Holy Family Catholic Church Key Findings Report

Holy Family Catholic Church Key Findings Report Toward a Strategic Plan INTRODUCTION 1 I. PARISH VISION AND ORGANIZATION FOR MISSION 3 A. TOWARD A VISION STATEMENT 3 B. PASTORAL STAFF 13 C. LAY LEADERSHIP, COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES 13 II. PARISH MINISTRIES 15 A. LITURGY 15 B. ELEMENTARY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION/YOUTH MINISTRY 16 C. ADULT FAITH FORMATION 17 D. OUTREACH AND PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY 17 E. STEWARDSHIP/COMMUNICATIONS 18 III. PARISH ADMINISTRATION 21 A. FINANCES 21 B. FACILITIES/TECHNOLOGY 22

INTRODUCTION Holy Family Catholic Church, Woodruff, WI Mission Statement As a celebrating people, with Jesus as our foundation, We are the Catholic community of Holy Family. Guided by the Spirit and the Scriptures and strengthened by the Eucharist, We humbly and joyfully accept our baptismal call to share our diverse gifts: To love, witness, worship, welcome and serve all of God s creation. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus entrusts his followers with a mission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). This mission guides the pastoral activity of every parish. The mission is people-centered. The challenge for each parish is to determine how to effectively reach out and serve the people in its geographical area. Pastoral planning assists a parish by assessing its ministerial activity and then strategizing ways to enliven that activity and carry out the mission more effectively. The early Christian communities used the Greek words to describe the four areas of the mission of the Church: leitourgia (sanctify), kerygma (teach), diakonia (serve), and koinonia (build community). The Acts of the Apostles describes this mission: They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one s need (Acts 2:42-45). PLANNING PROCESS The strengths of Holy Family Catholic Church and the needs for the future came through in interviews and meetings conducted in December of 2016 and January/February of 2017. Parish leaders and parishioners from a wide spectrum of the parish community had an opportunity to talk about their vision for the future, needs in the community, priorities, and possible future direction for the parish. All staff members had several opportunities to provide observations. This report brings together key data and the input of many. From this document, the best ideas will be drawn together into a cohesive plan for the parish. The report is divided into three sections. The first section views the parish vision and organization for mission. The second section is the largest and is devoted to the parish s ministries. The final section focuses on the parish administrative areas. Additional consultation with parish leaders and parishioners will help guide the drafting of a strategic plan. This plan will shape the parish s future for many years to come. Key Findings Report Part I 1

PART I Figure 1 Holy Family Catholic Church Registered Parish Households by Location This 10-mile radius map of Holy Family Catholic Church, Woodruff illustrates where all the registered households live. The majority of households live in the radius but there are also parish households outside this radius. Figures 2 through 12, charts from MissionInsite reports, represent the population living in the 10 mile radius shown (Figure 1). Key Findings Report Part I 2

I. PARISH VISION AND ORGANIZATION FOR MISSION A. Toward a Vision Statement Figure 2 Population within Study Area (10 Mile Radius of Church Building) 1. The area population is projected and forecast to grow over the next 10 years by 10.4% or 1,504 total residents. 2. This percentage growth is double the growth rate from 2010 to 2016. 3. The growth rate of the Woodruff area will be greater than the growth rate in the State of Wisconsin for the same 10-year period. Key Findings Report Part I 3

Figure 3 Population by Age 1. The largest segment of the population is made up of residents who are 65 & older (29%). 2. The fastest growing segments of the population are 65 & over and the 25 to 34 age group. 3. The number of residents in the 35 to 64 age group will decline. Key Findings Report Part I 4

Figure 4 School-Age Population 1. In general, the school age populations are projected to remain about the same. 2. The ages 10 to 14 population will increase slightly and the ages 5 to 9 population will decrease slightly. Key Findings Report Part I 5

Figure 5 Race and Ethnicity 1. The area population is over 90% white. 2. The largest racial minority group in the area is Pacific Islander/American Indian/Other representing 5% of the population. 3. The only race/ethnicity populations expected to see growth through 2021 are Asian (0.11%) and Hispanic or Latino (0.08%). Key Findings Report Part I 6

Figure 6 Education Attainment of Population 1. The area shows a higher level of graduate or professional degreed residents, as well as college- no degree residents, than the State average. 2. The area has fewer less educated residents than the State average. Key Findings Report Part I 7

Figure 7 2016 Household Income 1. Higher levels of income - $50,000 and above are lower in the Woodruff area than in the State of Wisconsin average household income profile. 2. Lower levels of income - $49,999 and below are greater than the State average. Figure 8 Household Income Trends 1. The average household income in the State of Wisconsin in 2015 was $55,638. That amount is $137 lower than the national average household income. 2. The Woodruff area has a higher average household income than the State which is projected to increase by $3,638 or 6.5% over the next five years. Key Findings Report Part I 8

