St. Ignatius
of Loyola
Catholic Church
Parish Strategic Plan
Presented
June 2003
By the Parish Planning Sub-Committee
Rev. John Jicha
Chelle Davis
Sue Walters
Accomplishments Added to the Document
January 2005
By the Parish Vision Committee
Rev. John Jicha
Sue Hynes
Bill Crosthwait
Education (Faith Formation)
Goal:
To provide varied educational opportunities to our Parish children, youth/young adult, adult parishioners as well as to those on the Parish staff and those serving in ministries.
Rational:
Educational opportunities would allow for a better understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the foundation of our existence. Knowledge of our faith will enable us to better live and share our faith.
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 1: Develop plans for immediate/on-going education space. Address immediately the needs due to the loss of the use of the space in the Methodist church and the tentative use of Urbana Elementary - until a religious education building is in place.
Accomplishments:
- Requirement for current education space was defined and space obtained at MSM conference facility
- Requirement for future education space was defined and factored into the Master Plan for the Parish, which includes a new education building. Will require successful capital campaign
- Objective is to periodically review and revise the requirement for education spaces to assure that the Master Plan contains the latest information.
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 2: Recruit and retain volunteer catechists for all educational needs in various areas.
Accomplishments:
- Two workshops were held in the fall of 2002 as training and for clock hours for catechists.
- Five catechists out of 60+ are certified
- STAND training has been conducted for all catechists
- Pulpit and bulletin communication to parish of the need for catechists
- Communication to all parents of religious education students of need for catechists
- All registering in the parish are notified of the need for catechists
- Youth ministry coordinator has conducted individual training sessions for catechists
- Faith Formation administrator has provided information on local, outside the parish, training for catechists
- Goal is to have classroom aides become catechists
- The
Parish Mission and Disciples in
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 3: Facilitate educational opportunities allowing for training of staff, ministries, groups and parishioners.
Accomplishments:
- Fr. Donaghue – Understanding Sacraments and Parenting classes conducted
- Workshop held for all ministers in spring of 2003
- Staff sent to Microsoft training in fall of 2004
- Materials purchased related to time management and work habits for staff
- Staff attended various diocesan workshops
- Three on staff took on-line refresher grammar course during summer of 2003
- Two staff members attended time management workshops in past 18 months
- Fr. John attended three management workshops in past 18 months
- Plan initiated in September, 2004 for 4 of 11 cantors to start the process of completion of Level 1 testing for the National Pastoral Musician’s Cantor Certification (to be completed by June 2005)
- Rehearsal accompanist hired which allows for extra rehearsal time to improve sight reading of choir members and push forward the choral repertoire of the parish. Both WOW and adult choir to perform multi-movement pieces for Spring 2005 concert.
- Facilitated
Church Leadership Institute opportunities for adult education
- Facilitated STAND Training for all ministries
- Mother
Mary Seminar in September of 2004
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 4: Transfer the human sexuality portion of classes to a “take-home parent-directed” lesson plan. Suggest appropriate timing (i.e. maybe giving the 5th grader parents the materials when they are teaching the human sexuality in schools allowing for an opportunity to fortify the secular presentation with faith-based information.)
Accomplishments:
- Completed for third thru fifth grades in fall of 2003. Human sexuality component is now part of curriculum.
- Offering
Regional Chastity Topic Night for high school youth, with national youth
speakers
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 5: Evaluate the sacramental preparation programs for changing needs as growth continues.
Accomplishments:
- Major overhaul in the Confirmation program completed in 2003
- Introduction of individual First Communion
- Planning
to restructure Confirmation program, to include joint sessions with
o Joint
Immediate Preparation sessions
o Joint
Confirmation retreat
o Joint
Confirmation
o Joint
Reconciliation Workshop
- Separate
remote Confirmation programming
·
In-depth study of the Apostles Creed
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 6: Evaluate clustering opportunities with other churches/parishes to maximize resources.
