Sunday Listening Sessions

Children – Youth – Social Justice
 
As a parish seeking to live the vision of Vatican II in the 21st century, we must recognize and respond to our call to fulfill our canonical responsibilities of sacramental preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation; our pastoral responsibilities of faith formation for children and youth; and our social responsibilities to work for justice and continue our engagement in works of mercy in the neighborhood.
 
We are at a crossroads with respect to our ministries for children, youth, and social justice. It’s time to set a new course for these important pastoral ministries.
 
The first step is to listen. Let’s engage in conversation with those who participate in these ministries, care about them, and volunteer to help in them.
 
Please join us after Sunday Mass, 11:15 – 12:45 in the Parish Center
 
Youth Ministry – July 28
Including discussion of:
- implementing sacramental preparation for Confirmation
- implementing effective faith formation for middle school and high school youth
- how to select and use appropriate materials and methods for faith growth and learning
- how to recruit, train, and sustain needed leaders and volunteers
- how to integrate youth into the life of the parish

​​Brief summary of the session. 
Attended by nine people. The conversation was spirited and fruitful. We care about our youth! These statements provide a short summary of the listening session:

• To effectively reach youth, we must also reach their parents and families.
• Not realistic for youth to participate in church if their parents aren’t participating.
• We should listen to youth and their families via survey and direct conversation.
• We must recognize the gifts as well as the challenges of the multicultural make up of our families.
• Programming should be relational, faith-based, communal, and action-oriented.
• We must support our youth in the face of racism and other forms of discrimination that they experience.
• Effective youth ministry needs broad support from the adult community.
• Programming must be broad to appeal to the needs/desires of all youth.
• We should explore the potential of a partnership with Young Life that might provide training, support, and supervision of youth ministry leadership. Leif will look into this possibility.
• A couple of people at the session indicated a willingness to help with youth ministry programming.

 
Children’s Faith Formation – August 4
Including discussion of:
- implementing sacramental preparation for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation
- implementing Liturgy of the Word for children during Sunday Mass
- implementing effective faith formation for children post First Communion
- how to select and use appropriate materials and methods for faith growth and learning
- how to recruit, train, and sustain needed leaders and volunteers
- how to integrate children into the life of the parish
- other
 
​Brief summary of the session.
Attended by nine people. The conversation was animated, filled with lots of ideas, and lots of care and concern for our children. It was a bilingual discussion – English and Spanish. These statements provide a short summary:

• Parents are reluctant to participate, presents a challenge for effective faith formation.
• We should communicate a clear schedule to parents and promote the program widely.
• Program(s) need to be well-organized.
• Three general age-groups: 1) First Grade and younger = Children’s liturgy of the Word, 2) Second Grade = Sacramental Preparation, 3) Third – Fifth Grade = Religious Education
• Find the right time for classes – is after Mass on Sunday the right time?
• Importance of food, fun, and prizes to enhance learning and growth.
• Possible that younger children (Grades  4 – 5?) could be trained to be altar servers.
• Get input from parents via survey and direct conversation.
• Sacramental Prep – conduct several bilingual parent sessions for each sacrament (Reconciliation and Eucharist)
• Sacramental Prep – Jane Evans and Jeanne Moser will lead and coordinate. Will create a detailed plan by Sept 1.
• Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Mary Evans will lead and coordinate. Will create a detailed plan by Sept. 1.

Social Justice Ministry – August 11
Including discussion of:
- how to maintain our associations with key agencies, e.g. Living Cully, MACG, CCHD, other
- how to fulfill our commitments with respect to housing advocacy and immigrant justice
- how to effectively steward dedicated funds (CCHD grant, immigrant justice fund)
- how to recruit, train, and sustain needed Justice Committee members
 
Brief summary of the session.
Attended by nine people. The conversation was animated, filled with lots of ideas, and lots of care and concern for our future efforts in social justice. These statements provide a short summary:

• SJ ministry must be connected to work of Multicultural Committee, but not run by Multicultural Committee
• Would like to raise up multicultural leadership, particularly Hispanic
• SJ action should be linked to SJ education to the whole parish – how does the action connect to the Gospel, and to Catholic Social Teaching?
• SJ ministry should permeate all aspects of Parish Life
• Need to be good stewards of the CCHD grant ($5000)
• Interest in simultaneous translation technology
• We must maintain relationships with other agencies (MACG, Living Cullty, etc.)
• Consider engaging in relational development listening/dialogue process – perhaps at the beginning of mass
• Consider how to connect with and build relationship with DLS
• User readerboard more effectively
• Ask residents of Oak Leaf what they need now, for ongoing support.
• There is stipend $$ to support and affirm a Coordinator of SJ ministry. Need to find that person.
• Coordinator will help determine role of SJ Committee

Questions? More info? Contact Leif Kehrwald at 503-351-9889, [email protected].
 
Stop – Look – Listen