St. Edward’s Community
Called to BE Church
Summary of the input from the Second Town Meeting on Ministry
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

 

       -faith leads to service;  many opportunities to serve; Eucharistic Ministers; lectoring; faith formation; driving elderly to church; helping with landscape; activities for teens; outreach to elderly; assistance to poor in inner-city; marriage prep; boy and girl scout leader; fellowship activities/parish picnic; bible study leaders.

 

      -promotes hope, independence and belonging; encourages others to be active in  the family of faith and join ministries (RCIA and faith formation have seen willing of members to serve; catechists' teaching ripples out through children and adults to Church and larger community; others see your faith as a positive role model; helping those with little - soup kitchen - reaches out beyond parish and produces joy and satisfaction in those reaching out; demonstrates application of faith to the real world; being constant and consistent in following our faith, modeling goodness even when Church is struggling with its own weaknesses; it is important to demonstartate faith through actions because 'our lives may be the only gospel others ever read.see'.

 

     -priests -- for mass and sacraments most important; deacons; any ministry that supports the priest's function; any ministry that implements Christ's teaching of love; any mininstry that helps in the celebration of the Eucharist - Christ's ultimate act of love - priests, deacon, lector, eucharistic mininster server, music, greeter, etc.; teaching  in own ways and in more formal situations; helping people in larger community for example - prison mininstry, hospital/nursing home/hospice ministry; soup kitchen assistance.

 

    -priest's role changing to sacramental and guiding, sharing with many parishes; deason's role expanding - performing more services like marriage and funerals; laity's role expanding: prayer leaders, organizers and leaders in programs, teachers, administrators and managers of physical building, counselors - grief or marriage; parish life directors; encouraging and welcoming all to particpate in the life of the parish - especially the next generation.

 

Discussion was held on whether to lists priest's functions and see where laity can relieve burdens, or first ot look at what is essential to be church and then eliminate some of the ministries and supplement others.

 

     -personal-relationship depends on individual talents, strengths and needs to assist the priest and parish. There should be flexibility and 1-1 responsiveness; partnership-we each have a baptismal call to be church and need to accept our responsibilities and see how we can contribute; each person is called to be "priest, prophets, and king";  foster willingness between together in new ways; develop new language to help communication and areas of need ex., internal beliefs, church at large, church small.

 

          -The Spirit might be calling lay people to come forth and serve OUR church. He might be calling us to be a church that includes everyone. Calling us to invite others one by one to share our faith, our ministries, our lives.  Asking us to make the church a welcoming community for all ages and famlies of mixed faiths. Is asking us to hold onto those beliefs that are central and life giving in our church like the Eucharist and yet be open to change. Asks us to look at other faiths and to see what attracts others to it; Asks us to pray for the  Church. Asks us to make the church a place people want to come to. Might want us not to be afraid to use "glitzy modern media" and vibrant music and even teenage masses to attract our youth to the faith. Spirit might was us to have many opportunities for fellowship including dances to offer a place for many faiths and ages to enjoy being together. The Spirit asks us to trust Him. Asks us to remember that the church is always changing. Asks us to remember that we are already ministering to the church in many ways and have already been thinking of how to grow and change. Until 1910 the Church in America was basically a mission country with priests acting like circuit riders and members of the parish needed to learn how to be Christ to one another in everyday life. He is asking us to hear His call to be church to one another today and to respond to that call of Jesus to love one another.

 

                  "Parking Lot"    many concerned about declining number of priests and watned to be part of suggesting solutions. Issues raised were suggesting married clergy and increasing women's role. Others suggested going to foreign countries to recruit priests. Thurd would churchs, however, needed these priests for their own growing church. Another spoke of the increased vocations in Nebraska/MidWest. It was said that this grioup was extremely conservative, and didnt acknowledge how the church had grown. People felt that there should be active recruitment of priests and deacons. Parishoners were eager for leadership from above, while others felt it was important too to take a more active role in being church. Some felt the church might grow smaller. Others felt that even so we were called to go forward.

                               Some members of the community had tried in the past to become active with new programs and felt as if they were pushed out by current members. Others said that it was important for next generation to step forward. One member reminded how important it was to be open and welcoming to youth and how some could be turned away from the church by a thoughtless comment.