SECTION 2
Christian Formation
CHRISTIAN
FORMATION
Our Beliefs
At St. Matthew the Apostle
Catholic Church, we believe that God loves us and wants to be known and loved
by us. We believe that God is present in our lives, and that we can grow in our
awareness of God’s presence. We express this growing awareness by striving to
develop our full faith potential, and by helping others to develop in the same
way. Our actions then flow from our faith, and we are moved to spread God’s
word by what we say and do .We believe that, as adults, we are called to take
full responsibility for our growth in the faith, and also for nourishing the
faith of our children and youth.
Based on our beliefs and
the needs that were identified by the St. Matthew parish community, the
following goals and objectives were developed by the Christian Formation
Commission and the Parish Pastoral Council to help us call our fellow
parishioners to take appropriate steps to experience the fullness of our life
in God and to share that with all.
Christian Formation: Goals and
Objectives
Youth Ministry
GOAL 1: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s
People by forming our youth in Gospel values.
Objective 1.1: To develop a youth ministry team that will organize and coordinate the activities of the parish youth, by August 2005.
Objective 1.2: To recruit youth
to be members of the
Objective 1.3: To develop and
implement a plan to include the youth of the parish in community service
activities by January 2006.
Objective 1.4: To develop and implement a strategy to bridge the gap
between the youth programs sponsored by the Lwanga
Center, the North Deanery, and St. Matthew Church by June 2006.
Objective 1.5: To develop and
implement mentoring plan so that elders may share their expertise with younger
members of the congregation by June 2006.
Evangelization
GOAL
2: To help our parish realize our full potential as God’s People by developing a
strong evangelization program.
Objective 2.1: To recruit a
knowledgeable and competent Evangelization Minister who will organize,
coordinate and communicate our Evangelization efforts by June 2006.
Objective 2.2: To develop and
implement a strategy to bring those Catholics who have left the church back to
St. Matthew’s by July 2006.
Objective 2.3: To develop and
implement an effective, all-embracing system for welcoming newcomers to the
parish by July 2006.
Objective 2.4: To develop and
implement an effective program to foster the continuing formation of our
parishioners by September 2006.
Catechesis
GOAL 3: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s
People by developing a strong program of catechesis for parishioners of all
ages.
Objective 3.1: To develop and
implement a plan to assure that all parishioners receive the sacraments of
initiation in a timely manner by May 2006.
Objective 3.2a: To conduct all
our Christian formation programs for children in a manner that includes information
about Black saints and the history of Black Catholics by May 2006.
Objective 3.2b: To conduct all
our Christian formation programs for adults in a manner that includes
information about Black saints and the history of Black Catholics by July 2006.
Objective 3.3: To develop and
implement a plan to address the issue of motivating and forming Catholic
parents as domestic/in-home catechists who will help their children understand
and practice Catholic teachings and values by September 2006.
Objective 3.4: To
develop a ministry, a forum, or another method in which we identify and address
the spiritual formation needs of the young adults (ages 18-40) by January 2007.
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Youth
Goal
1: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by forming
our youth in Gospel values.
Objective 1.1: To develop a youth ministry team that will
organize and coordinate the activities of the parish youth, by August 2005.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Recruit a leader. |
PPC |
January, 04 |
March, 05 |
Done |
|
2. Contact current members. |
Melynie |
March, 05 |
March, 05 |
Done |
|
3. Elect Officers. |
Team |
April, 05 |
Oct, 05 |
Ongoing |
|
4. Develop a calendar. |
Team |
May, 04 |
May, 05 |
Ongoing |
|
5. Recruit new team members. |
Team |
September 05 |
December, 05 |
Ongoing |
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Youth
Goal
1: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by forming
our youth in Gospel values.
Objective 1.2: To recruit youth
to be members of the
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1.
Gather data on Youth in Parish (Sign-up
Booth) |
Team |
May, 05 |
September, 05 |
Ongoing |
|
2. Develop Youth Corner in
Bulletin |
Melynie |
June, 05 |
June, 05 |
Ongoing |
|
3. Youth Newsletter |
Barbara, Melynie |
July, 05 |
July, 05 |
Ongoing |
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Youth
Goal
1: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by forming
our youth in Gospel values.
