Lay ministries burnout

[Hoosier_Daddy]

The EMHCs serve at Mass, take Holy Communion to shut-ins at homes and at the hospital.

The married couple in charge of the altar servers do make and mail a schedule to the altar servers with plenty of lead time.

Our parish serves 400 families. Not enough in the annual budget for a janitor.

A ministry fair was done 3 years ago. Dismal turnout.

The suggestions offered so far by other posters are much appreciated. It may take a significant event to stir the parishioners to action. In the meantime, prayer and fasting.

Joe

Why is a parish that is small trying to have the ministry programs that parishes three times that size struggle with.

There are a few things you should consider.

1. You are doing an awful lot of complaining about peripheral volunteers. People have families and a life. And when people do volunteer you seem to criticize the job they do. Perhaps some reflection is in order.
2. There seems to be WAY too much delegation in such a small parish. If there are multiple Masses per weekend there really is no need to have EMHC at Mass. And communion to the sick can be a very private ministry.
3. You (or your parish) seem to be focused horizontally. And in a larger parish in the right locale that can work to the benifit of a large peripheral ministry group. Youth groups, altar societies, retreats, etc work on the idea of resources and numbers. You may not have either. But that isn’t what defines the purpose of a parish.
4. Geography. I’ve lived in many areas and geography matters. For instance, in the Midwest parishes are generally poor and private. Families worship together, ministries are not a priority because of the private culture of faith. The best parish I ever was a member at was like this. I arrogantly thought they needed a youth group. Dinner with father enlightened me that they don’t need a youth minister because he meets with the teens every Wednesday.
5. Sadly in many places the priesthood has had to move away from its ministry functions. Lack of clergy, lack of religious sisters to help with the day to day of a parish have caused the priests to take on a business model, filling thier day with budget meetings and delegating the hands on work to middle management ( this gives you all the ministries you are struggling with)
6. You priest is the one who has the power to fix every issue you have mentioned. Imagine a directive of silence and a homily pleading for a clean place for God.
7. I do understand your frustration so, I know this point is going to be extremely irritating because I hate it when it’s mentioned to me. But why don’t YOU be the agent for change here. Fix the broken ministries. Send out a schedule for altar servers, coordinate with hospitals. Get a mop and a duster and go to town! Host a retreat and if more than two people show up don’t complain about numbers.

We can get caught up in the Protestant version of what church ministry looks like that we forget what authentic service is. And the true minister is God through the hands of the priest. Not just for the Eucharist but for those 400 families. Help your priest, encourage him to rediscover his mission and vocation.