The Tasks of the Pastoral Council Are

The Pastoral Council is a consultative body for the pastor. The ministry of the Parish Pastoral Council is a response to the call of baptism to be actively engaged in the mission of the Church.

The purpose of the council is to discern, through prayer and study, how the parish can best carry out the mission of the Church. Long-range planning is an essential part of the work of pastoral councils.

The tasks of the pastoral council are:

• To grow in awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit, as it operates within the Church;

• To develop a structure which allows for thediscovery of pastoral needs and particular gifts

which the parish community can address;

• To articulate a vision of the parish’s activity in the future as it carries out the mission of the

Church;

• To develop plans for carrying out its mission, while avoiding the tendency to allow

administrative tasks to dominate the agenda;

• To focus and coordinate the energies of the staff and parish organizations by expressing broad

goals for implementation;

• To facilitate the writing of a parish missionstatement;

• To review the annual parish budget in cooperation with the parish finance council.

The Council does not manage parish operations; its members meet with the pastor and offer him the wisdom of the community, offering the bigger picture within the parish. Whereas the finance council has a limited scope, dealing with budget and financial matters, the work of the Pastoral Council embraces all the pastoral dimensions of the parish. It is essential that finance and pastoral councils meet together often enough to insure cooperation.

Council. Membership to the council is not a popularity contest, but a particular response to our baptismal call. A member is not focused on advocacy of a particular ministry or concern, rather for the wellbeing of the entire parish. As a member, you would share in my responsibilityfor the pastoral care of all of the people living within our parish boundary. Again, from our Guide Lines:

A Councilor serves:

• As a baptized member of the Body of Christ called forth by the Holy Spirit;

•As a representative of the entire parish who articulates the experience of the parish and community;

•As an active participant in all workings of the council.

A Councilor is encouraged:

•To be attentive to the gifts and needs of the whole parish;

• To cultivate the skills of discernment and consensus decision making;

• To listen carefully to others and to the Holy Spirit;

• To express his or her considered opinion faithfully.

Membership Qualifications: A Councilor should

• Demonstrate that his/her faith is alive and active;

• Regard the sacramental life of the Church as essential to his/her faith;

• Have demonstrated commitment to the parish community;

• Be committed to spiritual growth;

• Be willing to develop skills in Christian leadership;

• Be able to commit time and energy to the consultation process.

If you are hearing God’s call to this important role within our parish, I ask that you take this month to pray for clarity in the call. Then in February submit your name as a candidate. We will use Lent as a discernment time. If you know of someone who would be a good member of the Pastoral Advisory Council, then please use January to talk with this person so that he or she may discern God’s call.