Pastoral Council Update - June 2006
In January 2003, we began as a council with Deacon Mike Richard as our facilitator. The Pastoral Council is a visioning body and works in an advisory role to the Pastor with respect to pastoral matters. We were tasked with visioning the parish in the future. Since the vision is for the entire parish, the parish staff and ministry leaders were interviewed for their input. We then held two “Town Hall” style meetings to determine the need as expressed by the parishioners. Out of that process, came the Pastoral Plan detailing the common vision of all who participated.
The Pastoral Plan was formally adopted by Msgr. Swett on June 13th. 2004. That undertaking highlighted four areas deserving major efforts of concentration for future endeavors by our Parish community. Those areas are Prayer, Education, Ministries and Outreach, and Fellowship and Family Ministry. Each was expressed as a goal to which the parish community would strive to achieve over the next three to five years. The goals are listed regularly in our weekly bulletin.
Since then the council has been actively working to ensure the goals will be achieved.
We have met with success in some areas and have experienced challenges in others.
There has been success in increasing the number of greeters at all the masses extending the warmth of St. Philips to all parishioners which was one of the first objectives of the Fellowship and Family Ministry goal. In addition, there have been promising successes in the formation of a family ministry to increase the activities that offer opportunities to participate together that are fun for the entire family.
Improvements in the information about our prayer activities resulted in the publishing of a small pamphlet detailing some of the opportunities for reflection and prayer that are available here at St. Philips. More ways are being explored to encourage greater participation in those activities.
Strides have also been made in the area of education. A task force was formed to search for and hire a Director of Religious Education. This was accomplished last August with the hiring of Diana Akroush. The task force has now become a Board of Religious Education to act in concert with the Pastor and the DRE as a policy setting body to oversee and support improvements to our religious education efforts.
Many of you have played a major role in these accomplishments. It would not have been possible without your help and support and for that we want to express our gratitude.
The council has recently reformed after the departure of five members who completed their three year commitment on the council. Deacon Mike Richard is now our Spiritual Director and the one who serves to keep us open and sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. The first generation members still active are: Anne Filipski, Ken Filipski, Norman Ollivier, Jane Pratt, Susan Rizo, Don Schmid, and Ron Black. The second generation members recently installed are: Elizabeth Cassady, Kathleen McCullah, Steven McCullah, and Brad Webb. We are so pleased to have people of this caliber join the Council.
The Pastoral Council is an ongoing body and needs fresh ideas continually influencing the pastoral planning process. We need 4 to 5 people a year to join the council as those who complete their commitment depart. We hope you will consider this very rewarding position within the parish and apply when the process begins in the fall.
Our most recent efforts have been directed towards developing a mechanism whereby the council can more effectively interact with the parish staff, ministry leaders, and other interested parishioners. We have the responsibility to the pastor to maintain the Parish Mission and the goals and objectives related to it as detailed in the Pastoral Plan.
We believe that the Holy Spirit, through much prayer and discernment, has led us to institute our “Networks”. Each network is aligned with one of the parish goals. We have a formed a Prayer Network, an Education Network, a Ministries and Outreach Network, and a Fellowship and Family Ministry Network.
They will function much like a trade or industry association where those with a common area of interest form as a group to promote, reinforce, support, encourage, and assist the other members of the group as each carries out the processes necessary to their own function. Networks serve to multiply the effectiveness of their members by working together as a team rather than working alone. By combining resources for the benefit of the whole we get greater effect for each and less of a burden than if we had to do it alone. Your success becomes our success and our success becomes your success.
If you are a staff member, a ministry leader, or an interested parishioner we invite you to become a member of one of the “Networks”. If you are interested in or involved in a ministry of Prayer, become a member of the Prayer Network. If you want to become involved in or belong to a ministry related to religious education join the Education Network. If you are in a ministry or interested in Ministries and Outreach come join the Ministries and Outreach Network. If your desire or the desire of a ministry you are a part of wants more fellowship and family activities become involved in the Fellowship and Family Ministry Network.
St. Philip’s is an active, vibrant Church with many activities dedicated to the work of God’s Kingdom here on Earth. We invite you get involved and answer the call to serve. Please contact any of the Pastoral Council members. We will be happy to assist you in selecting a Network and ministry where your talents can be put to work for God’s Kingdom.
Please stay tuned to your bulletin and the parish website for more follow up information on each of the Networks.
Ron Black,
Facilitator
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