Pastoral Council Mtg Minutes, Nov. 2010

November 2, 2010 Meeting Minutes

CALL TO ORDER: Meeting started at 7:05 p.m. in Sullivan Hall.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Fr. Jason Worley, Chuck O’Connor, Ginny Abel, Sandy Ballantine, Steve Browning, Anita Gill, Sandy Gordon, Terri Jackson, Jerry Jennings, Bob Lilly, Deacon John Martin, Mary Nelabovige, Lew Sherman, June Schabdach, Lew Sherman, and Patrick Tramma.

MEMBER ABSENT: Laura Nisonger

Deacon John Martin opened the meeting with prayer.

MINUTES: Anita Gill moved to approve the minutes from the October meeting, Bob Lilly seconded, and the council voted unanimously to approve the minutes.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Communications:

No official report was given. However, Chuck O’Connor explained that the parish newsletter, “Upon this Rock”, is very near completion and hopefully will be mailed in the next few weeks.
Phil Burr has asked to step down as Chair of the Communications Committee. Fr. Jason has put an announcement in the bulletin asking for parishioners to step forward who have advertising and marketing experience or have expertise in other communications fields or in information technology.

Development:

No report.

Education:

Sandy Ballantine met with Kenn DeMoll about fundraising ideas and social justice projects. Some ideas discussed were:

Continuing annual sub sale for Super Bowl Sunday
Cookie dough sale prior to Christmas
Car wash
Talents for sale: rent-a-teen for tasks like yard work, computer setup
Recruiting teen help with CRS Fair trade coffee/chocolate sale.
Baby shower for Birthright/ Mary's House (contact parish liaison)
Adopt a room for either Habitat for Humanity or Interfaith Housing

It was discussed that those teens (and adults) who volunteer in Appalachia should be trained in the use of power tools/painting/etc. Perhaps a team of teens could be pulled together to help others in the Frederick County area (painting, lawn mowing, etc.)
One question that was raised was concerning liability issues. Are the teens covered by the church’s insurance policy when they help with maintenance projects on the church campus and/or when they help with outside agencies (see above)?
Sandy has concerns about whether the money allotted for this ministry, and the tuition collected, actually covers the cost of the Sunday evening programs. She understands that special activities, such as World Youth Day and the social justice programs, need to be covered by the participating student. However, she is of the firm opinion that not fully funding the regular Sunday programs is unconscionable. These young people are the church and the future of the Church (not the beautiful construct of bricks). To put financial barriers in the way of teens witnessing for Pro Life activities and Food Fast Lock-ins does not fulfill our mission. She wishes to discuss this further at our Planning Session to be held on November 20.
Anne Mason has conveyed that the elementary religious education program does have an old laptop and LCD projector that works fine for their needs; however, it is not good enough for Power Point.
Enrollment in elementary religious education is steady, with several new families from St. Ignatius parish.
Anne Mason would like to bring back the Harvest, Advent, and Lent Family Days. She will be holding a meeting in three weeks. Her goal is to get a chairperson and at least nine volunteers. Anne will coordinate with the Chairperson and have him/her actually run the program with her assistance. It would be nice to have it as big as VBS!
Attitude...it seems that we need to address the way people write emails to us...some folks are quite nasty and this is not acceptable for a church.

Evangelization:

See attached minutes from Evangelization Committee meeting.

Finance:

The Finance Committee did meet last week.
Liz Hunter had planned on giving a finance report at the Pastoral Council meeting tonight; however, due to illness, she was not able to attend.
The Diocese is going to kick-off a Capital Campaign that will run through 2013. Representatives from the Budget Office of the Diocese met with Fr. Jason and Liz Hunter to present the financial situation of the Diocese.
The details of the Diocesan Capital Campaign will be discussed at the November Pastoral Council Planning Meeting.

