2007 – 2008 Parish Visioning Results
Dear Parishioners,
These are the Visioning Results from the Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Commissions which were developed since we began our Parish Visioning meetings in January. These are the suggestions which will drive our budgeting for next year. They are not listed in any order of importance. The Parish Vision Statement is based on the Theme of the 2007 Eucharistic Congress – “To Know Jesus Christ and the Seven Pastoral Priorities of Pope John Paul II for the new millennium and the discussions of the Visioning participants from our Councils and Commissions.
I want to thank all those parishioners who gave so much time to this project. I have been greatly edified by their love for our Lord’s Church and this Parish specifically. How dedicated they are. If you have any comments on any of these goals, please send them to me through the mail, email or in the collection basket.
I have listened well to all those who have participated in the process. Many of these Goals will be
implemented as the funds are available and as continued discussion proceeds. We will continue the discussions at the Councils and Commissions meetings.After listening for a year, there will also be some changes in parish life, facilities use and programs which I see as necessary for our continued growth. I know I can count on you for your trust, support and assistance. May God continue to bless us as we move forward in our work to give Him Glory, increase our Catholic living and evangelize those in our lives here in Gaston county. Let us pray for one another.
May our Lord continue to bless you and may our Lady keep you in her care.
With my prayers,
Father Arnsparger
Please note: The Spanish speaking parishioners are working on the Visioning Process as are the English speaking parishioners. The goal, of course, will be to bring everyone into our one parish.
2007-2008 Parish Vision Statement:
Through education, prayer and Catholic living, raise our awareness of Catholic doctrine in order to know Jesus Christ more fully.Please note: The Spanish speaking parishioners are working on the Visioning Process as are the English speaking parishioners. The goal, of course, will be to bring everyone into our one parish.
Liturgy & Worship Commission
One Year Goals:
Increase participation in Sunday Mass, Daily Mass, Holy Day Mass and Confession
Look at Sunday and daily Mass schedule
Quarterly meeting of Liturgy Committee – retreat
Altar Guild and cleaning of vestments and Vessels
Communion to the sick – instruction and retreat
Wednesday Night Healing and Prayer move to Family Room/Nursery.
Offices in the Parlor, Nursery, Drexel Room?
Decoration of Church: painting, statues, move windows from Old Church; continue to beautify
Daily Family Prayer: Encourage especially Sunday prayer in the home.
Baptismal Font – where and what form should it take?
Leave church unlocked
Rosary before each Mass
Increase participation in Nocturnal Adoration
Accent St. Michael’s Feast Day
Parish Education/ Family Life Conference Day
Two-Five Year Goals:
40 Hour Devotion
Expand Eucharistic Adoration here and at Belmont AbbeyCommunity Outreach Commission
One Year Goals:
1. All Ministries will establish Quarterly meeting and reports.
2. Increase the number of volunteers through stewardship and volunteer fair.
3. Move the Thrift Store to a more an efficient building.
4. Have an annual, Appreciation/Retreat Day.
5. Establish evening as an English Second Language Classes
6. Show an increased participation in Respect for Life events.
7. Establish affordable transportation to March for Life event in January.
8. Look into the use of a debit or credit card at the Thrift Store.
9. Provide spiritual and educational growth through training/retreat events for Ministry of hope volunteers.
Two-Five Year Goals:
1. Expand services offered through the Thrift Store
2. St Vincent de Paul will become a member of the St Paul Society.
3. The Thrift Store will be financially solvent.Evangelization – Communications Commission
One Year Goals:
1. Continue to maintain the Church and School web sites.
2. Continue to deliver the newsletter each quarter once Email Notification Program is in place this cost will be reduced by the percentage of the parishioners we can deliver by email.
3. Establish the parish Email Notification Program.
4. Advertise the church location, mass schedules and special services on the cable bulletin channel and in the local news paper.
5. Bring EWTN to the Gastonia cable network
6. Bill board advertising for the Easter and Christmas seasons.Two-Five Year Goals:
1. Deliver the newsletter each month
2. Continue to maintain church and school web sites.
3. Bring Catholic radio to the Gastonia area.Facilities Commission
One Year Goals:
To add a Full or part time Maintenance Person/ supervisor.
2. To continue to upgrade all lighting on campus to more energy efficient fixtures.
To put controls on all HVAC systems and instruct everyone on the importance of saving energy and costs.
Implement a campus security program for individual and structural.
Re-landscape the campus, where needed, and implement an upgraded lawn care program.
