Parish volunteers

[Anomaly]

My home parish has this problem. At a recent "listening session" with our new priest, someone brought up how they'd like to have a women's group. Some of the older ladies got angry because apparently we already have womens' groups, including the "Guild" which "every woman of the parish" is a member. Except no one knew that and their meetings were at 9am on Mondays. 

the variety of required schedules is real.  With a large parish it was possible to have lots of groups.  There was the Women's Guild as well as at least a half dozen Women's Circles.  There is a Ministry Committee as well as a Pastoral Care Committee.  Our Parish Food Bank is so big it supports a dozen other food banks/services. They have so many because there are so many different people available schedules and ideas.   If you don't like that StVDP meets during the day, then help the St Joseph Club that meets nights and does projects for the school or helps supervise kids to do service work for elderly who's needs were identified by the Pastoral Care Committee.   That's the point of the Ministry Fairs.  They tell you what they try to do and ask if you will help.   It also helps that the Parish includes a grade school and parents are required to do service hours or pay extra in tuition.   

Many here would be horrified at the holding of hands during the Our Father at Mass.  They also may be horrified at how much volunteer stuff is required with the Fund raisers for the school and Minisrties.  The parish also supports a school in the Dominican Republic.  

Edited October 31, 2015 by Anomaly

[Slappo]

It's just too incredibly difficult to regularly be involved at my church with kids that go to bed at 7pm and most activities taking place at 6:30 or 7pm on weeknights. It's a disservice to my family if one spouse is forcing the other spouse to do bedtime alone so they can go volunteer or participate in a church thing regularly. On a rare occasion it might work, but not regularly.

 

I have a 6:30pm finance council meeting once a month, and it is a huge hassle for me to go. I asked it be at 6pm and we moved it as a council only for the chair to move it back to 6:30pm with an e-mail sent on the day of the meeting. I can do 6-7 and run home to help with bed time... I can't with 6:30-7:30.

Edited November 1, 2015 by Slappo

[Maggyie]

See I have just the opposite issue Slappo. With my commute and frequently working late I would love it if more things started at 7:30 or 8:30. That being said since it's just 1 time per month and only a 30 minute difference.... Maybe split the difference and try to end 15 minutes earlier and have the kids stay up 15 minutes later. Or perhaps modern children have more down-to-the-minute schedules than I realize. It is probably not worth a meltdown. 

[Slappo]

See I have just the opposite issue Slappo. With my commute and frequently working late I would love it if more things started at 7:30 or 8:30. That being said since it's just 1 time per month and only a 30 minute difference.... Maybe split the difference and try to end 15 minutes earlier and have the kids stay up 15 minutes later. Or perhaps modern children have more down-to-the-minute schedules than I realize. It is probably not worth a meltdown. 

Unfortunately with the council meeting it is supposed to be an hour long meeting, but it tends to run 90 minutes or more (another complaint I have about parish events... in my office that meeting would be 20 minutes 30 tops). And it isn't so much down to the minute schedules, it is the bed time crankiness that kicks in with tired/overtired children. We could push bed time to 7:15 and I could rush home to read to them which is likely what would happen with a 6pm meeting start time.

I'd prefer 7:30 or 8pm start times for adult things as well as then one of us could go to the events. If it was a big event, we could get a sitter or my sister to go hang out at our house while the kids sleep and we could both go.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Slappo