St. Barnabas Parishchicago, Illinois

St. Barnabas Parish Chicago, Illinois

Development Plan

November 11, 2008

1101 South Boulevard - #205 Oak Park, Illinois 60302 708-383-8836 St. Barnabas Parish Mission

St. Barnabas, as a parish and a local gathering of God’s people, Is dedicated to celebrating the Eucharist, Welcoming and serving all, sharing talents, fostering learning and initiating others Into the experience of Christ’s paschal mystery.

Building on the PAR Process The PAR process is viewed as a “step in the right direction” for organizing parish administration and lay leadership, however, greater communication of this organization is still needed. In addition, a parish vision and specific goals with a timeline and action plan are necessary to build on the momentum of PAR and move the parish into the future.

Before moving into the goals of the development plan, it is important to begin with a look at the “Suggested areas for goals from the PAR Report” so that we refocus and build from the good work of the parish to date.

Leadership: Education: 1. Structure 1. Education Commission 2. Decision-making 2. Parish School 3. Co-chairs 3. Adult Formation 4. Leadership Night 4. Small Groups 5. Gathering of Ministers 5. Whole Community Catechesis 6. Covenant Booklet 6. Discussions After Mass 7. Parish Event 8. Staff

Spiritual Life: Human Concerns: 1. Spiritual Life Commission 1. Human Concerns Commission 2. Participation 2. Pastoral Care 3. Assessment 3. Peace and Justice 4. Planning of Masses 4. Visibility 5. A Variety of Offerings 5. Inactive Catholics 6. Greeters Committee 6. Parish Mission Project 7. Experiences of Prayer

Parish Life: Administration: 1. Parish Life Commission 1. Administration Commission 2. Social Events 2. Census Update 3. Managing Volunteers 3. Communications 4. Welcoming Newcomers 4. Stewardship 5. Youth Ministry 5. Finance Board 6. Athletics Board 6. Discernment Process

2 Development Goals for St. Barnabas Parish

Goal #1: Create a Vision for St. Barnabas Parish

Goal #2: Nurture parishioners of all walks of life to help them continue to grow in their faith journey

Goal #3: Create and implement a parish-wide communication plan

Goal #4: Cultivate an environment that unites to support the legacy of the Parish and its ministries as one, faith-filled community

Goal #5: Make a commitment to excellence in faith formation at all ages

Goal #6: Formally establish an alumni program to engage and enhance relationships with those who have benefited from an education rooted in Catholic faith at St. Barnabas Parish.

3 Goal #1: Create a Vision for St. Barnabas Parish

Objective 1: Invite the entire parish to be a voice in deciding what St. Barnabas should be known for and making a clear path for the future as a faith community. Challenge St. Barnabas parishioners to identify “Stretching”, significant goals for the parish

• Conduct a series of vision groups to gather the hopes and dreams as well as the ongoing concerns of the parish community. Be certain to answer the question, “What do we look like when we are at our best?” as a parish, in our families and in our community. • Share what has been accomplished through the PAR process and what still needs to happen • Make an effort to bring people into the process through personal invitations. The one-on-one meetings of parishioners with Fr. Malloy and the development director should continue in order to gather more in- depth knowledge • Utilize a parish survey or other information gathering tool to offer everyone the opportunity to “put their hand prints” on the future. The survey itself will be created by the Development Director and approved by the Pastor and Parish Council. o Survey should be mailed to every registered household o Survey should be made available online through the parish website for those who are so inclined o One weekend, allow surveys to be filled out and collected at mass so that constituents see the importance of being a part of the decision making process • At the conclusion of the group and one-on-one meetings, host a town hall meeting where priority is given to parish goals for the future • Be certain to communicate the parish goals frequently and consistently through the parish bulletin, the school, alumni communication and the parish website

Objective 2: The Parish Council, with assistance from its commissions, should develop a parish Vision statement that reflects the spirit and themes of the Vision process

• Information collected during the Vision process should be processed thoughtfully and prayerfully. • The Parish Council should construct a statement that encompasses the overarching themes of the parish goals and embodies the future of the parish as a faith community

Objective 3: Host an annual “Vision” celebration on June 11 – the Feast of St. Barnabas to review parish goals and progress in accomplishing them

4 • The first Vision celebration should include the formal adoption of the parish Vision statement o The Vision statement should be celebrated with banners and other collateral to give it top of mind awareness as it will serve the parish for at least the next five years • The Mission and Vision statements should appear prominently in the parish bulletin and on the parish website • This celebration would be an excellent point of connection for welcoming outside members of the greater Beverly community to learn about St. Barnabas in a fun, social, festive atmosphere. • The annual celebration is also an opportunity to include a special thank you to parish volunteers.

