las alas del alma

Tango

Música: Daniel García

Letra: Eladia Blázquez

Con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, desentraño la esencia de mi propia existencia sin desfallecimiento, y me digo que puedo como en una constante y me muero de miedo, pero sigo adelante. Con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, porque aprecio la vida en su justa medida al amor lo reinvento, y al vivir cada instante y al gozar cada intento, sé que alcanzo lo grande, con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento. Con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, más allá del asombro me levanto entre escombros sin perder el aliento y me voy de las sombras con algún filamento y me subo a la alfombra con la magia de un cuento. Con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, atesoro lo humano cuando tiendo las manos a favor del encuentro por la cosa más pura, con la cual me alimento por mi pan de ternura, con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento. Con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, ante cada noticia de estupor, de injusticia, me desangro por dentro y me duele la gente, su dolor, sus heridas, porque así solamente interpreto la vida. Con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, más allá de la historia, de las vidas sin gloria, sin honor ni sustento guardaré del que escribe su mejor pensamiento quiero amar a quien vive con las alas del alma desplegadas al viento, al viento, al viento...

With the wings of the soul

Tango

Music by Daniel García

Words by Eladia Blázquez

With the wings of the soul spread to the wind I unravel the essence of my own existence without fainting, and I tell myself I can, though I am dying of fear, but I continue onward. With the wings of the soul spread to the wind, Because I appreciate life, in just the right amount, And I reinvent love when I live every instant Enjoying each attempt. I know I will reach greatness With wings of the soul spread to the wind. With the wings of the soul spread to the wind Beyond amazement, I rise from the rubble Without losing my breath.  And I leave the shadows on a filament And climb aboard a rug with the magic of a story. With the wings of the soul extended to the wind I treasure humanity when I open my hands in favor of coming together for something more pure. I feed on the bread of tenderness, With the wings of the soul spread to the wind. With the wings of the soul spread to the wind, With every news of injustice I bleed within I feel with the people, their pain, their hurts Because only that way can I understand life. With the wings of the soul spread to the wind Beyond history, of lives without glory or honor, simply I will treasure  good thoughts written. And I will love those who beside me live, our wings of the soul spread to the wind…

Ashes and Rubble

Dear Friends and Family:

I am sure that by now you have heard of tragedy heaped upon tragedy in Chile.  As Bishop Ulises of the Pentecostal Church of Chile prepares to fly to northern Chile to assess the damage from the recent earthquake, a devastating fire in the historic port of Valparaíso has consumed now over 1000 homes with at least 8000 people homeless.  The weather conditions with hot, dry and shifting winds, along with the coastal mountain terrain has made it very difficult to control the blaze.

Valparaíso is a world heritage site, also known for having been one of the ports mentioned in Moby Dick by Herman Melville. It is the third largest city in Chile, with homes built on the tops of the coastal hills down to where the skirts of these slip into the sea.  These coastal  hills have been built up in the past years with wooden houses teetering on stilts that cling to the sides of ravines and have spectacular views of the bay.   On the opposite side of the hills, away from the coast, the rough terrain is  covered with highly  flammable pine plantations - where every year there are forest and shrub fires.  Sunday night, one of these fires got out of hand and began to burn towards the city.

There are about 7 churches of the Pentecostal Church of Chile spread out on the different hills in Valparaíso, but so far, according to the reports that Bishop Ulises has received, none have been affected by the fires.  We still do not know if any church members have been affected.  For those of you who know the Aguirre family and Pastor Mario Torres and his family, as far as we know they are all ok.

I have been preparing materials on emotional and spiritual first aid from the information we collected after the 2010 earthquake to send to the pastors in northern Chile.  This same information will be shared with the pastors in Valparaíso.  Sometime later this year, brothers and sisters from the Pentecostal Church of Chile who have been trained by the Shalom Center's "Roots in the ruins: hope in trauma" program will be training Pastors and Sunday School teachers to further facilitate trauma healing and resilience development in the churches and communities affected by both the fire and the earthquake.

I thank each of you for your prayers; we certainly need them  as the  sense  of loss this Easter Week will be palpable in the lives of many people.  May we bring the hope of  Christ's victory over death and destruction to those who suffer in the midst of the ashes and the rubble.

Shalom,

Elena

News on the earthquake in northern Chile

Dear Friends and Family,

Once again I would like to thank all of you who have written expressing your concern and/or been praying for everyone in northern Chile.  This evening I was able to talk to Bishop Ulises to get an update on what is happening and the Pentecostal Church of Chile's response.

All of the pastors in the northern region have reported in, and so far, there is news of one church building suffering major damage.  This is the church in Huara, a daughter church of the church in Pozo Almonte.  Huara is a town of about 1000 people  in the Atacama desert and most of the houses were built out of adobes.  Another area that has been deeply affected is Alto Hospicio, the outskirts of Iquique.  Pastor David Ramirez reports that even though the church and the parsonage did not suffer severe damage, many homes in the community are beyond repair.

Bishop Ulises informed me that they still do not have a clear picture of how many people from the churches in Iquique, Alto Hospicio, Pozo Almonte, and Arica lost their homes, but he is planning a trip north immediately after Easter Week to assess the damage.  After this trip, he hope to have a clearer picture of the needs and what the church can do to help.  It is possible that the church will once again build Blessing Cabins as the preliminary estimate is that about 9000 homes have been damaged and 1000 of those beyond repair.  When he returns, we will also be putting together a strategy for a program in trauma healing and resilience development, similar to what was done in 2010.

The Pentecostal Church of Chile in Curicó has joined together with the municipal government to send a first shipment of aid to Iquique and Alto Hospicio.  This is particularly significant because it was these two cities that were the first to respond to the earthquake in the Maule Region in 2010.

That is the news I have for now.  I will try to keep you up to date with new developments.  May God bless each of you and thank you for your prayers.

Shalom

E