"inclusive and diverse" parish/community vision statement

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margarete

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I am curious, in the context of our faith, what is meant when a church calls itself “inclusive and diverse?” Also, why would a church stop calling itself a church and change it to “community?” Such as, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, changing to St. Joseph’s Community.
When I have looked up “inclusive churches,” what I found didn’t look good. So, I am hoping something different is meant.
Thanks!
God Bless,
Margarete
 
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margarete:
I am curious, in the context of our faith, what is meant when a church calls itself “inclusive and diverse?” Also, why would a church stop calling itself a church and change it to “community?” Such as, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, changing to St. Joseph’s Community.
When I have looked up “inclusive churches,” what I found didn’t look good. So, I am hoping something different is meant.
Thanks!
God Bless,
Margarete
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No this is not a good sign. Your parish is trying to become one among many “churches” in your area. I would guess that your pastor is not involved in any public Catholic issues, Ecumenism or Evangelization.
 
Thank you for your response. I am thinking the “writing is on the wall.” Fortunately, there are two nearby parishes which we could move to and not wonder where they are going - at least for now!
Blessings,
Margarete
 
And what exactly does the pastor of this church have to say about any of this?
 
what does our pastor think of this?
The new vision (and mission statements) are coming from the parish leadership, which includes the “council, commissions, Pastor and staff.”
Here is the whole vision statement: "To become and increasingly welcoming, inclusive and diverse parish, centered in the countercultural Gospel of justice, love and compassion.
(As far as the diverse part goes, I am not sure what they mean by that as our parish is in a very suburban setting, without much diversity, at least racially.)
The new mission statement: “We are disciples of Jesus Christ gathered in a Catholic Christian community to proclaim the Kingdom of God through our words and actions in our world.”
Blessings,
Margarete
 
Sounds like a pretty generic kind of mission statement. Do the other parishes nearby have mission statements? What do they say? By itself I’m not sure this is anything you want to consider leaving your parish over. Is the parish starting to teach any goofy doctrines that are making you skittish?
 
Our parish pastor has been here a little over a year or so. He does not live in the rectory, but lives nearby in a house he bought.
Our Sunday Masses have become “comtemporary,” with a band (including guitar, soprano sax, piano, drums, tamborines, and flutes,) playing very lively music. Lots of hand clapping and swaying to the beat.
I guess the changes are going in a direction away from the way we are more comfortable worshipping our Lord.
Other changes that I would rather let rest, and be charitable. I am praying for our parish and priest.
Blessings,
Margarete
 
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margarete:
what does our pastor think of this?
The new vision (and mission statements) are coming from the parish leadership, which includes the “council, commissions, Pastor and staff.”
Here is the whole vision statement: "To become and increasingly welcoming, inclusive and diverse parish, centered in the countercultural Gospel of justice, love and compassion.
(As far as the diverse part goes, I am not sure what they mean by that as our parish is in a very suburban setting, without much diversity, at least racially.)
The new mission statement: “We are disciples of Jesus Christ gathered in a Catholic Christian community to proclaim the Kingdom of God through our words and actions in our world.”
Blessings,
Margarete
Click to expand...
Twice I have been involved in forming New Catholic Churches and got to help write the mission statement. They are feel-good exercises designed to put together a statement that sounds really cool and are probably forgotten within about three weeks of being written. The tone of the parish is set by the pastor regardless of what the mission statement says.
 
It sounds like another “If it feels good do it saying” which is killing the family unit and America as a whole. I would talk to the pastor and try to see where he is going with this.
 
In the past I worked for an Air Force Lab where we went through the phase of writing mission statements. I became rather good at demolishing* feel good* statements and forcing a focus on what we really were doing, or supposed to be doing. One of our parochial vicars wrote a mission statement for our parish. At his request, I supplied comments on his draft. [My comments were popularly known as a spaghetti job for the amount of red added to page 😉 ]. He never did come out with the revised draft.

I have yet to see a mission statement which recognizes the headship of Rome or the authority of the bishop. Ideally a parish mission statement would emphasize a fulfillment of the diocesan mission statement.

Missions statement usually come from *communities *rather than parishes. I think in Vatican usage ecclesial community is the term for a Protestant congregation; community may well be the correct term for the mission statement writers.
 