Liturgy:

The Advent program will be held on December 12th this year at 7:00, and will have all music ministries participating.
Liturgical Ministry Training Sessions have begun -- All ministries have been sent a scheduled time.
Our Community Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service will be on November 24th at 7:30. It is being held at the Johnsville United Methodist Church.
Thanksgiving Day Mass will be on November 25th at 9:00 am.
St. Peters is hosting an Advent communal penance service on Monday, December 13^th, at 7:30 pm. There will be a morning Mass instead of the usual 7:00 pm mass, so that preparations can be made for the Penance Service.
First Reconciliation will be on Tues. November 16th at 7:00.
Holy Day Mass Schedule will be printed in the bulletin.
We will start communicating with the parish regarding the New Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent. We will start with publishing the Msgr. Jaskot series, published earlier this year in the Catholic Review.
The Breaking Bread Books that were ordered for next year include the readings and psalms.
Next Liturgy meeting is November 8th.

Maintenance:

Lew Sherman reported that the repairs of the Thrift Shop foundation have been completed.
The final engineer’s recommendations for the beam repair in the Birch Library have been received. The decision was made to hire a professional to repair the beam.
Ruth Riley and volunteers have evaluated fall landscaping needs for the parish and have scheduled a work day on November 6th. The main work is replacing plants that were damaged or destroyed during the storms of last winter. It is hoped that insurance will cover the cost of these plants. Ruth and company also will plant a few perennials.
At Laura Nisonger's request, Lew arranged to have some volunteers paint the inside of a townhouse for a parish couple that is having some health and financial difficulties. Two people worked there on Tuesday. Four of us, and hopefully more, will meet at the townhouse on Saturday to do more. It was decided that the names of those parishioners who volunteered their time on this project should be included in the bulletin as a gesture of gratitude.
This would be the perfect thing to be sent out in an e-mail blast to inform our parishioners about these types of projects.
Lew asked where things stand with the Time and Talent survey. He would like an ongoing list of volunteers for the various maintenance tasks that are needed.

Planning:

Fr. Jason informed the council that Bud Nason’s bass guitar was stolen from the church recently. The estimated value of the guitar was $7,500. The Planning Committee will take on the task of reviewing security measures in and around the church.
The Planning Committee will also do a “walk-thru” of the church campus to review the lighting needs. Of particular concern are the parking lots, stairways, and entrances to the church and to the Adoration Chapel.
The question was raised about creating more parking spaces designated for the handicapped. We are limited as to which spaces would qualify for handicap status due to excessive grade on much of the parking lot.
There are currently 85 parking spaces in the parking lot next to the church. This lot is reserved for the handicapped, the elderly, and parents with very young children, or those with health limitations that impede mobility. Fr. Jason plans to make announcements at the Masses, over the next several weeks, reminding parishioners to be considerate of those who truly need to park in that particular lot.

Social Concerns:

Anita Gill reported that the movie, “Blood Money”, was shown at St. Peter’s during the 40 Days for Life. This movie is a documentary film, narrated by Dr. Alveda King, which exposes the truth behind the abortion industry from the Pro Life perspective.
Fr. Jason mentioned that several copies of the movie will be purchased for the parish library.
Ginny Abel announced that St. Peter’s will be hosting a three week Advent small group study from November 28 through December 18. The topic of the study will be, “I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me” – a Pastoral Letter on the Human Rights of Immigrants. The small, neighborhood groups will study how salvation history continues to unfold in our lives.
Social Concerns Mid-Maryland Committee has been in contact with Ginny regarding social concern issues/opportunities within Frederick County.
A meeting will be held by this committee, in the coming weeks, with regard to immigration.

OLD BUSINESS

Coffee and Donuts Sunday

There will not be a featured group at the November Coffee and Donuts Sunday.
The Evangelization Committee will be hosting “I’m Dreaming of a Catholic Christmas”, book fair at the December Coffee and Donuts Sunday.

Pulse of the Parish Survey

Details of the Pulse of the Parish survey will be discussed at length at the Planning Meeting on November 20.

Committee Reports

Committee reports are due to Sandy Gordon one week prior to the Pastoral Council meeting. Sandy will then forward one email, containing all of the committee reports, to the council members.

