Parish Strategic Plan
Vision Statement
Drawing life and inspiration from the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, we commit ourselves to the building of the kingdom of God by:
- active and conscious participation in liturgical and sacramental life in the parish;
- striving to build the Church through the sharing of our unique gifts of time, talent and treasure;
- educating our children, youth, adults and those who are seeking to be a part of the Catholic Faith;
- encouraging members to give concrete expressions of their faith through active participation in organizations, liturgical ministries and various other parish activities; and
- reaching out to those in need through the sharing of our material goods and giving voice to the social justice concerns of this local community.
Goals
I. Worship
Goal I: To celebrate liturgy in a way that promotes
participation within an inspirational
environment
Goal II: To cultivate and nourish the spiritual growth
of the members
II. Stewardship
Goal I: To maintain a responsible leadership
efficiently run the temporal
and spiritual goods of the parish
Goal II: To ensure efficient administration, record
keeping and communication
Goal III: To establish a sound financial base
Goal IV: To provide adequate facilities to support
our mission
III. Education
Goal I: To provide solid catechetical programs that
will faithfully hand over the tradition and the
teaching the Catholic Faith
IV. Community Life
Goal I: To create an atmosphere of fellowship,
hospitality, community building and
leadership formation in the parish
V. Service/Social Responsibility
Goal: I To witness to the gospel through promoting
social awareness and outreach to the needy
Strategies
WORSHIP
To achieve our Worship Goals the community of believers of St. Paul the Apostle will:
- Continue to use symbols and environments meaningful to the African American culture.
- Plan the use of music for liturgical celebrations and encourage enthusiastic choir involvement by fall 2004.
- Continue to use teaching homilies through an increased use of scripture and social teachings of the Church.
- Conduct periodic trainings/workshops for choirs and cantor by fall 2004.
- Provide spiritual and liturgical trainings for all liturgical ministries by spring 2005.
- Make available worship aids to the congregation via pews by spring 2005.
- Design worship and liturgical celebrations geared towards children and youth through the use of dance, music, cultural gestures, ministries, etc., by fall 2004.
- Continue to encourage personal spiritual direction.
- Continue to encourage frequent Confession and reception of the Holy Communion.
- Continue to host an annual Parish Revival.
- Continue to host Prayer breakfasts.
- Promote participation in devotions and novenas as part of the parish life by fall 2004.
Stewardship
To achieve our Stewardship Goals, the community of believers of St. Paul the Apostle will:
- Continue to ensure periodic election of Parish Council members.
- Continue to maintain an efficient and working Finance Council.
- Continue to conduct periodic meetings of the Parish Council and Finance Council and convey their decision to the parish community.
- Search for new leadership possibilities in all the activities of the parish by fall 2004.
- Promote new leadership through youth mentoring by spring 2005.
- Upgrade/obtain appropriate software for Sacramental/financial and Formation record keeping by spring 2005.
- Train the secretary and finance secretary to operate these department efficiently by spring 2005.
- Build and maintain a parish web site by fall 2004.
- Increase the awareness of regular contributions to the church through annual stewardship campaign fall by 2004.
- Design and implement a capital improvement campaign by spring 2005.
- Incorporate a monthly second collection for parish maintenance by fall 2004.
- Continue to conduct periodic fundraisers
- Continue to provide yearly contribution records to the parishioners.
- Continue to make available to the parishioners a fiscal year ending finance report with a report on the statistics of the parish.
- Build a new church with sufficient space to enhance the worship and the celebration of sacraments, funerals, weddings, etc., with adequate restrooms, a cry room, sacristy, foyer, weekday chapel, etc., by 2010.
- Build a new parish office with adequate space for running the administration of the parish efficiently by 2010.
- Build a facility with more classroom space, youth activity center, etc., by 2010.
- Build a new rectory that will assure the comfort and privacy of the pastor, seminarians, visiting priests, etc., by 2007.
- Design and construct adequate parking spaces/lot by 2010.
- Acquire enough property for the above mentioned projects in and around the church by fall 2005.
- Conduct a feasibility study for starting a daycare for children by spring 2006.
- Establish a Building and Planning Committee to address building strategies by September 2004.
Education
To achieve our Education Goal, the community of believers of St. Paul the Apostle will:
- Begin developing an appropriate catechetical program that will consistently instill Catholic faith, tradition, teachings and scripture in the youth by fall 2004.
- Strengthen the Adult Education Program by re-focusing its curriculum to provide continuing education to the parishioners in areas of Church history, tradition, teachings, dogmas, doctrines and social teachings of the Church (i.e., make it a forum for ongoing discussion and dialogue) by spring 2005.
- Strengthen the R.C.I.A. Program through a comprehensive program for catechumenate and continual conversion; and invite more people through community participation by fall 2004.
- Continue to provide the weekly Bible study program and strengthen it through training, education and by inviting more parishioners to participate.
- Set up a state of the art office for Religious Education by spring 2005.
- Begin encouraging more teachers to obtain certification through ongoing education in religious fields. and by attending seminars and conferences by fall 2004.
- Begin developing a competitive/challenging Confirmation Program by fall 2004.
- Begin working towards an annual summer camp for children fall 2004.
Community Life
To achieve our Community Life Goal, the community of believers of St. Paul the Apostle will:
- Strengthen and re-focus the youth group through mission oriented youth activities by fall 2004.
- Continue to conduct an annual ministry sign up Sunday in the fall to invite more members to participate in ministries and organizations.
- Host annual “meet and greet” gathering to introduce and welcome new parishioners by spring 2005.
- Begin encouraging participation in workshops, seminars and conferences by spring 2005.
- Continue to conduct an annual pastoral planning day in June.
- Publish an annual calendar for the parish by summer 2004.
- Reactivate ministry for singles / Divorced / Separated by spring 2005.
- Begin a ministry for the seniors through the parish health program by spring 2005.
- Conduct appropriate gatherings, workshops and seminars to strengthen family life, marriage and Vocation spring 2005.
- Continue to join hands with neighboring parishes and the diocese in various programs.
- Continue to conduct activities that promote fellowship & community building.
- Promote and facilitate small faith sharing groups within the parish by fall 2004.
Service/Social Responsibility
To achieve our Service and Social Responsiblity Goal, the community of believers of St. Paul the Apostle will:
- Promote more volunteers to help out at the Helping Hand Desk (Food Pantry) and St. Vincent de Paul by fall 2004.
- Continue to provide financial aid for utility payment for the neediest of our community.
- Continue to work along with W.I.N. (Working Interfaith Network) and Nehemiah Society to abolish drugs, crime and blight from the Eden Park area.
- Continue to engage in Social justice issues in the neighborhood through the above mentioned organizations.
Developed July 2004
Adopted by the Pastoral Council- July 26, 2004