Figure 9 Families and Poverty 1. In 2016, 8.69% of the State population lived below the poverty level. 2. The poverty level in the study area is 5.90% or 851 families which is below the State average. Figure 10 Denominational Affiliation 1. 22.5% of the population in the study area is Catholic. 2. The percentage of self-identifying Catholics has decreased by -4.4% over the past ten years. 3. Registration at Holy Family Catholic Church is 2,786 members or 19.2% of the population in the Woodruff area. 4. CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) at Georgetown Universtity has researched the issue of retention of Catholics to their faith into adulthood. Some key insights are as follows: 66% of Catholics will continue their practice of the faith into adulthood; 50% of the one-third who are not retained leave the faith after infant baptism and up to age 17; 25% of the one-third who leave do so between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% will leave after age 25 or as adults; Key Findings Report Part I 9

The three greatest indicators of faith practice as an adult are: 1) attendance at a Catholic university or college; 2) attendance at a Catholic high school; and 3) involvement in a parish youth ministry program. Figure 11 Study Area Population Involvement in Religious Congregation/Community 1. 56.8% or about 8,195 residents of the 14,427 total population in the Woodruff area are not involved with any religious congregation or denomination. 2. 43.2% pr 6,232 residents of the Woodruff area are involved with a congregation or denomination. 3. The 2,786 members of Holy Family Catholic Church represent about 45% of all the people involved in a faith community in the Woodruff area. Key Findings Report Part I 10

Figure 12 Parish Statistics 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Registered Parish Households 1,171 1,094 1,049 1,364 1,305 1,319 1,375 1,375 Total Catholics 2,869 2,880 2,932 2,887 2,928 2,199 2,909 2,786 July Weekend Avg. Attendance 3,425 3,430 3,420 3,998 2,379 2,581 2,423 1,991 1,962 October Weekend Avg. " 1,837 2,005 2,320 1,755 1,526 1,296 1,146 1,158 1,122 All Baptisms 49 24 28 23 28 12 13 19 14 First Eucharists 21 15 20 21 21 Confirmations 57 48 22 22 27 18 21 20 Marriages 12 19 25 13 15 6 11 11 9 Funerals (Deaths) 25 37 34 26 21 16 19 58 21 Source: Diocese of Superior - Statistical Reports Note: No data was available for 2007 and 2008 Figure 13 Parishioners by Age Group-2016 Age Group Number % by Age 0 to 17 years 424 21% 18 to 24 years 240 12% 25 to 39 years 163 8% 40 to 54 years 277 14% 55 to 65 years 260 13% 66 to 75 years 341 17% over 75 years old 327 16% Subtotal of Age Groups 2,032 100% Unk nown Age 754 Total Database Entries 2,786 Source: Holy Family Catholic Church Database 1. 2006 data represents the three parishes that combined to form Holy Family Catholic Church. 2. Data was not submitted to the Diocese by the new parish until 2009. 3. Summer Average attendance peaked at just under 4,000 in 2011. 4. A 3-year average (2014-16) calculation for weekend attendance averages 2,125 for July and 1,142 in October. Average July attendance shows an 86% increase from weekends in October. Key Findings Report Part I 11

5. In Figure 13, we sorted the parishioner database by the year joined/entered to estimate the number of parishioners who were involved when Holy Family formed and those who joined in the recent past. About 64% of parishioners are founding parishioners. About 19% have joined the parish in the last 5 years (2012-2016). 6. The number of parish households has increased while the number of parishioners has decreased. 7. The average household size is 2.02, down from a high of 2.74 in 2010. The national average household size in the United States is 2.6 and in Wisconsin is 2.43. 8. The number of baptisms, confirmations, marriages and funerals have decreased. First Eucharists are relatively stable. 9. The age groups of 55 and over make up close to half the parish membership. 10. There are 754 parishioners or 27% of the total membership whose ages are unknown. AFFIRMATIONS 1. The parish nearly doubles in size during the summer months. 2. There is an open, friendly, welcoming, accepting, supportive community spirit at the parish. TOWARD A VISION FOR THE FUTURE The emerging vision for Holy Family in the future is to place an emphasis on forming intentional disciples. The parish intends to focus more of its energies and resources on: Promoting and nurturing each person s personal relationship with Jesus; Supporting the discernment of each person s call or vocation; and Living out their responsibility to minister to others. The priorities in this report reflect the various ways the parish will seek to become a school of discipleship and evangelization by: Creating an overwhelming sense of hospitality and welcome Encouraging small faith sharing groups to build personal relationships with Jesus and other believers Building community with the various and diverse age groups Helping people recognize that God s Church is our home Leading parishioners to recognize that stewardship or sharing is a demand of our Baptism Promoting the command of Jesus to spread the good news or to evangelize and recognizing that those efforts begin with those already in our pews Key Findings Report Part I 12