Christmas in the Country

The Christmas in the Country Festival will be held on November 13. Laura Nisonger is still in need of late shift servers and after-event clean up volunteers.

NEW BUSINESS

Announcements

Concerns have been raised regarding the presentation and clarity of the announcements that are made before the Masses. These concerns will be addressed by the Liturgy Committee.
It was suggested that in order to alleviate unnecessary noise, the doors to the Narthex should be closed before the announcements begin.

Planning Meeting

The Planning Meeting will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2010. We will gather, after Mass, for breakfast in the Birch Library. The Pastoral Council meeting will take place before the Planning meeting.
It was recommended that each committee prioritize its goals for this coming year. In addition, ideas should be formulated as to what support will be needed from the committee, the Council, and the parish as a whole.
As a Council, we must evaluate what goals were accomplished from last year’s Planning Meeting.

PASTOR’S REPORT:

Fr. Jason discussed the upcoming changes that will be made as a result of the new translation of the Missal.
Fr. Jason and the Communications Committee will put together a policy to address the many requests for items that go into the bulletin, announcements before Mass, bulletin boards, etc.
Fr. Jason asked that the Council consider alternatives to the signs that are sometimes displayed in the narthex. Recently, one of the easels holding a glass enclosed poster was accidentally knocked over after one of the Sunday Masses. Because shards of glass covered the floor, it posed a danger to those in the narthex.
Building a counter area for use by groups such as the Ladies’ Club and Knights of Columbus, and possibly using the patio area around the church, are options to freeing up space in the narthex.

Chuck O’Connor ended the pastoral council meeting with a closing prayer.

The meeting was adjourned at 8: 55 p.m.

Minutes respectively submitted by Sandy Gordon.

Parish Mission Statement (rev. 3/05)

We the people of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Community are called by our Lord Jesus Christ to grow in faith, celebrate hope, and experience His loving presence in our midst. Drawing our life from the Eucharist and guided by the Holy Spirit, we seek to follow God’s Word by supporting one another, continuing our faith formation, promoting social justice, reaching out in service, and inviting others to share in our journey.


