About Us

OVERVIEW

In September 2009 a new mission statement was drafted, reviewed & approved by key parish organizations & staff. Further, it was decided to launch a parish survey to establish priorities and goals for 2010 – 2011.

Priorities and goals were developed from results of the 5 week survey conducted between the dates of October 31 and December 3, 2009. 754 St. Mary parishioners responded to the survey. A survey analysis was completed on January 13 by a Mission Based Planning and Survey Team (MBPS) comprised of the pastor, the 2 parish trustees, parish council chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary, 2 parish council survey analysts, and 3 parishioners at large.

A second draft of analysis and recommendation plan was reviewed and published by the team on February 1, and the plan was subsequently reviewed by the MBPS team, Parish Council, and Parish Staff on February 6.

From these reviews the MBPS process has recommended the top priorities and goals called out in the section titled Recommended Action Priorities for 2010-11 to help fulfill our parish mission.

Working guidelines for the MBPS team process were based on:

• Our mission statement -- "Celebrating spiritual growth, centered in Christ, through Word, Sacrament and Service"
• What we value – inclusion, outreach, liturgy, sacrament, service, and spiritual growth
• What did the survey tell us – those who responded generally had a favorable view of St. Mary's
• How will the survey help us – indentify opportunities and common themes
• Recommending action priorities to the Pastor, Parish Council, and the Finance Committee for future budgeting.

WHO ARE WE?

• We are one of the largest Catholic Parish in Southeast Wisconsin, in love with our Parish, ready to help with our resources, time and talent.
• St. Mary Parish is a Catholic community of believers of all ages and diverse backgrounds committed to spiritual growth through word, sacrament, service, and education of its children.
• It appears on average those surveyed have a high education level, are financially able, with concern for the future of our young people.
• "Our Parish" is not the brick and mortar, but its people, clergy and lay leaders.
• We are a parish on the move, young and old working together to make this a better place to worship.
• We are an active catholic faith-based community whose new mission statement summarizes our continued commitment for unity, and developing an all inclusive mission based planning concept.
• We are a resourceful parish & will need to consider additional future programs to enhance spirituality, financial stability & lay leadership in order to provide effective service to those in need
• We are a parish who truly supports our school, but needs to continue to seek additional ways to reinforce our school of excellence.
• We are a parish who prays and worships well together.

Who took the survey?

• 754 people
• 66% female, 34% Male
• 97% Age 35 & older, 3% Age 16-34
• 98% Caucasian
• 81% Married, 12% Divorced/Widowed, 7% Single
• 33% Retired, 63% Employed, 4% Unemployed
• 89% College grads or more, 11% High school or less
• 62% Professional, 11% Clerical, 8% Sales
• 64% Spouse employed
• 53% Household with no children
• 37% Household income more than 100K, 63% income less than 100K
• 429 of the 754 completed surveys contained written comments

Who did not take the survey?

• Most Parishioners Age 16-34
• Next, Male Parishioners
• Because we did not receive much input from the younger population, we may want to conduct additional surveys in the future

WHAT DO WE WANT?

Pastor Top Priorities

• Continue preparing & preaching inspiring homilies
• Provide sacrament and sacramental worship
• Planning & leading worship sensitive to the needs of the congregation
• Emphasizing the spiritual needs of members
• To educate people about sensitive social justiceissues
• To obtain another priest and a highly trained spiritual pastoral associate

Pastoral Associate Top Priorities

• Emphasizing the spiritual development of members
• Preparing & preaching inspiring reflections
• Pastoral counseling of members having personal, family and/or work related problems
• Leading various prayer services

Spiritual Life & Worship Top Priorities

• Sponsor leadership training programs to increase the use of our greatest resource, our parishioners.
• Promoting spirit filled sacramental celebrations
• Providing an environment for members to greet one another
• To train lay people as prayer leaders
• Providing worship that is intellectually challenging and emotionally moving
• Having parts of the worship especially for children
• Use contemporary worship styles, music & language
• Increased deepening of parishioner's spiritual relationship with God, with each other, and with the community at large.
• Help for members to discover their own gifts for ministry and service
• Participate in activities with other local religious groups
• More interpersonal contact with new parishioners

School Related Issues

• A school filled to capacity
• Consideration given for an assistant principal for our school.
• Consideration given to construct a fence around our lower level playground for the safety of our school children.
• Continue to support ongoing education for teaching staff

General Religious Education

• To provide quality religious education for adults, young adults, teens and children

Catholic Education & Life Long Faith Formation (LLFF) 0-5th Grade Top priorities

• Giving children the feeling they are loved by God and the church
• Developing in children a sense that Christian love includes respect for and service to others
• Providing examples of what it means to be a Christian in today's world
• Teaching children about the bible & the church
• Including children in the worship service

Catholic Education & Life Long Faith Formation (LLFF) 6-12 Grade Top Priorities

• Programming that involves youth in serving others
• Educational programming that helps youth clarify values & beliefs
• Providing opportunities for youth to have fun in a Christian setting
• Educational programming that is biblically centered
• Including youth in the worship service
• To continue to improve our youth programs

Catholic Education Adults Top Priorities

• Study & discussion groups dealing with contemporary issues, topics and problems
• Study groups dealing with the Bible & theology
• Prayer, meditation and spirituality groups
• Groups & classes that explore marriage, the family and parenting issues
• To continue to expand our adult formation programs

Social Concerns Top Priorities

• Continue providing and supporting access to social services for persons in need
• Provide more support groups beyond what we are currently doing to guide parishioners during difficult times

Administrative Services (FAS) Top Priorities

• Increase budget for educational and program materials and resources
• Increased support for community social service programs
• Strengthen our financial condition
• More fund raising to go directly to our parish needs

WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?