Objective 1.3: To develop and
implement a plan to include the youth of the parish in community service
activities by January, 2006
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Saturday Morning Activities. |
Team |
September, 2005 |
September, 2005 |
Ongoing |
|
2. |
Open |
October, 2005 |
October, 2005 |
Ongoing |
|
3. St. Vincent de Paul |
Cheryl |
August, 2005 |
September, 2005 |
Ongoing |
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Youth
Goal
1: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by forming
our youth in Gospel values.
Objective 1.4: To develop and
implement a strategy to bridge the gap between the youth programs sponsored by
the Lwanga Center, the North Deanery, and St. Matthew
Church by June 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Contact Corliss
Cox |
Melynie |
August, 2005 |
August, 2005 |
Ongoing |
|
2. Request a copy of all
calendars and correlate activities |
Melynie |
October, 2005 |
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3. Post activities on Youth
Board, Corner and Newsletter |
Melynie |
December, 2005 |
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4. Host a bi-annual meeting
with all |
Melynie |
January, 2006 |
June 2006 |
|
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Youth
Goal
1: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by forming
our youth in Gospel values.
Objective 1.5: To develop and implement mentoring plan so
that elders may share their expertise with younger members of the congregation
by June 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Brainstorm with youth in
Sunday School |
Catechists (See Sr. R.) |
|
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2. Involve elders in training
youth for liturgical ministries. |
Group |
January, 2006 |
April, 2006 |
Begun |
|
A. Prepare letter of introduction |
Melynie |
November, 2005 |
December, 2005 |
|
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B. Pass out invitations. |
Group |
December, 2005 |
December, 2005 |
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3. Reflect with youth on their
experiences with their faith |
Group |
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A. Offer a Personal Journal |
Group |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area:
Evangelization
Goal 2: To help our parish
realize our full potential as God’s People by developing a strong
evangelization program.
Objective 2.1: To recruit a knowledgeable and competent
Evangelization Minister who will organize, coordinate and communicate our
Evangelization efforts by June 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Brainstorm Names |
Commission |
December, 05 |
|
Done |
|
2. Prioritize Candidates |
Commission |
December, 05 |
|
Done |
|
3. Invite, beginning with #1 |
Mark |
December 05 |
January. 05 |
Done |
|
4. Bring to meeting |
Mark |
February, 05 |
March, 05 |
Done |
|
5. Form an evangelization
committee |
Juanita & Mark |
May, 05 |
June, 06 |
|
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6. Review and own objectives |
Committee |
June, 05 |
June, 06 |
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7. Formulate Action Steps |
Committee |
June, 05 |
July, 06 |
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8. Implement Steps one
by one |
Committee members |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
|
|
9. Evaluate each step
upon completion |
Committee members |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
|
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area:
Evangelization
Goal 2: To help our parish
realize our full potential as God’s People by developing a strong
evangelization program.
Objective 2.2: To develop and
implement a strategy to bring those Catholics who have left the church back to
St. Matthew’s by July 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Plan Action Steps |
Juanita & Committee |
June, 05 |
July, 05 |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area:
Evangelization
Goal 2: To help our parish
realize our full potential as God’s People by developing a strong
evangelization program.
Objective 2.3: To develop and implement an effective,
all-embracing system for welcoming newcomers to the parish by July 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Plan Action Steps |
Juanita & Committee |
June, 05 |
July, 05 |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area:
Evangelization
Goal 2: To help our parish
realize our full potential as God’s People by developing a strong
evangelization program.
Objective 2.4: To develop and begin to implement an
effective program to foster the continuing formation of our parishioners by
September 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Plan Action Steps |
Juanita & Committee |
June, 05 |
September, 06 |
Begun |
|
2. Evening Bible Study |
Juanita & Mark |
June, 05 |
August, 05 |
Ongoing |
|
3. Evaluate Bible Study |
Committee |
November 05 |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
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4. Day of Recollection with
Visitation |
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5. Week of Guided Prayer |
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6. Catholics Returning Home |
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7. Evaluate each project |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Catechesis
Goal
3: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by
developing a strong program of catechesis for parishioners of all ages.