Accomplishments:
- Fr. John has attends priest’s meetings when clustering is one of the topics considered
- Planning
for partial joint parish
Confirmation program elements with St. Josephs - Buckeystown
- Participated
in three planning meetings to discuss the topic of shared ministries
between
- Joint planning taking place and core groups being established for Young Adult Ministry with other parishes. Planning to incorporate the Archdiocese vision “Young people need worthy adventures”
- Advent and Lent regional reconciliation services planned
Education (Faith Formation)
Action Step 7: Plan/facilitate the long-term facilities needs for education.
Accomplishments:
- Requirement for 16 classrooms, office space, library space, social space, and storage identified and factored into Master Plan
- Need
to reconsider classroom space relative to increased numbers of children
Evangelization
Goal:
To be a welcoming and nurturing family of faith, by proclaiming the Gospel and sharing in an active faith with those in our community at large.
Rational:
Baptism calls us to share our faith and to serve God by serving those around us.
Evangelization
Action Step 1: Increase communications with current parish community in various ways (Website, letters, phones, etc.).
Accomplishments:
- Liturgy and Music web sites have been updated and expanded
- Procured storage for religious education and youth ministry materials
- Information kiosk provided for narthex of church with information on all ministries
- Web sites established for Youth and Faith Formation
- Mailing
quarterly newsletters to Youth Ministry families
- Sending
parish YM reports to Parish Council
Evangelization
Action Step 2: Create a sustained program of welcoming new parishioners, expanding beyond the initial registration. Develop systems for follow-up and contact through the first year.
Accomplishments:
- Ladies auxiliary provides welcome bags at parish registration
- Staff summarizes data from welcoming information sheet
- Follow-up for ministries identified in interest form
Evangelization
Action Step 3: Create an opportunity for those in our community to be able to ask and learn about the Catholic faith which could ultimately lead toward Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA).
Accomplishments:
- On the second and fourth Sundays of the month the Inquiry Program has been expanded from three months to a year round program
- A RCIA handout has been put into the bulletin. This is usually done in August. The handout explains the program. As we have been able to add additional people to the RCIA team, it brings more people into the program and provides an outreach tool to other people by introducing the program to them. We have also been able to recruit additional sponsors for the program. With continued success we may have a need to have the inquiry program every Sunday.
Evangelization
Action Step 4: Explore and develop ways to reach
un-churched Catholics in our community through programs such as Disciples in
Accomplishments:
- Newsletter for Advent and Lent mailed to all parish families
- Handout at Christmas and Easter targeted at those who attend Mass only at that time
- Signage
on Rt. 80 and
Evangelization
Action Step 5: Create an atmosphere of acceptance and welcome and to find ways to include non-Catholic spouses, non-practicing Catholics and the un-churched in our parish community.
Accomplishments:
- Fr. John focused on discussion with non-Catholic spouses when they attend parish services or activities
- Asking non-Catholic spouses to participate in Liturgy when appropriate
- Increasing contact with parents who are bringing children for baptism
- Bereavement committee talking with and following up with those coming forward for funerals in the parish
- Encouraging
youth to invite friends of other faiths to Youth Group activities
Evangelization
Action Step 6: Host a parish mission and encourage other Catholic Churches to participate/support those efforts.
Accomplishments:
- Parish
- Planning
is underway for a workshop for liturgical ministers on April 22 by Bob
Hurd with a concert being done by him on Friday April 22 at
Evangelization
Action Step 7: Make increased use of technology, enabling us to reach out to the community to bring awareness of church activities, opportunities and religious resources.
Accomplishments:
- Liturgy website has been developed and maintained
- Mailings to all families in the parish are part of the Advent and Lenten Celebration Team’s overall plan
- Special newsletters are distributed on Christmas and Easter to those who may not attend regularly
- Link to Parishsoft website (St. Ignatius Parish Calendar) have been established from St. Ignatius main website.
