It always amazes me to see just how much is going on here at St. John, and how many people dedicate so much of their lives to the ministry of our Parish Family. Some of you may not realize the opportunities you have to get involved in such amazing and rewarding functions of the church, from supporting the Masses to assisting the local community. The following series will give you all a snapshot on some of these programs, along with some stories of how wonderful it can be to engage our faith through action.
One of our most sacred duties as leaders of our Parish Family is to ensure we vigilantly maintain and operate our church efficiently and effectively, always focused on our Parish Mission and Pastoral Vision. You entrust in us your gifts of time, talent, and treasure. In order to ensure we accomplish our Mission together, our Parish Family has a very dedicated group called the Finance Council, whose responsibilities include oversight and prioritization of the budgetary planning process as well as determining key initiatives for the Parish to focus on. This past year, St. John took on the daunting task of performing an inventory assessment, as part of our asset management initiative. We had to go through every inch of our campus, accounting for each chair, each chalice, and each computer. Imagine looking around your home after living in it for 26 years and then writing down everything you have amassed in that time, from pictures on the wall to freezers in the kitchen. Anything worth $500 (as a single item or in bulk, like the 46 8-top tables we have in the Ballroom) needed to be accounted for so we can understand how much we have, how much we need, and how long those items will be usable. Every item, like a refrigerator, or an AC unit, has a lifespan, and we should be planning on replacing them so we can ensure we can afford to do so. This is the first time St. John has ever done such an inventory. It is thanks to the Finance Council, who took the lead to accomplish this task, that we now understand our physical and fiscal environment.
The Financial Policies of the Diocese of Venice illustrate the function of each Parish Finance Council: to assist the Pastor in the administration of the income and expenses of the parish, in an advisory and consultative capacity. The members of the Finance Council are to be parishioners who are competent in financial matters. The DOV Policies also highlight the Finance Council Responsibilities:
- To ensure that the parish employs sound business practices
- To review and coordinate the parish annual fiscal budget with department heads
- To review the quarterly financial reports sent to the Diocese
- To review monthly & YTD financials i.e.: budget vs actual variances
- To review contracts and agreements
- To encourage support of diocesan fund raising projects
- To assist with parish financial campaigns, drives & collections
At St. John, we are blessed to have a wonderful set of individuals that have joined our Finance Council. They are led by Barbara Kuryea, one of the kindest and most generous people I know. Barbara is President and founder of AP Consulting Services, an independent consulting firm dedicated to preparing 3rd party assessments of accounts payable operations to identify areas of improvement and to educating companies on “best practices.”
Prior to consulting, Barbara’s 30 year plus tenure at Scott Paper Company/Kimberly Clark Tissue Company covered a broad spectrum of corporate management positions including reengineering the purchasing and accounts payable functions across 15 manufacturing sites, saving millions in staffing and inventory costs. Her key leadership role was establishing and managing a Shared Financial Services Center for 30,000 plus employees which included Accounts Payable, Payroll, Accounts Receivable and Employee Expense Reimbursements. These Best Practice models have been used as a benchmark for Fortune 500 companies and have been the foundation for the Procure to Pay “Best Practices.”
After retirement, I wanted to serve God in His church and in our community by sharing the talents He gave me. In my role on the Parish Finance Council, I will ensure that our parish’s income & expenses are accurately reported and accurately accounted for. And as a mentor to single mothers living at the Providence House, I am able to serve & support God’s less fortunate in our community.