Parish of the Resurrection Pastoral Council Meeting Minutes Sunday, November 10, 2019 6:30 p.m. in Room 4
Present: Sharon Gidumal, Mary Beth Coté, Pat Sormani, Fr. Bill, Linda Malm, Jane Hanson, Joe McClory, Joe Quinn, Julie Edmiston, Mike Reis, Jack Sanders, Deacon John
Absent: Fr. Greg
Guests: Ruth Sanders, Nancy Maloney
1) Call to order: Sharon called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm.
2) Members and guests were welcomed, and members were asked to provide name and contact info for their alternates.
3) Prayer/Reading and Reflection: 5 – 10 minutes Sharon Gidumal. Members were asked to sign up for a turn at a reflection and/or reading in any open spots.
4) Amendment/Approval of October 2019 Minutes
Several corrections were made, after which the minutes were approved as corrected.
5) Old Business:
A. Update - 50th Anniversary Events
There was much positive reaction to the chili dinner last night. Ruth provided the concert program, which had been given out and included upcoming events. The whole 50
th anniversary effort is bringing the parish together, making committees intersect because different committees have been sponsoring events.
Some examples of previous and upcoming events are Fr. Bill’s 50 acts of the apostles (booklet on line and available to take home, reminder we can continue to submit); music ministry (Mary Louise, Wendy Gill, Kate Regan were instrumental in the concert); Fair trade coffee tasting (part of social concerns); an Advent adventure sponsored by elementary CFP; Winter Arts festival (Youth Ministry 50
th anniversary event); the upcoming renewal event in Lent (adult formation). Social Concerns is also planning a fair in early 2020.
B. Contact info for alternates - please provide
Fr. Bill is looking for another appointee.
C. Signups for Reflections
6) New Business
A. Updates on Pastoral Council Goals:
1. Reports from Standing Committees
Parish Life
Linda provided an update and will send by email.
Upcoming Goals:
*Thanksgiving eve service, question was should we have cookies/cider after? Something very simple is the consensus.
*December 14/15 – social gathering after Saturday night Mass this weekend since there’s a brunch after 10:30 Mass on Sunday morning. This brunch is a reception for Gaudete Sunday. There was some discussion about whether people will stay after Saturday evening Mass, but there has been some good response after recent Saturday night events.
*January 4/5, Epiphany social after Mass Saturday night. After 10:30 Mass (which is bilingual Tamil/English) there will be a covered dish lunch of ethnic/family favorite food, and totally pot luck.
*Feedback on proposed February events? Mardi Gras –should this be adult or family? Mary Beth thought it could be left up to the families. There was some discussion about how to manage this with kids. But if it’s something like a dance with BYOB, you would want it in the evening. Several people had made suggestions about having a dance. Could just schedule it at something like 8 pm, which would naturally tend to limit attendance by children. This was not resolved and is still open for question/decision.
Sharon asked whether PC is really the place to brainstorm this kind of thing, Linda asked what sort of approval is needed for these Parish Life events. Sharon suggested that Linda talk to as many people as she can.
Social Concerns
Sharon reported social concerns steering team met October 30. There is an intention to have a social concerns fair early next year. The planned session of Just Neighbors did not have enough interest from CFP parents, but we will regroup and try to schedule something in the larger parish, inviting CFP parents too. The Social Concerns steering team is taking over responsibility for charitable giving. Sharon also mentioned the coats drive (these will be taken to clothing bank, and this was a CFP parent’s idea). Jack mentioned his efforts feeding the homeless and those folks needing coats too. Jack was asked to speak at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant interfaith service relating to honoring veterans and their families. As part of this, he invited people to come to Resurrection. The thinking is that it is important to look for opportunities to spread the news of Resurrection.
Religious Formation
CFP collected Halloween candy for Helen Graham center. Was a mini-community service for CFP.
Advent adventure planned. Gratitude service next week. New kids have been coming into the program, but not necessarily in September. One new kid came from the basketball team.
College fair is in the works, and the committee is also trying to think about more high school activities. A possibility is to have college kids come and talk about how to get into college , etc.
The religious formation committee plans to send a survey to all parishioners asking for input on how to recruit teens.
d. Liturgy
Jane reported for the Liturgy Committee. There is some interest in Catholic Bible study. They will work on it, research is needed. DeSales has a good Bible Study, for example. This needs to be done in collaboration with Christian formation. (Small groups are also a part of Adult formation.) Jane and Liturgy Committee will investigate.
We are approaching the second busiest liturgical season, and will soon be begging for help for greeters and ushers at the Christmas Masses, asking specifically for help from PC members. Members should be prepared to be greeters and/or ushers at the Christmas Masses.
2. Marketing Resurrection outside of the Parish
Nancy and Linda went to Red Clay district resource fair to help make Resurrection’s presence known.