- Updating
computers and staff training
- Faith
Formation purchasing new projector & media cart
Evangelization
Action Step 8: Foster better relations with the community at large (i.e. shared ecumenical services, open houses, music ministry concert series, media, youth programs, and other activities).
Accomplishments:
- WOW taped Shut-In Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in November 2005
- WOW
to provide holiday music at the John Paul II Institute in
- Sharing
the Feast of Christ the King with St. Anne Choir from
- Music
Ministry has implemented a parish Concert Series program reaching out to
the local
- Christmas
in the
- Opened
the church calendar to help
- Opened the parish hall for voting
- Coordinated a local blood drive
- Music
ministry has partnered with local community churches and participated in
the local,
- Rented
- In an effort to develop a stronger musical presence at liturgical functions for both the archdiocese of Baltimore and Washington we have provided liturgical musical support for the Archdiocese of Baltimore Catechetical Conference (September 2004).
- Joint
venture with regional Youth Ministry programs to get the best national
Catholic youth speakers, youth activities, (retreats, Pilgrimage, pool
party, etc.)
Liturgy
Goal:
To develop the worship and sacramental life of the parish so that all are nourished in faith and invited to full participation in sacrament and prayer. Through this, we put our Catholic faith into action.
Rational:
Jesus charged his disciples to carry forth his mission to be builders of God’s kingdom. The foundation of this mission is the celebration of the Eucharist.
Liturgy
Action Step 1: Redefine and provide structure for the Liturgy Committee and its subcommittee’s)
Accomplishments:
- Bylaws
defining the
- A
report from each subcommittee is given at each
Liturgy
Action Step 2: Recruit from and support members of our church to serve as liturgical ministers and develop new ministries as needed (i.e. Altar Guild and Sacristans).
Accomplishments:
- Annual ministry fair is done in the fall in conjunction with the Stewardship/Time and Talent drive. A follow-up in-pew recruitment was also done.
- Ministry of POCA’s created
Liturgy
Action Step 3: Provide opportunities for sacramental celebrations at masses (baptisms, Confirmation, anointings, First Eucharist, and special blessings).
Accomplishments:
- Anointing
of the sick is done twice a year at the
- First Eucharist may be received as part of a group at mass in May or individually at parish masses during the Easter season.
- Special blessings (Families, mothers, fathers, St. Blaise, expectant parents, house blessings at the first of the year …) are done as the occasion presents itself liturgically.
- Recruitment of ministers at new parishioner registration
- CLOW expanded to three out of four masses
- Rites for RCIA at Mass
- Rite of Enrollment for Eucharist and Confirmation at Mass
- Rite of Commissioning of Liturgical Ministers at Mass
Liturgy
Action Step 4: Provide for education within the Liturgy in regards to different aspects of our faith and church (sacraments, church traditions, vestments, church etiquette…).
Accomplishments:
- Work
has been done on a Church Etiquette brochure. The
- The Liturgy Corner runs periodically in the bulletin
- A series of educational pieces about changes in the liturgy and the GIRM continue to be published monthly in the bulletin
Liturgy
Action Step 5: Evaluate how we meet the liturgical needs of the youth (middle-school and high-school).
Accomplishments:
· Youth are an active part of the Liturgical Choir (1), the handbell choir (2) and contemporary ensemble (5)
·
Eucharistic Ministers (2?)
·
Lectors (1)
·
Middle school, high school and Confirmation
youth leading living stations of the cross for youth
·
Y.M. hosting additional Ash Wednesday service
for youth.
Liturgy
Action Step 6: Charge the Liturgy Committee with evaluating and making recommendations to address issues such as length of services/communion with current staffing.
Accomplishments:
· The main thrust is completed however evaluation is ongoing
· The process for communion has been evaluated several times within the past year and different options have been discussed and implemented.
Liturgy
Action Step 7: Charge Fr. Jicha with exploring options and making recommendations for sacramental staffing needs.
Accomplishments:
- Seminarian and Deacon candidate are now working in the parish
- Ongoing effort to identify weekend help