Saint Ambrose: A Future Full of Hope

“How do we live in the midst of changing and challenging times in a way that brings the hope, care and compassion of Christ to our community and those in need?

We walk forward in FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE into a FUTURE FULL of HOPE. Along the way, we work to keep each other safe and healthy while striving for holiness. TOGETHER, we are the hands, the feet, and the heart of CHRIST in our community and in the world.

Our Community Cares: We care greatly about the spiritual needs, pastoral needs, and the physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being of our members.

Our Promise to You: Our constant commitment is to listen to your needs, concerns, hopes and fears to best understand and respond to the working of the Holy Spirit in our community.

What We Do: We Build Community Life, Celebrate God in All Things, Demonstrate Compassion in Action, Educate our People, and Grow Closer to God and to One Another.

Who We Are: We are a Catholic Community of Faith Centered on Jesus Christ, Who is Everything for Us.

We will embark on a journey to a Future Full of Hope following these 7 steps:

  1. Outline the need: listen and understand
  2. Define and refine the true essence of the need
  3. Connect the parish Core Values and Mission of the Parish to the real need
  4. Match the need with existing parish resources, people and ministries
  5. Develop and execute the action plan
  6. Reflect and evaluate the process, outcome and benefits
  7. Communicate and share outcomes

8 Guiding Themes

We will walk our members through this time of unknowing with these 8 guiding themes. These themes are lived out each day in our Parish Community.

  • We created a video series giving people tools and resources to process and reflect on their experience
  • We are working with the Diocese and Medina County Health Department to make best decisions for your health and safety
  • PPC outreach to our members – especially our seniors and homebound – and continued check-in calls to our members
  • Mercy Monday to continue food collection to support our outreach ministries

  • We continue to stream daily and weekend Masses – now and beyond
  • Facilitation of prayer partners
  • Holy Spirit Series with Fr. Rob Ramser
  • Scripture studies online
  • Rosary and other prayers available online
  • Church and chapel open daily
  • Regular thoughts, reflections and prayers available online

  • Develop teams to make lunches for outreach ministries
  • Continue to make masks for our members and local community
  • Continued outreach to seniors and homebound
  • Provide weekly community meals and food distributions
  • Stephen Ministry Team commissioned to provide additional support for our members

  • Ongoing scripture study programs with more coming online.
  • Children’s Liturgy of the Word will continue throughout the summer in an online format.
  • Saint Ambrose School is working to respond to student/family needs.
  • Our Parish School of Religion is adapting programming both to complete the PSR year and for summer programming.
  • Continued virtual Youth Ministry programming

  • Those who are graduating
  • Mother’s Day concert and other key events, holidays, etc.
  • Parish festival will adapt and plan according to safety.
  • As a community – Donut Sunday and other gatherings.

  • Tool kit for parents to help their students transition into summer
  • PPC to develop process of helping members reflect on Pandemic and what it means in their lives and lives of this community
  • Work with PPC and leaders to refine process of discerning the needs of our community during these times
  • Develop graphics for bulletin/parish NL to communicate resources and programming in place (Community outreach, community life, worship, care and compassion)

  • What ministries, programs and outreaches are available to our members
  • Best practices for returning to church through our website, e-blasts, and social media as we prepare to reopen (in addition to our continued livestream opportunities)

  • Reconvene the safety committee to review our parish safety plan and to provide training and appropriate updating
  • Convene a committee to develop a Parish “Hall of Fame” concept for implementation in 2020-2021
  • Pastoral Council will engage in a process to learn from our current experience and how it needs to shape the remainder of the year and future planning. This process will lead to the development of a three-year vision for our parish community
  • Our Pastoral Council will work closely with the Stewardship and Evangelization and Welcome Committees to develop a plan to invite, engage, and welcome our members back ‘home’ to Church for Fall 2020
  • Our Sacramental Preparation Team for First Reconciliation and Eucharist will outline a “Holy Family” model of sacramental preparation that focuses on family-based catechesis and small group participation
  • Our Worship Commission will develop a plan to welcome people back to Church, both in the near future and beyond
  • Convene a leadership team to strengthen our parish focus on Small Faith Sharing Groups both for faith-sharing and personal support
  • Convene a working group to review and develop a three-year vision for our Community Outreach Ministries
  • Saint Ambrose School will convene a team to engage in the process of Strategic Planning for reaccreditation
  • Littlest Angels Preschool will outline a transition plan to move to their new home at Ambrose Crossing. This plan will also outline additional programming to respond to family needs
  • Identify members of our parish community who can share their gifts and talents and assist in video-taping and streaming needs so we can continue online resources and streaming of Masses and Services