This afternoon, SEND Japan ministry teams continued developing team plans. To review progress, teams reflected on the following questions: What’s already been accomplished? What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about planning and implementing a team plan? What do we want to accomplish today?

After reviewing progress, teams worked to further identify goals and action steps. Close the Gap Now facilitated the work session.

Today at SEND Center, SEND Japan’s ministry teams developed action steps that target team goals and, consequently, team mission statements. To develop action steps, teams reflected on questions like:

• What are our goals? (What’s it take to carry out our mission?)
• What’s already been accomplished?
• What helps us accomplish our goals?
• What hinders us?
• What are our options?
• What will we do to achieve our goals?

Close the Gap Now facilitated the work session.

Seven Christian Academy in Japan focus groups met this morning to:

• Build relationships.
• Deepen understanding about school improvement.
• Reflect on data from the school’s profile and survey.

Close the Gap Now helped develop the meeting agenda and provided support for focus group facilitators.

This afternoon at SEND Center, SEND Japan’s ministry teams continued developing ministry plans.
During the work session, teams:

• Reviewed progress made during the Sept. 4 work session.
• Refined their team mission statements and goals.
• Reflected on progress on team goals.

Close the Gap Now facilitated the work session.

SEND Japan’s ministry teams worked this afternoon to refine team plans. During the work session, teams reflected on the following questions:

• How has God blessed you?
• What are you passionate about?
• What’s your team’s mission?
• What’s it take to carry out your team’s mission?

Close the Gap Now facilitated the work session.

Christian Academy in Japan staff met in 7 different groups to focus on best practices regarding student learning, program, culture, staff, finances, and physical plant. Staff reflected on what success and failure looked like for a given best practice and considered how effectively the school was using best practices.

Close the Gap Now helped develop the meeting agenda and provided support for group facilitators.

Christian Academy in Japan staff met in different groups to focus on 6 areas: student learning, program, culture, staff, finances, and physical plant. Groups reflected on a variety of questions including:

• What are key strengths? 
• How do these strengths positively impact student learning?
• What are critical areas for follow-up? 
• How do these critical areas for follow-up negatively impact student learning? 

Close the Gap Now helped develop the meeting agenda and provided training for group facilitators.

On February 18, the Leadership Team of TEAM Japan invested 4 hours in reflecting on 5 questions:

1. What’s the big picture?
2. What does TEAM emphasize?
3. What’s involved in achieving the vision?
4. How can improvement plans help?
5. Now what?

Close the Gap Now facilitated this reflection time.

Eighteen members of Christian Academy in Japan’s school community gathered on December 5 to review the school’s improvement report. Participants included parents, students, staff, and administrators. After celebrating God’s blessings in terms of student learning, community, facilities, and program, participants worked in small groups to review sections of the school improvement report.

Close the Gap Now facilitated the meeting.

At its meeting today, Christian Academy in Japan's board reflected on policy governance ends statements. For 90 minutes the board:

• Considered questions like "What's the significance of CAJ's primary end?"
• Connected ends and executive limitations.
• Explored which ends statements a given staff member focuses on.

Close the Gap Now facilitated the reflection.

Today, members of the Japan Alliance Mission reviewed a draft of its purpose statement and objectives. (The draft was collaboratively developed in May 2008.) Mission members then reflected on the following question: What do you need to value in order to achieve your objectives and purpose?

Michael Essenburg of Close the Gap Now facilitated the planning sessions.

August 22-24, the EurAsia Team of Christian Reformed World Missions worked together for 3 days in Manila on strategic planning, accountability and reporting, new ministry options, and team building.

Close the Gap Now provided team building activities based on the following:

• Connect, Don't Silo: Connect with others. Pursue God's calling—together.
• Reflact, Don't Act: Reflect, then act. Practice reflaction.
• Ask, Don't Tell: To provoke others to reflect, ask questions.

May 19-20, members of the Japan Alliance Mission collaboratively focused on strategic planning by identifying the needs the mission wants to address, updating its purpose statement, and brainstorming key objectives for carrying out its purpose. Michael Essenburg of Close the Gap Now facilitated the planning sessions.

September 20-22, the EurAsia Team of Christian Reformed World Missions worked together for 3 days in Manila on 5 goals: building relations, clarifying goals, brainstorming new ideas, developing a better understanding of the big picture, and networking.

Close the Gap Now provided training around foundational concepts, including:

• To accomplish your God-given mission, start by defining its achievement.
  
• Measure your current level of mission achievement.
  
• Take action to achieve your mission.
  
• The body of Christ works together.

Said a EurAsia Team member, “It was great meeting folks from other countries, many who are doing similar work to mine. Discussions centered on the global mission of the CRCNA and were fruitful.”

Feb. 13, the board of Christian Academy in Japan participated in a 90-minute training by Close the Gap Now entitled, “To Achieve Your Mission, Start by Defining It.”

During the training, the board considered questions like:

• If you don’t define the mission, how effectively can you and the headmaster work?
  
• You’re the headmaster—what do you need to know?
  
• How can a definition of mission achievement empower a headmaster?
  
• How can you define your mission effectively?

As a result of the training, board members were able to:

• Recite the mission.
  
• Understand and recite the MOSAIC school improvement process (Mission, Objectives, Standards-based Assessment, Improvement plans, Collaboration for results).
  
• Use the MOSAIC scorecard to explain the big picture.

In an e-mail to Close the Gap Now, one board member wrote, “THANK YOU again for using your coaching skills yesterday with the board. There were a lot of individual comments made to me about how helpful and insightful the presentation was.”

Dec. 12, the board of Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) explored the importance of a scorecard. During the 90-minute training by Close the Gap Now, the board considered several questions, including:

• How can a scorecard help CAJ to close the gap?
  
• To what extent are CAJ students achieving the student objectives?
  
• Is CAJ doing everything possible to support all students increasing achievement of the student objectives?

As a result of the training, board members were able to:

• Recite the mission.
  
• Understand and recite the MOSAIC school improvement process (Mission, Objectives, Standards-based Assessment, Improvement plans, Collaboration for results).
  
• Use the MOSAIC scorecard to explain the big picture.

Said one board member to Close the Gap Now, “Thank you for your time with us this past Tuesday. The way that you laid out the presentation was very clear.”