A Word from Patricia DeGroot, Parish Director and the Advancing the Mission Leadership Team

Dear Parish Family:

After months of listening, planning and study, the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay is introducing an effort to strengthen our parish and diocese for the future. The name of this effort is Advancing the Mission Stewardship Campaign. This Stewardship Campaign has five goals:

Ø Promoting Vibrant Parishes,

Ø Leadership Development of future priest (seminarians), deacons and lay leaders,

Ø Evangelization or Outreach to non-Catholics, practicing and non-practicing Catholics and fellow Christians,

Ø Lifelong Catechesis or Catholic Education (Catholic school, Religious Education and Adult Faith Formation), and

Ø Priestly Retirement and Healthcare.

In Advancing the Mission, roughly half the proceeds will go towards developing the strength, life, vitality, and ministries of our parish today. The other half of the proceeds will go towards the four diocesan goals, which will strengthen the parishes in our diocesan Church for the future. The parish projects we are considering sponsoring are:

· A parish hall as planned in Phase 2 of the building project,

· Other possibilities suggested by parishioners.

Advancing the Mission is just one part of our life’s journey, our spiritual journey to God. We ask that everyone begin praying for Advancing the Mission. God is the Lord of our lives. God has great plans, hopes and dreams for us. We discover those plans and dreams through prayer. Let us seek His will and do His will for that is the way to true happiness and fulfillment. Begin praying with us,

“Lord, what do you want to do, through me, for my parish and my diocese?”

Pray this over and over again, and let God guide you, move you and prompt you.

This is a time of grace, a time when we recommit ourselves to a life of prayer, service and sharing. All three are necessary for a stewardship way of life. Let us be faithful caretakers of our faith, our parish family and our diocesan Church.

May we give back to God as God has first given to us.

Pat DeGroot and the Advancing the Mission Leadership Team

Advancing the Mission Teams

A campaign like Advancing the Mission happens with the inspired help of many dedicated people. Many parishioners have already committed themselves as leaders, and teams are being formed to help with the campaign. Below are descriptions of some of the fifteen teams needed to make the Advancing the Mission Stewardship Campaign a success. Please say “yes” when you are asked to serve.

Advanced Commitment Team

The Advance Commitment Team will plan and direct one or a series of informative gatherings for potential major donors in order to encourage them to make their commitments prior to the rest of the parish family.

Caller Team

The Caller Team is responsible for making phone calls to parishioners at three different times in the campaign to remind them of key events. It is the largest team in the campaign. Each member calls the same dozen or so households three times. None of these calls involve asking for money or pledges.

Ø Call 1 invites parishioners to pick up campaign Information Packets at Mass on a designated weekend. The team will also seek correct household information and prayer and ministry requests.

Ø Call 2 is to invite parishioners to the Special Event and take confirmations, if necessary.

Ø Call 3 is to invite parishioners to the Celebration Weekend to hear the results of the campaign and encourage each household to have their commitment card in by the Celebration Weekend.

Children’s Activities and/or Students’ Activities Teams

These teams oversee the development and execution of stewardship education and activities for grade school and high school students.

Information Team

This team oversees the distribution of campaign information to every household in the parish, usually through distribution after Masses on a designated weekend.

Prayer Team

This team is responsible for maintaining a prayerful center for the Campaign through

Ø Praying for the Leadership Team and the Campaign events,

Ø Implementing a parish-wide prayer activity during the inspiration phase of the Campaign, and

Ø Encouraging the entire parish to regularly pray the Campaign prayer.

Special Event Team

This team will work with the Special Event Leader(s) in arranging a social event toward the end of the Campaign.

Stewardship Formation Team

This team is responsible for keeping the Campaign focused on stewardship. It provides stewardship resources to the other teams, and fosters a deeper sense of stewardship as a way of life through activities that promote prayer, service and sharing. The team promotes the ideals of Catholic stewardship during the campaign and beyond.

Leadership Team Members

St. Rose Parish Campaign Leader Fran West Advanced Commitment Leader (We need someone for this.) Caller Leaders Joan Kersten Donna and Jim Kluz Children’s Leaders Amy Hernandez Coordinator (We need someone for this.) Enlistment Leaders Leeann Little Follow-up Leaders Bob Didier Information Leader Pat Kinziger Pacesetter Gifts Leaders (We need someone for this.) Prayer Rose Belgado Print Leader Ray Kasel Craig Hodne Special Event Leaders Doug Schley Fran Egan Stewardship Formation Leader Pat Burton Student Activity Leader Paul Brulla

St. Mary Parish Campaign Leader Frank Stilen Advanced Commitment Leader Deacon Joseph Lehman Caller Leaders Romona Murry Vivian Spence Tina Lorge Children’s Leaders (We need someone for this.) Coordinator Kathy Klegin Enlistment Leaders Ed and Barb Legin Follow-up Leaders Ken Rohan Mary Ann Verboomen Information Leader Mary Behnke Pacesetter Gifts Leaders (We need someone for this.) Prayer Joan Christensen Print Leader Bobbie Jo Shaw Special Event Leaders Leo and Lynn McGinty Don and Mickey Hartleben Stewardship Formation Leader Cora Handschke Student Activity Leader Marri Monie