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Social Concerns Commission Minutes for 8 April 2021
Social Concerns Commission
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, Lake Ozark, Missouri
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Minutes
Attendees: Theresa Brown, Lusica Hankins, Dcn. Jim Hankins, Msgr. Makarewicz, Stephanie Koch, Katie Thorman, Dianne Richardson, Jan Metz, Kerri Braumann, and David Gregg with guest speaker Melodi Greassle
- Opening Prayer and Reflection: Dianne Richardson gave a beautiful prayer. The message was: Life is not always easy. We are always going to have difficult times as well as good times. Look for God in everyone because we have look at the bigger picture.
- Commitment to Mission prayer – All prayed together.
- Salva vida Outreach – Dcn Jim. currently provided assistance as needed to include taking one gentleman to Hope House and Walmart, called Hispanic Female to determine if she needed Hope House support. She declined support at this time. A Hispanic Female was looking for employment support, so he provided link to Lake Jobs. Dianne Richardson knows a lady that runs a cleaning business might be able to use the services of additional employees, so she was going to contact this Hispanic female to see if interest was there.
- Update Parish Rosters: Msgr Makarewicz. Rosters are done and Monsignor is prepared to print out 10 sets of on/about 40 each to pick up from the Church. We currently have Glenda, Dcn Jim Hankins, Lusica Hankins, Theresa Brown, Dianne Richardson, Katie Thurman, David Gregg, Stephanie Koch, Kerri Braumann, Jan Metz, and David Gregg who have volunteered to support.
- Networking for employment support: Dcn Jim. provided a link to Hispanic female who was looking for a job within the Lake Area. Dianne Richardson will follow-up with a call to her friend that owns cleaning business.
- Spiritual: Welcome team has been formed. We normally have two to three new families per quarter. They are going to work with food ministry to get a welcome meal provided. We will begin having an 8am Mass again on April 18th. The Confirmation Mass will be celebrated on April 22nd by Bishop McKnight.
- Funeral Dinners and Compassion Meals: Melodi Greassle was a guest speaker who spoke about the importance of this group and the work done by its 51 members. She talked about the formation of this group in 2017 and the importance of serving these meals to our parishioners in need. Funeral dinners have started again for small groups of immediate family members. Compassion meals are currently being made and delivered to 10-15 people monthly. This committee also offers “kindness meals.” These are meals offered once to a family due to special circumstances. It was decided that if we come across others in need of meals during our outreach calls to parish members that we should contact Dcn. Jim or Msgr. Makarawecz with the name and they can determine if compassion/kindness meals would apply for their support.
- Budget: Dcn Jim. Currently working on the 21-22 budget that will begin July 2, 2021 – June 30, 2022.
- The flyer has been made for the 5K that is taking place on October 2. It is $15 to participate if you register before July 31 or $20 after July 30. Dcn. Jim stated that he did not think a $500 sponsorship for this event would be a problem. Glenda Hinrichs picked up the baby bottles from the pregnancy care center. Those are to be returned to church by Mother’s Day weekend.
- Msgr. said that there was a good turn-out when he said the US Bishop’s Station of the Cross. He really wants to get in a speaker that could discuss their story regarding race/equality issues.
- Linda/Jay Bulkalski are heading this committee. They are having Dcn. Turf Martin, Dioceses Point of Contact, provide a briefing/discussion on April 17th on the programs that were briefed to Bishop McKnight. Our Lady of the Lakes program will be entitled – “Recovering from Divorce, Then and Now, Crossing the Bridge.”
- Dcn. Jim met three persons to include Pastor Phil, Amber Franz from Citizens against Domestic Violence and Autumn Stevens, a young lady who started and owns her own boutique. She spoke and discussed assisting those High School Students with clothing and toiletry products. Also, we learned about Missouri Ozarks Community Action. Their website is mocaonline.org. They have some great information to include those organizations in Miller and Camden country that can provide support. Dcn. Jim has a call into MOCA to discuss more about their organization and how Our Lady of the Lake can also be part of their assistance and support. We have many great organizations in the area supporting those in need. However, we are not well coordinated and synchronized with being as effective in helping those in need. Our goal is to continue to coordinate and interact with agencies in our area where we at Our Lady of the Lake can not only assist but become more affective with helping and supporting Our Neighbors in Need.
- The Office of Women’s Ministry is in the process of forming a Women’s Ministry Council. Each parish has an opportunity to be represented on the council by two women parishioners. With their pastors’ permission, these representatives will help guide, direct, and implement women’s ministry activities, programs and events within their respective parishes and deaneries. In particular, we need Spirit-led women, who are strong in their Catholic faith, who have gifts of organization and hospitality, and who will encourage other women to use the gifts God has given them to serve others. If anyone is interested in doing this, they are to contact Msgr. Makarewicz.
- Seven Key Ministries and coordinators:
- Ministry to Families – Deacon Jim and Lusica Hankins
- Ministry to the Poor – Deacon Jim and Lusica Hankins
- Ministry for Protecting Life – Glenda Hinrichs and Theresa Brown
- Ministry to the Community – Stephanie Koch
- Ministry of Hospitality and Fellowship – Theresa Brown
- Ministry to the Oppressed – Vacant
- Ministry of Health and Well-Being – Jan Metz and Diane Richardson
- Next Meeting Date: Our next committee meeting will be held on May 13, at 6pm via Zoom
- Prayer and Reflection leader for next meeting will be Dcn. Jim.
- Closing Pastoral Plan Prayer was led by Stephanie Koch.