December 1, 2004 Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting of the St. Therese Pastoral Council
December 1, 2004

The Pastoral Council met December 1, 2004 in the St. Therese Parish and Education Center. Brad Grill, Damian Gerstner, Wayne Snyder, Dennis Meier, Steve Hilliard, Linda Winter, Tom Skorupa, Joe Doetzl, Pris Pawlikowski, Linda Albani, Mike Birkel and Fr. Mike Roach were present. Brad Grill left early. Fr. Mike and Linda Albani arrived late.

Facilitators: Damian Gerstner and Dennis Meier
Prayer: Linda Winter
Scribe: Joe Doetzl

We tentatively scheduled the following future meetings:
1/5/2005 6:30 p.m. (Facilitator: Dennis; Prayer: Wayne; Scribe: Joe)
1/19/2005 6:30 p.m.
2/2/2005 6:30 p.m.
2/16/2005 6:30 p.m.
Linda Winter led an Advent prayer reflection and reading adapted from the Creighton University Collaborative Ministry Office http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

Damian led a discussion of his continued work to incorporate everyone’s comments into the essential elements document. Steve and Damian had met earlier in the week and were able to incorporate the bulk of Steve’s comments.

Damian clarified the purpose of the observations: Observations should be factual statements of how things exist today from the perspective of the author.

There was a discussion of separating the observations from the document. Damian will attempt to restructure the document into a multicolumn format that will facilitate recording of observations.

Out next meeting is scheduled for 12/1 at 6:30 p.m. Linda will prepare the prayer. Dennis will facilitate youth ministry discussion. Damian will facilitate the discussion of the essential elements document. Joe will scribe.

Brad left and Linda Albani arrived at about this point in the meeting.

There was a discussion of the relationship of Pastoral Care and Social Ministry both in the document and at St. Therese Parish. While these two ministries are under one heading in the document, there is not much overlap in the two at St. Therese. Damian will make some edits to place additional emphasis on the pastoral care aspects of social ministry in the essential elements document.

We agreed that parish ministries need not be categorized under a specific essential element. Rather, parish ministries should have a positive impact on many elements.

Dennis had prepared a draft memo to the parish staff and ministry leaders. We discussed the memo and suggested some changes that Dennis will make. Contact information for pastoral council members will be included. Our goal is to mail the memo before Christmas.
Ministry leaders and the parish staff will be asked to comment on the essential elements document and to provide observations regarding the ministries with which they are most familiar.

Fr. Mike arrived at about this point in the meeting.

There was a discussion of the short and long term issues currently facing youth ministry at St. Therese.