MINISTRIES

This section of our web site is divided into four areas which remind us that we are personally nourished and, as good stewards, give to God our time, talent and treasure through the ministries of

1. WORD

2. WORSHIP

3. COMMUNITY BUILDING

4. SERVICE
   (to jump to an area click on it above)

          Through the Ministries of the Word, our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed and our knowledge of the faith is enhanced and passed on.
          The Ministries of Worship facilitate celebrating fully the sacramental and prayer life of the Church.
          The Community Building Ministries foster Christian fellowship through social and spiritual events.
          The Service Ministries encourage us to serve Jesus in the persons of all those with needs of any kind.

I. WORD

CATECHISTS -ELEMENTARY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
         All religious education classes, kindergarten through grade eight, are taught by volunteer catechists. Requirements for this ministry include a love for and understanding of children and a desire to share your faith.
         Archdiocesan certification courses are offered periodically, many here within the parish.

CATECHISTS -SACRAMENT PREPARATION
         Volunteer catechists work in the preparation programs for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.
         Preparation of children for Reconciliation and Eucharist is done by the parents and during the regular religious education classes.
         Confirmation preparation classes are held monthly from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. beginning in January.

BAPTISMAL PREPARATION MINISTRY
         The Baptism Preparation Team is made up of married couples with families who meet with the parents preparing to have their child baptized for one hour on selected Sunday afternoons throughout the year in the Parish Center.
         Ministry couples also greet the families at Mass on the day of Baptism.

R.C.I.A. TEAM
         The R.C.I.A. team (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) includes catechists, hospitality ministers, sponsors and discussion leaders Who meet regularly with the catechumens and candidates in the R.C.I.A. process

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL VOLUNTEER
         Our summer Vacation Bible School for children pre- school through grade four is staffed by volunteers including adults, high school students and candidates for the sacrament of Confirmation.

II. WORSHIP

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
         Lay Ministers of the Eucharist assist the priest celebrant with the distribution of Communion at weekend and daily Masses; they bring the Eucharist to hospitals and nursing homes as well as to the homebound.
         Eucharistic Ministers are mandated by the Archdiocese of Newark. Training sessions at both the Archdiocesan and parish levels are required. Follow-up development is offered periodically.

LECTORS
         This group of men and women serve the parish by publicly proclaiming the Scripture readings at Weekend and daily Masses. Dedicated to proclaiming the Good News with a spirit of enthusiasm and celebration, the lectors receive training both on the Archdiocesan level and in the parish.

MUSIC MINISTRY
         Liturgies at Little Flower are enhanced by a variety of music. The Adult Choir, the Contemporary Choir, and Leaders of Song lead worshippers in praising God through song. Liturgical musicians, who play instruments including the organ, piano, violin, guitar and trumpet, also offer their talents. Our Youth Choir leads the singing at special Youth Masses held periodically throughout the year.
         Liturgical music ministers, (singers, musicians, leaders of song) are always needed and welcomed. To volunteer, please contact the Director of Music or the Choir Director.
         The choirs and musicians rehearse weekly.

USHERS / MINISTERS OF HOSPITALITY
         These ministers perform an essential role at Eucharistic celebrations on weekends, Holy Days and special occasions. They are responsible for greeting worshippers as they arrive for Mass; assisting people in locating a seat; passing the collection baskets; inviting people to bring the gifts to the altar as part of the offertory procession; distributing bulletins to worshippers as they leave Mass; and being available to provide assistance to people during Mass. 

YOUTH ALTAR SERVERS
         These young people of our parish assist the priests at Sunday and Holy Day Masses. They are assigned to serve on a rotating basis, and must be in fourth grade or older.
         Annual training sessions and review sessions are held, once in the fall and once in the spring.

ADULT FUNERAL SERVERS
         Adult Funeral Servers assist the priest at Funeral Masses and also serve as lector if needed.
         Periodic training is provided as needed.

LITURGICAL MASTERS OF CEREMONIES
         Masters of Ceremonies assist in organizing special liturgies such as those during Holy Week. They supervise and guide the altar servers.
         Masters of Ceremonies must be high school age or older Special training is provided in preparation for specific liturgies.

LITURGY COMMITTEE
         The Liturgy Committee studies the Church's worship, its celebrations and rituals, in order to assist in preparing various aspects of the parish liturgies. Its purpose is to educate parishioners about worship and to seek to involve them in the worship life of the Church.
          Meetings are held as needed.

