Sharing the Wealth Programs

Need Help in Attaining Your Parish’s Pastoral Plan Goals?

Throughout the diocese, parishes have been introducing creative initiatives or giving renewed emphasis to existing programs to achieve their pastoral goals. Usually, these come to light through the parish progress reports to the Office of Pastoral Planning. They constitute a wealth of good ideas…ideas that can be adapted by other parishes.

Each month, we sketch one of these programs briefly in VOICES ALIVE and then present it in greater detail through the link below for this month. We describe in depth how the program works and cite other information sources for follow-up. Also linked below are descriptions of all the other programs presented since we introduced this series in March, 2006. The Office's goal is to grow this series into a library of success stories from which every parish can benefit. If you know of a program that merits inclusion here, notify the Office of Pastoral Planning at 517-342-2502. We can take it from there.

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Tips on Copy Preparation - Are you excited about a project or activity that has been life-giving in your parish? Could it be used as a model for other parishes? If so, you are encouraged to share a brief description for future issues of VOICES Alive. Here are guidelines to help in the preparation of your story.

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January, 2009 - Being Green Can Be A Very Good Thing
If you are looking for a New Year’s resolution that can be a boost for the environment and pay off in reduced expenses for you parish, why not consider having your parish become part of the Michigan Interfaith Power and Light Coalition? Several of our parishes have become stewards of God’s creation by promoting and implementing energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy and related sustainable practices.

December 2008 - The Living Nativity
If you want to deepen your experience of the miracle of Christmas – and do so at a pageant that might have made noted Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille a bit green with envy – then you want to join the large throng on hand at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Ann Arbor, for the Living Nativity Procession and Festival. 

November 2008 - Out of Darkness… Parish Grief Support Ministry
Every human being, at one time or another, experiences loss in life which leaves pain and grief.  There is a common "thread" running through a number of the many parish grief support ministries in the Diocese of Lansing so that those people experiencing loss do not need to feel alone in carrying that burden.  In this “Sharing The Wealth” article, we highlight a few of those ministries. 

October 2008 - Spirituality . . . What is it and how do I get it?
At Saint Mary Magdalen Parish, Brighton, the question, “How do I get spirituality?” has been answered by offering a number of spirituality program opportunities for women, men and elders. 

September 2008 - Parish Nurse Ministry: Nurturing Body and Soul
The Parish Nurse/Health Ministry at St. Jude Parish in DeWitt is more than just blood pressure screenings after weekend masses once or twice a month. If you check into the ministry, you very quickly discover that it is very much more than that!

August 2008 - Social Justice Ministry at St. Therese Parish in Lansing

St. Therese Parish in Lansing has found a myriad of ways to contribute to the Christian mandate to foster social justice in our world. The efforts of the Parish Social Ministry Commission include: Advocacy Corner, a Catechetical Reflection, and Giving Tree Farm to name a few.

 

July 2008 - Enabled by His love…disAbled No Longer!

This month we highlight the work of two programs in the Diocese of Lansing which provide special religious education for adults with developmental disAblities—programs which have been making a difference in the lives of these people for nearly 40 years. The first of these local efforts was introduced in 1969 with the formation of the Jackson Area Catholic Special Religious Education Program (JACSRE). The second, the Special Religious Education Class of Saint Paul Catholic Church, Owosso, celebrated its 35^th Anniversary on May 7, 2008.

June 2008 - Stephen Ministry Complements Pastoral Care
With approximately 2,900 households comprising St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ann Arbor, there are times when the needs of the parishioners exceed what a pastor alone can provide. When that happens, that is where lay ministers trained in the Stephen Ministry program step in to provide a caring presence for parishioners.

May 2008 - St. James Ministry Fair
In a busy parish like St. James in Mason, there are many opportunities for volunteering, as well as a variety of committees and councils to address nearly any need. What better way is there than a fair for parishioners to learn about all the ministries in a parish?

April 2008 - A Valued Pen Pal When It Counts Most
A few years ago, the Education Commission at St. Joseph Shrine in Brooklyn was grappling with an all too common problem: How do we keep in meaningful contact with our young parents? They were looking for ways to show interest in their families and help support them in their parenting and faith. That is when they hit on 'Parent Letters' as an excellent tool for doing just that.

March 2008 - Birthdays and Anniversaries as Evangelization Events???
...It works in Brooklyn!
Every parish seeks to be a more welcoming community. At St. Joseph Parish in Brooklyn, the staff has hit on a simple but very effective way to do that… and give the parish's evangelization efforts a boost in the bargain.

February 2008 - Family Stations of the Cross
St. Pius X Parish in Flint has rekindled the fervor for the Way of the Cross as a Lenten devotion. Families become involved by providing reflections for the Living Stations of the Cross.

January 2008 - Angels Outreach Ministry
Faced with increases in street crime, family abuse, assaults and drug-related crimes, the Angels Outreach Ministry of Sacred Heart Parish in Flint addresses the needs of neighborhood children who are at home in vulnerable situations on weekends and in the summer when school is not in session.

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December 2007 - Knitting for a Difference
A group of dedicated knitters at St. Catherine Labouré parish in Concord have a theme, "Making the world a better place, one stitch at a time." Not only are their Chemo Caps warming heads of cancer patients, but the caps are warming hearts as well with Caps for Kids.

