Long-Range Plan
Recommendations to implement the ten-year goals of a proposed
Long-range Plan for St. Paul’s Parish (2001-2011)

Pastoral Care

Goal 1: Inreach – To raise the consciousness and deepen the practice of the St. Paul’s Parish community in its Christian responsibilities and duties to care for and about each other.
1.1. To make it known that all who come through our doors should expect to be cared for pastorally by all.
1.2. Within 5 years to increase to 50% the number of parishioners who are engaged in caring for and caring about each other through volunteer activities in support of the church’s efforts.
1.3. Within 10 years to increase parishioner participation in the above to 100%.

Proposed Activities:

1.1. Conduct education sessions through forums, sermons, Internet resources, and written articles to underscore the pastoral-care-by-all theme, to inspire people to get involved, and to celebrate those who are involved.

1.2. Conduct an annual inventory of ministries and needs campaign to get each member of the Parish to complete an inventory form with information about his or her inreach activities.

1.3. Identify and equip Care Teams through training using the Care Team Network Training program out of the University of Alabama.

1.4. Develop a pilot of Geographic Caring Community Teams (parishioners who live near a home-bound member) who would benefit from a team approach.

1.5. Sharing in Community

1.5.1. To allow sick and/or home-bound parishioners to receive the Sacrament at least once a week, begin an educational program toward the acceptance by the congregation of the expanding role of the Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) to become Pastoral Visitors/Licensed Lay Eucharistic Ministers (PV/LLEMs) to bring the reserved Sacrament to those who would be receptive. The PV/LLEMs could be assigned according to their available time for travel.

1.5.2. Reestablish a telephone tree for those not on the Internet to inform parishioners of births, deaths, requiems, etc.

1.5.3. Improve communication regarding information about our ill while respecting confidentiality – who they are and information regarding serious illness.

1.5.4. Ensure that we are ADA compliant in both the design of programs and buildings so that all may worship.

1.5.5. Identify and address the needs of hearing- and sight-impaired.

1.5.6. Put The Program in a user-friendly format with a month-by-month calendar of relevant St. Paul’s events. Also, put The Program on our web site and include a two-month calendar in the weekly bulletin.

1.5.7. A separate telephone extension for a recorded listing of parish notices in the service bulletin that week; make available on email and the web site as well.

1.5.8. Develop a tape ministry of masses, music, and sermons to be available to everyone, especially our shut-ins.

1.5.9. Develop an information brochure about how “things” happen, such as (add bullet list) – altar flowers, candles, prayer lists (explain why/when we use last names and when we don’t), what disabled people need to do to receive the Sacrament at masses, use of facilities, church school, wedding instructions/arrangements, funerals, etc. and who to contact.

1.6. Feasting in Fellowship

1.6.10. Provide regular opportunities for fellowship and socialization in our community life.

1.6.11. Nurture the gifts of hospitality within the parish family.

1.6.12. Hold periodic events that are strictly social.

1.7. Exchanging Mutual Support

1.7.13. Offer Saturday sessions several times a year on planning for funeral arrangements.

1.7.14. Conduct training on spiritual gifts inventory.

1.7.15. Maintain updated parish files – who is our next of kin, or in an emergency, whom to call, and other missing information.

1.8. Recognizing

1.8.16. Place the parish directory at the Lady Altar and encourage parishioners to pray, by name, for each other.

1.8.17. List anniversaries (natal/marriage/etc.) in the bulletin for the week in which they are remembered.

1.8.18. Reinstitute sending out birthday cards informing parishioners that they will be remembered at the altars that day.

1.8.19. Encourage (in the bulletin) a shower of birthday cards for our shut-in parishioners.

1.8.20. Deliver a plant or flowers to shut-ins on their birthdays in addition to Christmas and Easter.

1.8.21. Include in The Epistle an occasional article about some of our “old timers” or shut-ins as well as some of our new parishioners.