Goal #2: Nurture parishioners of all walks of life to help them continue to grow in their faith journey

Objective 1: Increase attendance and participation in the celebration of the Eucharist with “niche” masses. Consider one ore two of the following suggestions to start. Not every mass should be a niche mass until we see how parishioners like the changes.

• Saturday 4pm mass would have a theme directed to “lessons from the gospel to incorporate in every day life”

• The 8am Sunday liturgy would become the “no frills” mass o The length of the mass would be 40-minutes or less o There would be minimal music in the liturgy

• Establish the Sunday 10am mass as the “Family Mass” o Encourage an atmosphere that warmly welcomes families o Host fellowship after mass with coffee and doughnuts and room for children to run around and play while parents socialize o Once a month, sponsor a “family day” immediately following celebration of the 10am mass with a “field trip” to a zoo, museum, baseball game, amusement park, etc. to encourage community building among church goers o Consider grooming a parish song that the congregation “grows to love” such as “Our Lives are Woven” authored by Tom Ptacek – a member of the folk group

• Noon mass would become the Peace and Justice mass o This mass would welcome back Catholics and encourage members of the broader community to attend

5 o Host a monthly service project after mass where parishioners can get involved in the community and making a difference in peoples lives o Host a quarterly speaker on social justice topics that follows mass and includes fellowship and community building

• With the help and leadership of youth ministry, create a Sunday evening mass by young adults, for young adults o Incorporate modern music with the talents of young parishioners. . This group may form a name and “perform” outside of church to attract new parishioners or young people to attend the Sunday evening mass o Advertise the addition of this mass in the local high schools and colleges seeking new members and participants • With the help of youth ministry, create appropriate seasonal masses followed by informal social gatherings, i.e. college and high school “send- off” mass in August (old grammar school friends can reacquaint or catch up); Welcome home mass at Christmas break

Objective 2: Host mass in the home of a parishioner with time for socialization, discussion and community gathering following the celebration of Eucharist • All parishioners would be given the opportunity to be a host family • Frequency of mass events would be determined by the Pastor • The host family would decide the maximum number of people who could attend the event and would have the option of inviting specific people or opening it to the larger community to sign up to attend • This is a very personable way for the pastor to build and strengthen relationships with parishioners

Objective 3: Create a program that becomes the “sequel” to Christ Renews His Parish • Establish a special task force to work on the creation of the program • Members of the committee should be creative thinkers, faith-filled people and range in age from teens to retired persons • A potential list of candidates for such a committee has been secured from Sr. Julie Flynn, OP • Consider the format for the program to be a “half-day power retreat” that people can include in the busy schedules of modern times • Specialize programs for certain times of year, such as Advent and Lent • Consider adapting retreats to a “women only”, “men only” or “young adult only” format • Call parishioners to encourage participation in retreats • Have parish commissions, leadership and ministries actively recruit people to participate in retreats, keeping a full schedule and creating a demand for the retreats

6 • Open the program to outside parishes, making St. Barnabas the “hub” for a new spiritual program

Goal #3: Create and implement a parish communication plan

Objective 1: Increase the frequency and quality of parish financial information

• Incorporate colorful charts, graphs and pictures to make financial information more appealing and attractive to read • When communicating the offertory collection, provide a “point of reference” so that parishioners may easily understand if more money is needed and parish needs are being satisfied • Clearly identify and communicate parish needs to eliminate the feeling of “giving to the big black hole” • Show parishioners how their financial gifts make a difference in the parish and its ministries • Use the parish website and bulletin to communicate parish finances • Thank parishioners on a regular basis for faithfully supporting the parish with financial gifts

Objective 2: Create greater awareness of the financial reporting structure for groups within the parish that raise funds for the benefit of the parish. This includes stricter enforcement and adhesion to guidelines. • Financial controls, in accordance with the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Chicago should be used by all parish groups without exception • A monthly report of all financial activity, including account balances, expenditures, etc. should be provided to the pastor • All fundraising efforts should be approved by the Finance Board, Director of Development and Pastor. This will help clarify what funds are being raised for and make certain all fundraising supports the overall goals of the parish. • All fundraising efforts should be reviewed on an annual basis by the Director of Development and Pastor with the organizing interest group. The review should identify strengths and weaknesses of the event and ways to improve for the future. • A master event binder should be produced that contains a proforma for all events • Close extraneous checking accounts so proper accounting and oversight can be applied to parish funds. The Parish Finance committee should be integral in this effort.

