The vision of Immaculate Conception Parish, Arnold, MO.

Preamble

We see Immaculate Conception Parish as a dynamic, faith-filled community. We have been blessed with many gifts of the Holy Spirit, leading us into community as the Body of Christ, both locally and in communion with our Archdiocese and the entire Catholic Church. We are a sacrament of Christ in northeast Jefferson County. For us, stewardship is a way of life: we will place our gifts in service to God, to our neighbors and to each other. We face challenges as we share God's word with God's people, but we are confident that we are doing God's work.

Mission statement: God's People sharing God's Word.

Vision

We will be a parish that listens to the Good News of Jesus Christ and shares that message in word and action, welcoming and serving all people.

Goals

• For us, the Sunday Eucharist is the source and summit of our parish life.
• We encourage Adult Faith Formation.
• We are committed to the academic excellence and financial stability of Holy Child School as an instrument for sharing the Gospel of Jesus.
• We also support the Parish School of Religion for our children who are unable to be served by Holy Child School.
• We desire that our Catholic Schools be as inclusive as possible, especially for our children with special learning needs.
• We will provide programs and ministries to assist our parishioners in time of crisis.
• We envision parish facilities that are large enough and accessible for everyone.
• We are committed to service to the needy of the larger community.
• We see evangelization as the work God has given us to do.

Action steps and timeline for completion

• The importance of the Sunday Eucharist for us includes striving for excellence in our liturgy and providing ongoing catechesis about the Mass, for example, through the parish bulletin. The Sunday liturgy is where our life of stewardship begins, how it is nourished, and where it reaches its fulfillment.
• Adult Faith formation includes the promotion of Bible study (for example, the Little Rock Program); faith sharing programs (for example, We Believe) and other adult education programs. Instruction in various forms of Christian spirituality will be offered. A parish library for adults is available in the Parish Center Room D.
• We envision a pre-school program in our parish. (Pre-school started January 2005)
• We will support the efforts of Holy Child School to serve all the children in our community. We will provide up to 30% of our monthly parish income to support the school.
• We envision programs such as Parish Nursing, family ministry, and bereavement ministry to assist our parishioners in time of crisis. A parish Health Committee, consisting of volunteers from the parish, will begin to offer programs on health education for all parishioners.
• We will develop a master plan for the parish plant, so that all our buildings are adequate for our community, accessible to those with disabilities, and friendly to families with small children.  (Completed Link to Parish Plan)
• We look forward to a major renovation and repairs to the present church building, convent and school facilities as well as acquiring additional property.
• As a parish we will tithe 10% of our monthly income to serve the needs of others. This tithe will be distributed as follows: 2% to the Arnold Food Pantry; 1 % to the St. Vincent de Paul Society; 1 % to a mission parish (outside the USA); 1 % to a parish in need (within the Archdiocese); 1 % for a pro-life organization; 1 % to the Archdiocese (the Cathedraticum assessment); up to 2% in order to meet the parish's ADA goal; 1 % as designated charitable contribution. The recipients of these distributions will be determined by the Parish Council and Pastor.
• We will provide training for parishioners and parish organizations for evangelization, for ministries of welcoming and hospitality, and for reconciling inactive Catholics.