Parish Pastoral Council

Leading the parish in discernment and expression of its

mission

Donna L. Ciangio, OPChurch Leadership Consultation

West Caldwell, NJ

What is a Parish Pastoral Council?

Jesus

must be

the

focus

of

the

parish’s

life

Areas of Consideration

Parish Pastoral Councils in

the Diocese of Las Cruces Mission Function of the Council Responsibilities of the

Council Vision Types of Council Groups What are you going to do

next?

Parish Pastoral Councils

in the

Diocese

of

Las Cruces

Canon Law

After the diocesan bishop has listened to the presbyteral council and if he judges it opportune, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish;

The pastor presides over it, and through it the Christian faithful along with those who share in the pastoral care of the parish in virtue of their office give help in fostering pastoral activity.

Canon 536. 1

Diocese of Las Cruces

It is the policy

of the Diocese of Las Cruces

that each parish

shall establish and maintain

a Parish Pastoral Council (Canon 536).

Diocesan Pastoral Manual

Section Policy 01-02

Mission

The Church The Parish

Are to be reflecting on what the Spirit has been saying to the People of God

We are a people on a pilgrimage are moving toward an intended goal with an intended purpose.

Tertio Millenio Inuente

Discipleship and Mission

For it is possible

to be a disciple,

to give a loving

response to

Christ's invitation

to come follow him,

only if we have truly met Jesus and responded to him in a personal way.

Pastoral Activity

Mission of the Parish

To help people understand

that Jesus

is truly present

to them here and now,

walking

the path

of

discipleship

along

with

them.

Creating a School

of Discipleship

What is MISSION?

• Missio Dei - the activity of God

• Trinitarian: Father, Son, and Spirit at work in the world

• Father, Son, and Spirit sending the CHURCH into the world

• Participating in the sending of God

• Our mission has no life of its own – only through God who sends us

Bosch, Transfoming Mission, p.390

Mission• God is a missionary God

• Mission is seen as a movement by God into the world

• God calls and gathers

“disciples - missionaries”

• A church does not have a mission, a mission has a church!

The Essential Elementsof Parish Mission

Evangelization Worship Word Community Service Leadership Stewardship

Evangelization

Encompasses the ways in which the parish intentionally spreads

the Gospel.

Worship

Is the expression of the sacramental and prayer life of parishioners. Includes Sunday Eucharist and other ritual forms of sacred celebration.

Word

Proclaims, explains, informs, and forms parishioners of all ages in the Scriptures and tradition of the Church.

Community

draws parishioners together with Jesus Christ and each other in mutual support, activity, ministry, and celebration marked by including and welcoming all.

Service

extends the resources of the parish to the needs of others - parish, local community, global community - and demonstrates a commitment to works of compassion and justice.

Leadership

calls forth gifts of visioning, planning, empowering, and evaluating

for the service of the community.

Stewardship

Challenges all parishioners to share their time, talent, and treasure for the fulfillment of

the parish mission.

Each moment spent, each gift shared, each contribution made in service to the parish and to all whom we meet, is a real participation in and extension of the mission of Jesus.

*From New Wine, New Wineskins Program of Diocese of Greensburg, PA.

It is only when it is fully understood, that one's participation in the life of the parish can be transferred from a perfunctory fulfillment of a task and responsibility into an exciting, challenging and spirit-filled adventure that truly makes Jesus alive and present in our day.

Gospel values must be the ultimate normand criterion by which decisions are made and against which its results are evaluated

All pastoral leaders must constantly reflect on and emphasize how all of the parish's worship, faith-formation, ministries,

and social services are related

to the mission of Jesus

Discussion

• How central is your parish mission statement to everything you do in the parish?

• How have you determined what your mission is?

• How do you review

and evaluate your accomplishments in building the kingdom?

Function

of the

Council

Praying Community

The role of the council is ministerial not merely functional

Must be prayerful

Faith sharing

Grow as a community

• Any pastoral planning process must be a prayerful process. The process itself must lead people to holiness.

• Pastoral planning must be viewed as a means to holiness.

• The process must be designed with prayer and reflection as a constitutive element.

• Too often in pastoral meetings, prayer is treated as something ad hoc and perfunctory. If planning is truly pastoral, prayer, scripture reflection and faith sharing, are integral to the method.

Practical

Using creative imagination

Listening to the Holy Spirit

Coordinate Parish

Activities

Policy Review and Recommendation

Problem Solving

Sounding Board for Pastor

Work with finance council so that the mission has the resources to accomplish the work of Christ

PastoralUsing creative imaginationListening to the Holy Spirit

What does our parish want and need?

