How are you invovled with your Church/Parish?

[acadian]

I make the schedule for the altar servers. This involves setting up a schedule 4 or 5 times a year, typing it, printing it, and mailing it, coordinating a training for new servers (another parishioner does the actual training), finding substitutes when possible when I am called (ideally they find their own), and setting up some kind of appreciation activity in the summer. I volunteered when the person who had it before me stopped sending us schedules on a regular basis.

My 2 boys are altar servers.

I attend Mass regularly on weekday mornings.

I attend Bible Studies as offered.

I show up for reconciliation periodically.

I’ve thought about reading.

I don’t feel like I do a whole lot, but when Father wrote a letter to verify that I was qualified to be a confirmation, he wrote that I was “very” involved. To be sure, he sees my face regularly.

 

[VertHorizon]

I am a parishioner who attends Mass. That is all I need to do. There are too many doing too many frivolous jobs that are unnecessary to living the Catholic Faith and I refuse to be a part of that abuse.

 

[Catholic_Wife]

I occasionally serve as a lector and EMHC, and I help with decorating the church (Advent, Christmas, Holy Week), but my main service is as a cantor and as an RCIA team member.

 

[udoc89]

I play in the handbell choir and am an adorer. I also help with various parish functions like bazaars and such.

 

[RichT]

I serve as an EMHC, A minister of care (bring Communion to the homebound), Pro-life chairman for our Knight’s of Columbus Council, and my wife and I are on the core team for a new Marriage ministry our parish just started.

I would suggest praying to ask God to help you identify your talents, and then ask around to see where your parish needs help, and then jump in.

 

[Laura_Ic]

I am involved with the Christian Mothers. I will be taking part in the membership committee in trying to recruit new members and will also be taking part in volunteering for the party for the Pennsylvania Retarded Citizens Association.

 

[jmcrae]

I was just confirmed at Easter Vigil. The Priest early that day told us how important it is to get involved with the parish and the Catholic community. He said that more we are involved the more our faith can grow, and we can give back to the Catholic community. I am not sure how to get involved. I was wondering what you do in your parish or Catholic community to stay involved or to help out.

The easiest way is to join a group. If you are a woman, you can join the Catholic Women’s League, and if you are a man, you can join the Knights of Columbus. As a group, you will be called upon to do a wide variety of activities within the parish, such as leading youth group meetings, helping with RCIA, doing fundraising for the parish, helping out in various ways at Mass, and helping out with spiritual activities like Bible study, Rosary group, etc.

If you are under 35, you can also join the Youth Group that is appropriate for your age - especially if you are single and wanting to meet other Catholics of the opposite sex.

Being in a group means that you are around other people who are more experienced than you, who can help you find things to do, and teach you how to do them well.

 

[kristie_m]

Daily Mass attendee
Adoration
Music ministry
prison ministry
Christian Family Movement (highly recommend this for anyone with kids as it’s a great opportunity for the whole family to be involved!)
Respect Life group
I’ve also been part of the formation of our seminarian, serving on his support committee.

Hubby is a part of the Holy Name Society and a registered, but not particularly involved member of K of C. And of course, he does CFM with me.

Most of these things, apart from Mass and Adoration, only require our presence about once per month, so it doesn’t really draw away from family time for us. We’re hoping that once our kids are a bit older, they will come to know the joy of being involved in the parish as well. The kids all come to the CFM events, and my oldest has been a little bit involved with my work with Respect Life stuff. While they are a bit young for Adoration, a friend of mine watches them there at the church for me while I do my hour, so they can at least be exposed to it. On their way to the cry room, they pop in to the chapel to “say hi” to Jesus.

 

[jmcrae]

Are any of you in the SOCIETY OF ST. VICENT DE PAUL? I was told by my Priest that this was a possible way to get invovled. But I am not sure what they do.

Buy groceries, pack them into hampers, and deliver the hampers to those who have phoned the parish seeking assistance in the previous week. At my parish, they do the grocery shopping and packing on Friday afternoons after work, and then deliver the groceries on Saturday mornings. They also buy certain things, such as soup or boxed pasta, by the skid load, and store it in their kitchen. Every family gets so many cans of soup and so many boxes of pasta, until it runs out and then they go and get more.

They have occasionally also been known to pay money out to the electric company or to a landlord to cover a bill, but they don’t do that very often - mostly, it’s just groceries.

They are also the people to ask, about where the sales are, and how to get discounts on food and household necessities.

 

[Luke35]

This is an old topic that I stumbled upon, but wanted to add my comments. I am blessed to belong to a wonderful parish with dozens of opportunities to get involved. In the past I have been involved with RCIA team and catechist, Religious Education teacher (to 5th graders learning about the sacraments), Retreat team and leader, Scripture Study, Pastoral Council, and Social Concerns Committee. I’ve also experienced some Diocesan level involvement with our Lay Ministry Formation program and Cursillo. Take heed to the advice to not over extend yourself because the burn out is not a good thing.

I am currently still on the Social Concerns committee where we do a lot of community activities, meals, collections, and awareness. We just served a free hot meal last weekend to anyone in the community in need and we had a nice turnout. We’ve also served meals in the past (and continue to on a regular basis) to the local homeless shelter, Boys & Girls Club, and migrant farm workers.

There is so much to gain and little to lose when you get active in your parish. It was through our parish retreat program that I met and married my wife. We now have a three year old that requires plenty of time and attention as well, so I’ve backed off a bit on some volunteer areas at the church.

Take a look at this link and this link - from a survey done in 2001 regarding the laity’s involvement in the parish. I used this material in a retreat a few years ago and still refer back to it occasionally for its perspective.

 

[crazzeto]

Might be an old topic, but there’s always room for more suggestions. I would say one of the best ways to get involved is try your hand at teaching a catechism class! You’ll be supprised how much more you end up having to learn in order to effectivly teach the little ones (or maybe bigger ones depending upon what grade you want, and when your parish confirms).

Bible study’s are another great way, my fiance and I are involved in a 20wk study on Revelation right now.

Not sure how old you are, but I’m involved with the Young Adult Minsitry at my parish, it’s a terrific way not only to meet new people, but learn a bunch of new stuff (esp if your group has the same “spirits and wisdom” dinner meetings with a speaking discussing a topic like we do), and get other young catholics perspectives on faith.