• Striving to be more effective in providing parishioners with the necessary tools to achieve their spiritual goals
• We want to keep growing in faith. We want to work towards involving more people in parish activities, and the running of the parish.
• Be mortgage-free
• Some parishioners would prefer a mass that is somewhat shorter in length.
• An even more mission based parish community that is vibrant and active.
• A parish able to draw additional parishioners of all ages into participating more fully in our various ministries/spiritual growth opportunities.
• An even better welcoming parish community at all levels.
• Increased communication concerning the budget, parish challenges and major decisions.
• Increase our evangelization efforts

What do we do best, and should continue doing?

• Offering worship that provides a meaningful experience of God and the Christian tradition
• Engaging in acts of charity and service to persons in need
• Providing Christian education for children and youth
• Providing worship that expresses the Gospel in contemporary language and forms
• Members help each other out in times of trouble

What can we improve upon?

• Helping members discover their gifts
• Helping members deepen their personal, spiritual relationship with God
• Participating in activities and programs with other local religious groups
• Providing worship that expresses the Gospel in contemporary language & forms

What keeps me here?

• I am Catholic
• The worship style
• The pastor
• The church's reputation

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

Involvement of Lay Persons

• Encouraging the ongoing development of lay leadership
• Provide invitations and training to obtain more volunteer leadership
• Helping members discover their own gifts for ministry and service
• Helping members understand their use of money, time and talents

Increased Focus on the Youth/Young Adults of the Parish

• The need for more activities for the young adults (teenagers) of the parish to help the development of their spiritual growth.
• Organize and provide opportunities for youth to put service into action
• Continue to more effectively provide Christian formation for children and youth

Increase the Awareness of Social Justice Issues

Renewed Focus on being a Welcoming, Collaborative, and Supportive Community

• Sponsoring large and small group town hall meetings to obtain input and communicate with participants
• Review our hospitality approach as to how we meet and invite non-active persons of all ages.
• Continue support of all our staff to include evaluation of classroom and program success or failures.

Increase collaboration with other parishes and appropriate groups.

Increased Focus on Adult Education

• The need for more educational activities and programs for the adults of the parish to better live their faith

Stewardship

• Redefine and rename the proposed committee into two committees - One for time & Talent the other for Revenue Development.
• Provide a part time staff member for time & talent management & communication.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF/COUNCIL RETREAT - FEBRUARY 6, 2010

Analyzing the results of our Parish survey based on our Mission Statement the following were identified as high priorities within each category:

Pastor

• Associate Pastor
• Assistant Pastoral Associate/Social Worker
• Provide training for laity (on-line certificate programs, local universities)

Liturgy/Music

• Liturgical education (Catechesis on Mass)
• Empower/Engage more liturgical ministers, especially those under 35
• Increase youth & family involvement
• Be sensitive to the length of the liturgy
• Continue to freshen song selection

Social Justice

• Educate the parish about Social Justice within the context of our Catholic teachings
• Provide more immersion opportunities locally
• Collaborate with Cluster Parishes
• Add resources where needed as economy changes

Religious Education and School

• Encourage ongoing formation of Teachers and Catechists
• Enhance School, Church and Religious Education relationships (i.e. parent groups, family oriented programs and projects)
• Increase focus on families

Stewardship

• Utilize current leadership to recruit Stewardship Committee members
• Split time and talent from treasure

OTHER ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN:

Communication

• Be more "welcoming" – need more personal contact and follow up with new parishioners to identify and promote their time and talent
• Examine all current modalities of communication for effectiveness. Expand into new modes of communication (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc. to reach out to youth)
• Enhance web site – make it more user friendly and update content on a timely basis
• Use website and surveys to promote time and talent (i.e. publish "service opportunity of the month")
• Put a modified version of Capital Campaign video on website
• Promote New Beginnings

Other

• Launch new Mission Statement – weave into liturgy, school, ministries, committees and commissions
• Provide more inclusive (family oriented) bible study
• Identify the needs of parishioners under the age of 35

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND PRIORITIES FOR 2010-11

Help parishioners to own and live our mission by:

1. Securing an associate pastor and pastoral associate
2. Increasing involvement of youth and young adults (ages 18 to 35)
3. Identifying and utilizing parishioner talents
4. Improving communication and personal contact with all parishioners
5. Developing family approaches to formation, sacraments, and service
6. Increasing spiritual growth of parish community
7. Improving relationship between church and school
8. Ongoing formation of Catholic Social Teaching and our call to promote social justice
9. Ensuring our future by reducing our debt

For further detail see the Parish Survey Analysis.