B. Pastoral Staff 1. The parish has a staff design which corresponds with the areas of mission worship, formation, outreach & pastoral care, stewardship & communications and the areas of administrative services finances, facilities, clerical, and record-keeping. 2. There is interest in creating a position of parish administrator/manager to decrease much of the administrative workload of the pastor. 3. There has been significant turnover among the staff positions in recent years. 4. Some staff positions are titled in business language rather than mission language, for example, development is used when stewardship may be preferable. 5. The director of maintenance spends a fair amount of his time cleaning and must undertake projects with some degree of risk without the help of an assistant. AFFIRMATIONS 1. The staff is dedicated and evidences leadership skills. 2. The staff meets regularly with the pastor. C. Lay Leadership, Councils and Committees the consultative bodies and committees in which volunteer parishioners lead and serve 1. The parish finance and pastoral councils are active and functioning. 2. The faith formation committee is the only standing committee of the pastoral council. 3. The finance council has a buildings and grounds committee and a cemetery committee. 4. Lay leadership is essential to maintain the integrity of the parish vision as well as the goals and objectives in a pastoral plan. 5. The ongoing recruitment and formation of lay leaders is important for Holy Family Catholic Church so that existing and new leadership have a common understanding of faith, Church, and ministry. 6. The Second Vatican Council and the past five Popes have emphasized the important role of the laity: The laity accomplish the Church s mission in the world principally by a blending of conduct and faith which makes them the light of the world. (Lumen Gentium) 7. There is a Circle of Chairs group, comprised of the chairs from the councils and committees which meets to provide for communication and coordination of activities and initiatives. Key Findings Report Part I 13

AFFIRMATIONS 1. There are many volunteers who are dedicated and committed. 2. There are a significant number of well-educated and experienced leaders in the parish community. Key Findings Report Part I 14

II. PARISH MINISTRIES A. Liturgy the group which prepares liturgies for sacramental celebrations and other prayer experiences. Figure 14 2015 Weekend Mass Attendance 1. Average Sunday Mass attendance in October of 2015 was 1,243 people or 44.6% of the 2,786 members of the parish. Fall Mass attendance over the past four years has increased by 304 attendees or 11%. 2. Nationally, about 30% of registered parishioners attend Mass on a weekly basis. Close to one-third of that number are occasional, parishioners who attend Mass at least monthly. 3. Mass attendance in the summer of 2016 was 2,651 people. This number tied with the highest summer totals over the past few years. 4. Over 300 people are involved in various liturgical ministries. 5. According to the Quadrennium Report from MissionInsite a study of religious belief and practice conducted every four years about 70% of residents favor traditional worship services from moderately important to strongly important. 6. The same report indicates nearly 60% favor contemporary worship services. 7. There is a population of 250 300 Hispanics in the area. AFFIRMATIONS 1. There are good singers and instrumentalists in the parish. 2. The liturgical life of the parish has been viewed and funded as a priority. Key Findings Report Part I 15

B. Elementary Religious Education/Youth Ministry formation programs and activities for children pre-k through 5 th grade and for middle and high school students grades 6 through 12. Figure 15 Religious Education by Grade Grade 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 CGS 13 CLOW 21 14 Grade 1 15 10 16 9 Grade 2 18 17 11 14 Grade 3 17 17 18 11 Grade 4 15 18 13 19 Grade 5 15 14 21 14 Subtotal CGS-5th 80 97 93 80 Grade 6 15 14 12 21 Grade 7 22 14 14 12 Grade 8 25 19 12 16 Grade 9 16 23 21 12 Grade 10 19 18 23 15 Grade 11 25 18 17 20 Grade 12 0 0 2 0 Subtotal 6th-12th 122 106 101 96 Total 202 203 194 176 1. 129 students are enrolled in Religious Education for grades K3 through 8 for the 2016-17 school year. 47 students are enrolled for Grades 9 through 12 for the same year. 2. According to the parish census, there are approximately 336 students of K3 through high school age. That means that 176 of the 336 possible students or 52% of all the students are enrolled in the faith formation programs. Please note that 27% of the age of the parish population is unknown so the possible number of students not enrolled is likely underestimated. 3. Religious education enrollment for grades K3 through grade 5 has declined from a high of 97 students in 2014-15. 4. Enrollment for middle and high school students has decreased from a high of 122 students in 2013-14 or 13%. 5. There are initiatives underway to provide service and other activities in addition to classroom formation, especially during the summer months. AFFIRMATIONS 1. Youth are involved in the parish. 2. Catechists are dedicated to their role. Key Findings Report Part I 16