		Pastoral Council Mtg Minutes November 2, 2010 Meeting Minutes CALL TO ORDER: Meeting started at 7:05 p.m. in Sullivan Hall. MEMBERS PRESENT: Fr. Jason Worley, Chuck O’Connor, Ginny Abel, Sandy Ballantine, Steve Browning, Anita Gill, Sandy Gordon, Terri Jackson, Jerry Jennings, Bob Lilly, Deacon John Martin, Mary Nelabovige, Lew Sherman, June Schabdach, Lew Sherman, and Patrick Tramma. MEMBER ABSENT: Laura Nisonger Deacon John Martin opened the meeting with prayer. MINUTES: Anita Gill moved to approve the minutes from the October meeting, Bob Lilly seconded, and the council voted unanimously to approve the minutes. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Communications: No official report was given. However, Chuck O’Connor explained that the parish newsletter, “Upon this Rock”, is very near completion and hopefully will be mailed in the next few weeks. Phil Burr has asked to step down as Chair of the Communications Committee. Fr. Jason has put an announcement in the bulletin asking for parishioners to step forward who have advertising and marketing experience or have expertise in other communications fields or in information technology. Development: No report. Education: Sandy Ballantine met with Kenn DeMoll about fundraising ideas and social justice projects. Some ideas discussed were: Continuing annual sub sale for Super Bowl Sunday Cookie dough sale prior to Christmas Car wash Talents for sale: rent-a-teen for tasks like yard work, computer setup Recruiting teen help with CRS Fair trade coffee/chocolate sale. Baby shower for Birthright/ Mary's House (contact parish liaison) Adopt a room for either Habitat for Humanity or Interfaith Housing It was discussed that those teens (and adults) who volunteer in Appalachia should be trained in the use of power tools/painting/etc. Perhaps a team of teens could be pulled together to help others in the Frederick County area (painting, lawn mowing, etc.) One question that was raised was concerning liability issues. Are the teens covered by the church’s insurance policy when they help with maintenance projects on the church campus and/or when they help with outside agencies (see above)? Sandy has concerns about whether the money allotted for this ministry, and the tuition collected, actually covers the cost of the Sunday evening programs. She understands that special activities, such as World Youth Day and the social justice programs, need to be covered by the participating student. However, she is of the firm opinion that not fully funding the regular Sunday programs is unconscionable. These young people are the church and the future of the Church (not the beautiful construct of bricks). To put financial barriers in the way of teens witnessing for Pro Life activities and Food Fast Lock-ins does not fulfill our mission. She wishes to discuss this further at our Planning Session to be held on November 20. Anne Mason has conveyed that the elementary religious education program does have an old laptop and LCD projector that works fine for their needs; however, it is not good enough for Power Point. Enrollment in elementary religious education is steady, with several new families from St. Ignatius parish. Anne Mason would like to bring back the Harvest, Advent, and Lent Family Days. She will be holding a meeting in three weeks. Her goal is to get a chairperson and at least nine volunteers. Anne will coordinate with the Chairperson and have him/her actually run the program with her assistance. It would be nice to have it as big as VBS! Attitude...it seems that we need to address the way people write emails to us...some folks are quite nasty and this is not acceptable for a church. Evangelization: See attached minutes from Evangelization Committee meeting. Finance: The Finance Committee did meet last week. Liz Hunter had planned on giving a finance report at the Pastoral Council meeting tonight; however, due to illness, she was not able to attend. The Diocese is going to kick-off a Capital Campaign that will run through 2013. Representatives from the Budget Office of the Diocese met with Fr. Jason and Liz Hunter to present the financial situation of the Diocese. The details of the Diocesan Capital Campaign will be discussed at the November Pastoral Council Planning Meeting. Liturgy: The Advent program will be held on December 12th this year at 7:00, and will have all music ministries participating. Liturgical Ministry Training Sessions have begun -- All ministries have been sent a scheduled time. Our Community Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service will be on November 24th at 7:30. It is being held at the Johnsville United Methodist Church. Thanksgiving Day Mass will be on November 25th at 9:00 am. St. Peters is hosting an Advent communal penance service on Monday, December 13^th, at 7:30 pm. There will be a morning Mass instead of the usual 7:00 pm mass, so that preparations can be made for the Penance Service. First Reconciliation will be on Tues. November 16th at 7:00. Holy Day Mass Schedule will be printed in the bulletin. We will start communicating with the parish regarding the New Roman Missal on the first Sunday of Advent. We will start with publishing the Msgr. Jaskot series, published earlier this year in the Catholic Review. The Breaking Bread Books that were ordered for next year include the readings and psalms. Next Liturgy meeting is November 8th. Maintenance: Lew Sherman reported that the repairs of the Thrift Shop foundation have been completed. The final engineer’s recommendations for the beam repair in the Birch Library have been received. The decision was made to hire a professional to repair the beam. Ruth Riley and volunteers have evaluated fall landscaping needs for the parish and have scheduled a work day on November 6th. The main work is replacing plants that were damaged or destroyed during the storms of last winter. It is hoped that insurance will cover the cost of