To obtain the permission of the pastor to establish as a new parish organization, the group must present a statement of the vision and mission of the ministry or apostolate of the group, a description of its internal organization and leadership positions, and how they are selected, a description of its intended activities, and how they are to be sustained. 
In particular, the guidelines should: 

•    Recognize the authority of the pastor, 
•    Define the rotation or terms for leadership positions, 
•    Indicate that all finances must be administered by the parish, 
•    Stipulate that periodic activity and/or finance reports will be submitted to the parish.

Each ministry within St. Mark Parish should fulfill a strategic objective with a clear discipleship pathway for the whole parish and provide parishioners’ opportunities for mission.  A discipleship pathway is a sequenced plan to move disciples from one stage of growth to the next. It is broad enough to include everyone, but specific enough to meet each spiritual generation where they are and help people move to the next stage in their relationship with God.

These stages might include the following:

•    To build trust with those who are not religious.
•    To provide an occasion for someone to encounter Jesus personally.
•    To mature those who have had a conversion moment into full disciples of Jesus.
•    To send disciples on mission. *

* from the book Made for Mission by Tim Glemkowski, OSV