C. Adult Faith Formation opportunities for adults to deepen their understanding and practice of the Catholic faith. 1. The young adult population of the parish (ages 18 to 39) is comprised of 403 parishioners or 14.5% of the total parish population (note: 27% of parishioner s ages are unknown ). 2. There are approximately 1,041 adult parishioners between the ages of 25 and 75 with an additional 327 over the age of 75. This means that there are 1,368 adult parishioners or 49% of the parish who are the potential audience for adult faith formation (note: 27% of parishioner s ages are unknown ). 3. Bible study and other adult faith formation opportunities are offered. 4. There are a significant number of parishioners over the age of 65 and this number will continue to increase in the future. AFFIRMATIONS 1. There are many opportunities for adults to grow in their faith which are offered at the parish or at Marywood Spirituality Center. D. Outreach and Pastoral Care Ministry pastoral care for ill and homebound parishioners as well as outreach to people who need the basic human necessities of life. 1. The parish supports several outreach projects, activities and pastoral care ministries. 2. The volunteers for outreach projects tend to be older members of the parish rather than younger. 3. Bereavement ministry, for those who have lost a loved one, should be organized and coordinated under this area of mission. AFFIRMATIONS 1. There are very dedicated volunteers for this area of ministry. 2. The parish reaches out in many and diverse ways to those in need. Key Findings Report Part I 17

E. Stewardship/Communications Figure 16 Monthly Giving Fiscal Years 2012-2016 (through Nov. 2016) $50,000 $45,000 $40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $ Monthly Giving by Type Jul 11 Oct 11 Jan 12 Apr 12 Jul 12 Oct 12 Jan 13 Apr 13 Jul 13 Oct 13 Jan 14 Apr 14 Jul 14 Oct 14 Jan 15 Apr 15 Jul 15 Oct 15 Jan 16 Apr 16 Jul 16 Oct 16 Envelope Loose EFT Source: Holy Family Parish Key Findings Report Part I 18

Figure 17 Giving and Contributions Trend Year Ending June 30: 1 Mode of 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Giving Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent Envelope $ 323,787 68% $ 386,646 66% $ 384,946 67% $ 359,050 62% $ 371,961 63% $ 339,492 60% Loose $ 153,535 32% $ 195,327 34% $ 186,752 33% $ 174,429 30% $ 176,173 30% $ 181,070 32% Electronic Funds Transfer $ - 0% $ - 0% $ - 0% $ 42,670 7% $ 44,036 7% $ 46,321 8% Total Contributions $ 477,322 100% $ 581,973 100% $ 571,698 100% $ 576,149 100% $ 592,170 100% $ 566,883 100% Change from year prior 21.9% -1.8% 0.8% 2.8% -4.3% 1 Through Week 25 - December 18, 2016 2 Compares same amount of weeks from previous year 2015-16 to Week 25 env. $ 168,057 58% loose $ 99,967 35% EFT $ 20,605 7% 2 Total $ 288,629 100% Key Findings Report Part I 19

1. The parish has the potential for membership growth from a number of sources over the next 10 years. 2. At least one-third of the parish households do not contribute financially to the parish. 3. Nationally, the average Catholic household contributes between 1% and 1.1% of household income to the parish. Other religious groups have an average which is at least double the Catholic average. 4. Studies have indicated that parish bulletins reach two-thirds of the parish population through print or via the website which is currently more than any other medium. The use of email and apps is increasing in many parishes. AFFIRMATIONS 1. Many members of focus groups convened for this planning process indicated the strong influence of the Holy Family welcome interviews upon their involvement in the parish and ongoing engagement in the life of the community. Key Findings Report Part I 20

III. PARISH ADMINISTRATION A. Finances the management of the financial resources of the parish. 1. Over the past six years, contributions have increased by $89,561 or 18.7%. The average annual increase is $17,912 or 3.75% per year. 2. The parish has approximately $285,000 in investments and some unused land. 3. The cemetery perpetual care fund has a balance of nearly $150,000. 4. The large summer population generates sufficient additional revenue to allow the parish to function as a parish larger than its registered membership. AFFIRMATIONS 1. Parishioners have responded in the past to appeals for additional funds and to capital campaigns. 2. The mortgage for the construction of the new parish facilities is fully paid after ten years. Key Findings Report Part I 21

B. Facilities/Technology the management of the buildings, grounds, and information/communication capabilities of the parish. 1. The current facilities are beautiful and have been designed for flexible and multipurpose use. 2. The parish is responsible for one cemetery. 3. The parish owns land adjacent to the church site and at another location. 4. The majority of the parish facility footprint is devoted to the church and hall which needs to serve both the year-round and the summer community. 5. The facilities which parishes require to conduct effective ministry are changing. 6. Information technology and communications are playing an increasing role in parish life. AFFIRMATIONS 1. The new facilities have been designed for present and future use. Key Findings Report Part I 22