these plants. Ruth and company also will plant a few perennials. At Laura Nisonger's request, Lew arranged to have some volunteers paint the inside of a townhouse for a parish couple that is having some health and financial difficulties. Two people worked there on Tuesday. Four of us, and hopefully more, will meet at the townhouse on Saturday to do more. It was decided that the names of those parishioners who volunteered their time on this project should be included in the bulletin as a gesture of gratitude. This would be the perfect thing to be sent out in an e-mail blast to inform our parishioners about these types of projects. Lew asked where things stand with the Time and Talent survey. He would like an ongoing list of volunteers for the various maintenance tasks that are needed. Planning: Fr. Jason informed the council that Bud Nason’s bass guitar was stolen from the church recently. The estimated value of the guitar was $7,500. The Planning Committee will take on the task of reviewing security measures in and around the church. The Planning Committee will also do a “walk-thru” of the church campus to review the lighting needs. Of particular concern are the parking lots, stairways, and entrances to the church and to the Adoration Chapel. The question was raised about creating more parking spaces designated for the handicapped. We are limited as to which spaces would qualify for handicap status due to excessive grade on much of the parking lot. There are currently 85 parking spaces in the parking lot next to the church. This lot is reserved for the handicapped, the elderly, and parents with very young children, or those with health limitations that impede mobility. Fr. Jason plans to make announcements at the Masses, over the next several weeks, reminding parishioners to be considerate of those who truly need to park in that particular lot. Social Concerns: Anita Gill reported that the movie, “Blood Money”, was shown at St. Peter’s during the 40 Days for Life. This movie is a documentary film, narrated by Dr. Alveda King, which exposes the truth behind the abortion industry from the Pro Life perspective. Fr. Jason mentioned that several copies of the movie will be purchased for the parish library. Ginny Abel announced that St. Peter’s will be hosting a three week Advent small group study from November 28 through December 18. The topic of the study will be, “I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me” – a Pastoral Letter on the Human Rights of Immigrants. The small, neighborhood groups will study how salvation history continues to unfold in our lives. Social Concerns Mid-Maryland Committee has been in contact with Ginny regarding social concern issues/opportunities within Frederick County. A meeting will be held by this committee, in the coming weeks, with regard to immigration. OLD BUSINESS Coffee and Donuts Sunday There will not be a featured group at the November Coffee and Donuts Sunday. The Evangelization Committee will be hosting “I’m Dreaming of a Catholic Christmas”, book fair at the December Coffee and Donuts Sunday. Pulse of the Parish Survey Details of the Pulse of the Parish survey will be discussed at length at the Planning Meeting on November 20. Committee Reports Committee reports are due to Sandy Gordon one week prior to the Pastoral Council meeting. Sandy will then forward one email, containing all of the committee reports, to the council members. Christmas in the Country The Christmas in the Country Festival will be held on November 13. Laura Nisonger is still in need of late shift servers and after-event clean up volunteers. NEW BUSINESS Announcements Concerns have been raised regarding the presentation and clarity of the announcements that are made before the Masses. These concerns will be addressed by the Liturgy Committee. It was suggested that in order to alleviate unnecessary noise, the doors to the Narthex should be closed before the announcements begin. Planning Meeting The Planning Meeting will be held on Saturday, November 20, 2010. We will gather, after Mass, for breakfast in the Birch Library. The Pastoral Council meeting will take place before the Planning meeting. It was recommended that each committee prioritize its goals for this coming year. In addition, ideas should be formulated as to what support will be needed from the committee, the Council, and the parish as a whole. As a Council, we must evaluate what goals were accomplished from last year’s Planning Meeting. PASTOR’S REPORT: Fr. Jason discussed the upcoming changes that will be made as a result of the new translation of the Missal. Fr. Jason and the Communications Committee will put together a policy to address the many requests for items that go into the bulletin, announcements before Mass, bulletin boards, etc. Fr. Jason asked that the Council consider alternatives to the signs that are sometimes displayed in the narthex. Recently, one of the easels holding a glass enclosed poster was accidentally knocked over after one of the Sunday Masses. Because shards of glass covered the floor, it posed a danger to those in the narthex. Building a counter area for use by groups such as the Ladies’ Club and Knights of Columbus, and possibly using the patio area around the church, are options to freeing up space in the narthex. Chuck O’Connor ended the pastoral council meeting with a closing prayer. The meeting was adjourned at 8: 55 p.m. Minutes respectively submitted by Sandy Gordon. Parish Mission Statement (rev. 3/05) We the people of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Community are called by our Lord Jesus Christ to grow in faith, celebrate hope, and experience His loving presence in our midst. Drawing our life from the Eucharist and guided by the Holy Spirit, we seek to follow God’s Word by supporting one another, continuing our faith formation, promoting social justice, reaching out in service, and inviting others to share in our journey.