As SSP reflects on our robust 50-year history of service, we also look to the future and wish to share about SSP’s ongoing mission evaluation process.
Over the last two years, HQ staff Megan Taylor and Veronica Russell have met with Mark Cordes and Daniel Ross-Jones, both SSP Board alumni with clergy backgrounds, to evaluate SSP’s mission. We aim to “remain sensitive to the needs of the hour,” grounding this process in SSP’s historical approach, informed by Rev. Tex Evans.
We have convened focus groups reflecting the broad SSP community to gather wisdom about what makes our work valuable, voice concerns, and collectively envision our future. Common themes arising from these discussions include:
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- A strong sense of community across all ages
- Transformative, affirming experiences as young people take on new challenges
- Hands-on service that results in more resilient communities
In 2026, a steering committee was formed to explore how SSP’s mission can be representative of all the good work you’ll read about in this newsletter. As with the rest of this process, this committee will be reflective of the myriad programs and constituencies in our community.
We sincerely thank you for your support and engagement as SSP explores the future of our work in community.
Announcing SSP’s Mission Evaluation Team: We are excited to welcome seven committed members of the SSP community to this team, joining us in the next stages of our mission evaluation process:
- Cindy Chow-Snavely
- Addison DaDeppo
- Schylar Ferguson
- John Griffin-Atil
- Precious Jackson
- Pravin Rajah
- Ken Wilson
Team leads:
- Mark Cordes
- Daniel Ross-Jones
- Veronica Russell
- Megan Taylor
This steering committee of eleven is reflecting on focus group results, survey data, multi-year trends, and SSP’s rich history, and will work in tandem with SSP’s Board of Directors to guide us toward a sustainable and purpose-driven future.
Editor’s Note: