Casa Chirilagua Executive Director Dawnielle Miller

The holidays and the New Year for many of us serve as a time to reflect – assessing the previous year and looking forward to what the coming year might bring. This is usually accompanied by planning which comes in the form of budgeting, goal setting, creating new routines, making commitments, purchasing gym memberships, registering for classes, etc.

As much as we plan, at some point we must accept our humanity, recognizing there are limitations to our plans and as much as we try, we cannot control all things. However, the practices of reflecting, assessing, looking forward, budgeting, planning and goal setting are all good disciplines which keep us steady while propelling us forward to take calculated risks. Following best practices remains in tension with leaving space for leaps of faith and a willingness to follow God’s will when it doesn’t quite make sense or align with the plans we’ve made.

At Casa, we’re starting 2014 with a four-phase, six month investment in developing an Organization Strategic Direction plan for the next three years. Through these four phases we will look back on the history of Casa, assess where we are as an organization today, and look forward to what God is calling the organization to do communally over the next three years. Please stay connected to us as we begin announcing dates for each phase. We hope ALL of the Casa community (neighbors, students, families, volunteers, supporters, staff, partner organizations) will participate in this process.

Please pray for us as we begin phase one.
Pray we will hear both the voice of the community and the voice of the Lord.
Pray we will make solid plans for the future based on both data and faith.
Pray we will be flexible and think outside the box as new ideas and opportunities present themselves.

Finally, after a much needed, restful holiday break, and despite the frigid temperatures, programs are back up and running, mentors are meeting with their students and parents are organizing once more as we all gear up for an amazing 2014. We are thankful for the weekly volunteers and the monthly donors who consistently give of their time, talent, and treasure, grounding us, holding us steady on a daily basis and giving us a foundation to stand upon as we look forward to where God is calling us as an organization into the future.

Excited about 2014,
Dawnielle