St. John Pastoral Council Meeting November 7, 2005 The meeting opened with the gospel reading and discussion. The September minutes were approved. Council members in attendance: Fran Rock, Paul Rock, Becky Martin, Bob Repsher, Densie Diegel, Terry Jones, Janet Tenney, Tom Witmer, John Bryan, Steve Torbeck, Mike Oster, Mary Mussari, Mike Fisher, Rosalie Gardner Staff in Attendance” Msgr. Art, Fr. John, Pat Brink, New Seminarians: Keith Servine and John Wisniewski. Parishioner in Attendance: Charlie Swinderman Council Members Absent: Ralph Arnold, Peggy Rager, Tom Greene, Joe Rankin, Frank Tontala, Jeannie Carbo, and Fr. Leo Parish Concerns: Fran asked for the date of Fr. Leo’s talk on the Vatican Council. That date is unknown at this time. Fran explained that parishioner concerns will not be discussed at the council meeting. Instead, they will be heard then passed on the appropriate committee so that the council can stay on the planned agenda. Bob Repsher expressed concern over who will lead the parish while Msgr. Art is in Rome. An administrator will be named. John Bryan expressed concern over the noise in the narthex before 6:00 Mass. Also, he mentioned that the wine is discoloring and pitting the metal in some of the chalices. Follow up for these concerns will be done by the appropriate committees. Old Business: 1.Carnival report. No report. The committee is looking for someone to run the pit beef concession next year. Discussion was held. 2. House of Worship Christmas Tour will be held on December 30. It is being organized by the Westminster Ministerial. Msgr. Art explained that the tour will end at St. John’s with a concert at 7 p.m. on the 30th. Joe Cinquino is the contact person. 3. Becky Martin reported on the need for a central calendar for speakers and fundraisers. The idea is to disseminate information about what is going in the parish. This will avoid duplication of speakers and make the process more efficient. The committee is trying to get together a protocol and a survey to all committee chairs. Discussion was help about the best way to deal with all the requests and the imparting of information. Committee Updates: Outreach- Denise Diegel reported that the Spanish ministry is growing, and she proposed hiring a part- time administrative assistant to work approximately eight hours a week. Msgr. Art will take the issue to the Finance Committee. Denise made a proposal to have the sign for the Masses to be in Spanish & English. Denise also asked the council to consider how we support the disabled in our parish and to consider making the entry ways into the church more accessible for the handicapped. The Facilities committee will follow up on this subject. Janet Tenney reported that the Bereavement Committee held a successful nine week session with ten participants. The feedback was favorable. Religious Education- Becky Martin reported that RCIA has purchased materials to make the program more uniform. School Report- Pat Brink reported that Kyle Boller (Baltimore Ravens player) visited St. John School. There will be an upcoming archdiocesan principals’ training on hiring practices. The Middle States dinner will be held on Monday, November 28 at 5:45, with Dr. Ward. Council members will be invited. Ralph Arnold is spearheading the committee for all-day kindergarten. Tom Witmer gave the school board report. The annual Meet the Teachers Night was held. School board goals are being finalized. Development- Ralph Arnold was absent but had indicated to Fran that the weekly collection had increased since stewardship Sunday. The committee will meet prior to the next Pastoral council meeting. Liturgy – Rosalie Gardner reported that the Liturgical Ministry Retreat will be held on January 28 2006. (February 4 is the snow date.) The committee is sponsoring a Liturgical Ministers’ Fair on the 6th week of Easter (Sat/Sun 20 and 21, May, 2006). Jeannie Carbo and Regina McCurdy are co-chairs. One proposal was for parking spaces designated for “Pregnant Mothers.” Annual Parish Updates will be available to parishioners by mid-November. Finance- the committee met in October. The parish has had better than average income over the last 3 months. Paul Rock recommended establishing a “rainy day” fund for emergency situations. The committee objective is to pay down the debt within 8 to 10 years. The quarterly report has been published. The committee is studying ways to manage cash flow. Facilities—Terry Jones reported that the leak in the church has been fixed and several trees have been taken down and removed. Other items discussed: Fran asked that each committee submit its goals. The committee goals need to match the criteria from the Pastoral Council Retreat, which each committee received. New Business- Msgr. Art reported that the book store will hold its grand opening on November 20. The Christmas Bazaar will be held December 3 and Jimmy Diggs and Al Wilder are co-chairs. Announcements- Msgr.Art thanked everyone for their work. Fran Rock will represent St. John on the Board of Westminster Church Homes Foundation. Msgr Art asked for prayers for the pilgrims going to Rome from St. John’s. He reported that our Lenten Appeal goal has been raised and Gail Young will chair the parish effort for the Lenten Appeal. The Mary Martha Ministry is up and running. Steve Torbeck received our thanks for getting our parish annual report to the Archdiocese in on time. The executive committee will meet on November 21 at 7:30 AM. Respectfully submitted: Rosalie Gardner (substituting for Peggy Rager)