The first meeting of the new pastoral council is dedicated to the call and mission of the newly-chosen members. The council's second and third year begin with a parish assembly. After each assembly, the council assimilates the assembly results. During the final meeting of each year, the councillors reflect on the progress of the three-year planning cycle. The pastor thanks them for their service and reflects on the progress made by the council toward reaching its goals.
Some pastoral councils try to get by with quarterly meetings.
Some try to intersperse regular meetings with gatherings of the heads of all parish ministries. But quarterly meetings are too infrequent. And gatherings with the heads of all ministries can prevent the council from doing its main work, the work of investigating, reflecting, and drawing practical conclusions. That is why I recommend monthly meetings and a three-year planning cycle. It envisions a pastoral council that does not monitor or supervise existing ministries.