1.8.22. The next time the picture directory is done, include the pictures with the name/address, if possible, so that you do not have to look up an address separately.

1.9. Welcoming

1.9.23. Ensure Vestry member visibility in the life of the parish, such as participation in the receiving line at the back of the church after masses and, along with the clergy, presence at coffee hours.

1.9.24. Staff a hospitality or welcome table/booth with:

1. name tags and request forms for name tags;
2. information brochures about our parish life;
3. CDs, brunch tickets, and other items for sale;
4. donated birthday, get well, and other greeting cards.

4.1.1. Develop a system to identify and contact parishioners who have not been seen for several weeks.

4.1.2. Continue to address our parking problem.

4.1.3. Maintain cleanliness of restrooms at all times, including weekends.

4.1. Affirming

4.1.4. Establish opportunities that get our young people involved in the life and ministry of the parish.

4.1.5. Establish a monthly seniors lunch and lecture/program.

4.1.6. Provide child care for all major services and events.

4.1.7. Establish a pre-natal and post-natal support program for young mothers in the parish and parents with young children.

4.1.8. Develop means to more readily incorporate young married couples into the life of the parish.

4.2. Encouragement

4.2.9. Provide opportunities for our shut-ins to play a primary role in our prayer ministry.

4.2.10. Develop a prayer tree/chain.

4.3. Future Commitments of Financial Resources

4.3.11. Hire a Lay Assistant to the Rector or Permanent Deacon for Pastoral Care, particularly someone with the gifts of administration and exhortation, within 5 years.

4.3.12. Buy a vehicle to transport parishioners to/from mass, weekend grate patrol other events, and possible chore needs.

4.3.13. Hire someone in a support function to handle the kitchen (stock, maintenance, etc.) and orchestrate those activities that need to happen there.

These activities will lead to:

Goal 2: Outreach – To raise the consciousness and deepen the practice of the St. Paul’s Parish community in its Christian responsibilities and duties to care for the wider community.
4.1. Within 5 years to increase to 50% the number of parishioners who are engaged in caring for and caring about the wider community.
4.2. Within 10 years to increase parishioner participation in the above to 100%.

Proposed Activities:

2.1 Sharing in Community

4.2.1. Strengthen the participation of parishioners and others in St. Paul's Social Outreach Ministries, such as Grate Patrol, Red Sea, Salvation Army, and St. Paul’s AIDS Ministry.

4.2.2. Establish or support an appropriate collegiate ministry.

4.2.3. Provide organized opportunities, either by establishing new programs or combining efforts with existing programs maintained by other parishes or ministries or charitable organizations, for parishioners to participate in activities for the benefit of non-parishioners, such as literacy and tutoring programs, nursing home and hospital visitation programs, hospice, pet therapy in nursing homes, and programs designed to assist victims of domestic violence.

4.2.4. Hire a new lay or ordained staff member with primary responsibility for new and existing outreach activities.

4.2.5. Conduct an annual inventory of ministries and needs campaign to get each member of the Parish to complete an inventory form with information about his or her outreach activities.

2.2 Foreign Missions

4.2.1. Encourage parishioners to support with prayer, time, and money the work of the Church outside the parish boundaries-in the city, diocese, nation, and throughout the world, especially in those areas where material resources are limited.

4.2.2. Assess outreach opportunities and needs within the community, diocese, nation and the world and provide recommendations.

4.2. Welcoming

4.2.2. Provide newcomers with a "welcome bag" which provides information describing parish life, its goals, pastoral care activities, other opportunities for ministry; and which also provides a symbolic reference to St. Paul's as parish home.

4.2.3. Encourage vestry members to identify visitors and newcomers and to ensure they are welcomed to the parish following Sunday and special worship services.

4.2.4. Highlight pastoral care activities on the parish website and provide means of signing up for specific pastoral care activities.

4.2.5. From time to time, conduct a Pastoral Care Sunday when leaders of the pastoral care activities can describe the opportunities, progress, and needs in pastoral care.