St. John the Evangelist Town Hall Meeting

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St. John the Evangelist Town Hall Meeting

• Pastoral Plan Revision
• 12 May 2009

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Agenda

• 710 PM Gather/Refreshments
• 730 Call to Order
• Opening Prayer
• Pastors Comment
• Pastoral Plan Discussion
• - History
• - Current Plan
• - Draft Revision
• - Way Ahead
• Open Mike QA/Discussion
• 900 PM Closing Prayer
• Adjourn

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SJE Pastoral Plan
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Parish Planning History - 2004

• Msgr. English initiated the first Parish Planning
  Process at St Johns with the Pastors Advisory
  Council (PAC) and a subcommittee, the Launch
  Committee
• The process included
• Much prayer
• Survey of parishioners
• Small Group Meetings
• Town Hall meeting
• Information from meetings and survey results
  prayerfully used to develop goals for St. Johns
  Pastoral Plan
• Vision statement for the Parish
• Msgr. English transferred to Our Lady of Mercy
• Msgr. Knestout became Pastor of St. Johns and
  assumed leadership of the parish planning process.

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History 2005 - 2006

• Msgr. Knestout, the PAC, and the Launch Committee
  prayed and processed all of the information and
  feedback with other parishioners
• Consolidated the Plan around three Main Themes
• Spirituality
• Community Building
• Financial Stability
• Goals were established for each theme and
  promulgated
• Timeline to reassess the goals was set for 2008
• PAC began to develop plans to implement the goals
  of the Pastoral Plan
• Organized the PAC meetings around to the themes
• Continued to pray for the guidance of the Holy
  Spirit among us
• Monitored and fostered progress
• Msgr. Knestout transferred to the Archdiocese of
  Washington

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History 2007- Present

• Msgr. Pennington became the pastor of St Johns
  and assumed leadership of the Pastoral Planning
  Process.
• PAC formed a Pastoral Planning subcommittee
• Provided updates to the Plans goals using
  feedback from parish ministries, staff, and
  individuals
• Recommended Revision/Update of Plan be started
• School developed Strategic Plan for Middle States
  Accreditation need to integrate Goals into Plan
• MSGR Pennington directed an effort to revise the
  Pastoral Plan which included
• Meetings with small groups
• Discussions with Ministries
• PAC Brainstorming
• Parish Survey development
• Draft Plan Revisions for review
• Early decision to implement near term changes/
  initiatives in line with the Plan Goals as
  feasible

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Near Term Opportunities for Improvement
Implemented

• Gathering for Community Sunday after the noon
  mass
• Development of a PAC subcommittee for Liturgy
  Committee Formation
• Draft Charter under review
• Documentation of procedures for parish building
  maintenance
• Maintenance process building on Middle States
  School Strategic Plan
• Community building through parish wide events
  reflecting One Parish
• Initial improvements to communication
• Parish Meetings
• More use of the website
• Mailings
• Bulletin Notes and Announcements
• Posters and Flyers
• Adopted Accrual Accounting methods to manage
  finances better Quarterly Reports

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Current Pastoral Plan

• Spirituality
• Make St. John the Evangelist a Spiritual Home
• Help Educate the parish Community to Grow
  Continually in the Faith through Catechetical
  Programs
• Encourage Stewardship as a Way of Life
• Community Building
• Continue to Foster an Environment of Authentic
  Christian Hospitality
• Create an Aesthetic Environment that Communicates
  a Warm Welcome and Facilitates Inclusion
• Reach out to a Larger Community in the Spirit of
  Evangelization
• Financial Stability
• Increase the Understanding of the Financial State
  of the Parish by Educating Parishioners on Why
  Funds are Needed
• Link Fund Raising Strategies to Pastoral
  Strategies
• To be Debt Free by June 30, 2008

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Plan Revision

• Retains the Organization of the Original Plan
• Spirituality
• Community Building
• Financial Stability
• Captures the essence of most of the Original
  Goals
• Restated to facilitate Metrics Assessment of
  progress
• Some new Goals added to reflect current issues
• Includes Target Dates for completion or
  assessment
• Need assignment of responsibility
• Is truly a Living Document
• Continuous Review and Improvement
• Today is still in Draft form
• Intent is to Finalize Revision in the Fall
• Include Survey, Town Hall, and other Feedback

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Spirituality (1 of 3)

• Objective Assist Christ to create a community at
  St John the Evangelist dedicated to worship of
  the Father and love of neighbor, under the
  guidance of the Holy Spirit
• Goal 1 Make St John the Evangelist Parish a
  Rewarding Spiritual Home
• Restructure and strengthen the liturgy committee
  so that those who are called to serve can provide
  coordinated planning, environment, music, and
  celebration needed to manifest the sacred beauty
  of all the church's liturgies - Fall 2009
• b. Create an aesthetic, physical environment that
  communicates a warm welcome and facilitates
  prayer - Winter 2010
• c. Study and implement solutions to ensure easy
  movement and care for parishioners who come to
  church using wheelchairs or walkers
• - Spring 2010
• d. Encourage a spirit of Stewardship of time with
  the Lord by inviting parishioners to draw closer
  to Christ through Eucharistic Adoration

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Spirituality (2 of 3)

• Goal 2 Educate the Parish Community to Grow
  Continually in the Faith through Catechetical
  Programs
• --by preaching and teaching the word, we
  will foster spiritual growth
• Continue to provide education about the
  Sacraments to parishioners of all
• age levels to help them deepen their faith
  - Review semi-annually
• b. Communicate information about Parish Programs
  and new initiatives
  - Monthly
• c. Develop information metrics to assess
  Catechetical programs for effectiveness and
  coverage and publish statistics of participation
  
  - January 2010
• d. Expand Catechetical programs as required
  based on the assessment
• -- including Retreats and Parish Missions -
  Spring 2010

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Spirituality (3 of 3)

• Goal 3 Encourage a community of Stewardship as
  true disciples response to Christs love.
• -- Encourage a spirit of gratitude and
  generosity for what God has given us by use of
  our gifts of time, talent and treasure. Help
  parishioners recognize that all we have are gifts
  from God, especially those given to strengthen
  our discipleship of the Lord and to build up our
  Parish. Encourage special focus on those gifts
  and their applications
• Assess state of leadership of present
  ministries - Summer 2009
• Gather key parish leaders to assess lay parish
  leadership potential -
  Summer 2009
• Prepare leaders for Bannon Time and Talent
  program -
  Summer/Fall 2009
• Implement the Bannon Time and Talent program
  
  - Fall 2009
• Conduct a Ministry Fair to encourage
  participation
  - Fall of each Year
• Re-publish bi-annual SJE Parish Ministry Booklet
  as a Stewardship
• Communications Tool (print/email/web
  site) - Fall 2009

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Community Building (1 of 3)

• Objective Gather the parishioners of St John the
  Evangelist into Christs divine communion with
  his Father through the work of the Holy Spirit
• Goal 1 Foster an Environment of Authentic
  Christian Hospitality that reflects cultural
  diversity
• -- Reach out and include
• a. Invite parishioners from all cultures to
  assume Liturgy Committee and Parish leadership
  roles in order to use their gifts
  appropriately -
  TBD
• b. Strengthen existing and create new ways of
  contacting new and existing parishioners
  - TBD

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Community Building (2 of 3)

• Goal 2 Improve Communications with Parishioners
• a. Redesign and maintain a new and expanded
  Parish Web site
• - January 2010
• b. Provide Parish Town Hall Meeting
  Opportunities - Semi-annually
• c. Pastors Advisory Council Representatives
  meet frequently with groups and ministries to
  assess needs and to identify opportunities
  for improved operations - Quarterly
• d. Use all means to communicate with our Clergy
  - TBD

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Community Building (3 of 3)

• Goal 3 Provide Meaningful and Effective Parish
  Events that will Enhance a Spirit of True
  Community of Stewardship, Provide Fun and
  Camaraderie, and Assist with Raising Needed
  Financial Support
• a. Update, publish, and maintain a consolidated
  list of Parish Events, their purpose, staffing
  and leadership, effectiveness, and any potential
  conflicts with other events -
  Fall 2009
• b. Assess new ideas for events and approve only
  if they can be successful and will enhance the
  Community Building of the Parish -
  Annual Review
• c. Monitor staffing and execution of all
  activities for continued improvement
  - Annually
• Goal 4 Reach Out to our surrounding Community
  in the Spirit of Evangelization
• a. Assess the possibilities for greater
  involvement in areas of social justice in our
  larger community. This could include creating an
  Evangelization Ministry in our parish -
  Fall 2010
• b. Implement recommended actions from assessment
  of outreach - Spring 2011

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Financial Stability (1 of 3)

• Objective As Stewards of our God given gifts,
  establish a firm financial foundation for the
  administration, education, and charitable
  missions of the parish
• Goal 1 Provide Parishioners with Timely,
  Concise, and Clearly Understandable Financial
  Information about the Operation of St John the
  Evangelist Parish
• The Pastor and the Financial Advisory Council
  will provide the parish with the following
• Quarterly publication of financial statements
  detailing accrued revenues and
  expenditures for the current fiscal year
  - End of Oct/Jan/Apr/Jul
• Yearly publication of end of fiscal year
  financial summaries August
• Timely publication of Parish budgets for the next
  fiscal year July
• Timely sharing of information regarding large,
  unanticipated revenues and expenditures
  as required via Bulletin Notes and
  Letters

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Financial Stability (2 of 3)

• Goal 2 Raise Sufficient Unrestricted Funds
• a. Increase Offertory contributions by completing
  the current Offertory Program started in the Fall
  of 2008 and repeat annually
  - Annual Budget Review
• b. In the event that the increased Offertory
  collections received are insufficient to meet the
  both the Parish operational and capital expenses
  and to provide a reasonable reserve against
  unforeseen events, we will engage in efforts to
  raise additional unrestricted funds to meet the
  needs of the Parish (consistent with the intent
  of Community Building Goal 3)
  - Annual Budget Review
• c. At the FY 2008-2009 levels of financial
  support, the Parish accepts the challenge of
  raising at least an additional 50,000 of
  unrestricted funds per year for the next four
  fiscal years to address anticipated Parish
  financial needs - Annual Budget Review

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Financial Stability (3 of 3)

• Goal 3 Achieve a Stable Financial Basis to
  Support Parish Missions
• In order to remain viable and to carry out our
  mission, our Parish will raise and expend funds
  as necessary to meet ongoing expenses, to retire
  long term debt, and to carry out capital projects
  to maintain and improve both the physical plant
  and the quality of services provided to the
  members of our community
• a. Pay our bills in a timely manner -
  Monthly
• b. Pay back our bond obligation to the Endowment
  Fund - NLT June 2013
• c. Set aside in each Fiscal Year, starting with
  the 2009 -2010 Fiscal Year, an amount equal to 2
  of the anticipated net income per month into a
  reserve account to meet unexpected, unbudgeted
  expenditures
  
  - July of FYs

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Who We Are -- SJE Parish Statisticsfrom 2008
Annual Statistical Report to ADW

• Population
• Registered Families 1556
• Men 1599
• Women 1836
• Children under 18 -- 610
• Single Catholics
• Widows 112
• Widowers 35
• Other Adults 336
• Single Parent Families 146
• Sacraments
• Baptism 53
• First Communion 51
• Confirmation 55
• Marriage 14
• Funerals 51

• Ethnic Composition
• Caucasian 66
• African American 9
• Hispanic 7
• Asian 10
• Other 8
• Religious Education
• Parish School 232
• CCD (Grades 1-12) 200
• Catechists 10
• Adults 80

• Please respond to the latest Survey by 30 May
• Hard Copies mailed to all
• Survey Monkey link from Parish Web Site

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Way Ahead

• Discuss the Plan Revision Tonight
• Obtain Group Inputs
• Incorporate Individual Inputs after more Detailed
  Reading
• Modify/Add/Delete as Required
• Complete, Parse, Report, and Analyze Survey
  Inputs
• Review for Impacts on Goals
• Modify if Needed
• Finalize and Publish in September 2009
• Parish Wide Buy-in
• Execute the Required Actions
• Assess Results
• Discuss Progress/Issues at Future Town Hall
  Meetings and via Other Communication Methods
• Revise Plan as Needed
• After Prayerful Consideration

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QA/Discussion

• Speak into microphone
• ID self for minute takers
• Be brief so all can have a turn
• Take turns and let speaker finish
• Focus on Plan Revision Comments