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.”