Next Generation Parish
Nativity BVM is participating in an initiative called the “Next Generation Parish” led by the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI). This process will help our parish prepare for the future, growing in vitality and service to one another. Our parish was selected as one of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to take part in this multi-year process, made possible to us at no cost due to the generosity of donors.
A year ago, many of our parishioners began this journey by participating in a Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey which generated over 230 responses. You can read a summary of those results here.
An Envision Team was formed of parishioners that represent a broad cross-section of our community to work with CLI and the parish to help develop a set of parish priorities and goals for the next 3 years.
A year ago, many of our parishioners began this journey by participating in a Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey which generated over 230 responses. You can read a summary of those results here.
An Envision Team was formed of parishioners that represent a broad cross-section of our community to work with CLI and the parish to help develop a set of parish priorities and goals for the next 3 years.
Meet the Envision Team
(years at the parish listed by each name) - Front row from left to right: Steve Hefferan (21), Jane McNerney (60), Steve St Martin (17), Gino Benedetti (28). Back row from left to right: Robbie Bonanto (43), Malela M. Werner (16), Charlie O'Donnell (35), Kevin Reilly (19), Fr Ed Bell (18), Andrea Hannigan (10), John Drake (11), Rosanne Gatta (27), Dr. Gary Rainey (47), Matthew A. Haas (23).
The Envision Team will analyze your survey responses as well as additional data from our geographic area, trends in Catholicism within the US, and comparison information of our parish relative to other parishes in the Archdiocese. As we work toward developing a set of parish priorities, there are several intermediate steps. The current step is to identify three pertinent learnings from this analysis and to identify three potential opportunities. These are those initial findings:
Learnings
- Parishioners like Nativity BVM overall: we believe our parish is welcoming and recommend the parish to others.
- Parishioners are faithful: we attend Mass, pray often, and most of us are actively pursuing to deepen our faith (or want to), and are interested in spiritual direction, retreats, and opportunities for spiritual growth.
- Most of those who participated in the DMI survey and those who are involved Nativity’s many ministries are aged 55+ and are more women than men. While there is participation by those under age 50, there is much smaller engagement with this group.
Opportunities
- We can create more opportunities for parishioners to connect with one another through ministries and events, especially for families and single people under 50, so we can grow a stronger parish community outside of Mass.
- We can improve parish communication through multiple media channels with news, ministry offerings, and events with a welcoming invitation to parishioners to build up a faith-filled community.
- Because many parishioners desired to learn their faith more deeply, we can offer more opportunities through catechesis, spiritual direction, retreats, apologetics, and more.
Feedback
We invite parishioners to provide input, feedback, and reflections to our Envision Team throughout this process. You are invited to reach us by email at envision@nativity-bvm.org, through the form below, or by mail to the rectory ATTN: Envision Team. The Envision Team prays regularly for our parish and for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We ask that you include them in your prayers as they continue on this journey.
We invite parishioners to provide input, feedback, and reflections to our Envision Team throughout this process. You are invited to reach us by email at envision@nativity-bvm.org, through the form below, or by mail to the rectory ATTN: Envision Team. The Envision Team prays regularly for our parish and for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We ask that you include them in your prayers as they continue on this journey.