Mother of Mercy Parish & St Agatha’s Parish Finance Councils

The spiritual vision of the Church cannot be separated from its presence in the world and its effective management of material resources. The responsibility for such management lies in the hands of the Parish Priest or Administrator, but needs the assistance of a Parish Finance Council which is a canonically necessary part of the overall structure of every Parish.
The Parish Finance Council is essential for the effective management of a modern Parish. Without its existence it is impossible for Priest and People to work together responsibly in the overall mission of the local Church. In future Episcopal visitation of parishes, contact with Parish Finance Councils will be an integral part of the process.
The Parish Finance Council meets 5 to 6 times per year.


St Agatha’s Community and Mission Council

The role of the Community and Mission Council (CMC) is to promote the Church’s mission to live and communicate the love and values of Christ in the world around us.

The Community and Mission Council shares in the responsibility for the ongoing life and development of our parish community, working together with parishioners to provide support for their efforts to live as followers of Christ.

Our Community and Mission Council seeks to:

Listen and respond to the hopes, ideas, needs and concerns of parishioners.
Encourage and support the continuing good work of existing groups within our parish.
Provide opportunities for parishioners to:grow in their relationship with God and with each other
support and encourage them in their continuing efforts to be a Christian influence in the wider community.
Set short-term and long-term pastoral goals for our parish community within the framework of diocesan priorities.
Contribute towards making parish decisions that reflect the values of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church.
Provide support for our Pastor, working collaboratively with him and with each other.

In a spirit of prayerfulness each member of the Community and Mission Council will:

Attend regular meetings.
Provide input to deliberations of the Council.
Develop a spirit of enquiry and the ability to listen and understand the issues affecting the lives of parishioners.
Provide prayerful support and encouragement for other members of the Parish Pastoral Council.
Embrace opportunities for personal faith development and for gaining skills to assist with effective participation in the Council’s operations.
Represent the Council when required e.g. other parish meetings, deanery or diocesan meetings.

There are a minimum of ten monthly meetings each year with the CMC reporting to the parish community regularly. It seeks the input of parishioners through various means, e.g. parish consultations, focus meetings and conversations. The term of membership is two years. To facilitate continuity, it is anticipated that approximately half the Council  members will choose to continue for a second term.