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Step 1: The Parish Profile: Who are we? In order to effectively implement the parish objectives of the Pastoral Plan, Parish leadership should have a clear picture of the parish to assess strengths, plan ways to meet its ministerial needs and enable parishioners to learn, share and cooperate with each other. A parish profile will help in understanding who makes up the parish and who the parish serves. The profile should include the following: the size of the parish, number of families, number of individuals, demographic makeup, economic makeup, educational background, and the participation of age groups in the parish. (Parish leaders could also consider parish strengths, parish staff availability and expertise, and available sources of help, both at the parish level and the Archdiocesan offices.) See pp. 5-6.Step 2: Parish Assessment: which Priority should we work on first? The nine Theological and Pastoral Priorities of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan flow from the normal activity of Roman Catholic parishes listed in Canons #528-530. This is the work that, universally, all Roman Catholic churches are expected to fulfill in ministry to God’s people. It will help parish leadership to review and be familiar with The Foundations for the Nine Pastoral Priorities of Parish Life found on page 7 before beginning the assessment process.Assessment is a highly consultative process and asks the question "Which are the areas of strength in our parish life and which areas present a challenge?" Pages 7-17 of the Implementation Guide offers nine lists of indicators, one for each of the nine Pastoral Plan Priorities that can be reviewed by an individual or ideally, by a committee involved in parish leadership. By reading each item on the list and making a check mark in the boxes for the items that are done well in the parish, parish leaders can also surface which items for this Priority still need to be implemented.Each sheet also provides an area to note evidence that this Priority is occurring as well as the challenges the parish faces in fully implementing this Priority. Discussion around these lists of evidence and challenges can help the pastor and parish leadership decide which of the nine pastoral priorities the parish should pursue. For example, after reviewing the lists, a pastor and his parish pastoral council may surface that the parish is most challenged in the areas of Evangelization and Education and Catechesis. As a result of their discussion and sharing, the pastor and the parish pastoral council (or any other leadership body) may decide together to focus on the goals of these two Priorities over the next several years, before moving on to address other Priorities in the Pastoral Plan. See pp. 7-17.Step 3: Using Parish Objectives in the ASF Pastoral Plan to Develop Action Steps Once the pastor and the parish leadership have surfaced the one or two Priorities that the parish will pursue over the next year or two (Step 2: Parish Assessment), then the Objectives for Parishes listed for the chosen Priority and goals can be addressed.By reviewing the Objectives for Parishes and using the Action Steps Work Sheet found on pages 18 and 19, the pastor and parish leadership can determine if a particular goal and its objectives are already part of active parish ministry. The action steps of planning are unique and very specific to the local parish; action steps for a particular Parish Objective will vary according to creative input, volunteers, staff and available resources found at each parish.For example, after using the assessment sheets, the pastor and parish leadership decides that Prayer and Spirituality is a Priority the parish will focus on for the next year. Parish leadership then reads and reflects upon each goal and the parish objectives under that Priority using the Action Steps Work Sheet. After some discussion, it is decided that Goal #1; objective 6 under the Priority of Prayer and Spirituality is already part of the existing ministries of the church, but that Goal 2, objective 3 of Prayer and Spirituality still needs to be implemented. The Action Plan worksheet can then be filled out with specific information or Action Steps for implementing Goal 2, objective 3. See pp. 18-19.Step 4: Evaluation of Action Steps for Parish Objectives; How do we know we’ve Arrived? As action steps are pursued, parish leadership should keep in mind the goals defined for the particular Priority. An essential part of parish planning is periodic evaluation of the progress of the plan in meeting the chosen Priority and goals of the parish. Timelines for evaluating specific objectives should be set when the objectives are determined or chosen. A more general evaluation of the overall mission and goals should take place at least every few years. See p.20.Step 5: Choosing Another Priority, Goal or Objective: Continuing the Process When the specific action plan for the goal and objective has been completed, parish leadership can then repeat the implementation process beginning with Step 2: Parish Assessment. Parish Profile (Step 1), should be collected on a yearly basis to compare statistical information and note any trends or changes. RECAP: Step One: Develop a Parish Profile to have an awareness of who makes up the parish(pp. 5-6) Step Two: Assessment of the different areas of parish ministries using the nine Pastoral Priorities sheets that will help determine which Priorities need to be implemented first. (pp. 7-17)Step Three: Use goals and objectives for parishes from the Pastoral Plan and the action plan work sheet to develop specific action steps. (pp. 18-19)Step Four: Evaluate your progress (p. 20)Step Five: Choose another Priority, Goal or Objective and repeat the process beginning with Step 2 (pp. 7-17) |
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