Core Team Update #14

Christ, Be Our Light!

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?

The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” –Ps 27: 7 -8

Once the parish surveys are collated, focus groups and town hall meetings are complete, it is the role of the Core Team to interpret and understand all they have heard. Then the challenge is to bring it into dialogue with the realities of parish statistics and financial data, as well as the larger mission. This is very important work, but it can be daunting.

The readings for the upcoming Second Sunday of Lent remind us that even when we are facing new situations and new challenges, we have nothing to fear. When you are tempted to put on your “rose-colored” glasses, or you are tempted to ignore the possibility that some things need to change in order for the parish to grow, turn to Christ. Pray for the Lord to illumine your understanding and give you the courage to see differently. The Lord will be your light! Trust in Him.

 

Dear Core Team Members:

All core teams should have a copy of the final cohort list.

Cohort training sessions will be held March 15-16, 2016 at the following sites:

BURLINGTON COUNTY – COHORTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saint Isaac Jogues Parish Center, Evesham, NJ

MERCER COUNTY – COHORTS 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saint David the King – The Great Hall of David the King, West Windsor, NJ

MONMOUTH COUNTY – COHORTS 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saint Mary’s Parish Center, Colts Neck, NJ

MONMOUTH COUNTY—COHORT 16, 17, 18, 19

WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Saint Mary’s Parish Center, Colts Neck, NJ

OCEAN COUNTY – COHORTS 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

St. Luke’s Parish Center, Toms River, NJ

Some other reminders:

1. Please make a note of the next steps for Core Teams:

a. Plan to complete your work of evaluating the 4 areas of parish life in ways that involve the whole parish (e.g. surveys, task forces, work groups, town hall meetings, ).

b. Finalize the three report forms:

• Your Parish Evaluation Form (downloaded from the website)
• Your Parish Summary Report Form (downloaded from the website)
• Your Data Verification Form with the trend column filled in – stable, increasing or decreasing

c. Implement your communications strategy to keep your fellow parishioners informed.

d. Contact your Reid Group consultant with your questions and concerns.

2. As you continue your regular meetings as a core team, please make sure to keep parishioners informed about Faith in Our Future through bulletin announcements, announcements at Mass, messages on your website and

3. If you have not already done so, please encourage all your parishioners to view the six-minute video message from  Bishop  O’Connell  introducing  Faith in Our Future at http://www.dioceseoftrenton.org/faithinourfuture/. You can also encourage parishioners to look at all of the resource material for Faith in Our Future that is on the website. This includes the Planning Guide in English and Spanish and the print resource “Building Our Future Together. “

4. We ask that you not contact your cohort partners before the March 15-16 training The reasons for this request are two-fold: the focus for now is on the parish evaluation process and many parishes need the next four weeks to complete their work; it is best to understand the expectations of the cohort phase of Faith in Our Future before meeting with each other. In fact, cohort teams will have nearly an hour to meet and begin their important work during the March training sessions.

5. In preparing for the March 15-16 training sessions, we request that core team secretaries bring hard copies to exchange that evening of the Parish Summary Report and the Data Verification Form for all members of your cohort. The Parish Evaluation Reports will be shared electronically following the meeting. Cohort core teams will be provided contact information for everyone in their cohort to make communication easier.

 

FAQ—Frequently Asked Questions about Faith in Our Future:

-What if we want to have conversations with parishes that are not in our cohort? Are we limited to speaking only with our cohort partners?

Your primary conversation partners are those parishes in your cohort. However, parishes outside of your cohort can be secondary conversation partners, if there is mutual interest.

-How do we arrange for a facilitator for an upcoming parish meeting?

Contact your Reid Group consultant (see left column, page 1 if you need a parish facilitator to help with town hall meetings, core team meetings and more.

Please let us know what other questions you have and we will answer them in future updates.

Thank you once again for contributing your time and energy to Faith in Our Future.

 

FAITH IN OUR FUTURE STAFF & COUNTY CONSULTANTS

Diocesan Office Staff

Msgr. Leonard Troiano,  [email protected]  1-609-403-7159

Sherrie Sporek, [email protected] 1-609-403-7193

FAX: 1-609-406-7413

MAILING ADDRESS:

Faith in Our Future, Diocese of Trenton

701 Lawrenceville Road

Trenton, NJ 08648

 

The Reid Group Consultants

Burlington & Ocean Counties Consultant

Tom Reid,  TReid@TheReidGroup. biz , 1-206-947-2990

Monmouth County Consultant

John Reid,  JReid @The ReidGroup.biz , 1-206-947-1055

Mercer County & Bi-Lingual Consultant

Karen Castellon,  KCastellon @The ReidGroup.biz , 1-908-240-9941