Diocesan Coordinating Commission
Will My Parish Close?
Parish as Disciple - October, 2007
Teens and Tomorrow - September, 2007
Where Does Your Parish Stand? - July, 2007
Parish Improvement, Mergers, Closures and Clusters - June, 2007
Overview on the Work of Our Diocesan Coordinating Commission
Intercessory Prayers for the Planning Tomorrow's Churches Process
A Vision for Tomorrow's Parishes and Schools (Indicators/Descriptors)
US Census Bureau: American Community Survey
Planning Tomorrow’s Churches ... Where We Are and What’s Next
Regional Review Committees completed their work in the last few months. Records indicate that 93 faith communities completed the PEI process and 90 faith communities held parish assemblies during which parishioners were informed of the results of the regional review process.
Beginning November 2007, the process moved to the Diocesan Coordinating Commission level. The review process at the diocesan level is a comprehensive one. Each individual parish report resulting from the PEI process, each parish assembly report and the regional report are studied by Commission members. Any correspondence received in the Office of Pastoral Planning related to the outcome of the parish or regional review are also distributed to the Commission members. Demographic statistics accompany each parish report.
In dialogue with the regional vicar, the Commission makes every effort humanly possible to thoroughly understand the effectiveness of the life and mission of the church within each region. The Commission approaches the review with two intentions: (1)to grasp what is happening now in the local parishes within the region, and (2) what the needs of the future are. The vicars have been asked to provide the Commission with an overview of the regional review process in the region and to include any facts pertinent to the Planning Tomorrow’s Churches process. Any lacunae in the regional process have been cited and recorded for further deliberation. Each individual observation made in the regional report is reviewed in great depth during Commission meetings. The work, while being tedious, is somewhat rewarding. We have learned about many effective ministries throughout various parts of the diocese and we have learned that there remains much work to do. Some of the work is beginning in the regions. Other suggestions will need further deliberation and will need approval from the Bishop of the diocese before implementation can begin.
To date, the Commission has completed its initial review of the Lenawee, Livingston, Jackson, Washtenaw and Lansing Regions. Genesee County and Shiawassee County are scheduled for review during the February meeting of the Commission.
What’s next, you may ask? After all regions have been reviewed, the Commission will take a comprehensive look at what has been learned. Issues have been identified along the way which will need resolution. When a draft plan is complete, Bishop’s consultative bodies (Presbyteral Council, Diocesan Pastoral Council, Council of Vicars, Diocesan Finance Council and College of Consultors) will review the draft recommendations resulting from the entire review process. These draft recommendations will be revised as needed before being presented to the Bishop of Lansing for approval sometime in June 2008."
CONTACT:
Sister Rita Wenzlick, OP
517-342-2502
e-mail: rwenzlick@dioceseoflansing.org
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