Pastoral Council Ministry
The leadership of the parish is a collaborative model with a Parish Leader, Priest Director and Parish Pastoral Council. The mission of the parish is enabled through areas of ministry: All parishioners are encouraged to take responsibility for the life of the parish. Annually, all are invited to make a commitment to some areas of parish ministry.
The St Thomas More’s Pastoral Council is formed by nine councillors with the designated Parish Leadership personnel as ex-officio. A representative from St Thomas More’s Primary School also sits on the Council. Individuals and groups within the parish will be connected to a particular ministry.
The areas of ministry are:
Leadership | Spirituality | Worship | Hospitality | Faith Education | Education | Outreach | Administration | Communication
Each councillor is to be a contact person for an area of ministry. The task of the Council as a group is to ensure that the parish is faithful to its mission and that:
- Parishioners are enabled to respond to their baptismal call and so continue the mission of Jesus
- Vision and Direction are set for the parish and parish policy is formed.
- Lines of communication within the parish are maintained.
- The areas of ministry within the parish are effectively served.
In a particular ministry the councillor needs to be aware of:
- what is being done
- who is doing it
- how well it is being done
- where there are deficiencies which need to be addressed.
Councillors can consider initiatives that could be undertaken in a particular ministry. Their ideas are then presented at council meetings so that there can be Council support, or not, for the initiative. This offers support to an individual councillor and also is a protection against any one person doing something that is not in line with the mission of the parish, or lacks the backing of the Council as a whole.
