Parish Reflection Day

At our January/February Parish Leadership Team Training Sessions, each parish spent time brainstorming about their Parish Reflection Day. Each parish wrote down notes from the brainstorming session on large poster-size paper and these notes were posted at the training sessions. Below you will find a typed version of each parish’s notes. These notes are categorized by location and date of Parish Leadership Team Training Session and by individual parish within each date.

St. John Fisher, Portland

January 13, 2001

Queen of Peace, North Portland

April 21st

Half-day 9:00 – 12:00 (lunch at 12) potluck? Soup and bread, potluck dessert?

Agenda:

• Divide in small groups, work on one goal at a time
• Every group will share, compile ideas and move to next goal
• How long to spend on every goal?

Childcare services

Facilitators need to be trained 10 – 30 persons

Entertainment

Our Lady of the Lake, Lake Oswego

Half-day

Sunday, May 20

• Food
• Child care
• Pastoral Council involved
• Entertainment for children
• Plan of Action
• Maximum of four hours (2:00-5:00 or 1:30 –4:30, following 12:15 Mass)?
• Direction and Pastoring of leadership teams
• One hour social with food
• One hour end with Mass

Downtown Chapel, Portland

1. What are we doing well? (celebrate!)
2. What could we improve?
3. What aren’t we doing that we should?
1. What could we do to strengthen our Parish?

Invitation to participation.

What gifts do you have to offer?

Letter of invitation

• Include goals and questions
• Personalized

Saturday afternoon followed by Mass

May 5^th? // May 12^th?

1:00 - 4:30 p.m. followed by dinner

St. Matthew, Hillsboro

Date: 3, June, Pentecost

Time: 1-5 – Day of reflection

Party / Fiesta

Reflection / Reflexion

Mass / Misa

5:30 – Bi-lingual mass

Musica, Comida, fellowship, reunion

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Portland

Saturday April 28

1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (Mass 4:00 to 5:00) coffee, cookies

Followed by dinner/party hors d’oeuvres

Logistics

Location

Childcare – place, people – ent.

Food

Ministries

Parish council Eucharistic ministers

Hospital ministers

Musicians

Readers

Food kitchen

Donut/coffee

Finance council

Parish staff (Joan)

Scripture study

Welcoming committee

Ushers

5 to 15 percent of total registered parishioners

500 total registered parishioners

25 – 75 people

3 – 9 leaders/small groups

Our parish family

Pictures of groups with names (who we are)

Goal board

St. Clare, SW Portland

May 19 / In the parish Center

· Start with ice breaker

· Blessing, welcome

· Potluck lunch

· Overview

· Break

· Small groups’ reflection

· Special project (art) could be at the beginning

· Group recorders give summary reports

· Comments for Pastor, et. al.

· Evaluation

· Go to Mass together

Make something that people can take away with them - ART - maybe 2 or 3.

Childcare; beverages

Ice breakers (before lunch)

Invitations to:

• Parish staff
• Active organizations
• i.e., tri-councils
• Peace and justice
• St. Vincent de Paul
• Youth – personally
• School families
• Daycare families
• Religious education
• Christian Initiation
• Sacraments
• Prayer and Play
• Couples
• One together
• Liturgical ministers
• Loaves and Fishes

Use Disciples in Mission for return address!

Please call if unable to come

Give invitations to a representative from parish organizations to hand out by hand to ensure they are opened.

St. Alexander, Cornelius

1. Half-day
2. Location: 1. Cultural Center 2. Church
3. Music: bilingual

games

lots of children

4. Theme/The beginning: Live my faith fully
5. Food: Potluck? Tamales? Dessert? Barbecue, beans and beer
6. Who?

Eucharistic ministers

Lectors

St. Anne, Gresham

Festives

• cultural dress (labels)
• cultural games/piñatas “breaking the barriers”
• cultural displays themed with Disciples in Mission
• banners for groups themed with Evangelization/Disciples in Mission
• music (variety)
• cultural dances
• Faith stories/cultural journey (5-8 people of various cultures)
• Food
• Big calendar/group descriptions
• Multi-lingual greeters

Invites “How I would invite my friend to PRD” (gift)

