CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church, the largest parish in the Diocese of Charlotte, has as its goal to become a place of encounter so that all who enter meet Jesus – no matter how big the parish family gets.
Situated in an area of Charlotte that has experienced phenomenal growth over the past two decades, St. Matthew Parish now has more than 10,700 registered families and more than 100 ministries spread across two campuses, one in Ballantyne and another in Waxhaw. The growth is expected to continue, so the parish is undertaking a new pastoral plan to help it prepare for the future and meet the needs of its numerous parishioners.
The 2019-’21 Parish Plan will primarily focus on three areas: “Feeding the Sheep” (parishioners attending Mass), “Feeding the Shepherds” (parishioners attending Mass and participating in ministry), and “Feeding the Multitudes” (reaching out to parishioners not attending Mass, former Catholics and people who do not practice any faith).
The plan will also aim to increase youth, young adult and family involvement in the parish. This will be done by: “Encounter” (meeting the youth and young adults where they are), “Form” (offering a variety of opportunities for youth and young adults to grow spiritually), and “The Send” (inviting participation in parish ministries and all aspects of parish life).
The plan will involve key improvements to the parish’s communications efforts as well as its facilities.
In preparation for the new pastoral plan, the parish council reviewed the latest studies by the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate as well as parishioner surveys.
Father Pat Hoare, pastor, introduced the plan to the parish via a video message at all Masses the last weekend of September, inviting everyone to volunteer via an online response survey to become involved in one particular area of interest for them.
“We received nearly 200 responses, and have begun reaching out to those volunteers as we form implementation teams,” he said. “Four teams – The Sunday Experience, Evangelization and Engagement, Leadership Development, and Welcoming and Hospitality – have committed leadership and are having initial meetings. We have also begun some initial discussions and focus groups relating to other areas of the plan.”
The Parish Leadership Team meets weekly to consider activities in each of those areas and intends to work together to intentionally implement strategies and action items around each of the goals and pillars, he said.
Kathy Bartlett, parish director of liturgical ministries, has been at St. Matthew Parish since the first Mass was offered at a neighborhood movie theater in 1986.
“Boy, have things blossomed,” she says. “What I love most is the special congregation we have. There are so many people who will go beyond themselves to build, serve, grow in faith and spirituality creating a strong community of soldiers for Christ in so many different ways.
“I hope this new pastoral plan will bring forth a whole new crew of laborers to add to the existing crew. The ‘harvest’ is ripe.”
Bartlett thinks it is critical for the parish to increase the involvement of the parish’s young adults and teenagers – “our future,” she says.
“And,” she adds, “that we continue to affect the spiritual growth of everyone, even those not necessarily sitting in our pews, is my biggest hope and area of excitement.”
The parish must “aid in unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit in everyone God allows us to touch, thereby fostering that personal relationship with Christ, our foundation,” she says.
Diane Kiradjieff, parish director of faith formation, is also excited about implementing the new pastoral plan.
“I am blessed to have been a part of putting together and to be a part of putting into action the second goal, which focuses on our youth and young adults,” Kiradjieff says.
“Our three-step approach begins with the encounter – seeking to bring the Church to the youth and young adults, rather than just get them to church. Intentionally meeting them where they are at, creating the excitement and opening – or re-opening – the door to a relationship with Christ,” she says. “Next is to provide opportunities for them to form and energize that relationship through continued encounters in the Eucharist, Scripture, service opportunities and exposure to the teachings of the Church.”
“Honestly, I cannot say that it is a revolutionary approach,” she notes. “Rather, we took a page out of Church history – looking to the first disciples and how they grew the Church: encounter those who had not heard about Jesus, form them by teaching them about Jesus, and send them to share the Good News with others.”
The 2019-’21 Pastoral Plan states four overarching goals for St. Matthew Parish for the future: to become a place of encounter so that all who enter its doors meet Jesus; to share God’s loving and saving plan with all; to build a new generation of leaders filled with the joy of the Gospel; and to be an amazing parish.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter