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Waterloo Pastoral Leaders
Strategic Goals and Strategies
I.
Community of
Disciples
The goal(s) of
the Waterloo Pastoral Leadership is to create a community that:
1. Models a collaborative working style by sharing charisms and
gifts for the Waterloo Community
Strategies:
a. Establish a more permanent structure for the collaboration of
the Waterloo
Pastoral Leaders
b. Discuss the creation of a unified pastoral team approach for the
Waterloo
parishes with the Archbishop and Personnel Board about
the necessity of
collaborative pastors in Waterloo and the
possibility of creating a pastoral team
by 2007.
c. Develop a the position for an Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
and maintain
the position of Youth Ministry Formation
Coordinator to serve the Waterloo
Parishes
d. Explore an inter parish sharing of business managers and
stewardship
coordinators
e. Create a census tool and administer a metro Catholic parish
census for the
Waterloo parishes by 2007.
2. Challenges and empowers the laity to become effective leaders to
be the voice of the Gospel through sacramental life and communal
living.
Strategies:
a. Develop a formation program to identify, recruit and prepare lay
leaders who are
aware of their gifts and are able to use them in
a collaborative manner at the
parish and metro level.
b. Maintain an enrollment of 2 persons from each parish in each
session of the Lay
Formation Program of the Archdiocese
c. Include and encourage the voice of the laity at every level of
parish involvement
via Pastoral Councils and Waterloo Deanery to
take ownership and creating
town hall meetings at the citywide
level to discuss issues facing the local
church.
d. Actively solicit letters to the editor in parish newsletters,
pastors column in
parish bulletins, and other communication
methods
e. Ensure sufficient parish staff to provide training which:
enables active and conscious parish liturgical participation
maintains the vitality of community life
leads leaders
ensures care of the needs of the elderly and marginalized
3. Lives and proclaims justice, peace, inclusion and dignity for
all.
Strategies:
a. Lead
the Catholic faith community to move beyond the work of charity
to
address social justice issues (though Project Barnabus and
Restorative Justice,
etc.).
b. Create a metro wide network that will evaluate the effectiveness
of local social
concern committees and to coordinate efforts to
be a collective voice for the
marginalized.
c. Increase awareness of Catholic social teachings and traditions
that assist in
recognizing daily life applications and
circumstances
d. Establish ministries with the mission of Just Faith and
Communities of Salt and
Light, etc.
e. Offer a living wage and appropriate benefits to all church
employees
f. Work in alliance with metro Catholic churches to provide
advocacy and increase
awareness, support and inclusively of all
people with regard to: cultural, ethnic,
socioeconomic, health,
aged, and sexual orientation.
II. Evangelization
The goal of
the Waterloo Pastoral Leadership is to create a faith community
that:
1. Cultivates unity of faith and worship amidst the cultural and
theological diversities within our Waterloo Catholic parishes.
Strategies:
a. Deepen and enhance the celebration of the Eucharist, the
sacrament of unity,
through:
preaching
communal celebrations of the sacraments
faith formation offerings
(Parish Staffs
/ ongoing)
b. Encourage inter-parish participation in cultural events and
celebrations hosted
by Queen of Peace through:
homilies
publicity in parish bulletins and websites
catechetical lesson plans for children and adults
(Parish Staffs
/ ongoing)
c. Offer experiences for people to express their understanding of
God through a
variety of devotions, rituals, and prayer forms
rooted in our Catholic tradition by:
First, compiling data of current metro offerings
Second, developing a plan to offer a variety of opportunities
which address the
cultural and theological diversities at the
metro level
(WPL / Director
of AFF / 2006-08)
2. Explores and studies the truths of our faith in light of current
societal trends to make the gospel
more meaningful in all spheres of life: personal, home, work, social, economic, political.
Strategies:
a. Promote lifelong learning, faith formation, and an enthusiasm
for the gospel
through:
lively and meaningful worship experiences
the
proclamation of the Word in liturgy and catechetical programs
service opportunities extending within and beyond our parishes
(Parish Staffs
/ ongoing)
b. Develop a format for the laity to network, share, and reflect on
their faith in light
of:
their work experiences
political issues
justice issues
(Dir. of AFF / 2007-08 )
c. Increase awareness of Catholic Social teachings and traditions
by studying
Church documents.
(Metro Social Concerns committees &
Director of AFF / 2006)
d. Work
in alliance with other churches to offer support and assistance
to those in
need.
(Local
Ministerial Associations & Director of AFF / ongoing)
3. Recognizes, supports, and assists adults of all ages &
circumstances and children in the midst of changing household
needs, structures, and schedules.
Strategies:
a. Give
priority to family life through flexible scheduling of parish,
school, and
interparish
events.
(All parishes &
schools / ongoing)
b. Promote sensitivity to various family structures
in
all forms of communication
privacy issues
confidentiality
(All parishes &
schools / ongoing)
c. Provide childcare for all major parish events.
(Parish Staffs
/ ongoing)
d. Establish web-based alternatives for the purpose of:
communication
catechesis
formation
(Director of
AFF & Parish Staffs / ongoing)
e. Develop metro offerings targeting young adults
(Director of AFF)
4. Offers welcome and hospitality to persons who are not currently
active
in parish life.
Strategies:
a. Publish Mass schedules for all parishes in the Yellow Pages, Ask
the K.C.s to
pay for the advertisement.
Publish Mass
schedules for all parishes in parish
bulletins and web pages 3-4
times annually.
(Fr. Clayton /
immediate and ongoing)
b. Create parish and/or inter-parish newsletters to be mailed to all
parishioners.
(WPL & Parish
Staffs / 2006-07)
c. Offer intentional ministries of hospitality, particularly at
Christmas and Easter.
(Parish
committees / ongoing)
d. Resurrect the Welcome Home (or similar) program to invite
inactive Catholics in
the Waterloo parishes to re-discover their
faith heritage.
III. Stewardship
The goal(s) of
the Waterloo Pastoral Leadership is to create a community that:
1. Advocates
that CVCS system must ensure that all new and existing
facilities be multi-purpose to address the needs of parish programs.
Strategy:
a. To
have parish staff representation on the facilities committee of
the CVCS
Board and the
CVCS Strategic Planning Committee by December 2005, to
particularly address non-school needs of the parishes.
2. Broaden
parishioners understanding of stewardship as the call of
discipleship.
Strategies:
a. Establish
or revitalize parish stewardship committees that will be charged
with
the ongoing promotion of time, talent, and treasure
stewardship.
b. Each parish
should offer ample prayer, worship, spiritual growth, and
service
opportunities to encourage parishioners to adequately
respond to Gods
generosity.
c. Each parish
should establish or maintain a process to identify the gifts,
talents,
and charisms of parish members.
d. Each parish
should establish or maintain a process that calls forth the
gifts,
talents, and charisms of its members to be used in
service of the parish and the
larger community.
e. Each
parish should challenge parishioners to share their financial
resources for
the benefit
of the kingdom of God.
3. Employs a
process of ongoing examination of the distribution of
resources
to meet the needs of
all parish ministries, including social
justice needs.
Strategy:
a. To have
parish staff assist in the preparation of each parish budget.
Adopted by the
Waterloo Pastoral Leaders,
February 2006.
Endorsed by the Pastoral Councils,
Spring 2006.
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Posted 08.31.10 Last Update: 08.31.10 |