• Business cards
• Personal invitations
• Visit organizations
• Announcements/bulletins
• Symbol J/logo

June 2, 2001

9:00 to 4:00 p.m. (confession 4:00--5:00)

Full Day

Celebrate multi-lingual Mass at 5:00 p.m. (youth servers)

Immaculate Heart Church, Portland

Half-day

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Catered lunch

Festive:

· Music from different ethnic groups, wear ethnic costumes

Groups:

Gospel choir

Folk choir

Vietnamese choir

Vietnamese mothers

Vietnamese elders

Vietnamese community

Rosary group (English/Vietnamese)

Ladies of Peter Claver

Bible study

Youth ministries (English/Vietnamese)

St. Vincent de Paul

RCIA

African-American Catholic Community

El Shaddai

Marist group

IH Parish (English speakers)

Sierra Leon group

Ethiopian group

Eritrean group

Parish staff

Pastoral council

Administrative council

Altar servers

Lectors

Eucharistic ministers

Ushers

Renovation committee

Gumbo Dinner planning committee

Single parents

St. Anthony, Forest Grove

Need:

1. Facilitators—Parish leaders, small group leaders, from within parish groups. Music, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, St. Vincent de Paul, Care ministers, Sunday school teachers, Bible study, Prayer community
2. Training: one hour. When?
3. Environment: Round tables per each small group, packets with summary, agenda, prayers; opening and closing.

May 19^th? - From 1:00 to 5:00 followed by Mass and potluck

snacks during event

Nursery care required—structured—maybe include activities related to Lenten Family guide

Fun part: charades, youth skit—ask Kathy Yee. How do we want to be part of the parish?

St. John Fisher, Portland

1. Half-day (April 29), 1:00 p.m.
2. Cafeteria P.R.D.

a. Multi-cultural foods, songs.

b. Invite all parish members

c. Large Hispanic group in our parish boundaries

d. Get list of all members in parish organization and personally invite all to attend DIM. Go directly to their meetings, etc.

e. Draw from Hispanic community. Invite R.H. (outreach min.)

3. Invite all member of various parish organizations

St. Vincent de Paul

Youth group

Bible Study group

RCIA

Altar Society

Father Forbes

Outreach ministries

Men’s club

· Invitations should have a personal, handwritten look, with attractive graphics.

· Need to have this whole affair emphasized from the pulpit on Sundays.

· Develop a catchy direct mail piece for the invitation.

· Get seniors involved and school upfront.

Holy Trinity, Beaverton

May, Saturday p.m., Mass //// Sunday afternoon, potluck

Children – safe place, organized, games

Group leaders – invite their people

Cultural talents

Display/sampling/parade of various parish groups and ethnic groups

Outside facility?

St. John the Baptist (01), Milwaukie

• When to have the day?
• Before school is out!
• Getting people to attend? (all ages)
• After Mass on Sunday (1/2 day)
• Begin with a potluck

St. Francis, Sherwood

Half-day format

Saturday / Sunday

Following Parish Reflection

o Mass (5:30 p.m.)

o Dinner-parish social

Potential conflicts to deal with:

Family activities

· Sports

· Work

Pastor’s schedule

· Confessions

· Weddings

· Funerals

Childcare

Invitations

• Personal invites to each parishioner/family
• Individual invite to each parish group (scripture, Knights of Columbus, mother’s)
• Pulpit announcements/invitation by pastor
• Emphasize personal invitation/involvement
• Explain/emphasize participation of Pastor (powerful leader’s involvement)

Bulletin announcements/invitation/newsletter

Emphasize group sharing and activities

Explain outcomes and value of sharing at Parish Reflection Day

St. Anthony, Portland

Saturday, April 21, 2001

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Reflection

5:00 p.m. Mass (Half-day)

Potluck after 5:00 p.m. Mass

or Sunday, April 22, 2001

10:30 a.m. Mass

Lunch and Reflection

How will we take Lenten program throughout the rest of the year?