To consolidate admin. office space and open up meeting space in order to best utilize our buildings and help control our utility costs. This would include using the old church for that space and to include controlled atmosphere for record storage for the church and school.
Two-Five Year Goals:
1. Replace approx. 12 HVAC units on campus.
2. Replace aged and cracking Gym floor & bleachers.
3. Facility usage outline program based on commissions, committees and staff requirements.Formational Ministries Commission
One Year Goals:
Continue Donuts and Dogma
Continue RCIA catechetical component as Adult Education
Remove parish library and put recommended reading lists on Web Site and post around the Parish
Vacation School of Religion (Bible School)
Catholic Culture Camp for 8th Grade through High School
High School Donuts and Dogma
Catholic Scripture Study Class at St. Michaels (CSS from Catholic Exchange.com)
Catholic Books and Religious goods items available on – site periodically (Mary’s Garden, etc)
Integrate Sacramental Preparation into Parish Life (Pictures, prayers, etc)
St. Michael’s Family Conference Day annually
Two-Five Year Goals:
Investigate and begin a Catholic High School in the areaParish Life Commission
One Year Goals:
Begin with blood pressure checks after Mass once a month
Reorganize the Welcome Committee and process – need Coordinator
Form an Activities Committee for events such as (All Saints Party, Easter egg hunt, etc.)
New floor in gym
Full time athletic director
Coaches for kids
The Nursery needs to be kept cleaner, disinfectant solution is a need, there should be an age limit on the child;
Do we need the nursery?
Increase Knights of Columbus membership and insurance membership
Family Life Dinners need to be reassessed. Do we need them? Should we just have periodic Pot Lucks? The Format needs to change. Once a month, have dinners tied in with feast days, Lenten suppers (fish, soup, etc.), welcome dinner, parish picnic.
Ask the Knights of Columbus to continue to help sponsor the Donuts and Dogma during Faith Formation.
Cub Scouts – As it stands right now, unless the group increases and we get more adult leadership, this Fall we may need to put this on hold.
Girl Scouts – Need more volunteers, meeting facility w/ American flag, kitchen area for food prep, and locked storage for leader supplies. Would like to see the scouts take on service projects that would have a direct effect on the Parish. (Grounds clean up, Thanksgiving dinner, beautification projects, etc.)
Young Adults -Sometime in the summer would like to have a workshop about Theology of the Body. One of their main goals is to spread awareness about the group. They are becoming active through volunteering at the thrift store, joining the coed softball, and helping with the International dinner.
Continue Lent Soup Suppers
Continue Easter Egg Hunt on Easter
Continue All Saints Party & Evening Bonfire
Celebrate 12 Days of Christmas (Feast of St. John Dec. 27th, Epiphany)
Develop an annual Marriage Celebration
Develop Parish Day Retreat/ Family Life Conference
Add a coffee maker in the Parish Kitchen to be available to all using the facilities.
Two-Five Year Goals:}
1. Purchase an Athletic fieldSt. Michael School Board
One Year Goals:
Spiritual: Center all School Activities around the Holy Eucharist, the Congress Theme and the Liturgical calendar
increase Mass attendance
Novena of the Sacred Heart- 1st Friday
Move Stations of the Cross to Wed during Lent
Streamline participation of the school children for Mass
b. Say the Rosary in Marion months
c. JMJ (Jesus Mary Joseph) on school papers
d. Look at use of same materials for Faith Formation and School
e. Keep Church unlocked for classrooms to visit when needed
f. Make a thorough and complete school calendar and publish (including Liturgical activities)
Enrollment
A. Increase # of parishioners attending school
i. Promote from the pulpit
ii Marketing plan in place
B. Retainment of present student base
i Review and act on School Board survey
ii Promote from pulpit
iii Continue fundraising tuition assistance
C. Communication improvement
i Quarterly meetings with other Commissions
ii Publish Calendar (church and school)
Staffing
Maintenance position (share with Church)
Principals assistant
Spanish Teacher
Enrichment teacher
Safety
Facility/ security issues improvement
Fence around playfield/campus
Old church building- study uses for
5. Facility
a. identify priorities (*school building, * playfields, * Gym)
Two-Five Year Goals:
Staffing – athletic director (merge with PE, use of gym for all Parish activities)
Marketing/ Development Plan
3. Facility Improvement – playfield
4. Enrollment – growth of school
5. Build Endowments (for school subsidy from Parish)Rev. June 16, 2007
Parish Vision Statement
Committee and Commission Planning
The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization
Church Documents
Principal and Foundation of the Spiritual Life
Explanation of the Vision Process