PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL – CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

Sec. 1 The parish pastoral council will unite the local people of God in a community of prayer, leadership, service, and pastoral action.

Sec. 2  The parish pastoral council will provide a vehicle for shared responsibility and decision making.

Sec. 3 The parish pastoral council will engage in a continuous process of planning and policy formation that responds to the needs of the parishioners, diocese, and universal church.

Sec. 4 The parish pastoral council will recognize the pastor as chief administrator of the parish and he will implement the policies of the council or delegate such action when appropriate. If the pastor judges a decision of the parish pastoral council as inconsistent for the good of the parish, he may withhold implementation, giving the council reasons for this action.

Sec. 5  Throughout its activities, the council will strive for consensus on all voting matters. The council’s policy decisions are to be consistent with faith and morals, civil and church laws, and diocesan policy and gospel value.

 

ARTICLE II. FUNCTIONS

Sec. 1 The functions of the council shall be:

1. a) to communicate ideas and activities to and from their ministries or parish-at-large.
2. b) planning and policy formation: with consideration of the needs of our parish, diocese, and broader community.
3. c) implementation of plans through the appropriate ministry or individuals.
4. d) to engage the people of God in connecting the gospel with lived experience.

 

 ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 1 Size and composition:

1. a) The parish pastoral council shall consist of:
2. i) the pastor
3. ii) ten members representing the ministries of the parish

iii)     two participating, but nonvoting, youth representatives appointed by the Youth Coordinator for one-year terms

1. b) The council members will be selected through a discernment process from nominations presented from each ministry and the parish at large. The discernment process will occur during the even years.
2. c) Council members shall have a term of four Terms may be extended for up to four years in two year increments. The maximum number of years a council member may serve consecutively is eight years.    Council members whose term expires in 2005 may extend their term for one year at their discretion.
3. d) Council members who serve a full term may not succeed themselves on the council except by operation of Sec. 1, c) of these by-laws. There shall be an interim period of one year before such a member may serve on the parish pastoral council.

Sec. 2 Selection of new members:

1. a) At the January meeting, the outgoing council members will comprise the discernment committee, choosing a chairperson from among themselves.
2. b) Any registered member of the parish, 18 years or older, is eligible for nomination and participation in the discernment process.
3. c) The discernment committee will conduct the discernment process for parish pastoral council membership as included in an addendum to these by-laws. A basic outline of this process is as follows:
4. i) In January, each bulletin will contain information informing parishioners of the upcoming discernment process for council members and the number of vacancies to be filled. Information regarding the role and function of the parish pastoral council and the discernment process will be available on the parish website and publicized through the bulletin and other approved church media.
5. ii) Nomination forms are provided to parishioners at all Masses the first weekend of February.

iii)     Nominees are then contacted and asked whether or not they agree to participate in the discernment process.

1. iv) A formation and education meeting for the discernment process is scheduled for late February or early March.
2. v) After this meeting, participants are asked to reconfirm their willingness to participate in the process.
3. vi) The discernment process begins in March and is completed by mid-May. Once consensus on members and alternates has been achieved, new members are announced to the parish.

 

 Sec. 3  Vacancies:

1. a) The remaining term of any vacancy on the council shall be filled by those persons who agreed to serve as alternates through the discernment process.
2. b) Any member of the council may resign by submitting a written request to the chairperson.
3. c) After three unexcused absences in a calendar year, a council member is automatically terminated.

 

Sec. 4  Officers:

1. a) The officers of parish pastoral council shall be chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary and shall be an elected member of the council. Terms of office shall be for one year.
2. b) The chairperson and vice-chairperson shall be elected by the members of the council by secret ballot without nominations from the floor. The council members receiving the most votes shall be chairperson; runner-up will serve as the vice-chairperson.
3. c) The secretary shall be elected in the same manner as the chairperson and vice-chairperson.
4. d) The election of the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary shall be held at the first regular meeting of the council following the selection of new council members.
5. e) Duties of the Officers:
6. i) Chairperson – shall preside at all meetings of the council. The chairperson shall work in conjunction with the pastor to set the agenda for the council meetings. The chairperson can call special meetings of the council when needed. An outgoing chairperson, if at the end of a three-year council term, shall act as a consultant to the incoming chairperson for a period of six months.
7. ii) Vice-Chairperson – shall assume all the duties of the chairperson when they are unable to serve because of death, resignation, or removal.

iii)     Secretary – shall keep complete and accurate minutes of all council meetings and will publish council meeting minutes on the website as soon as they are approved. It shall be the duty of the secretary to provide proper notification of all the meetings, both regular and special to council members. The secretary shall perform all other duties incumbent upon a secretary.

