OUR PLANNING PROCESS

The five year planning process was an inclusive effort that invited and encouraged our parish community to actively participate. The Core Team researched, outlined, and executed the planning process. Parishioners provided feedback, opinions, and ideas that task force teams translated into goals and action plans. The Pastoral Council validates, commits to, and publishes the plan that will guide the parish for the next five years. The most important role of the Pastoral Council is that of implementation of the plan and providing consistent updates of progress to the parish community.

GOAL #1

Action, Accountability, Accomplishment

The execution of this plan and progress to the goals and objectives outlined in this document are the commitments of the St. Thomas More Pastoral Council working in conjunction with the Pastor and Parish Staff. The Council will ensure that this plan drives and directs the priorities, projects, and actions of the Parish for the next five years. The implementation approach of this plan will include these major characteristics:

• Sponsorship and assignment of action plans to appropriate individuals and ministries;
• Clear expectations and success criteria for each project / action;
• Periodic project progress reviews;
• Five year plan implementation review as monthly Pastoral Council agenda item; and
• Quarterly and special progress reports to the Parish community.

Goal #2

Campus and Facilities

St. Thomas More continues to focus on providing an inviting, welcoming campus, reflecting the values and the needs of our diverse parish community. The improvement of our worship and our community gathering spaces are of primary emphasis along with the overall safety of our parishioners, children, visitors, volunteers, neighbors, and employees.

Our efforts for the next five years will concentrate on:

Significantly improving our primary worship space that will enhance our liturgy, reflect our cultural backgrounds, and promote unity as a faith community.

Upgrading the kitchen facilities in Dalton Hall to better serve our community’s social gatherings and celebratory occasions.

Formalizing a safety committee with the objective of establishing and maintaining a safety program based on a campus-wide inspection and improvement plan.

Continuing to care for all parish facilities by implementing a comprehensive preventative maintenance plan.

Goal #3

Communication

Building and enhancing an active, engaged parish community requires effective and efficient communication practices and methods. A parish the size of St. Thomas More must actively solicit and disseminate information among all parishioners in a manner supportive of each parishioner. A well-informed and mutually supportive parish community is one that is empowered, welcoming, and actively engaged.

Our efforts to improve communication throughout our parish over the next five years will focus on:

• Building upon the actions implemented in the previous long-range plan specifically maintaining effective methods and conducting periodic reviews of the communication needs of the parish.
• Expanding the manner and methods for sharing parish and ministry information respecting the cultural, academic, and technical backgrounds of parishioners of all ages and ethnicity.
• Continuing to conduct town hall meetings and listening sessions for sharing and obtaining information regarding significant parish topics.
• Providing support for a communication specialist to maintain and improve our methods and tools that enable parish communications.

Goal #4

Finance

The vitality and growth of St. Thomas More is dependent on a balanced financial plan and our community’s commitment to stewardship. These elements along with a stable and secure financial foundation will enable our parish to operate efficiently and support future needs.

Over the next five years, our financial efforts will center on:

• Refining and maintaining parish financial guidelines and plans.
• Supporting the creation of a new worship space.
• Expanding revenue generation to support parish priorities
• Developing and executing a plan focused on improving staff salaries, hours, and work load based on the needs and priorities of the parish

Goal #5

Parishioner Engagement

St. Thomas More is blessed in that we have over 50 ministries, groups, and projects that allow us to serve others or to be served in times of need. We have ministries that form our faith, bring us together in service and worship, and enable us to joyfully celebrate together. There is something for everyone – every age, every talent level, and every time commitment availability. As a stewardship parish, we continue to strive to provide a hospitable and welcoming atmosphere, and inspire all parishioners to share their time, talent, and cultures.

During the next five years, we will focus on inclusion and involvement of our entire community by

• Enabling our parishioners to understand and realize their talents and passions and the opportunities available to actively participate in parish life.
• Encouraging all our parishioners and families to actively participate in parish activities, liturgies, and ministries.
• Building on the continued active involvement of our STM parish school community in all parish activities.
• Emphasizing continued improvement of our welcoming activities among the wealth of diverse cultures and experiences of our parishioners and visitors.

Goal #6

Spiritual Enrichment

Faith Formation is a life-long journey that applies to us as individuals and as a faith community. Individually, we are called to grow in our Catholic faith. As a parish, we strive to become the living presence of Christ. At St. Thomas More, we are committed to providing the opportunities and environment for all to strengthen and deepen their understanding and appreciation of our Catholic faith, beliefs, teachings, and traditions. We have a solid Faith Formation program at St. Thomas More, serving the newcomers to the Faith, cradle Catholics, and parishioners of all ages. 

During the next five years, we will continue to maintain our attention on providing the instructional foundation that binds us as a Catholic people by:

• Continuing to improve our faith formation programs through collaboration with other ministries and new opportunities for learning and sharing.
• Providing special liturgies throughout the year aimed to address various topics and themes.
• Developing a spiritually enriching music program with involvement of all church and parish communities.
• Increasing our knowledge of Catholic teachings and inviting parishioners to participate in faith education and service opportunities.
• Expanding spiritual opportunities outside the physical walls of our church buildings and into other ministries or services on campus and in the larger community

Goal #7

Youth and Young Adult

Our youth are the future of our parish and the future of the Church. At St. Thomas More, we believe active involvement of our youth and young adults in parish life is key to building a strong faith community. We are dedicated to helping our children understand and grow in the Catholic faith and instill in them a sense of service and stewardship. We are committed to the continuing education of our youth and young adults through formal education, liturgical participation, service opportunities, and social interaction. The STM Parish School provides a quality, spiritual and academic education for pre-school through eighth grade students. Our faith formation programs focus on children of all ages as well as bridging the gap from grade eight through high school. Our commitment to our youth extends through adulthood with our recently formed group for young adults.

Building upon this vital responsibility, we will focus our efforts over the next five years by:

• Establishing a leadership committee composed of the youth of the parish with a focus on activities promoting community, stewardship, spiritual growth, prayer, and education.
• Facilitating the participation of youth and young adults in the liturgy.
• Promoting and supporting the young adult group
• Providing spiritual enrichment and faith formation activities for all pre-school age children and their adult caretakers
• Engaging parents, grandparents, and family friends in opportunities to lead as a child’s “first teacher” and as active models of our faith.
• Expanding the existing Catholic Youth Organization program and promoting a sense of community and belonging among participating youth and families.