Framework for Alive in Christ 2018 - Distilled

Goal 1: Catechesis/Academic Excellence

To renew our commitment to excellence in all forms of education and faith formation; to build up the fines most effective schools and ministry programs; to fully engage adults of all ages in the life of the Church.

• Objective 1: Develop and implement benchmarks for achieving excellence in academics and faith formation in all parish and archdiocesan schools.
• Objective 2: Provide pastors and school administrators with guidelines and assistance with effective marketing and enrollment management.
• Objective 3: Promote collaboration among all parish, archdiocesan and private Catholic schools within the Archdiocese.
• Objective 4: Engage in proactive pastoral planning to strengthen parishes and schools.
• Objective 5: Strengthen adult faith formation, lay ministry formation and youth and young adult ministries.

Goal 2: Evangelization

To implement an archdiocesan-wide evangelization program to help each of us become more effective instruments for preaching the Gospel and handing on our Catholic faith.

• Objective 1: Develop an evangelization program to reach out to Catholics who are no longer active or seek to know more about the Catholic faith.
• Objective 2: Coordinate marketing and community relations for the Archdiocese, parishes and schools.
• Objective 3: Conduct a multi-year Catholic Identity Awareness Campaign to raise awareness and encourage pride in Catholic identity.
• Objective 4: Provide programs for our parents after a child is baptized to welcome them, offer resources for educations and faith formation and reserve a place for them in the parish school.
• Objective 5: Establish pilot parishes that are dedicated to being centers of excellence in education and faith formation. Share the results with all parishes in the Archdiocese.

Goal 3: Social Justice

To renew our commitment to learning and practicing the fundamental principles of Catholic social teaching and social justice.

• Objective 1: Provide access to Catholic schools through scholarships and other forms of tuition assistance to poor children throughout our Archdiocese.
• Objective 2: Establish new governance models and funding structures for Mission Schools.
• Objective 3: Address tensions that exist in our communities and our Church, based on race and class divisions.
• Objective 4: Work with civic and business leaders to advocate for the educational needs and build programs for all children, especially the poor.
• Objective 5: Proactively seek government assistance for families who choose a Catholic school education or other forms of non-government schooling.

Goal 4: Stewardship

To engage in proactive planning and education that seeks to strengthen parishes and schools for service to a growing Church that is Alive in Christ.

• Objective 1: Offer strategic planning and assistance to all pastors, school administrators and agency directors.
• Objective 2: Establish a Catholic Foundation for the Archdiocese of St. Louis to coordinate fundraising and endowment funds for tuition assistance and other priority needs. Plan and implement an archdiocesan-wide capital campaign. Increase the archdiocesan funds available to support mission schools, parishes and schools with financial needs.
• Objective 3: Increase the current educational assessment for all parishes to provide additional funds for tuition assistance and grants to schools.
• Objective 4: Review current tuition rates in elementary and high schools and provide pastors and school administrators with guidelines for establishing programs that gradually implement tuition charges based on the true "cost to educate" children in our schools and families' ability to pay their proportionate share of their children's education.
• Objective 5: use the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation to provide tuition assistance grants to families form any parish or school in the Archdiocese.