A Look Forward

Larry Jensen, Chairman, Shalom Steering Committee

The Shalom study groups have gathered a significant amount of data about our city. As we analyze this information, we are gaining a better understanding of how each neighborhood is affected by this city’s challenges. We also know and understand that there is an abundance of assets and resources already available to meet these challenges. We believe that we will find related areas that will lead to coordinated strategic objectives.

We have asked James Armfield, who most recently served as Senior Vice President of the Leadership Academy and currently as President of Memphis Athletic Ministries to facilitate a Shalom team strategy planning session. Each team is currently working to develop tactics to address the needs of their respective areas. It is our intent to clearly define how these areas are related and to propose strategies that will enable the local church to serve as the fulcrum in leveraging each neighborhood’s assets and resources. This can be achieved by ongoing facilitation of partnerships, sharing of information and the empowerment of neighborhood advocacy.