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margarete:
what does our pastor think of this?
The new vision (and mission statements) are coming from the parish leadership, which includes the “council, commissions, Pastor and staff.”
Here is the whole vision statement: "To become and increasingly welcoming, inclusive and diverse parish, centered in the countercultural Gospel of justice, love and compassion.
(As far as the diverse part goes, I am not sure what they mean by that as our parish is in a very suburban setting, without much diversity, at least racially.)
The new mission statement: “We are disciples of Jesus Christ gathered in a Catholic Christian community to proclaim the Kingdom of God through our words and actions in our world.”
Blessings,
Margarete
Click to expand...
They could have said “To become and increasingly welcoming and truly CATHOLIC parish…” Since CATHOLIC means universal, inclusive and ethnically as well as culturally diverse!
 
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margarete:
what does our pastor think of this?
The new vision (and mission statements) are coming from the parish leadership, which includes the “council, commissions, Pastor and staff.”
Here is the whole vision statement: "To become and increasingly welcoming, inclusive and diverse parish, centered in the countercultural Gospel of justice, love and compassion.
(As far as the diverse part goes, I am not sure what they mean by that as our parish is in a very suburban setting, without much diversity, at least racially.)
The new mission statement: “We are disciples of Jesus Christ gathered in a Catholic Christian community to proclaim the Kingdom of God through our words and actions in our world.”
Blessings,
Margarete
Click to expand...
I’ve wrriten a lot of vison and mission statements, but technicalities aside, your vision statement could apply to any church - even any non-Christian church if you think about it - ‘Gospel of justice, etc.’ is about as vague as you can get. Point this out to your pastor.

Your mission statement is somewhat more Catholic, but it still sounds as if you all can decide for yourself - through your chosen words and actions - how to proclaim the Kingdom of God. This proclaiming needs to be done “by your words and actions through the teachings of the Catholic Church as handed down through the Magisterium.”
 
Br. Rich SFO:
They could have said “To become and increasingly welcoming and truly CATHOLIC parish…” Since CATHOLIC means universal, inclusive and ethnically as well as culturally diverse!
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Yup. But the (appropriate) kind of diversity you speak of isn’t the kind of diversity that many of these products of our culture want. The ones who insist on wording like “diverse” and “inclusive” know darn well that these words can be interpreted to mean beliefs on faith and morals that contradict Catholic teaching.

The ones who don’t insist, but merely tolerate the imposition of these terms, are being duped.

Peace.
John
 
Br. Rich SFO:
They could have said “To become and increasingly welcoming and truly CATHOLIC parish…” Since CATHOLIC means universal, inclusive and ethnically as well as culturally diverse!
Click to expand...
Excellent point. :clapping:

Margarete, how about having a meeting with your pastor to let him know how you are feeling with regard to some of the changes you are seeing. Maybe take him to lunch or something.
 
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margarete:
Also, why would a church stop calling itself a church and change it to “community?” Such as, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, changing to St. Joseph’s Community.
Click to expand...
I would be worried also. This is watering down of the message. I would voice concerns about why they cannot admit they are a church.

Personally I don’t go to “community”. I go to church. It seems most other people feel the same. That is why liberal churches consistently see attendance fall.
 
parish use the Leftist buzz words Inclusive/Gather/We ARE/DIverse/Community.

Yes all are welcome but inclusive and diverse means accepting of all lifestyles. People who attend these churches are on the path to spritual apathy.
 
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margarete:
Our parish pastor has been here a little over a year or so. He does not live in the rectory, but lives nearby in a house he bought.
Our Sunday Masses have become “comtemporary,” with a band (including guitar, soprano sax, piano, drums, tamborines, and flutes,) playing very lively music. Lots of hand clapping and swaying to the beat.
I guess the changes are going in a direction away from the way we are more comfortable worshipping our Lord.
Other changes that I would rather let rest, and be charitable. I am praying for our parish and priest.
Blessings,
Margarete
Click to expand...
I say its time to find a new church and make sure you let your priest know why you are leaving
 
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margarete:
…there are two nearby parishes which we could move to and not wonder where they are going - at least for now!
Click to expand...
I moved to a different parish “at least for now!” I couldn’t handle the things that are going on there. I still attend the parish morning Mass daily. As far as bible study, Sunday Mass, etc. I attend a more “catholic” Parish. I won’t go into the things being taught at the lax parish, but believe me, it’s very disturbing. There’s quite a few of us from the lax parish that are in the men’s group and attend the other parish events, who hope, with support from SOMEBODY to “reform” the people of the parish and get the wheels rolling towards the right path.

But to be honest with you, my heart aches when I think about what is going on. 😦
 
Expert theologian Fr. McBrein could help Straighten out things 😛 😛 😃 😃 😃

Notice I said YOUR Notre Dame 😛 😛 :
 
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