Saint Gerald Catholic Church

1. To help people feel "at home" in our parish
   1. Set up a group of volunteers who will walk with a new parish family, individual or newly initiated introducing them to members and answering questions about the parish and parish activities. Begin in fall of 2012. Responsibility of person(s) assigned by pastor to run the program.
   2. Set up a process to insure that each group gets its list of volunteers after the stewardship forms are tabulated. In 2 months contact leaders and see if all volunteers have been contacted and used. If not, why not? Begin in fall of 2012. Responsibility of Stewardship Committee.
   3. Have one "project" a year where each grade school class works with the corresponding family formation class beginning in 2012-2013 school year. Responsibility of the School Principal and the Director of Religious Education.
   4. Every parish committee, group and staff member will determine how they can help implement this goal and send a report to the Parish Council by October of 2012.
   
   
2. To improve communications within the parish
   1. Add more information and feature stories about parish groups and activities to"SpiritLink." Begin implementation by March of 2012. Responsibility of the Stewardship Committee.
   2. Strive to have everyone's e-mail address by August of 2012 and to put in place a process to continually update the data. Responsibility of the parish secretary and the Parish Council. The Parish Council needs to develop a policy about the use of e-mail and there will be no selling of information.
   3. "SpiritLink" will be e-mailed to those who wish beginning in September of 2012. Responsibility of the Stewardship Committee.
   4. Students and parents will receive reminders of events by e-mail beginning in October in 2012. Responsibility of people sponsoring the events.
   5. Establish a committee to investigate how the parish could best use social media to communicate and to evangelize. They will research both individuals and companies that could provide ongoing services and possible volunteers. Responsibility of the pastor and the committee he sets up. Begin implementation of some aspects by the fall of 2012 with a full program in operation by the fall of 2013.
   6. Establish quarterly meetings of the parish leadership to evaluate what is happening with regard to these goals and objectives and to share their activities. Responsibility of the pastor and Parish Council. Begin in the fall of 2012.
   7. Investigate finding a volunteer or a part-time paid staff person to:
      1. Meet with new parishioners and invite them to become a part of the parish by volunteering in some capacity
      2. Find new volunteers to work with the new groups -- evangelizing apartment dwellers and walking with new members
      3. Work with existing parish groups to assist them with their need for volunteers
      4. Work with the Stewardship Committee and seeing that all volunteers are invited to use their talents
      5. Organize a recognition of volunteers
      6. Other jobs as the position evolves
      Responsibility of the pastor and the parish staff to have in place by fall of 2013.
   
   
3. To increase our evangelization efforts
   1. Research existing programs and ways of reaching out to apartment dwellers and determine an approach to begin in the fall of 2013. Responsibility of the Adult Education Committee.
   2. Hold a faith-based social quarterly for "Catholics Come Home" and anyone else who wishes to attend. Responsibility of the Adult Education Committee. Begin to correspond with the program.
   3. See 2E above.
   4. Continue research on the feasibility of starting a pre-school. Have plan in place by the spring of 2013, do necessary building/remodeling during 2013-2014 and open in the fall of 2015. Responsibility of the School Advisory Board.
   5. Investigate ways to reach out to inactive parishioners, non-Catholic spouses and other religions. Determine what approaches might be successful in the parish and begin at least one by the fall of 2014. Responsibility of the Adult Education Committee.
   6. Every parish committee, group and staff member will determine how they can help implement this goal and send a report to the Parish Council by October of 2012.
   
   
4. To improve the financial state of the parish and the viability of its property.
   1. Conduct a major campaign for debt reduction and building renovation in 2013. Responsibility of the Finance and Maintenance Committees.
   2. Give the parishioners a picture of our financial condition on a quarterly basis. Responsibility of the Finance Office. Begin immediately.
   3. Continually research and implement new stewardship efforts each year. Responsibility of the Stewardship Committee and the Development Director. Begin immediately.
   4. Offer opportunities on a regular basis for people to learn more about estate planning, improving their financial health, and educating parishioners about the benefits of including our parish in their wills beginning in the fall of 2012. Responsibility of the Development Director.
   5. Meet with all parishioners who are lawyers who write wills and ask for their help in increasing the number of people who include St. Gerald in their wills during the spring of 2012. Responsibility of the Development Director.
   6. Every parish committee, group and staff member will determine how they can help implement this goal and send a report to the Parish Council by October of 2012.

Implementation of the above goals and objectives is the responsibility of the Parish Council and the Pastor. The Parish Council will be in contact with all parish entities to see that the goals move forward in a timely manner and that objectives are adjusted as needed. The goals remain in place for three years. Objectives may continually be added or dropped when accomplished. The Pastor and Parish Council will establish another process to set goals and objectives in three years. A report on what has been accomplished each year on each goal will be given to the total parish.

St. Gerald Mission Statement

We are a Catholic faith community devoted to becoming a dynamic center of worship. We challenge ourselves to lead lives patterned after Jesus. With gratitude we share our faith, talents, gifts and resources so that more people experience God's love.