Insert (color paper) in Sunday Bulletin 4-5 week prior

Soup or lasagna

Salad or desert

Small group leader will invite and get accurate count

*Alternate date: Saturday, April 28

St. Andrew, Portland

June 2

9:00 –1:00

Finish with Big Comida

• Use prayer to Holy Spirit preparation week ahead/Pentecost theme
• Bilingual – multicultural
• Music
• Sharing in “rounds”
• Blessings (Sr. K., Rene?)
• Bulletin announcements in weeks ahead
• Invite all
• Follow-up picnic/barbeque June 10, Peninsula Park

Kids activities, childcare

St. Birgitta, Portland

May 6, 2001 / / / Half-day—coffee and donuts, potluck lunch

Personal family invitation

Bulletin announcements

Flyers

Catered dinner

Flowers

Committees:

1. Flowers

2. Coordinate potluck

3. Clean-up

4. Set-up

Invitations: April 23^rd – RSVP – p g. 99

1. Potluck

2. Dinner

Group leaders

Include non-parishioners

106 families

Need moderators for groups of six

Kevin – Youth

St. Philip Neri, Portland

• Saturday May 19, 2001 / Carvlin Hall / Full-day 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Potluck lunch
• Each group will answer the goals in three sessions
• Recruit group facilitators
• Refine Schedule on pg. 88
• Address first two goals in the morning
• After lunch activities (skits, etc.)
• Goal three
• Comments
• Closing
• Communication/publicity
• Flyer-bulletin board
• Letter from pastor—
• Sign up for small group
• Parish reflection day
• Calendar of coming events

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Portland

Time Commitment: half-day

Festivities: 12:30 to 1:30, potluck lunch (follows 11 a.m. Mass and finishes in time for 5:30 p.m. Mass) / 1:30 to 5 p.m. Meeting

Place: School gym

Rent round tables/chairs

Invitations: written with follow-up phone calls by facilitators

Bulletin, pulpit announcements

Date: April 29 (alternate: May 20)

St. Thomas More, Portland

• ¾ day
• Overview
• Subcommittees
• Reports
• Games . . . to be determined
• Parish picnic
• Reconciliation
• Mass
• Meet with pastor ASAP

St. Monica, Coos Bay

January 20, 2001

Star of the Sea, Brookings

May 5 (Saturday) / Half Day 10-2

Schedule of Events

• 15 Min of Coffee and Donuts
• 10-12 Work
• 45 Min Lunch - Giant Foot Long Subs
• 1-3 Work

3 Goals – 45 Min. each Agenda

• Goal #1 – 10:05 – 10:50
• Break – 10:50-11:00
• Goal #2 – 11:00-11:45
• Lunch 11:45
• Goal #3 – 12:45-1:30
• Break – 1:30-1:45
• Conclusion 1:45-2:45

Local Talents at Breaks with evangelization theme songs

Skits with evangelization themes /teens

Child Care

• Movie – Our Lady of Fatima
• Popcorn
• Parents sign up for 1 hr at a time

Holy Redeemer, North Bend

Half Day from 10-2pm?

May 19^th

Group Reflection May 20^th

BBQ & Potluck

Content

Reflect Goals

1. Live Faith Fully

a. Each Table festive relating to Goal’s

b. Facilitator stay at each table

2. Share it Freely

3. Transform Community and World for Christ

Show and Tell Each

Show and tell groups to have their table out (Like a craft fair)

How disciples in Mission has helped each show and tell groups.

1. Catholic Daughters – All reflect on their Mission goals and how to implement

2. Youth – All reflect on their Mission goals and how to implement

3. Knights of Columbus – All reflect on their Mission goals and how to implement

4. Alter Society – All reflect on their Mission goals and how to implement

5. Commissions

6. Parish Staff

7. Family/Kids

Pictures of Family

Photographic Record Small Groups and Reflection Day

Sunday 20^th – His Majesty Musicians!!! All Masses and Concert at 2:00 pm

St. Mary of the Dunes, Florence

Half day

1. Morning after mass – weekday

2. Saturday afternoon – before mass

3. Saturday

4. Sunday – afternoon/evening/noon?

5. Not Father’s Day, 4/21, 4/22; or Mother’s Day, 5/13

Dessert Buffet

1. Tables of flowers

St. Monica, Coos Bay

1. Half Day

2. Sunday: 1:30-5:30 (happy hour followed by dinner)

3. May 6, 2001 (after Hispanic mass, if no Cinco de Mayo)

4. Families, especially kids, invited

5. Decorate, use balloons, etc.

6. Contact Alder Smokehouse to cater dinner (the aroma will attract)

Flier / activity ideas: (festive, fun)

