Sept 2019 Meetings

Pastoral Council Sept 17, 2020
Present: Jennifer Siech, Ruth Schluter, Elaine Lawler, Trent Lockard, Kris Dunkin, Jeff Keen, Gerri Dix, Wayne Green (FFC), Kelly Fleger (Finance), and Fr. Dave Ambrosy
Election of officers (By unanimous vote) : Ruth Schluter, Chair
Trent Lockard, Co-Chair
Gerri Dix, Secretary
Reviewed minutes of August 20, 2019 meeting. Wayne made motion to approve minutes, Elaine seconded. Approved.
Finance: Steve Phyfe, Kelly Willis and Dan Dufner will address congregation this weekend at Masses to have them consider increasing their support and/or considering on-line giving.
Faith Formation: Morgan Hockensen has agreed to work part-time on Faith Formation. We will try again to search for full-time candidates later in the year. Jennifer suggested they utilize Indeed.
Faith formation classes will be held between Masses on Sunday and on Wednesdays, three times per month. We are still in need of volunteers to help.
Thank you to Dixie and Angie for all their work setting up the Faith Formation program.
Julie has her programs in place and ready to go.
Evangelization/committee: Will talk more next month about evangelization. We discussed the need to do a new Time/Talent/Treasure Inventory. Ruth will talk to Dixie about pulling out an old one from previous year. Possibly roll out a new TTT Inventory in November.
Office Hours: Change to summer hours permanently. M-Th 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., F 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Motioned made by Trent, seconded by Jennifer to make this permanent. Motion carried.
Agenda items for October 15: Stewardship
Jennifer moved to adjourn, Trent seconded. Motion approved and meeting adjourned.

Finance Council Meeting – Sept 17, 2019
Attendees: Kelly Flege, Kelly Willis, Fr Dave Ambrosy. Also present: Dixie Jacobs.
Monthly Financials: Offering is within the budgeted amount, which is comparable to last fiscal year’s giving. We paid our annual (web-based) software fee for our census database/accounting $2100. We also had a $1200 repair to our sprinkler system and $330 to repair the drinking fountain. The 2 classrooms were painted for $850, which was less than budgeted.
Financial Talk: The draft talk was revised. Kelly W and Kelly F will work on it and email it out before the weekend. Volunteers for Mass talks are Kelly W 8am, Dan 10am, and Steve  Sat.
Office Hours:  A proposal to continue the summer office hours M-Th 8am-4:30pm  F 8am-2pm. This seems to be working better for the office and are the same hours as the Archdiocese center. Finance had no reservations with this change.
Archdiocesan Campaign: The campaign’s goal is $15 million for the seminarian fund, priest retirement fund, repairs to the cathedral in Dubuque, and Catholic Charities program to assist immigrants. The promotion of the campaign will begin this fall, and fundraising begins in the spring.
Request for Antenna: A survey company has asked to put a GPS antenna on the NW corner of our property. They would be responsible for all costs and maintaining it. They need 3 antennas on high points forming a triangle. One is on their property in SE Waverly, one is on city property in SW, and this would be the NW location to complete the triangle. The members were alright, if there the Archdiocese didn’t have reservations. Update – Dixie contacted Rich Earles, archdiocesan risk manager, who recommended we acquire proof of insurance with the church and archdiocese “additionally insured” and a lease agreement for survey company to sign.
Sept 15 Meeting: Faith formation update, monthly financials. Meeting adjourned.
 
