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St. John Church MINISTRY COUNCILS |
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1229 Vermont Lawrence, Kansas 66044 785.843.0109 |
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Why do we have Ministry Councils? The councils encourage us to be in greater conversation with each other around our shared goals and values, and help us all grow in faith. We encounter each other in our shared spiritual journey to live as Christ taught us. We call forth those who can remind and encourage all who are involved in the functioning of our parish ministries to keep our hearts focused on living our faith and working in our faith. With more opportunity for conversations among the ministries, we can pay even greater attention to the mission of St. John the Evangelist, be ever mindful of our truest calling: to live and die in Christ. |
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What are the Ministry Councils? · The Pastoral Council. This council consists of those parishioners who serve as advisors to the pastor in all matters concerning the goals and direction of the parish, and provide wisdom and guidance to the pastor, parish staff, Ministry Councils and the community of St. John especially as we move into our next 150 years. Members of the Pastoral Council also serve as liaisons to each of the Ministry Councils, and function as the primary communication channel between the Pastoral Council as a whole and the Ministry Councils, as well as being in conversation with parishioners.
· The Christian Formation Council. This council includes ministries that provide ongoing spiritual formation for both adults and children in nurturing greater understanding and appreciation for our Catholic faith. Some ministries included: St .John School, Adult Religious Education, Children’s Religious Education, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, RCIA, Sacramental preparation (Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation, and First Communion/Reconciliation,) and Vacation Bible School.
· The Worship Council. This council is comprised of the ministries that provide for our liturgies throughout the church seasons, for sacramental celebrations, and for other expressions of faith within our community. Some ministries included: Art and Environment Committee, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar servers, Cantors, Lectors, and Children’s Liturgy of the Word. This council also includes all the music ministries that grace our liturgies: instrumentalists, singers, the Celebration Singers, St. John’s Choir, Jubilate, the Guadalupe Choir, and the Alleluia Singers. Expressions of Faith include Eucharistic Adoration, St. Monica’s Prayer Group, Queen of Peace Prayer Group, and the Knights of Columbus.
· The Facilities Council. This council coordinates the ministries that maintain our properties, making them a prayerful reflection of our gratitude for the gifts of nature; the technology that we use to educate the school children and manage the work of the parish; and those which honor our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. Some ministries included: Cemetery Maintenance, Church Cleaning Ministry, Buildings and Grounds Committee, and Technology.
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· The Caring Council. Ministries in the Caring Council respond to the life situations encountered by all of us, both within the parish and the broader Lawrence community. These ministries answer Christ’s call to feed, tend and cloth His sheep, and offer a living witness to our gratefulness for the gifts given us by God. Some ministries included: Prayer Chain, all the works of the Social Concerns Committee, Accessibility Committee, Rummage House, Elizabeth Ministry, St. Clare Center, communion for the hospitalized and homebound, Parish Nursing, and liaisons with our community partners in Rachael’s Vineyard, the Centro Hispano Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity, Birthright, LINK, Serra Club, Daughters of Isabella, Catholic Community Services, and the area Food Pantries.
· The Social Council. This council encompasses those activities which serve to deepen our ties with our brothers and sisters within the parish, and celebrates the diversity that is our community of faith at St. John the Evangelist. Some of the community building ministries included: Parish Activities Committee, Seniors on the Go, Welcome Committee, Fiesta, Oktoberfest, Parish Pilgrimages, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lenten Dinners, Turkey Dinner, Funeral Lunch Committee, School Benefit Auction, Mardi Gras, Easter Egg Hunt, Seder, Posada, and Summer Picnics in the Park.
How do the Ministry Councils function in the parish? Ministry Councils meet with the current ministry participants and listen to the needs, concerns and functioning of those ministries. Questions, comments, concerns are then brought back to the Ministry Council meetings, discussed and prayed over, with guidance suggestions for collaborative solutions, insight - whatever the Holy Spirit calls forth in them - being brought back to the ministries for consideration. Support and ongoing formation opportunities, and discussions around leadership issues, (losing fears that often accompany responsibility, the move toward greater interdependence among our parish ministries, greater faith and trust within each of us) will be scheduled throughout the year for council members.
What qualities are essential for a Ministry Council member? Qualities in a council member make these councils successful: · actively involved in weekly Mass · struggling to maintain a prayer life · willingness to commit to a formation process that includes: reading provided scripture passages, and selected readings from documents such as “Stewardship, a Disciples Response” · ability to identify and articulate spiritual responses rather than “corporate” ones to the needs identified · willingness to abandon personal agendas and work for the common good of the parish · willingness to listen to others and be in conversation until a deeper understanding is reached · fair and open-minded, tolerant of differing points of view · ability and commitment to attend Ministry and Council meetings throughout the year. · ability to articulate wisdom to those involved in the ministries directly, other Ministry Council members, Pastoral Council and the pastor.
Surveys from a variety of media sources reflect that people who actively participate in their faith communities and support their parish have a deeper sense of faith and find greater fulfillment in faith than those who do not participate and support their parish. In order to be considered for a Ministry Council, one is asked to undergo a process of discernment.
What is discernment? Spiritual discernment is calling on the Holy Spirit to give direction on a matter that requires choices from us. It is a gift from God, as the Spirit nudges us, leads us, and sometimes drags us, in the direction of God’s will. The discernment process is about finding out if something is either of the Holy Spirit, or born from our own sense of will. On October 29, 2008, St. John initiated the Ministry Council structure by providing a night of discernment. The night of discernment was the beginning process for those nominated to the Ministry Councils. Council members are asked to fully embrace the discernment process as part of their journey serving on a Ministry Council. |