November 2007 - A TIME OUT WITH GOD - The Busy Person's Retreat
For many of us, the pace of today’s lifestyle leaves us asking, "When is there time for me and God?" A growing number of people are finding the answer to that question in an experience that some call "The Busy Person's Retreat." Within the Diocese of Lansing, this retreat structure is being successfully employed at both St. Joseph Parish, Dexter and at Siena Heights University, Adrian.

October 2007 - PEACE AND JUSTICE WITH BEATITUDES
One of the great challenges in promoting social justice is finding ways to show that there are practical, down-to-earth steps to deal with these seemingly larger-than-life issues. Learn how members of Saint Mary Magdalen parish in Brighton are working to educate parishioners on living lives of charity and justice.

September 2007 - MARTHA MEALS MINISTRY
Probably for as long as there have been churches, women's groups have been generously providing funeral lunches/dinners for families grieving a lost loved one. St. Catherine Labouré in Concord has expanded on this service to offer home cooked meals to parishioners facing other difficulties in their lives.

August 2007 - WHERE ARE MARY AND JOSEPH?
Forget Waldo, Carmen Sandiego or Matt Lauer…Where are Mary and Joseph? Last December, the parishioners at Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Jackson, participated in a successful Advent adventure as the Holy Family and three Magi journeyed through the parish on their way to Bethlehem.

July 2007 - Dresser Mission
Leveraging an organization’s strengths and assets has long been a successful business formula. For a pair of mothers in The Catholic Community of St. Jude, DeWitt, leveraging parish strengths has been working wonders in their very successful “Dresser Ministry” - a program to help area women and couples cope with the burdens of unexpected pregnancies without resorting to abortion.

June 2007 - LIFE TEEN
Since the introduction of LIFE TEEN Youth Ministry at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Lansing two years ago, the teenagers have grown in understanding of what it means to be a young Catholic in the 21st century.

May 2007 - Prayer Bracelet Workshops
In the past, women gathered together to work on patchwork quilts, share a little gossip, and bond as only a community of women can. In a modern day twist, women at St James Parish in Mason are gathering twice a year to create bracelets based on prayer.

April 2007 - Ballroom Dancing...Steps to Ecumenism and Much, Much More
Through ballroom dancing, a group of people from Sacred Heart Parish, Flint, have formed a wonderful ecumenical activity and a very creative way of reaching families, youth and young adults of all ages!

March 2007 - A Catholic Book Club
Sometimes very successful projects can flow out of a very simple beginning particularly when the ground is fertile and the rest of the environment is right. That certainly has been the case with the success of the Catholic Book Club at St. John the Evangelist, Fenton.

February 2007 - The Rosary Garden
This article highlighting the Rosary Garden at St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn, was first published in The Catholic Times, October 20, 2006. The article reviews how the Rosary Garden project was developed by the catechists searching for a creative way to teach the rosary to their students. It soon turned into a project that the entire parish has been able to enjoy. We are grateful to The Catholic Times for permission to reprint the article.

January 2007 - ALL ARE WELCOME...Whole Community Catechesis
Looking for an opportunity to catechize your entire parish community all at once? This month we take a good look at the lively and creative intergenerational catechesis programs at St. Mary on the Lake, Manitou Beach and Saint Mary Parish, Flint.

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December 2006 - School for Discipleship
This month we feature the “School for Discipleship” and detail how the staff at St. Mary Magdalen, Brighton, has incorporated in it a systematic, academic approach to adult faith formation.

November 2006 - A Holiday Walk
Saint Matthew Parish, Flint, offers an annual opportunity to neighboring church communities to learn who Catholics are and what they believe by providing an opportunity for Christians to take a guided tour of the church.

October 2006 - Parish Vocation Cross
Have you heard about this project where you/your family can focus on praying for vocations in church ministry?  Both Christ the King Parish, Flint and St. Mary Parish, Pinckney, have adapted this program to their parish with excellent results.

September 2006 - Walk to Jerusalem
How do you get several hundred parishioners to give themselves a spiritual and physical "tune-up?" Why not invite them to "take a hike?" At least that’s what the health ministry team at the Catholic Community of St. Jude in DeWitt did earlier this year.

August 2006 - Why Do Catholics Do That?
This month, we turn the spotlight on an imaginative, effective adult formation program of St. Mary, Chelsea entitled "Why Do Catholics Do That?" Presented during Lent, the five-week series of mini classes explores in a creative way our core beliefs and how they can be applied in our daily lives.

July 2006 - A Banner Day for Ministries
An innovative program of St. John the Evangelist, Fenton, designed to dramatically highlight all of the parish ministries, to encourage support and to recruit volunteers.

June 2006 - The Ark
Envision a group of young people - high school and college age - who are enthusiastic about the Church, Scripture and good fellowship.  Add a dynamic youth minister and you have a good insight into the youth program at St. Mary Parish in Westphalia.

May 2006 - "Wee Believers"
The "Wee Believers" are the kindergarten and pre-K children, age four, among the Catholic Community of St. Jude in DeWitt and they're part of a new and exciting departure from the traditional pre-school and nursery-type programs.

April 2006 - 'Come and See'
COME AND SEE is a tried, proven and effective 'Welcome Home' process.  Unique is its facilitation by people who themselves have been away and have now returned to the Church.

March 2006 - CRHP: Christ Renews His Parish
CRHP (routinely pronounced "chirp") features a fairly intense weekend of scriptural study, discussions, reflection and experience sharing.  It is a renewal processe designed to evangelize the participants to progress in their faith, overcome obstacles to spiritual growth and become more committed to discipleship.  Experience has shown that the latter often leads to greater involvement in various parish ministries.