Saint Thomas More Pastoral Council Norms
Purpose:
The Pastoral Council is a group of lay parishioners who assist the Pastor
and Parish staff in fulfilling the Mission Statement of the Saint Thomas
More Parish. The Pastoral Council advises the pastor on issues involving
parish life and the parishioners at large. It is responsible for establishing
short and long-term pastoral plans to address the needs of the Parish.
Membership:
In order to be appointed for a term on the Pastoral Council individuals
must be:
 Fully initiated Catholics in good standing with the Church
 Member of Saint Thomas More Church for at least two years
 Active participants in the ongoing life of the parish
 At least twenty-one (21) years old
 Enthusiastic about the future of our parish
 Committed to working collaboratively with others to reach
consensus through open dialog and interpersonal communication
 Willing to demonstrate a desire for on-going faith formation in
themselves and in the parish
Selection:
The formation of the Pastoral Council is established through a process of
discernment as described in the “Calling Forth” process (below).
Size:
The Pastoral Council consists of a minimum of eight (8) and a maximum
of fourteen (14) members.
Length of Service:
The length of service for appointed members is four (4) years. Members
may serve for additional terms based upon the needs of the Parish and
the consensus of the Pastoral Council members.
Meetings:
Meetings of the Pastoral Council are held once a month during the months
of October, November, January, February, March, and April. Other
meetings may be scheduled by the pastor as deemed necessary. The
pastor shall preside at all Pastoral Council Meetings. The meetings are
open to all Parishioners.
Pastoral Council will meet with Parish Staff and the Parish Finance Council
at least once a year.
Committees:
The council shall form committees and sub-committees as deemed
necessary to facilitate and streamline the parish planning process.
Discussions and Decisions:
Decisions of the Pastoral Council are made through discernment,
discussion and consensus. Discussions are held with a spirit of
consultation and collaboration.
Roles:
There are no formal officers of the Pastoral Council. Rather, members
shall fill the following roles on a voluntary basis:
Convener – The convener is responsible for working with the pastor to
establish an agenda at least one week prior to all meetings and
distributing the agenda to the Council members.
Recorder – The recorder is responsible for taking notes and recording all
decisions during all council meetings. The recorder will publish the
meeting minutes on the Parish web-site, Parish Library, and to all
members of the council. All formal communications between the Parish
and the council will be coordinated by the recorder.
Facilitator – The facilitator is responsible for overseeing the orderly
process of each council meeting. The facilitator is not the chairperson of
the group, but rather someone who assists the group in fulfilling its
responsibilities.
Calling Forth Process
I.
General Mailing to the Congregation “Calling Them Forth"
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II.
Pastoral Council will distribute a letter that will ask parishioners to
refer either other parishioners or themselves to be considered for
the PPC if they meet the stated criteria.
This letter will include the criteria to be selected for the Pastoral
Council. (see Appendix I)
Contact and Inform
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This part of the plan will entail all referred parties to be contacted,
to qualify interest and will then be invited to a small group
information session where the Pastoral Council’s structure, purpose,
responsibilities, functions, etc. will be discussed.
After the meeting, those candidates who are still interested will be
asked to complete and return a questionnaire to the Parish office
for further consideration. (see Appendix II)
BEING OPEN AND INFORMATIVE IS THE KEY TO THIS STEP!
III.
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IV.
Evaluate and Interview
"Candidates who have completed the questionnaire will be
scheduled for an interview with a Discernment Team
There will be two Discernment Teams with three current members
of the Parish Pastoral Council on each. The Pastor and Parochial
Vicar, or another independent member of the STM administrative
community will also be members of each Discernment Team.
Selection
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After all interviews have been completed the Discernment Teams
will meet for a Pastoral Council day of reflection. During the day of
reflection the Discernment Teams will have the responsibility of
selecting new members from the pool of candidates.
The Discernment Teams will also have the responsibility of
contacting those candidates and informing them as to the decision.
Appendix I
Dear Saint Thomas More Faith Community Member:
The time has come again to select new members to the Saint Thomas More
Pastoral Council. We will be introducing a new process, “Calling Forth.” Calling
Forth is based on a discernment process that adheres to the norms of the STM
Pastoral Council. In keeping with a pastoral and not a political model, members
of the Council will be Called Forth from the Faith Community by a selection
process rather than an election.
If you feel that you are called to serve the Faith Community, or know someone
who possesses leadership qualities, now is the time to submit your/their
name(s). Please complete the attached questionnaire and return it to the Parish
office by April 6, 2008.
The Calling Forth process will include:
1. Submission of the Calling Forth questionnaire by April 6, 2008.
2. Small group information session on March 30, 2008 in the STM Family
Life Center to discuss the Pastoral Council.
3. Individual interviews with the Pastoral Council Discernment Team to be
completed prior to May 18, 2008.
4. Notification of selection by June 1, 2008
The Saint Thomas More Faith Community will use the following criteria and
characteristics in the selection process for the Pastoral Council:
 Fully initiated Catholics in good standing with the Church
 Member of Saint Thomas More Church for at least two years
 Active participants in the ongoing life of the parish
 At least twenty-one (21) years old
 Enthusiastic about the future of our parish
 Committed to working collaboratively with others to reach
consensus through open dialog and interpersonal communication
 Willing to demonstrate a desire for on-going faith formation in
themselves and in the parish
If you have any questions and would like to contact a current member of the
Parish Pastoral Council, please leave a message with the Parish Office.
We ask that you pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we search for new
members of the Saint Thomas More Pastoral Council. If the Holy Spirit is calling
you to use your time, talent and treasures to support your Parish in a leadership
role, please participate in this Calling Forth process.
Saint Thomas More
Pastoral Council
Calling Forth Questionnaire
Name:
Address:
Phone:
Email Address:
Please elaborate on your answers to the following questions.
What do you see as the greatest strength of the Saint Thomas More
Parish?
What do you see as the greatest need within the Saint Thomas More
Parish?
Do you understand consensus based decision making?
Are you open to the Spirit of God? Are you able to put aside your personal
feelings to work for the overall good of the Saint Thomas More Parish?
Please describe any special skills/talents that you have which can be
utilized for the benefit of the Faith Community through participation in the
Pastoral Council.
Reminder: Please return this questionnaire to the Parish office by April 6, 2008
in an envelop marked “Pastoral Council Questionnaire.”
Appendix II
Calling Forth Interview Questions
1. Please describe your personal Catholic faith journey.
2. How did you come to Saint Thomas More?
3. What drew you to offer your gifts to the ministry of leadership in our Parish?
4. Are there any particular ministries, or organizations within the Parish that are
of particular interest to you?
5. How do you continue to grow in faith as a committed Catholic?
6. Are there any particular suggestions that you have for how the Parish can be
better served by the Pastoral Council and/or Parish ministries?
7. Are you able to make the time commitments that will be required of you