Strategic Plan

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
Severna Park, Maryland
Five Year Strategic Plan
Pentecost, 2007

As we work as a community to achieve the vision of this plan, our goal in all things is to deepen our faith and our relationship with Our Lord. May God bless us as we move forward with this goal, may we know the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist to fortify our efforts, and may the Holy Spirit guide us in His Wisdom.

"Above all in our highly secularized society, the parish is a beacon that radiates the light of faith and meets the most profound and authentic desires of man's heart, giving meaning and hope to the lives of individuals and families,"
Pope Benedict XVI.

Dear Parishioners of St. John the Evangelist,

Pope Benedict spoke these words last December 10th as he dedicated the Roman parish of Holy Mary, Star of Evangelization. Since the inception in 1902 of the Catholic Community in Severna Park when Cardinal Gibbons established the Mission Church of St. Agnes, our parish has been a beacon of light and faith for 6 generations of Catholics. It is my pleasure to present the strategic plans for St. John the Evangelist Church and School. These plans are the fruit of many hours and months of refection and work by dedicated parishioners, parish staff and members of the school faculty. Their implementation provides us the opportunity to shape a stronger parish for present and future generations.

Our excellent parish school established in 1959 was granted a renewal of its accreditation by the Middle States Commission of Colleges and Schools based upon the strategic plan and the current high standards of our academic program. The Catholic identity of our school is the cherished product of the leadership of the Sisters of Saint Joseph who have guided the school since its inception. You will see in the school plan a recommitment to the traditional values of Catholic education – a strong academic program steeped in the values of the Catholic faith tradition.

The parish plan is comprised of five major segments: Welcoming Parish Community; Life-Long Faith Development; Vibrant Liturgy; Parish Campus and Financial Strength and Management. Each component consists of a vision statement – where the parish images itself in 5-7 years and strategic initiatives designed to bring the vision to reality.
We are a parish blessed by God with many resources, the greatest of which is the 3400 hundred families that make up faith community that is the Church of St. John the Evangelist. We stand as the proud inheritors of a living faith passed onto us by past generations of this parish. It is now our turn to shape the future of St. Johns as we approach the 50th anniversary of our establishment as an independent parish in 1959. It is my earnest hope that the implementation of these plans will help us achieve unity and greatness as a Catholic faith community – United in Prayer, Committed to Service and Rooted in Faith.

Sincerely,

(Rev. Msgr.) Richard W. Woy
Pastor

Mission Statement
St. John the Evangelist Church is a vibrant, welcoming Roman Catholic community
dedicated to its primary role as living witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The
parish lives out this commitment through enthusiastic proclamation of God’s Word,
full participation in the celebration of the sacraments, and consistent practice of
genuine Christian charity both within and outside the parish.

“If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love brought to perfection in us.”
1 John 4:12

Committed to Service
WELCOMING PARISH COMMUNITY
Our Vision of the Future

The community of St. John the Evangelist is rooted in the life-giving Word of God, which teaches that all people are made in the image and likeness of God. This is the foundation of the parish’s constant spirit of warm welcome and genuine hospitality to all individuals, embracing the many aspects of their human diversity and respecting and nurturing the Divine image in each individual.
St. John’s parish is known as a vibrant church community with a host of active ministries and dynamic programs that serve its members and build up the parish while extending a welcoming invitation to new members. There is a dedicated commitment to service-based ministries whose purpose is to create a sense of belonging and care for all people, including outreach to non-Catholics, and Catholics who no longer participate in the sacramental life of the Church. The parish has a strong reputation both for outreach to area neighbors who are in need, and for active involvement with other churches and civic organizations dedicated to enhancing the life and welfare of the wider community.
Strategic Initiatives
• Develop a distinctly welcoming culture that pervades every aspect of parish life and embraces every individual who comes into contact with the parish.
• Build a strong sense of community within our parish by fostering participation and increasing involvement of parishioners in the life of the parish. Evaluate existing ministries and identify new opportunities to engage people.

• Build a strong sense of community with other churches and civic organizations in the broader geographic area by increasing the parish’s participation and visibility in the greater Severna Park and Anne Arundel Community.
• Increase outreach to the community through programs that care for the poor and underserved in our local and sister communities, while evaluating our existing outreach services and evangelization programs.

LIFELONG FAITH FORMATION
Our Vision of the Future

St. John’s parish acts as shepherd of each parishioner’s lifelong journey of faith, beginning at Baptism and continuing through death. The parish promotes and facilitates this journey by providing impactful faith formation opportunities to all of its age groups, so that they may be formed and transformed over the course of their lifetime into the likeness of the Risen Christ.
In particular, the parish undertakes the vital formation of its younger members in the Catholic way of life through a faith-filled parish elementary school and school of religious education, a vibrant, energized youth ministry, and by supporting families as the first teachers of our Catholic faith. A broad spectrum of adult faith formation programs encompasses young adults, those in middle years -- both single and married, empty nesters, seniors, and those Catholics who no longer participate in the sacramental life of the church. These programs increase awareness of the people of God as the Church, and result in an impassioned Catholic faith, involved stewardship of the parish community, and the initiative to go beyond ourselves in building up the Kingdom of God, both in our own parish and in the greater community.St. John’s parish acts as shepherd of each parishioner’s lifelong journey of faith, beginning at Baptism and continuing through death. The parish promotes and facilitates this journey by providing impactful faith formation opportunities to all of its age groups, so that they may be formed and transformed over the course of their lifetime into the likeness of the Risen Christ.