1. Bingo

2. Cash drawings

3. Karaoke Bar

4. Roller blading

5. Door prizes

6. Twister board games

7. Cakewalk

St. Therese, January 20, 2001

Sacred Heart Parish, SE Portland

April 28^th --- Half day

• 1-5pm with potluck after 5:30 mass
• Gather at church rectory / refreshments
• Welcome and icebreaking, introduction and prayer

- fun, fruitful, fantastic, food

• Discuss Lenten faith-sharing groups
• Discuss reflection questions on goals 1,2,3
• Door prizes
• Special outreach to young parishioners
• Personal invitation to share talent
• Discuss favorite family Lenten activity

• Update on Stephen’s ministry

Ascension Parish, SE Portland

- Date Set: April 28, 2001

- Time: 1-5:15 (movies, popcorn, activities for provided childcare)

- Mass and facilitator appreciation at 5:30 mass

1. Follow mass with soup supper

- Training session and lunch starts at 11:30 (for facilitators)

- Training material and presentation provided in letter to facilitators prior to April 28^th

- Fun things to do:

1. Multi-cultural music

2. Decorations

3. Ice-breakers (related to Disciples in Mission)

- How to handle multi-cultural aspect?

- Plan evaluation meeting shortly after reflection day

- Collection to support reflection day

St. Stephen, SE Portland

Half-day / Saturday pm / Followed by mass and potluck (multi-cultural)

Entertainment

Children’s choir / Dancing / ETHNIC

Mail special invitations to all parishioners, parish groups

St. John the Apostle, Oregon City

June 3, Pentecost – after last mass on Sunday – 11:30-4, Lunch @ noon

Lunch – paper plates, pizza (delivered), pop

Theme: Birthday Party – receive gifts …Holy Spirit

Incorporate parish needs assessment- same day (parish profile)

Provide childcare / children’s activities – in gym

- Childcare needs: list ages

Intention RSVP card (p.99) / Distribute them through:

- R.E.

- School

- Pews

- Ministry leaders

- Bulletin insert

- Bulletin boards

- Posters

- Flyers on cars in parking lot

- Advertisement

- Prayer

11:30 – 11:45 Registration

11:45 – 12:00 Opening prayer / Welcome

St. Therese, NE Portland

Half-day--Saturday 8:30 – 12:30 MPC/PSC decorate!!

Prayer service/Process from Church

Welcome—Pastor and team leader

Review 1^st year experience (general), small group

Discuss handouts

Form Discussion Groups

Develop ideas

Share findings

Music?!

(involve youth? HOW?)

Coming Attractions—2^nd year

Hymn with sacred movement

Meal

St. John Baptist, Milwaukie

- “Kick off” mass: Half day or evening (once)

- Saturday evening mass & session / 11:00 Sunday mass & session

- Build up one weekend …encourage and motivate

- Following weekend – have reflection day

- Several reflection moments

- Child care available

- Snacks and caffeine

- Change name of event, i.e. – day = moment

o Reflection, not just prayer

o Photography – disposable camera

o Fun and games

o Music (multicultural)

o Espresso bar

o Idea box through Pentecost

o Use parish center

o More than one session (2, 3, etc.)

o Entertainment / Food

o Check available weekends

o Evaluation sheet available for those who can not attend reflection

St. Peter, SE Portland

Date: Reflection date – date to be determined (Sunday afternoon 3:00pm, parish center)

Total attending: 200

• Invite all – personal contact
• Childcare will be offered
• Anglo ~ Bilingual
• Potluck dinner – plus music
• English ~ Hispanic ~ Southeast Asian ~ African Americans ~ people with disabilities
• Food to include all cultures
• Mass: English, Hispanic

A dinner (bilingual) hosted by the parish team leaders will be held before Ash Wednesday, inviting all that will be participating in the Disciples in Mission program; thus on Reflection Day – it will be Potluck – thus tying all together.