St. Timothy Pastoral Council Minutes

September 19, 2006

 

Present:  Father Rick Bolte, Jerry Grefer, Jim Sholar, Larry Lense, Rick Hoban, Mark Dornoff, Gerry Beatrice, and Randy Herbert.

Absent:  Mary Brzinski and Marin Smith.

  1. The opening prayer was offered by Larry Lense, and the August meeting minutes were approved.

 

  1. Maureen O’Brien-Pott and Cherye Morgan presented an update to the PC on the progress of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Parish survey.  After creating the focus groups and meeting with approximately one hundred parishioners, they presented a 25 page report on progress so far. Copies of their report are available in the parish office.  The committee was originally formed to look into the possibility of a school for St. Timothy Parish.  The focus has now been expanded to look at other areas of parish life as well.  The next step is to finalize the design of the parish survey, developing goals and objectives for both short and long-range planning.

 

  1. In an effort to improve communications in the parish, Mary Brzinski submitted an article to The Companion regarding the August meeting.  All thought the article was an excellent idea, and very well written.  The consensus was that the PC should continue to use the parish newsletter as a new line of communication between the council and the parish.

 

  1. Jerry Beatrice gave a report on changes to the construction behind Brodnick Hall.  A wall will be  added to allow the installation of a 100 gallon propane tank.  The addition will still be within the budget approved by the Finance and Parish Councils.  There was discussion concerning the fact that the color of the new roof does not match the rest of the building, but no conclusion was  reached.

 

  1. There are a number of shrubs on the parish property left by the landscaping company.  Some possible uses are to plant shrubs by the new patio cover and fence as additional protection.  Others could be planted elsewhere on the  property, and still others could be sold.  Jerry volunteered to form an ad hoc committee with John Vogelpohl and Joe Meiman to investigate the  possibilities.
  2. Pillar Reports:
    1. Larry Lense presented the minutes from the Worship Committee August 16th meeting.   Highlights included the Christmas Mass schedule, and the length of the announcements after each mass.  The suggestion was also made to recognize newcomers periodically at weekend masses.
    2. Jerry Grefer gave the Community Pillar report   The Blacktop dance and golf outing were both well attended, and receipts were greater than expenses for both.  Future events are the Stewardship Fair, the Harvest Hoedown, and the Dinner Dance.
    3. Fr. Bolte gave the Formation Pillar report for Marin Smith  The new 2-year-old program, “Small Talk”, is very popular, and has a waiting list.  The parish youth will be going on a mission trip next summer, which has also sparked interest.  The Theology on Tap program has been going very well, and there will soon be a calendar of future programs published.
    4. Jim Sholar presented the minutes from the Outreach  Committee August meeting. Items of discussion included the St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy, Hosea House, INH, and HONK.  A committee will be formed to coordinate the Ministry Crawl during Lent.  Lois Lambers will chair.  Both the Parish Region Network, and the Interfaith Hospitality Network need volunteers.  The Outreach Committee intends to increase the budget request for next year.
    5. Rick Hoban presented the Finance Council meeting notes.  New business included numerous maintenance issues on the parish property.  The balance sheet indicated that contributions are under budget, and that there was a possible error in how July contributions were budgeted.  There was also discussion on how and when to communicate budget updates to the parish.

 

  1. Pastor’s Report:
    1. The Oktoberfest results are not in yet, but the attendance seemed very good, especially on Saturday.  Sunday seems to be a difficult day for volunteers, but the best day for the rides.  There was some discussion regarding closing some of the adult booths on Sunday.  There will be an after-action meeting in approximately two weeks.
    2. There is still no word on when the priest from India will be arriving.Fr. Bolte is planning to partially wall off the living room of the rectory, using the largest possible double-door.  The doors would provide some privacy, yet allow openness for gatherings.
    3. There was a long discussion about the items receiving the most votes from attendees of the All Parish Planning Day.  Many of the items on the list are already in progress, while others will be sent to the appropriate committees for study.  Fr. Bolte will compose a letter to the parish indicating what has been done so far, and what is expected in the future.  The council also decided that future articles in The Companion would be a good method of updating progress for parishioners.

 

  1. The meeting was closed with The Lord’s Prayer.

 

  1. The next meeting is scheduled for October 17, 2006, in the Parish Center. Randy Herbert has volunteered to offer the opening prayer.  The Executive Committee will meet on October 3rd.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Randy Herbert

Pastoral Council Secretary