 

ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS

 Sec. 1 The council shall meet regularly at such time and place convenient to its members and jointly designated by the chairperson and pastor.

Sec. 2  Written notice of each meeting shall be given to the council members not less than five (5) days prior to each meeting. Such notice shall contain the date, time, and location of the meeting as well as a proposed agenda.

Sec. 3  All regular meetings of the council shall be open to all members of the parish with date and time published in the bulletin.

Sec. 4 A quorum shall be simple majority of the entire council, and shall be necessary for the adoption of proposals or recommendations.

Sec. 5             Decisions of the council shall be by consensus; if not possible, Roberts Rules of Order shall be the parliamentary authority.

Sec. 6  Should conflicts of interest between a council member and the affairs of the council be evident, as judged by the involved council member or by consensus of the council, it will be the duty of the involved council member to excuse him (her) self from voting on such affairs.

Sec. 7  The agenda committee shall consist of the pastor, chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary and shall meet prior to the regular council meeting, allowing for adequate time for preparation of the agenda and distribution to the council members. Agenda items can be submitted by any parish member.

 

ARTICLE V. SPECIAL MEETINGS

Sec. 1 Special meeting of the council may be called at the written request of at least four council members to the chairperson.

Sec. 2 Notice of such meetings shall be given not less than 24 hours prior to the meeting and shall state the time, place, and location of the meeting as well as its purpose. The agenda for such meeting shall be limited to the stated purpose of the meeting.

 

ARTICLE VI. MINISTRIES

Sec. 1  The parish pastoral council shall establish or cause to be established specific ministries for the betterment and well-being of the parish and/or community.

Sec. 2             These ministries shall include, but not necessarily be limited to:

1. a) Christian Formation
2. b) Human Concern and Outreach
3. c) Parish Organizations
4. d) Stewardship and Administration
5. e) Liturgy
6. f) Religious Education
7. g) Youth
8. h) Prayer
9. i) Communication
10. j) Parish and Family Life
11. k) School

Sec. 3 Each ministry shall be responsible for drawing up guidelines that determine its membership, goals and operating procedures.

Sec. 4  Each ministry shall, from its own ranks, select a ministry head (chairperson).

Sec. 5  Each ministry shall have direct representation to the council by means of a council member who is elected by the parish.

Sec. 6 The principle of subsidiarity shall prevail in the ministry structure so that decisions are made at the lowest possible level.

 

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

 Sec. 1             Amendments to the by-laws may be proposed at any regular meeting and by any member of the parish pastoral council.

Sec. 2 Upon proposal and after deliberation and discussion of any suggested amendment to the by-laws, a two-thirds majority of the council shall pass the proposed amendments to a second reading. All absent members must be duly notified in writing of the proposed amendment. At the second reading, seven (7) affirmative votes of the council, including written absentee votes, shall be necessary to adopt the proposed amendment.

Sec. 3 These by-laws and any future amendments hereto shall become effective immediately following their adoption and shall supersede all previous by-laws or amendments thereto.

Last Amended: 2/14/05

 

 

These are our weekly scheduled meetings that take place in the Parish. If a meeting is only once a month, it will state when specifically it takes place. Check the Church Bulletin for additional details.

If a meeting does not have a set time, but varies from week to week, it will not be on this list.  Therefore, please utilize the search bar to your right and conduct a search for that specific ministry.  Thank you.

If you need Mass or Sacrament Schedules, click here.

MEETING	SCHEDULE	LOCATION
Administration Committee	4th Thursday 7:00PM
Adult Choir Practice	Every Wednesday 7:00 PM	Church
Altar Society	1st Tuesday 6:30PM	Parish Hall
Bell Choir	Every Wednesday 6:00 PM	Church
Children's Choir at Mass	1st & 3rd Saturdays 5:00 PM	Church
Children's Choir Practice	Saturdays 10:00 to 11:15 AM	Multi-Purpose Room
Deacon Chuck's Faith Formation	Saturday 10:00AM	AV Conference Room
Dementia Support Group	Mondays 6 PM	The Upper Room
Eucharistic Adoration	Thursday 8:30AM - 9:00 PM	Day Chapel
Faith Sharing (6th - 8th Grade)	Wednesday 6:30 - 8:00PM	Social Hall
Faithful Fitness	Saturdays 8:30 AM	Social Hall
Finance Committee	3rd Thursday 7:00PM	Office Conference Room
Knights of Columbus	4th Sunday 7:00PM	Social Hall
Legion of Mary	Tuesdays 6:00 AM	Fr. Mallen Room
Over 50's Group	3rd Wednesday 11:00AM in the Social Hall	Social Hall
Parish Pastoral Council	2nd Monday 7:00PM	AV Conference Room
Prayer Shawl Ministry	2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6:30 PM	Resource Center
RCIA	Sunday 10:30 AM	AV Conference Room
Respect Life	2nd Monday 6:30PM	Parish Hall
School Board Meeting	1st Monday 6:00PM
Sponsor's For Christ	1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 6:15 PM
Teen Choir / Youth Band	2nd & 4th Sundays 3:30 PM, Lead Music at 5 PM Mass on those Sundays	Church
That Man is You	Saturday 6:15AM for Breakfast, 6:45 for Video	Parish Hall