CHURCH DECORATING AND ENVIRONMENT TEAM
         The Church Decorating and Environment Committee prepares proper church decorations, such as banners, altar cloths and flowers, for the Little Church and the Auditorium Church. They help to enhance the community's liturgical celebrations throughout the seasons of the Church and the seasons of the year by providing an inspiring and appropriate environment for worship.
          Committee members are given the opportunity to learn about liturgical seasons and feast days. Occasional meetings are held as needed.
          There are also a few dedicated parishioners who on a weekly basis launder the altar linens and clean the vessels used for distribution of communion.

LITURGY OF THE WORD WITH CHILDREN LEADERS
This team of volunteers plans and organizes the Children's Liturgies of the Word, preparing the worship space, arranging for a presider, either a priest or a layperson, composing the petitions for the Prayer of the Faithful and preparing a take-home pamphlet.

III. COMMUNITY BUILDING

PASTORAL COUNCIL
         The Pastoral Council is a community of parish leaders and representatives formed to serve as the primary advisory body in pastoral matters to the pastor, priests and staff. Its purpose is to provide direction for the parish as a whole in light of our Mission Statement. Its functions are to examine parish needs, engage in long-range planning and formulate recommendations for the future of the parish.
         The membership of the Pastoral Council consists of six atlarge members selected by the Pastor and Council from nominees who have expressed a desire to serve and are committed to participate in six regularly-scheduled meetings each year. The Council membership also includes a representative from each major parish ministry/community selected by its respective group to serve a term of at least two years.
         The Officers of the Council consist of a Chairperson and Vice-chairperson chosen by the members at the September meeting using a process of discernment. The Pastor is ex-officio the Presider at Council meetings.

VOCATIONS COMMITTEE
         The Vocations Committee seeks to foster vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life by encouraging families to discuss vocations; by encouraging catechists to incorporate discussion and study of vocations into their curriculum; by encouraging young people to consider vocations to priesthood and religious life; and by promoting prayer for vocations.
         The Vocations Committee meets periodically during the year.

FINANCE COUNCIL
         The Finance Council is a group of parish leaders with professional skills helpful to the Pastor regarding the operation of the parish with respect to temporal matters. Its purpose is to make recommendations regarding the finances of the parish, review bud- gets and financial statements, provide guidance in legal matters, make suggestions with respect to the maintenance of facilities and give advice on the feasibility of new projects.
         Members are appointed by the Pastor on the basis of nominations offered by the Council. The two Parish Trustees are ex officio members of the Council. The Council meets four times a year after the preparation of each quarterly report. The meetings are conducted by the chairperson, who is selected by the pastor and council members through a process of discernment and consensus.

SPIRITUAL LIFE COMMITTEE
         The Spiritual Life Committee plans programs and religious experiences to nurture the spiritual life and faith of parishioners. Programs are planned to enable all age groups within the parish to grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
         Activities include mornings and evenings of reflection during Lent and Advent, Stations of the Cross during Lent, Parish Feast Day celebrations, and Men's and Women's Cornerstone Retreats.
         In addition, a Mid-Life Women's Spirituality Groups meet weekly in the Parish Center from September through May.
         The Spiritual Life Committee meets periodically throughout the year.

PARISH LIFE COMMITTEE
         The purpose of the Parish Life Committee is to nourish the social life of the parish and to build community through various social events and activities such as the Calendar Dance.
         The committee meets as needed during the year.

YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL
         This support arm of our high school and middle school youth groups is open to all parish adults. The purpose of the group is to provide feedback and ideas to the Youth Minister regarding activities for our sixth through twelfth grade students.
         In addition, the Advisory Council helps by baking for various youth group activities and by "spreading the word" about what our youth groups are doing.
         The Council meets monthly.

YOUTH GROUP LEADERS
         The Elementary Youth Group is coordinated and run by volunteers. In order to keep this program functioning from year to year; many volunteers are needed, both in leadership and auxiliary roles.
         Our middle school and high school youth groups are coordinated by our Youth Minister; however, volunteers are needed periodically to provide transportation, chaperone or bake for various activities and events.