Strategic Initiatives
• Strengthen the formation of all our children in their Catholic faith.
• Develop programs that guide and support parents as primary teachers of their children’s Catholic faith in the ways of faith, word, and action.
• Energize and enhance the Youth Ministry program to play a vital role in the spiritual and social development of a committed group of youth who are actively involved in the program.
• Provide effective sacramental preparation programs for the parish community.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive adult faith formation program.

VIBRANT LITURGY

Our Vision of the Future
At St. John the Evangelist, the celebration of the Eucharist is the source and summit of both our Catholic faith and our parish life. St. John’s parish is committed to leading each and every person who gathers around the Lord’s Table to full, active and conscious participation in that celebration. The worshipping community is given opportunities throughout the year for liturgical formation so that parishioners may more fully understand and participate in giving grateful praise to God the Father for the life-giving death and Resurrection of His Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. The parishioners express their recognition of the presence of Christ in their own gathering through their hospitality toward all people at Mass. They experience a living, vibrant faith community and are spiritually fortified and challenged to be witnesses to the Catholic faith in their daily lives.
Known as having one of the best music programs in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, St. John’s liturgical music is energizing, diverse in style, and spiritually uplifting to all groups of parishioners, drawing each individual into the Eucharistic banquet. The parish celebrates and recognizes the real presence of Christ in the Eucharistic celebration at Mass and by sharing in Eucharistic adoration, leading them to an even deeper and more personal relationship with Christ.
The Word of the Lord is proclaimed by excellent lectors and clerics committed to effective preaching. The presence of the Lord in the ordained minister, which is essential for the celebration of the Eucharist, is acknowledged by the parish’s commitment to nurture vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Strategic Initiatives
• Foster full, active, and conscious participation of every person who attends Mass, making the liturgy an inspiring personal and interactive experience.
• Ensure that all who minister in liturgical celebrations appreciate their ministry as service and a means to a deeper spiritual life.
• Enhance the music ministry to support a diversity of styles of meaningful worship.
PARISH CAMPUS
Our Vision of the Future
Blessed with a prominent, well-traveled location, the campus of St. John’s parish serves to support the work and ministries of a vibrant faith community. Capitalizing on its visibility to demonstrate the important role the parish plays in the life of the greater Severna Park area, the campus is inviting, well-maintained, and one in which the parishioners take pride.
The heart of the campus is our parish Church whose beautiful worship space inspires parishioners in their personal, private prayer and enhances parish liturgical and sacramental celebrations and services. Our improved Educational Center serves as home to our parish’s excellent elementary school, our comprehensive multi-generational religious education program, and our dynamic youth ministry program. The center has all the necessary space and infrastructure to support and meet the objectives of each of these programs in a quality way.
St. John’s Pastoral Center provides office and workspace for its talented staff of dedicated and trained professional ministers who are responsible for the pastoral care of the parish. Additionally, it provides adequate space for the activities and programs of parish ministries and organizations. Blessed with the service of the Sisters of St. Joseph and dedicated priests, the parish provides safe and convenient housing for the priests and sisters.

Strategic Initiatives
• Review the five-year master plan annually and revise and update as needed.
• Renovate our Church to create a more welcoming, inspirational, and accessible place of worship.
• Insure that our educational center facility is designed to meet the needs of the parish elementary school and religious education and formation programs, including youth activities, community activities, and sporting activities.
• Provide the facilities and equipment necessary for our elementary school to effectively attain its educational objectives.
• Design and build our new pastoral center, which is structured to meet the needs of our parish.

MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL STRENGTH
Our Vision of the Future
In grateful thanksgiving for the blessings God has given them, the people of St. John the Evangelist respond generously to the financial needs of their parish and to charitable appeals, especially those that help the poor or victims of disasters. The future of the parish’s mission has been secured through an integrated program of financial development. This program includes the parish and school’s annual giving program; special fundraising events; legacy gifts and bequests; endowments and capital campaigns to fund the preservation and expansion of the parish.
A full-time Director of Institutional Advancement (Development) works closely with the pastor, school principal, pastoral council, and school board in advancing the mission of the parish and overseeing the programs of fund development and marketing. The Director fosters and coordinates effective communication within the St. John’s community and serves as the public relations coordinator to our wider community.
Assisting the pastor in his responsibility as spiritual shepherd and chief administrator of the parish’s resources, groups of dedicated and knowledgeable laity offer the pastor and his administrative staff invaluable counsel – the Board of Corporators, the Pastoral Council, the Parish Finance Committee, and the School Board. St. John’s committed, competent pastoral staff serves the community by providing strong Catholic leadership and services. The resources of the parish are well-managed, and the pastor communicates the accomplishments and financial status of the church and school in an annual report.
Strategic Initiatives
• Establish an office of institutional advancement to develop and execute a comprehensive and integrated advancement/development plan.
• Develop a comprehensive five-year financial and human resource plan for the entire parish, and ensure that annual budgets correlate to the five-year rolling annual plan.
• Establish an Executive Council comprised of the pastor, chairpersons of the parish council and school board, the school principal, the parish manager, the director of the religious education program, the chairperson of the finance committee, and the director of institutional advancement.
• Review the strategic plan annually and revise as appropriate.
Li Link to School plan Link to Stategic Plan school section.