Every organization, including a Catholic parish, should have a mission statement and strategic plan. The mission statement describes the overriding purpose of the parish and the aim for the parishioners. The strategic plan describes the goals and strategies to advance the mission. The strategic plan helps ensure that the ministries and resources of the parish are ordered toward the accomplishment of the strategies and goals. In summary, the mission statement and strategic plan provide the common framework for staff and parishioners to announce and make present the Kingdom of God.
During 2024, a parishioner-led strategic planning committee was formed at St. Hubert to evaluate our existing mission statement and strategic plan. The committee considered the existing mission statement and strategic plan in light of three questions:
Where are we as a parish in 2024?
Where do we want to be as a parish in the next 3-5 years?
How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?
The committee worked to answer these three questions by reviewing the results of the parish survey, parishioner comments from five listening sessions, demographic data, sacramental, financial, and ministry information, consultation with parish staff and leadership, and the pastoral priorities announced by Archbishop Hebda in his post-synod letter, “You Shall Be My Witnesses.”
After many months of prayer, consultation, and discernment, the planning committee recommended a new mission statement and strategic plan to the parish council. The parish council accepted the mission statement and strategic plan and recommended them to Fr. Talbot. Fr. Talbot accepted the recommendation of the parish council and adopted the new parish mission statement, the goals of the strategic plan, and the strategies for accomplishing those goals, effective on the First Sunday of Advent 2024.
The new St. Hubert Mission Statement:
To form missionary disciples who know, love and imitate Jesus Christ.
Fr. Talbot has instructed the staff to develop tactics that accomplish the approved strategies and goals, He asked the members of the parish council to monitor the progress of the strategic plan and to ensure that he and the staff have the resources necessary to accomplish the strategies and goals.
The process for developing the new parish mission statement and strategic plan is described below.
Step 1: Parish Survey
During Lent 2024, a parish survey was distributed to parishioners with active emails within the parish database. Paper copies were available for parishioners to complete. The purpose was to gather data from as many parishioners as possible to help us make an honest assessment of where we are today and help us set goals for where we want to be in the next 5-10 years. The survey was completed by 735 parishioners.
Key Findings:
High levels of overall satisfaction has led to re-energized positive momentum. Key strength: parish leadership.
Well-aligned on specific attributes. Satisfaction is highest with the attributes that are most important. Top three areas of satisfaction: worship, communications, school.
Involved parishioners are significantly more satisfied and feel a stronger sense of belonging.
Parish size continues to present many challenges, but also many benefits.
Connecting, engaging, involving is an ongoing challenge and opportunity. Faith formation and parish activities are big opportunities.
Small Groups are well received and working (meaningful connections with potential long-term effects).
Volunteering is an opportunity – beneficial both for the parish and the individual.
Returning parishioners is a positive trend.
Step 2: Listening Sessions
While the survey offered a high-level view into the overall strengths and opportunities we have as a parish, listening sessions allowed parishioners and community members to share their experiences, dreams, and ideas in a more detailed and personal way. This step was imperative to gather additional information that explained and supported the comments made in the survey.
From our survey results, we identified four topics for listening sessions.
Connecting, engaging, and involvement
Faith Formation: Birth through High School
Historic Church
Faith Formation: Adult
Listening Session Notes:
Listening Session #1: Connecting, Engaging, and Involvement
Listening Session #2: Faith Formation: Birth through High School
Listening Session #3: Historic Church
Listening Session #4: Connecting, Engaging, and Involvement
Listening Session #5: Faith Formation: Adults
Step 3: Demographic Study
Representatives from Catholic Finance Corporation presented to the strategic planning team a comprehensive look at our parish and regional demographics. This helped the team to understand our current reality regarding parishioners, area Catholics, and population and projections for the future. This data was invaluable in identifying areas of focus for the church and school to ensure we continue to anticipate and meet the needs of our community now and in the future.
Step 4: Parish Data
The committee reviewed important parish information, including the state of our campus, the 10-year capital improvement plan, financial information, sacramental information, parish family trends, and school enrollment data.
Step 5: Implementation of Archdiocesan Synod Priorities
Another important document that helped guide our strategic plan development was Archbishop Hebda’s Pastoral Letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses”, which provides the pastoral priorities for all parishes of the archdiocese for 2023-2025. The priories for these three years are small groups (Year One), the Mass and Eucharist (Year Two), and parents and the family (Year Three). The link for the letter is https://www.archspm.org/synodletter
Step 6: Development of the Strategic Plan
The strategic planning committee spent the summer of 2024 reviewing the data, identifying several themes with goals, and suggesting tactics to accomplish the goals. This work led to the first draft of the mission statement and strategic plan. The committee shared their work with parish staff and leadership and received important feedback. After several additional rounds of drafts and consultations between the strategic planning team, parish staff, finance council, and parish council, the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan was finalized and presented to the parish council and Fr. Talbot.
Thank you to the strategic planning committee members and all who assisted throughout the strategic plan development process:
Reid Craigmile
Patty Dolan
Kelly Donovan
Chris Enck
Mike Felmlee
Meghan Hathaway
Alex Heim
Erich Hoffer
Larry Pohlen
Paul Rothstein
Rob Schlegel
Ron Slominski
Fr. Ralph Talbot