Pastoral Council
Pastoral Council:
Providing Counsel to Pastor
Meets 2nd Tuesday - 7:00PM
Contact: Chair, Gerard Gramlich at: geejets@sbcglobal.net
Welcome to the St. Thomas the Apostle Church Pastoral Council
In an act of faith the Pastoral Council members have expressed their willingness to offer their time and abilities for the spiritual growth and well-being of the St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. The Council is rooted in the ministry of Jesus Christ and his Disciples, who shared and affirmed, in word, love and deed, Jesus’ mission by establishing communities of faith to build up the Body of Christ.
As a member of the Pastoral Council through love and prayer these members will be more fully equipped to help the St. Thomas the Apostle parish to “reach out and to gather God’s people to his home.”
The Purpose
Members work in concert with the Pastor of the Parish to help fulfill the mission and goal of the St. Thomas the Apostle Community of Faith. The Pastoral Council is a vehicle for insuring the ongoing mission of the parish and planning the necessary strategies, policies, procedures, and activities that will enable the parish to move forward and accomplish God’s work. Give direction to the planning, developing, organizing, and implementing various ministries and/or programs of St. Thomas.
The Role
Pastoral Council members are asked to act as role models for parishioners and to lead by example, through regular, active, and participatory attendance at Mass and parish events, through active participation in the sacramental life of the parish. St. Thomas Pastoral Council practices servant leadership, by helping to identify the needs of the parishioners and taking the necessary steps to insure those needs are met.
The Process
All meetings begin with prayer that sets the tone for the meeting.
The consensus model of decision-making is utilized when any decision is made. This model is based upon the letter to the Philippians, “be of one mind, having the same love and being in full accord…looking not to your own interests but to the interests of others.”(Philippians 2: 2-4)
Decisions by consensus are shown to increase levels of participation, effectiveness, and sustain commitment. They enhance parish life and provide a sense of community while reducing the cost of time and resources. The design of consensus seeks to have everybody support the decision that needs to be made, a sense of unity.