Sharon asked about a path to getting someone with some professional experience, but Jack mentioned you need newsworthy stories to get published. Community Garden might be worthwhile for publication –parishioners growing food, feeding the needy. Mary Beth pointed out we have to think about things we do –like winter arts festival, the songfest last night. Linda mentioned they put the songfest on Nextdoor to publicize it. Question is how do we take a normal event and make it into something that can be publicized? Need someone to take charge of that, the order in which you do things is very important – for example if it’s on Facebook first, it may not be newsworthy for other publication.
Nancy said they did do a SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis. Sharon asked for more info on it next month, and Ruth asked for her to bring it to staff. Joe pointed out the fact that we’re celebrating our 50
th Anniversary is newsworthy.
Linda also commented Catholics see the Dialog, but we need to also think about people who are not already involved in the church, so that’s why neighborhood communication systems are useful.
Fr. Bill said people may go to church only occasionally, so if they see news they may realize there’s still life there. Some may wonder if they should go to Resurrection or go somewhere closer, or somewhere else.
Sharon commented on how engaged PC members are, a positive offshoot from the reorganization of the council to make it smaller with the bylaw modifications.
3. Small/Faith Group Sharing
John commented some groups are meeting, and that it’s pretty much the same groups. There’s a meeting next Tuesday with some of the people who are running groups, to talk about trying to expand and get others to join in. Usually as we approach Lent, people are more open to getting involved in things like this. Fr. Bill mentioned trying to invite people who have registered as parishioners in the last year to something. Covered dish dinners have been used in the past for small group members.
John mentioned again Bible Study, and is not sure that what we would want to do for Bible Study is what people are thinking when they say they want Bible Study. Some recent offerings have not been well received. But those have been one or two sessions for people involved with the liturgy. Sharon pointed out Linda’s success with food-related gatherings. Linda mentioned putting info in bulletins of other churches.
Linda mentioned people who are not registered here but have their kids baptized, and there is some thought of targeting them for invitations. Jane also mentioned targeting people who get married here for invitations.
4. Additional Volunteers for visits to sick, homebound
Fr. Bill said they are in the process of getting the 3 previous volunteers through the hospital process to be EMs. Sharon asked about making an appeal at Mass for new volunteers. There was some discussion about the requirements for serving as an EM in the hospitals. There is no diocesan training for EMs any more, it’s all done in the parish instead. John reminded us about visits needed to people’s homes. Fr. Bill is looking for all of the above - hospital, care facilities, homes.
Sharon commented we need a clear path for this: what, how, when. Ruth thought this is much simpler to carry out in other facilities or homes than in the hospitals.
John mentioned Fr. Bill will know people who are recuperating at home, ill at home, and will want visits.
Joe McClory mentioned he was asked to work at Churchman’s Village and he brings communion the first Sunday of the month with John. He said it was simple to get started. There were 30 people there the last time.
B. Reduction in number of meetings during the year?
This has come up more than one time. For example, April meeting is on Easter, do we want to have it? Decision was we should cancel.
C. Social meetings – January, July
Ruth suggested we combine the social gathering with the Epiphany party that’s already scheduled. We will also have a business meeting on January 12.
The July social meeting is considered important for building community among the council members, since newly elected members will be present.
D. Cancel April meeting due to Easter?
Yes. Also the May meeting is moved to May 17
th because of Mothers’ day.
E. Change in start time to 6 pm?
The group agreed to this proposal. Meeting will be 6 – 8 pm. (This can always be changed if we don’t like it.)
7) Finance Council Update
Mike said stewardship campaign has started, and they want everyone to turn in a card. The first week, 21 cards were returned. But more were in the box today, so more are coming in.
Last year about 104 cards were returned, and 130 the year before. Half of the cards that have been turned in so far did not have a change to the pledge amount.
Tina and Mike ran a report on how many people gave last year: 365 family units accounted for 95% of the contributions.
Fr. Bill commented on the dynamics of people who give electronically not putting anything in the collection, making other people think they don’t have to give because those people didn’t give. There was some talk about giving people cards to put in, so that some people are “encouraged” to give because they see people putting something in the basket. This might be a possibility in December for the Christmas Masses. Jack pointed out the second collection is also a likely casualty of the electronic giving. (Parishioners can elect to receive envelopes if giving electronically.)
A group of committed ushers would help – Ruth.
There was a suggestion about having envelopes available for second collections for people to get on the way in, if they happen to forget their envelope. This is just as a gentle reminder. Fr. Bill said he’s called to get extra envelopes, and this will be discussed elsewhere.
Through October, we are a little behind budget now in offertory.
8) Other Committee Reports (if any)
None.
9) Floor open to Council and members of the parish.
None.
10) Announcements
Welcome to Julie Edmiston as the Christian Formation representative.
11) Pastor’s Comments and Advice
Tuesday is another Deanery meeting, and the issue of how to staff parishes adequately will be discussed. Fr. Hynes has been trying to promote ideas of parish leadership, coping with fewer priests, and he will try to have something ready for the new bishop, to make him aware of things that we need. The Deans have to meet with the Bishop to provide input. Generally meetings are monthly.
12) Closing Prayer
Fr. Bill offered a closing prayer.