Addressing Major Pastoral Concerns

Assessing Current Ministries

Planning for new or needed ministries

Promoting Stewardship Evangelization Addressing Spiritual Needs

of the Parish

Planning

Planning for New Ministries Visioning Mission development Long Range Planning

Discussion

• How does your council pray and build community?

• What are some examples of how your council has planned practically and pastorally?

Pastors

• Pastors are to listen more widely to the entire People of God. (45)

• The pastoral planning process provides a forum for a high degree of lay participation in advising the pastor on the goals of the parish

• It also brings out and utilizes the gifts and talents of the Pastoral Council for the benefit of the parish community.Tertio Millenio Inuente

Examples: Utilizing the parish mission

statement Helping parish ministries to

develop their own mission statement and yearly goals

Simple parish survey to know what is needed

Helping people know their gifts

Help develop new or needed ministries e.g., welcome packet; welcome event; “This is OLC”

Planning means…• To prayerfully consider how God

is calling the parish to fulfill its mission in this particular time and place.

• To serve as a vehicle of dialogue, communication, coordination, and cooperation with all the parish ministries and committees.

• To gather data through a survey or an annual parish assembly.

• To use the process of consensus in coming to agreement on recommended courses of action.

• To empower the implementation of parish goals and objectives with the various parish ministries and commissions.

Pastoral Planning

Where are we now?

Identify your MISSION

Where do we want to be?

What is the VISION?

Parish and Diocesan

How do we get there?

Bridging the gap between

MISSION and VISION

and needs ASSESSMENT

Discussion

• What is your style of prayer and community building?

• Is it successful?

• How often have you done needs assessment?

• Has that helped in your planning?

Responsibilities

of the

Council

ROLEOF THEPPC

1. Prayer and faith sharing

2. Participates in pastoral

planning, supports and implements

3. Determines basic policy (values)

4. Serves as advisory board for pastor and pastoral staff

5. Works with finance council to assure goal orientation of budget

6. Develops the parish mission statement

7. To annually develop and evaluate progress toward agreed parish goals and objectives and update the plan.

8. To communicate to the parish at large the decisions and thinking of the council.

9. To attend to the prayer and continuing education necessary for council action and the spiritual development of members.

10. The staff acts as a resource

and attends council meetings

as needed.

New ModelFROM TO

Parish Council Parish Pastoral Council

A body of leaders A leadership body

Coordinating Articulating theMinistries Mission

Crisis Management Pastoral

planningDoing Activities Empowerment and

OversightBusiness Prayer and and politics discernmentCompetition CollaborationVoting Consensus

Discussion

• How does your council see it’s role?

• Practical?

• Pastoral

• What would you like it to be?

Vision

Vision

Where there is no vision

the people perish. Proverbs

29:18 

Without prophecy – the people become demoralized.

New American Bible

Where there is no vision –

the people get out of hand.New Jerusalem Bible

What is

your Vision

of

Pastoral Leadership?

First, think about your parish…

A church’s vision generally grows

from theVISION

of thePASTOR

PARISH STAFFandCOUNCILS

The Pastor, Parish Staff and Council

vision grows from the VISION

OF THE GOSPEL,

Church Teaching and articulated by the bishop,

the diocesan pastoral council and other collaborative

bodies

THE PASTORneeds to be clear about his vision

in the light of the larger Mission of Jesus Christ,

the Church’s Vision, and the

diocesan vision and goals

What is Your Vision of Your Ministry?

at

Your Parish

Mission Statement

The process of writing

a mission statement

involves reflecting on

a series of questions:

Questions What things are

important to us about ministry?

What are our values?

What are our goals?

What do we feel we have to give?

What are the qualities of character we would like to

emulate?

What legacy do we want to leave?

What is the Holy Spirit saying to us?

EvaluateYou need to review, reflect on and

evaluate your mission statement each year…

Have a retreat planning day or day of reflection - give some ample time to review and evaluation of all you have accomplished during the pastoral year.

(Ministries should review this also)

For example: Do we feel that we have lived up

to this mission statement? How has Jesus been a part of

our mission, vision and ministry this year?

Essential Elements

Prayer

Support

Reflection

Participation

Learning

Mission

Types of Groups and

Councils

Go forth

and bear fruit

that will last

If we have truly contemplated

the face of Christ,

our pastoral planning

will necessarily be

inspired by the

"new commandment"

which Jesus gave us:

Love one another, as I have loved you

John 13:34

Tertio Millenio Inuente

What are you going to do next:

Meet between now and __________Decide what you most needFor example;Start a Parish Pastoral Council

Mission statement• Start working on your mission

statement and create a draft• Brainstorm and finish up by JulyPPC Membership• Make sure the right people are

“added”Discernment Retreat • To assess needs• To plan

Discussion

• How has this presentation and discussion been helpful to you?

• What are the steps you need to take to make the PPC strong?