Objective 3.1: To develop and implement a plan to assure
that all our parishioners receive the sacraments of initiation in a timely
manner by May, 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Enter data in computer from Sunday
School signup sheets. |
Janet & Mark |
November, 04 |
August, 05 |
Begun |
|
2. Get better data from current
census effort |
Janet & Mark |
November, 04 |
Ongoing |
Begun |
|
3. Contact Sr. M. Alfreda for information on families of kids coming to her
sessions on Sundays |
Sr. Regina |
December, 04 |
April, 05 |
Done |
|
4. Utilize data from Youth
Ministry |
Janet |
December, 04 |
August, 05 |
Begun |
|
5. Contact parents with
children in 5 – 18 age range |
Commission |
February, 05 |
August, 05 |
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6. Get data on all
non-confirmed |
Sr. Regina, Fr. Mark |
June, 05 |
September, 05 |
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7. Contact non-confirmed |
Sr. Regina, Fr. Mark |
September, 05 |
December, 05 |
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8. Conduct Adult
confirmation class |
Fr. Mark and others |
January, 06 |
May, 06 |
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9. Celebrate
Confirmation |
Bishop |
|
Pentecost, 06 |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Catechesis
Goal
3: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by
developing a strong program of catechesis for parishioners of all ages.
Objective 3.2a: To conduct all our Christian formation
programs for children in a manner that includes information about Black saints
and the history of Black Catholics by May 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. For teenage Sunday School students, add one name each week from the Black
Catholic binder. |
Sr. Regina |
September, 05 |
Ongoing |
Begun |
|
2. Utilize Cheryl’s material
for the younger children |
Sr. Regina & Cheryl |
January, 05 |
July, 05 |
Begun |
|
3. Bring Black Saints and other
Black Catholic topics into Youth Group meetings |
Melynie |
August, 05 |
Ongoing |
Begun |
|
4. Research material from
National Black Catholic Congress |
Pam |
September, 05 |
November, 05 |
Begun |
|
5. Prepare material of J. Glenn
Murray, S.J. on the Mass for the teens. |
Sr. |
September, 05 |
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6. Check with Juanita
Blackshear for information |
Sr. Regina |
January, 05 |
July, 05 |
Done |
ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Catechesis
Goal
3: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by
developing a strong program of catechesis for parishioners of all ages.
Objective 3.2b: To conduct all our Christian formation
programs for adults in a manner that includes information about Black saints
and the history of Black Catholics by July 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Search on Internet |
Mark & Juanita |
September, 05 |
|
Ongoing |
|
2. Develop resources to
present at Mass |
Mark |
January, 05 |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
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3. Try Bible Study again
in the evening |
Mark & Juanita |
January, 05 |
August, 05 |
Ongoing |
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4. Brainstorm other
ideas |
Commission |
September, 05 |
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5. Recruit parish
couple(s) to do marriage preparation |
Mark |
May 05 |
|
Begun |
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6. Consult Pastoral Plan
from Black Catholic Bishops |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Catechesis
Goal
3: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by
developing a strong program of catechesis for parishioners of all ages.
Objective 3.3: To develop and implement a plan to address
the issue of motivating and forming Catholic parents as domestic/in-home
catechists who will help their children understand and practice Catholic
teachings and values by September 2006.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Encourage children take work
home and go over it with their parents. |
Sr. Regina & Catechists |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
Going |
|
2. Homilies: Raise the issue
with parents |
Mark |
Ongoing |
Ongoing |
Begun |
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3. Bulletin Board in vestibule
to show off children’s work |
Sr. Regina
, Catechists & Melynie |
April, 05 |
Ongoing |
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4. Keep eyes open for family
activities and resources |
Sr. Regina &
Commission |
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5. Sponsor a family activity
once each year |
Commission |
September, 05 |
June, 06 |
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ACTION PLAN
Commission: Christian Formation
Area: Catechesis
Goal
3: To help our parish to realize our full potential as God’s People by
developing a strong program of catechesis for parishioners of all ages.
Objective 3.4: To develop a ministry, a forum,
or another method in which we identify and address the spiritual formation
needs of the young adults (ages 18-40) by January 2007.
|
Action Step |
Person(s) Responsible |
Beginning Date |
Completion Date |
Status |
|
1. Identify potential
parishioners in the 18 – 40 age group, from data
base. |
Mark |
April, 2005 |
April, 2005 |
Done |
|
2. Visit with these
parishioners to form a nucleus for this group. |
Commission members |
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3. Letter of invitation from
Pastor |
Mark |
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4. Gather nucleus in library to
brainstorm |
Commission members |
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5. MORE TO COME! |
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7. |
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8. |
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