If your scheduled meeting is missing from this list, and should be on here, please CONTACT US

Social Care Ministries for St. James encompass ministries that reach out and support the community as well as our parishioners.

Advent Giving Tree – An outreach program designed to help people in need at Christmas. Find out more…

Blood Donors – St. James hosts six blood drives annually for the Community Blood Center of Kansas City (CBC). Find out more…

Care Ministry – A Ministry for Sharing Our Losses:  A Journey of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Find out more…

Community Outreach – amazing ways to serve in our community.  Find out more…

• Hillcrest Ministries – Transitional housing ministry
• Immacolata Thrift Shop – Thrift store that raises funds to support the handicapped women residents.
• In As Much Ministries – An emergency food pantry for Clay County.
• Love, INC (Love In the Name of Christ – Ministry committed to meeting emergency assistance and basic needs.
• William Jewell Outreach – The William Jewell Ministry is an outreach ministry intended to create a welcome and friendly avenue for registered Catholic students at William Jewell College.

Funeral Dinner– After the funeral of a parishioner, parish volunteers provide a dinner for the family and friends of the deceased. Find out more…

HOPE Gift Card Ministry – The HOPE Gift Card Ministry provides an additional source of funding for St. James Parish to use to support its education programs and meet other needs as defined by the pastor. The parish purchases gift cards at a discounted price and sells them at face value. Find out more…

JUSTMATTERS and Social Concerns – JustMatters is an abbreviated program (usually 6 – 8 weeks) that focuses on a specific social ministry area. Find out more…

Landscape Care Team – There are several opportunities for sponsorship; including donation of flowers, plants or memorial bricks along with volunteering for ongoing maintenance of the garden.  Find out more…

Meals on Wheels – St. James partners with this ministry to help deliver low cost meals to the homes of the elderly or disabled in the Liberty area. Find out more…

New Parishioners Welcome – New parishioners who have registered with the Parish Office the previous 2 months are welcomed into our parish the first Sunday of the following month after the 11 am Mass.   Find out more…

Parish Recycling – The parish collects paper and aluminum cans for recycling. Everyone is encouraged to drop off their old newspapers in the appropriate bin on the parking lot and aluminum cans next to the dumpster off the parking lot. Find out more…

Peruvian Sister Parish Committee – As one of our outreach goals for St. James Parish in the new millennium, we began a twinning relationship in 2003 with a South American congregation served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.  Find out more…

Prayer Chain – Through the power of prayer the St James community comes together in times of need.  Find out more…

Prayer Shawl Ministry – The mission of this ministry is to provide unconditional love and comfort to the recipients of our shawls. These shawls are made to wrap, enfold, cover, mother, give solace, hug, and shelter and beautify those who receive them. Find out more…

Prison Ministry – Prayer services with Holy Communion are offered at Clay County Detention Center every Sunday morning. Find out more…

Respect Life Ministry – The St. James respect life ministry seeks to promote and protect human life from conception to natural death. We strive to accomplish this through education, support & prayer in the parish & community. We support our local crisis pregnancy center through the annual Mother’s Day Diaper Drive & the Advent giving tree.  Find out more…

Short Term Meal Ministry – Parish volunteers will prepare and deliver meals to the homes of any parishioner having a temporary need for the help due to illness, injury, or special circumstances.  Find out more…

St. James Community Kitchen – On the fourth Monday of each month, St. James, Liberty, provides the workers (no cooking required) to serve approximately 180 people a hot meal, and to clean up afterward at the St. James Place Soup Kitchen. Find out more…

St. Mary’s Food Kitchen – On the fourth Sunday of each month St. James provides the food and workers to serve a hot meal to an average of 400 people at St. Mary’s Food Kitchen located at 6th and Nebraska Streets, Kansas City, KS. Find out more…

Visit Sick and Shut-ins – The volunteers take Holy Communion to those who can’t go to Mass on a weekly basis. Find out more…