The Worship Commission guides all the liturgical celebrations in the parish and coordinates the efforts of all the liturgical ministries.

 

WORSHIP COMMISSION MISSION STATEMENT

We provide a spiritually engaging worship experience for parishioners and visitors participating in liturgical and devotional celebrations at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church.  We endeavor to create a worship environment and experience that enables individuals to grow deeper in and celebrate their relationship with God and the Catholic Church.  We accomplish this through Liturgical ministries formed around a common ministerial framework, through active solicitation of input and participation from our parish community and related organizations and through our commitment to fulfilling our parish mission of being “A People for Others”.

Worship Commission Purposes

• Serve as liaisons to all worship ministries
• Receive parishioner comments/suggestions regarding worship/liturgy, evaluate and make recommendations to the Parish Council.
• Guide our ministries to meet the goals of the Worship Commission.
• Represent all worship ministries in leadership gatherings.
• Develop worship policies and disseminate as appropriate.

Julie Wilkerson (Co-Chair)
Paula Raska ( Co-Chair/PC Recorder)
Kimberly Daniels (Pastoral Council)
Gordon See (Pastoral Council)
Kathy Parks
Marianne Dunne
Margaret Chiavone
Marian Finnell
Diana Hopkins
Karla Jackson (Staff Liaison)

Worship Commission Short Term Goals:

1a.  Personal outreach to ministry members that are not active participants. Invite them to rejoin. Script provided to all co-chairs.
      b. Present a plan to the ministry co-chairs regarding this outreach and updating ministry rosters. 
            *Deadline to contact all inactive members is July 1, 2023. 
Measurable tool: Co-chair with help, have reached out to everyone on their roster.

•  Send out a google form to all members on the existing rosters. 
• Organize and see which members are not currently active or have not recently participated. 
• Co-chairs will reach out and contact inactive members or members that do not respond to the google form. This is a good place to start.
• Use SCRIPT to invite them back into the ministry.
• Keep track of members who decline and members who will restart their active participation. 
• Worship Commission be responsible for their liturgy ministries for which they are the liaison. Check in with the ministry co-Chairs. 
• All contacts and outreach calls need to be completed by July 1, 2023. 

• Verify and cleanup rosters (Ministry Co-chairs, target completion – 7/01/23)

1.  Conduct ministry health assessments (Ministry Co-chairs, target completion – 12/31/23)

• Have current year training sessions been scheduled?
• How is the previous co-chair passing on the current information?

• How is the new co-chair receiving the information from the previous co-chair and given the necessary training to take on the position?
• How is the leadership being passed on from the current co-chair to the new co-chair? What is being done to make the transition?
• What is the succession plan for the new co chairs and how are they being prepared to take on the new role?

1. Service Goal: Help promote reverence and quiet during the Mass. What to do about disruptive children during the Mass? How to invite parents to bring small children to the nursery? Promote ways to lovingly assist our families & community in reducing this distraction.

• Promote the nursery in the bulletin with inviting photos - March-December 2023
• Put a sign in the narthex and announce at the beginning of Mass that the nursery is available. April 2023 and beyond
• Come up with strategies for the hospitality ministers to employ when approaching families with disruptive children - measurable tool created by commission and shared with hospitality co-chairs. June 2023
• Have an open house where the nursery staff would be available for parents to meet. May 2023
• Have a blessing of the nursery staff during mass so they will be visible. Spring 2023
• Have better signage outside directing families to the nursery, using balloons to draw attention. June/July/August 2023
• Include a nursery announcement in the cantor announcements before Mass. May 2023. 
• Check with the nursery coordinator to see if after all of these items have been implemented, if nursery attendance has increased. November 2023

Altar Servers

These ministers serve God and the community through their presence and assistance at the altar. This ministry is open to all young people, both male and female, in the 5th grade and older. Mandatory attendance is required at each training session. This includes both new and existing servers.

Art and Environment
The environment of the community's worship assists the faithful to realize God's presence and to express its public worship. The ministry is dedicated to seasonal liturgical settings.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
By assisting in the distribution of the Eucharist during parish liturgies, these ministers help the community in celebrating its unity in Christ.

Eucharistic Visitors
The ministers bring the Eucharist to the sick and the homebound. They visit hospitals, Nursing homes, private homes and extended care facilities. Thus those who are unable to attend Mass either short term or long term may continue to share in the Eucharist. The ministers are also charged with carrying love, hope and prayers fo the community to our absent family members and ask for their prayers for us.

Eucharistic Adoration
Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is on the First Friday of the month in the Chapel following the 9:00 Mass. Quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament continues until 5:00 p.m. followed by closing prayer and song.

Gift Presenters
Members of the community bring forward the gifts of bread and wine essential for Eucharist, as well as the community's contributions for the support of the church and the poor. Contact the church office to select the Mass time and date of your choice.

Hospitality Ministers (Ushers)
This ministry extends the love of Christ within our community by welcoming parishioners and assisting during the parish liturgies.

Lectors
Through the ministry of the lector within the liturgy, God speaks to the people and Christ proclaims his Gospel. Persons interested in this ministry must be willing to demonstrate and develop their gifts in public proclamation of the Word.

Music Ministry
Through vocal and instrumental music, this ministry of adults and young people supports and strengthens the community's interior commitment of faith and worship. Choirs include children, teens and adults supported by accompanists, chime and bell ringers and instrumentalists who play ensemble and orchestra. The Cantor ministery prolaims the Word of God through their leadership of the Responsorial Psalm and hymn singing at the liturgical celebrations. The Sound Ministry operates the sound mixer board at Masses.

Prayer Group
Gathering together for prayer and fellowhip is essential to the Catholic way of life. These members of the community minister through their presence and support of parish activities and needs while growing stronger in their faith.

Sacristans
Preparation is key to a prayerful celebration. Sacristans minister through their care and concern for the altar, liturgical utensils and supplies, as well as liturgical vestments.