We make the Kingdom of God present in our world by loving God, welcoming all, serving humanity, and caring for creation. The St. John XXIII Parish Pastoral Plan for 2024-2027 is here!Creating a Pastoral Plan
In the summer of 2023, Fr. Jean-Philippe encouraged the newly formed Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) to create a pastoral plan to guide the parish for the next three years. With the active involvement of the Parish Finance Council, the PPC organized a nine-month process to assess the parish’s strengths and challenges and to discern priorities for the coming years. This process consisted of three phases: the learning phase, the planning phase, and the implementation phase. This webpage will be the new home for resources, reports, and updates related to the pastoral planning process. Prayer for the Pastoral Plan
Heavenly Father, we thank you for calling our faith family into existence as St. John XXIII Parish. Thank you for our brothers and sisters who constitute this beautiful community as it is today. Thank you for calling us to be an evangelizing community, loving God, serving humanity, and caring for creation. Lord Jesus, you are the source of all things new. With boldness and hope we pray for a greater future. We entrust to you our new Parish Pastoral Plan. Give us the grace to be faithful servants of your love and guide us with wisdom and discernment for the vitality of our community. Holy Spirit, instill in us the generosity to readily share our gifts, talents, time, and financial resources, so as to further the mission you entrust to us. Bless us and the work of our hands. Amen. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a parish pastoral plan?
A pastoral plan assists the pastor and laity in strengthening and guiding the parish. It establishes a vision for the parish and priorities and goals to focus the work of the faith community for the next three years. Why do we need a pastoral plan? As a new parish community with new pastoral leadership, the pastoral plan will help build a united vision and direction for the beginning years of St. John XXIII Parish. It will also help the parish respond to rapid changes in the wider culture and society that are challenging faith communities of all types. What is a parish priority? A parish priority is a thoughtful initiative that rises to the top of the parish’s leadership agenda. It drives the parish toward the unified vision; all other decisions are made in deference to the identified priorities. Who is responsible for creating the pastoral plan? The pastor and Parish Pastoral Council will lead the planning effort with assistance from the Parish Finance Council. How will the pastoral plan affect existing parish ministries? Parishes have many foundational ministries (sacraments and worship, education and formation, social outreach, etc.) that are essential to the ongoing work of the parish. These ministries will continue to do their important work, though some may evolve and change as a result of the pastoral plan. How will parishioners be involved in the creation of the plan? St. John XXIII parishioners will be involved throughout the process, especially through the ongoing listening sessions, which will be used to discern possible priorities. A draft pastoral plan will also be circulated for comment and refinement before its final adoption. How can I get involved? First, pray for the success of the pastoral planning effort. A special prayer has been created for the planning process and we are encouraging all parishioners to pray it daily. Second, participate in one of the listening sessions to share your ideas for the parish’s future direction. Third, as the new priorities are discerned, consider providing leadership for one of them. Successful implementation of the plan will require the active involvement of many parish leaders, both new and old. Reflections and Resources
May 16, 2024 Community Prayer for the Pastoral Plan Shelley Benson's Opening Reflection: English | Spanish May 19, 2024 Reflections Offered by PPC Members at Pentecost Masses Shelley Benson |
Implement (Summer 2024 - present)The implementation of the pastoral plan is now underway!
Seven steering teams made up of a total of 54 parishioners are meeting frequently to turn the goals of the new pastoral plan into action. The seven teams and their chairs are:
The steering teams will create draft strategies for each priority by April 2025. We will then hold listening sessions and publish a survey for parishioners to provide feedback on the draft strategies. Implementation of the plan should begin in the second or third quarter of 2025. Throughout this process, we would welcome more participation by Spanish speakers. Please reach out to Alejandra Lule ([email protected]) if you are interested in getting involved! Please keep the work of these parishioners in your prayers, and stay tuned for updates on the strategies in the coming month! While the Liturgy Commission is serving as the Liturgy Steering Team, they invite all parishioners to consider getting involved and serving in a crucial role as a liturgical or pastoral care minister. If you are already involved, thank you! Please help invite others to fill out the form below to learn more or sign up.
Plan (Winter 2023 - Spring 2024)Using data from the Disciple Maker Index Survey, the Fall 2023 listening sessions, and the Parish Annual Report, the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council identified six possible priorities to guide our parish throughout the next three years. Feedback on these draft priorities, as well as options for a new parish vision statement, was gathered through a survey in late April, to which nearly 250 parishioners responded.
The final pastoral plan was released on Pentecost (May 19, 2024) after three days of community prayer. Read the Pastoral Plan: English | Spanish Learn (Fall 2023)The pastoral planning process began in the fall of 2023 with a series of reports and community efforts designed to help us better understand our parish's current opportunities and challenges.
Parish Mission
Comboni missionaries have ministered at St. John XXIII since our unified parish was formed in 2022. Indeed, our parish is led by two religious Comboni priests: our pastor, Fr. Jean-Philippe Lokpo, MCCJ, and our associate pastor, Fr. José Manuel Ortiz, MCCJ. But who are the Combonis?
In September 2023, we held a three-night Parish Mission to learn about the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, an international Catholic order founded in 1867 by St. Daniel Comboni. View recordings of all three nights by clicking on the links below.
Disciple Maker Index (DMI)
During Lent 2023, over 450 parishioners completed the Disciple Maker Index Survey (DMI). The DMI asked parishioners to reflect on two things: their spiritual growth and how they engage with their parish. Download the SJ23 Disciple Maker Index Report here. Parish Financial Reports
The 2022–23 Parish Annual Report was released in October 2023. It provides an in depth look at the parish’s finances and activities during the 2023 fiscal year, which lasted from July 2022 to June 2023. (We're having issues with this file--check back later!) The 2023-24 Mid-Year Financial Report includes an overview of the parish's finances and activities during the first half of the 2024 fiscal year, which lasted from July 2023 to December 2023. (We're having issues with this file--check back later!) Listening Sessions
During the months of October, November, and December, 2023, the parishioners of St. John XXIII Parish participated in 44 listening sessions: 11 at St. Mary Church, 22 at St. Nicholas Church, and 11 with ministries and groups from both sites. Approximately 500 hours of meaningful conversation, plus additional feedback submitted by a handful of individuals online, yielded more than 1200 recorded comments, which were analyzed and grouped into five key themes. You can read each theme's summary report by clicking on the links below. These reports contain the summary of the topic as well as the comments related to the topic. Similar comments have been merged and others have been paraphrased in order to maintain anonymity. |
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