Phone focus groups

Today I got a new assignment at work, which will be to set up and lead four one-hour telephone focus group discussions - two each with synod and presbytery executives and with pastors - brainstorming about reshaping the identity of the General Assembly Council. Following up on some in-person focus groups led by professional focus group firms/moderators paid as consultants, we'll be trying to gauge what associations people have with the Presbyterian mission agency (the largest of six national Presbyterian agencies) which I work for and what ideas for how we could communicate what we do better to Presbyterians around the country. Although there have been good signs in the past couple of years, the denomination continues to shrink - except in the support financial and otherwise that Presbyterians give their local congregations. This an exciting and important assignment and one that may give me an opportunity to work directly with denominational executives such as General Assembly Council Executive Director Linda Valentine (pictured) but it also adds to an already heavy workload (and thus will make clients for rival projects unhappy with me).