In 2007, the new Congregation of St. Joseph was formed with the combining of seven CSJ Congregations throughout America's heartland. The new Congregation had over 35 ministries under its care and within a year of the Congregation’s formation, CSJ Ministries came into being. CSJ Ministries was created as the “sponsorship arm” of the Congregation, the organization that would be completely dedicated to current and future sponsored ministries of the Congregation. Over the past 10 years, CSJ Ministries has worked to support, encourage, help sustain, and provide leadership for the ministry organizations the Congregation of St. Joseph is proud to sponsor.
The sponsorship structures and processes the Congregation has used in relation to their ministries have worked very well over many years. However, in recent years it has become apparent that these structures no longer fit the changing realities. Emerging realities have led the CSJ Ministries board to assess its historical sponsorship model and begin to envision a new model, a new way for the future. For the past two years the CSJ Ministries Board has been in the process of assessing the current CSJ Sponsorship model and determining what is needed going forward into the future. Collective Impact has been assisting CSJ Ministries through this transformational paradigm shift by providing planning, development, stakeholder engagement, and change management services.
Collective Impact continues our work with the CSJ Ministries Board in visualizing the emergence of the CSJ Mission Network, a flexible, nimble, and adaptive structure whereby all current and future ministers and ministerial outreaches are strongly united by the Congregation’s mission and charism for many years to come … “that all may be one.”
Along with 6 other community leaders from Huntington, WV, Bruce Decker participated in the four-day Center for Community Progress Leadership Institute (CPLI) at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Collective Impact was the catalyst for organizing the opportunity. CPLI is a prestigious seminar that equips community leaders with the skills they need to make positive changes in their approaches to vacant, abandoned and problem properties, tackle blight and spark revitalization. The Institute brings together delegations from multiple cities across the United States for intense leadership and technical training under the guidance of national experts. The Huntington delegation was one of 8 communities to be selected to attend this prestigious seminar focused on learning innovative strategies for the productive reuse and revitalization of vacant, abandoned, and blighted residential and commercial properties.
"The Wayne Family Resource Network has had the privilege of working with Collective Impact in many different capacities over the years, such as strategic planning, community development, town hall conversations, and housing. Collective Impact is dynamic and understanding to the different cultures and needs in our communities and organizations. Bruce and the Collective Impact team work diligently to make each project a success. They provide their client with resources, tools, and guidance to move towards achieving their goals. Any community or agency would benefit greatly with assistance from Collective Impact. Collective Impact empowers their clients to achieve their goals by working together to as one to maximize their success. We look forward to working with them again in the future." ~ Charity Damron - Coordinator, Wayne County Family Resource Network, Wayne, WV