Objective 3: Use press releases to spotlight and showcase St. Barnabas Parish as a member of the Beverly, Chicago and greater Catholic communities

• Become a regular feature in the local paper as a “place where people want to be”

7 • Highlight success of St. Barnabas School, religious education, faith formation and service projects • Parish events draw large crowds – invite the media to see first hand the wonderful community of people at St. Barnabas • The development director will have to work in close relationship with the communication committee to ensure best efforts.

Objective 4: Utilize the St. Barnabas website as a frequently updated, user friendly resource for parish information

• Offer a “master calendar of events and happenings” so that people know of opportunities to participate as well as have the ability to schedule meetings and other activities • Use the parish and school logos to create a brand for the parish • Hire appropriate staff to maintain the website so that it remains an effective communication tool o Use this staff person to provide a “filter” of sorts so that all information on the website is consistent in look and messaging • Be certain to highlight needs for volunteers and offer contact information to get involved • Encourage commissions and ministries to use the site as a recruiting and evangelization tool • Use school assemblies and special masses to communicate a few extraordinary accomplishments of alumni, thus fostering and promoting an atmosphere of excellence and community. Coordinate efforts with youth ministry.

Goal #4: Cultivate an environment that supports the legacy of the Parish and its ministries as one, faith-filled community

Objective 1: Create an “attitude of gratitude”

• It is evident at St. Barnabas that parishioners and families of years past sacrificed in order to provide the campus enjoyed by people today. It is time to make a concentrated effort to preserve and improve the parish campus as a “steward” of the facilities entrusted to our care. • Stewardship is a way of life and requires a conversion in the hearts and minds of faith-filled people. o Make a concentrated effort to educate parishioners in stewardship principles o Ingrain the stewardship principles into daily life o Parish leadership should model a stewardship way of life o Constantly encourage one another to come closer to our faith and fellow parishioners

8 9 Objective 2: Increase the parish offertory collection

• Provide a solid financial future for the parish and its ministries • Create an “open book” policy for sharing parish financial information. Sharing information creates and strengthens trust. • Involve parishioners in creating and supporting financial goals. Look beyond a one year time horizon. Consider a rolling five year plan for the church and school. • Develop a “menu” of non-negotiable items that require funding. Communicate that once those essential items are funded, additional items on a sub-menu can be fulfilled. • Celebrate the accomplishments made with dollars entrusted to the parish so that people can see their gifts working • Explain how $25 each Sunday for a year improves the parish; or if able to increase to $30 a week, show what more could be accomplished. • Implement Parish Pay or another electronic offering program to offer parishioners a convenient vehicle for supporting St. Barnabas • Be certain to include the Parish Pay or electronic offering program on the parish website • Help people understand that just as in a personal budget, fiscal prudence and good planning will ensure a bright and smooth future for the parish

Objective 3: Enhance the existing school endowment fund to serve as a nest egg for longevity. The endowment would be grown over time to multiples of the annual school operating budget. Legacy and Bequest gifts would be encouraged for the growth of this fund.

• Include all parish opportunities to give, including the School Endowment, Grant-in-Aid and School Development Fund in the submenu of items to fund as described in Objective 2. • The existing “Grant-in-Aid” fund will continue to be used for immediate tuition assistance needs. • The existing “School Development Fund” will continue to fulfill immediate program, teacher enhancement and facility dollars. • Create a brochure that explains all of the opportunities to support the parish and school financially, including unrestricted funds. This brochure should be made available to all parishioners and on the parish website. • Have a special envelope for Catholic Schools week that is sent home to all school parents with an appeal letter from the principal and pastor outlining the importance of building the three school funds. • During Catholic Schools week, have a current student and a high school freshman speak at each weekend mass about the wonderful education he/she is receiving(ed) from St. Barnabas. Have envelopes available in the pews for a second collection to benefit GIA, School Development and School Endowment funds.

10 • Send an appeal letter with an envelope to all St. Barnabas alumni

Objective 4: Create a Planned Giving program that offers information to parishioners that is easy to understand and recognizes them for their thoughtfulness

• Create an informational brochure with contact information o Include the brochure on the parish website

• Host a Planned Giving workshop once every two years o Invite local estate planning professionals to help present information to parishioners

• Initiate a Legacy Society o Every person who informs St. Barnabas that provisions have been made in his/her estate will have their name added to a Legacy Society plaque that will be prominently displayed o Work with parish deacons, hospice and local hospitals to provide families with Legacy Society opportunities

