WORK OF THE COUNCIL:

1. The parish pastoral council offers "their help in fostering pastoral activity."  This act of fostering is accomplished by investigating and considering pastoral matters, and sharing insight and providing recommendations to the pastor.  This activity can be described as pastoral planning.
2. Parish pastoral council members are to work with the pastor in addressing the present and future needs of the parish through a pastoral planning effort.  Pastoral planning involves creating a mission statement for the parish, identifying pastoral needs, and establishing reasonable goals and objectives.
3. The Word of God, Worship and Sacraments, Spirituality, and Christian Service are areas of concern always to be taken into account before all else.  The following six areas were defined in the Diocese of Charleston Synod (1995).
4. Christian Formation.  Regarding the Word of the God, the council is to be concerned with the religious formation and religious education of parish menbers on all levels.
5. Prayer and Worship. Regarding the Word of God, the council is to be concerned about the religious education and the liturgical celebrations of the parish community.
6. Evangelization.  Regarding Spirituality, the council is to be concerned with prayer in the homes of parish members and promote special programs of spiritual enrichment for the community.
7. Social Ministry.  Regarding Christian Service, the council is to be concerned about those in spiritual or bodily need and about issues involving social justice and peace.
8. Building Community.  Regarding Building Community, the council is to be concerned with creating welcoming and inviting elements within the parish that build the Body of Christ.
9. Stewardship.  Regarding Stewardship, the council is to be concerned with ongoing practices and educational tools to encourage parishioners to embrace all aspects of stewardship (offering of time, talent and sacrificial giving as a way of life.

While the parish pastoral council members are called upon to consider and offer their insight in regard to pastoral activity, the pastor will select which of those areas he wishes to be discussed, and he will determine the agenda items for each pastoral meeting.