Sources for Goals:

1. Home Meetings
2. History
3. Norms
4. Interviews with Community Leaders

Preamble: Throughout this process we have received feedback that the greatest strength of St. Catherine’s is the sense of community and belonging we share together. As a result, we don’t let our differences (such as age, gender, race, financial situation, level of participation, attire, or opinions) get in the way of knowing the love of Christ through our love of one another. Goals in this area are based on our acknowledgement of that strength. (c)

1. We will encourage intimacy and connectedness by expanding opportunities for people to interact in small groups through programs, ministries, and fellowship activities. (a, b)

2. We will nurture our spiritual lives by emphasizing Christ-centered worship, prayer, study, and action. (a)

3. We will build on the strength of the partnership between the clergy and lay persons by continuing to emphasize shared leadership and responsibility. (b)

Strategy: Provide joint training opportunities

4. We will provide the church with sufficient staff and clergy to support our mission. (b)

5. We will continue to promote a healthy environment for individuals and families where compassion, humor and warmth are apparent. (c)
 
 

Concerns:

Preamble: A consistent theme is our anxiety about growth. Most of the anxiety appears to be around two issues: 1) there is concern that growth will change who we are; and 2) there is concern about how we will accommodate that growth. We will not propose a specific goal of growing in numbers. Our goal is that we grow in faith and service to our Lord and in our love of God and each other. As we meet that goal our numbers will increase.

1. We will implement a process of continuous communication and education to help us understand and accommodate the growth that will result as we meet our other goals. (a)

2. We will establish a program of leadership development within the parish in order to identify, recruit, train, recognize, and encourage more leaders. (a)

3. We will acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of our parish community by raising our awareness and knowledge of diversity in its broadest sense, both in our congregation and in the greater community. (a)
4. We will invite, acknowledge, and assimilate newcomers through meaningful programs, events, and information. (c)
5. We will evaluate current forms of worship, and explore and implement new forms of worship to meet the diverse needs of our congregation. (c)

 

 

(Examples: music of diverse styles, shortened or longer services, instructional

services, contemplative services, variety of choirs)

6. We will provide a spiritually and physically safe place for expressing, listening to, and responding to each other’s concerns and opinions. (c)
7. We will improve the way we communicate with our congregation to promote fuller participation in parish life. (c)
8. We will do a better job of using and caring for our facilities. (c)

Mission and Outreach:

Preamble: Feedback during parish meetings did not give us a lot of information about developing outreach programs. On the other hand, information developed in our interviews with community leaders showed us that the community around us is changing, there are significant areas near us that do not appear to be well served by churches, and there are clear and pressing needs. Some of our proposed goals for mission and outreach will need further development, but they derive from themes that are consistent with the strengths, concerns and aspirations of the parish family.

1. We will broaden and deepen our congregational and individual commitment to, and participation in outreach by increasing the awareness of and opportunities for outreach at St. Catherine’s. (b)

2. We will establish a review process to identify needs for new programs within the congregation and the larger community. (a)

[Issue to be addressed: How do we help people who don’t have the resources or skills to express their needs?]

3. We will identify and develop resources that can be utilized to meet the needs of the congregation and the larger community. (a)

4. We will evaluate current programs to assure that they meet age, gender and life specific needs of a diverse and changing congregation and community. (a)

5. We will identify who our neighbors are both within the congregation and in the wider community and what they want and need. (b)

6. We will develop and fill a staff position of Senior Citizen Advocate. (d)

7. We will develop and implement an after school program in order to meet the needs of the surrounding community. (d)

8. We will seek partnerships with area schools to provide them with resources in such areas as mentoring, networking, outreach, community diversity, and emergency preparedness. (d)
 
 

Facilities & Long-term Aspirations:

Preamble: Throughout this process we’ve received a clear message that our use of facilities is at (if not already beyond) our current capacity. As a community, however, we believe that the quality of our parish life and our service to the community come first, not the buildings. In other words, our facilities exist to serve the needs of the community. As we consider renovation and expansion of facilities we must keep this perspective.

1. We will develop and execute a comprehensive master plan of our buildings and grounds, staff, and financial resources to reflect and support our goals for St. Catherine’s.

2. We will challenge, support, and encourage each one of our members to grow in the maturity of our faith and to deepen our spirituality. (b)

3. We will expand the Preschool program to accommodate a wider diversity of children. (d)

5. We will expand our facilities to accommodate our community’s needs for worship space, parish-wide activities, Christian education, and meetings, as well as to continue our role as a resource to the wider community. (a, b, c, d)

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