WELCOME MINISTRY
         The Welcome Ministry is a group of parishioners who so love Little Flower Parish that they want to extend a warm welcome to every family newly-registered in the parish. It is their responsibility to follow-up on the Welcome Letter in the Parish Registration packet by calling each newly-registered family shortly after becoming a parishioner, to say "hello" on behalf of the whole parish and answer any questions about parish life.
         The Welcome Ministry makes every effort to help new parishioners feel at home and comfortable in the parish. An invitation is also extended to the new parish family to arrange to have one of the priests visit to bless their home.

IV. SERVICE

SOCIAL CONCERNS MINISTRY
         The Social Concerns Committee strives to meet the needs of the less fortunate within and beyond our parish boundaries.
          Committee activities include helping those in the parish who are experiencing hardship, care of the homeless, various seasonal programs for senior citizens and shut-ins, food drives and fundraisers to benefit the poor and homeless, and a Blood Drive twice per year. In addition, the committee sponsors the annual Sharing Tree during Advent.
         Meetings are held once a month from September to June.

MINISTRY TO THE HOMELESS
         This ministry, a sub-committee of the Social Concerns Committee, exhibits ecumenism at its best. People from Little Flower Parish, United Methodist Church in New Providence and Our Lady of Peace Church in New Providence provide shelter, food and encouragement for three to five families at the United Methodist Church in New Providence for a period of one week four times a year.
         Tasks include set-up on the Saturday before the guests arrive on Sunday, teardown on the following Sunday after the guests leave, cooking and baking, serving and cleaning up after meals, driving the guests for showers and to do laundry, acting as hosts in various capacities, both during the day and overnight, shopping for items that are needed during the week, and laundering the linens after the guests have left.

CRAFT GROUP I SOUP KITCHEN MINISTRY
          The Craft Group meets to create and assemble a variety of craft items to be sold at the annual Craft Fair held to benefit St. Joseph's Social Service Center in Elizabeth.
         The Craft Group meets in the Parish Center cafeteria on Tuesday evenings.
         In addition this group, a subcommittee of the Social Concerns Committee, periodically organizes a Soup Kitchen Ministry which prepares and serves meals to the homeless at St. Joseph's on the second Saturday of every other month.

MINISTRY TO THE SICK
          Our priests regularly visit the sick of our parish in local hospitals and bring the Eucharist to our sick and home bound parishioners on First Friday of each month. Our deacons provide Communion Services on Saturdays in the local nursing homes.
           In addition, parish Eucharistic Ministers bring Communion to local nursing homes and those parishioners confined to their homes and assist at Overlook Hospital and Runnels Hospital.
          Other parishioners make friendly visits to our parish sick and shut-ins, sometimes helping with shopping or other chores.

BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY
         The Bereavement Ministry provides assistance when there is a death in the parish family.
         Members offer to help with the Funeral Mass, provide meals, run errands, give telephone support, provide baby-sitting and/or house-sitting.
         Meetings are held when necessary.

PRE-CANA MINISTRY
         The Pre-Cana Team conducts a Pre-Cana program in the fall for couples preparing for the sacrament of Marriage. The team is made of a priest moderator and married couples who serve as host couple, registration couple, presenters of the talks and hospitality couples.
         The program includes talks on Communication, Sexuality and Family Life.

COMPUTER VOLUNTEERS
         The Computer Volunteers are a group of parishioners who are specially skilled in setting up computers and utilizing various kinds of software. It is the task of the volunteers to make sure our computer system is functioning properly and operating at its fullest capacity to provide us with the needed data.
         Some volunteers manage the parish web site, others deal with the operation of our data base, and still others assist in networking our computer system. All in all, it is a great saving and assistance to the parish to have the expertise of these knowledge- able volunteers.

MAILING VOLUNTEERS
         The Mailing Volunteers are a group of about forty parishioners who assist the parish secretary with parish mailings. They are usually called upon once a month for the monthly parish mailing and to assist with additional mailings at Easter, Christmas and for the Archbishop's Annual Appeal.
         Their duties consist of collating the parish flyers or other materials to be mailed and inserting them into envelopes.
There are no mailings during the months of July and August.
         The volunteers normally meet the third week of the month. There are daytime and evening shifts, with about eight to ten volunteers needed per mailing.

COLLECTION COUNTING TEAMS
         The Collection Counting Teams, consisting of from five
to seven people per team, volunteer their services to process the collections taken at the Sunday and Holy Day Masses.
         Monies are counted, properly arranged for deposit at the bank, and a report of the receipts collectively and by individual Mass is prepared.
          Each team serves about one weekend per month.