Goal #5: Make a commitment to excellence in faith formation at all ages

Objective 1: Draft a covenant for all parents and students to sign in both the School and Religious Education program that commits them to a Catholic stewardship lifestyle • Be certain that the covenant includes, but is not limited to the following: o A commitment to attend mass every weekend as a family o Prayerful reflection as a family for the many blessings received from the Lord o A commitment to offer time and talent to the parish on a frequent basis o A commitment to be Christ-like to fellow parishioners o Commit to offering generous financial support to the parish • The covenant may include giving students an assignment on Fridays that they would have to complete with the help of parents and family members based on attendance at weekend mass. • A liturgy would be hosted at the beginning of the school year for all school and religious education families to sign the covenant and celebrate the commitment to deepening their faith

Objective 2: Ensure that St. Barnabas School remains a strong and competitive option for Catholic education • Increase enrollment in all grade levels with active marketing and recruiting efforts

11 o One of the strongest influences in making the decision to enroll children in a Catholic school is the word of mouth support of current families . Have current parents host informational coffees in their homes for parents preparing to make a decision on where to send children to school o Create “Class of 20__” shirts to give to babies baptized at St. Barnabas o Include information in parish welcome packets on the benefits of a St. Barnabas education o Acquire letters from prominent high schools and colleges commending St. Barnabas School for preparing students with an excellent education o Host an Open House day for local realtors so that they become acquainted with St. Barnabas School. This could be done in conjunction with Catholic Schools week. . Offer realtors pens, coffee cups, etc. with the St. Barnabas logo o Publish the names of St. Barnabas parishioners who make high school honor rolls . Have those students then write a letter to be published in the bulletin and on the parish website that thanks teachers for such a great education • Be certain that a Catholic education does not become cost prohibitive for families o Utilize FACT or another confidential third-party organization to help determine families with true financial need o Continue to build the school GIA and fund to provide additional scholarship dollars as the cost of education rises o Make a parish commitment to the “investment in education”, otherwise known as the subsidy

Objective 3: Maintain the strength and vibrancy of the St. Barnabas Religious Education program

• Actively involve parents in the religious education program o Teach parents to be constant role models of Catholic faith in the lives of their children o Host quarterly activities where parents are required to attend the religious education class with their student o Issue homework assignments that requires input from family members

12 Objective 4: Provide resources for the success of the youth ministry program

• Designate a place to gather for teens that they can call their own. Conversion of space in the convent or the adjacent house property could become a hub for activity • Create social opportunities for parish teens such as retreats, service projects or a pizza and movie night • Give teens a “mass to call their own” with the addition of the Sunday evening mass listed in Goal #2. • Allow youth program to sponsor parish fundraisers for a significant service trip during summer months. Ideas include, but are not limited to: breakfast after 8 and 10am masses (i.e. eggs, bacon and doughnuts cooked and served by parish youth)

Objective 5: Create an Adult Ministry that provides spiritual and social opportunities for parishioners and the greater community

• Host Theology on Tap once a year and invite Catholics from all surrounding parishes • Host monthly Taize Prayer and invite the entire south side community • Host networking events semiannually • Create a mentoring program for older parishioners to “coach” young professionals with the wisdom of their experiences • Create a support group for the single vocation o Consider hosting “speed dating for young Catholics” • Create a support group for married couples o This could become a monthly wine and cheese gathering with a specific topic and a guest speaker . Topics may include, but are not limited to:  Saving for college  Opportunities for adoption  Fertility challenges  Effective child rearing  Keeping the romance alive  Couples who have been married 20 years or more could be mentors to newlyweds

Objective 6: Establish a Golden Years Ministry

• Create a schedule for retired persons to read to children in the grade school and religious education program • Supplement the art program in the school with assistance from seniors • Implement intergenerational faith opportunities where seniors are matched with young adults who need to fulfill service hours • Maintain the vibrant Coffee Shop for socialization and gathering

13 Goal #6: Formally establish an alumni program to engage and enhance relationships with those who have benefited from an education rooted in Catholic faith at St. Barnabas Parish

Objective 1: Make every effort to keep the alumni list clean and current • As an eighth grade class matriculates, be certain to add them into the database o Send letters to students wishing them good luck as they enter high school • Create a St. Barnabas Alumni newsletter o Can be done electronically and made available on the website . Website can include blogs for alumni to reconnect o Highlight success of alumni • Host alumni events to maintain relationships and reconnect alumni o Host annual golf outing o Alumni White Sox game event o St. Barnabas Homecoming event hosted at local pub o Consider creating a “Distinguished Alumni Award” where nominations come from fellow alumni

Objective 2: Host an annual “Day Before Thanksgiving All-School Reunion Mass” • Invite all St. Barnabas alumni to attend mass at 4pm followed by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. • A local pub may want to assist in hosting the festivities. If there is a significant response, certain class years could congregate at designated neighborhood bars.

Objective 3: Create an alumni annual fund for the School Endowment • Institute named memorial scholarship fund • Create sponsorships in honor of dedicated faculty