 
Faith Formation Space Issues – I shared this with the faith formation commission, and wanted to keep the parish leadership aware of the struggle to accommodate our youth especially on Wednesdays. We found through the registration process that the majority of youth can only attend on Wed due to their schedules. In addition to the elementary numbers, we have 60 middle schoolers in the hall/church during elementary formation. It is a busy facility on these evenings! – Dixie Jacobs, Business Manager
3rd-4th Grade in classroom A. Wed 24; Sun 7. Only the classrooms will accommodate Wed’s numbers.
2nd Grade in classroom A. Wed. we have 17 second graders. We were planning on putting them in the office conference room. This is not possible with this many children. We had to move the PK-K atrium to the conference room. Second grade will be in classroom B. On Sun, we are combining the 4 first graders with the 7 second graders; on sacramental prep days the first graders will be in the office resource room.
2nd Grade Sacramental Prep – Held once a month on regular class times with parents attending with 2nd graders. This means 22 youth (3 additional signed up for only sacramental prep and 2 third graders) plus their parents. They will not fit in classroom A, but we have high school Life Teen in the hall most of these nights. So we have to put up a divider to “share” the hall space.
1st Grade in office resource room. This room was for small meetings with more comfortable, casual furniture. We have to change it to a classroom with a child height table for the 10 first graders. This room cannot accommodate more.
PK-K Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in office conference room. We have 13 in Sunday and 13 in Wed sessions. This space is very tight for their needs, and the catechists are being creative to make it work. The shelving units and displays have to be folded up so we can put a table in the room on non-CGS times to accommodate other meetings. This means twice a week we are “flipping” the space for other uses.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word in the office reception area. With faith formation in both classrooms on Sunday morning, we had to “create” a new space. During the 10am Mass, CGS will be in the conference room and Children’s Liturgy will be gathered right outside the atrium. This may be a disruption for both, but it is the only space we have available.
 
 
Faith Formation Commission Meeting Sept 24, 2019
Attendees:  Father David, Julie, Becca, Bill, Jenn, Andrea, Terri
Prayer
Staffing for PK – 4th programming
Morgan joins on our staff on Fridays to getting younger programming started (part time)
Morgan will be leading a Catechist in-service for teachers.  PK through 4th. 
Schedules:  see bulletin
First sessions: Wednesday Oct 9th  & Sunday Oct 13th
Numbers look good. Space is becoming a challenge.
CGS: 5 trained for CGS Level 1.  To grow the level 2 and level 3, it’s estimated to require getting 4 people trained a year.  Education endowment can be used for this type of training. 
CGS Level 2 discussion:
Different reactions based on the child and faith experiences.  We’d like to see how programming for grades 1-4th is going before continued discussion on training level 2.  Discussion on how feedback will be gathered for the younger age programming.   It was thought by teachers, parents and kids.
Questions around sacramental prep timing and classes, this was around parent expectations when a parent is a catechist or helper for a class.
Director of faith formation position search is still on going. 
Adult small groups:  Sigrid didn’t have any takers on faith sharing leaders for the small groups. 
RCIA – part of faith formation.  Molly   3 people are interested and it’s faith sharing and making the community connection.
Middle School and High School Programs – see Julie’s Update  
Questions from the parish:

• A question was asked about Alpha not being a Catholic program.  The Alpha program we are using is a Catholic program and approved by the USCCB.  
• It’s been brought to Julie combining Alpha and Life Teen.   Father and Julie discussed the two programs and purposes and decided to still do both programs this year.

NCYC – chaperone training, the chaperone role will build relationships 
Julie is looking at Talent Search & Youth ambassadors for the teens. 
LOTEC:  Expense, $7000 for a year and participants need hiking gear.  Deacon Phil would be a squad leader for the next group if there isn’t other interest.   Every 2 years and it would follow the year after NCYC.
NDVision: Lighter than LOTEC.    They are expected to do a service project after they return.  Cost  $550–575 per participants. Participant expense expectations at St Mary, fund raise a 1/3, pay for a 1/3 and scholarships for 1/3.  A motion was made to do LOTEC and NDVision on years opposite of NCYC.   The motion was seconded, and the commission approved.
Prayer
 
 
Community Meal Planning Meeting October 2019
Attendees: Tom Singewald, Sue & Jim Aubrey, Nancy Carlson, Jan Kreiner, Jim O’Donnell
Last month we served 201 meals of pulled pork sandwiches, pork & beans, watermelon, potato chips, cookies and ice cream.  It cost $181.22 and took 80 hours to prepare and serve.  There was $245 of in kind donations including Hy-Vee, Dix Family Farms, and Saint Mary Bakers.
This month we will serve pork chops in mushroom gravy with mashed potatoes, green beans, ice cream and bars.
In November we will serve scalloped potatoes with ham, squash and ice cream and cookies.
In December we will serve pork chops or pork loin.
Dix Family farms will make squash available on October 16th which we plan to prepare and freeze for use at future meals.
The new security measures employed at St. Paul Church/school appear to be working without major disruption for our guests.
There is an all church meeting on October 24th, at 6:30 PM at St. Paul Church and all are asked to attend.
The next planning meeting will be November 6th in the conference room at St. Mary Church at 9:30 AM.