‘Jesus said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” ‘– Lk 4:43
Each parish has a distinct mission field. Most parishes are assigned the “care of souls” in a territory or geographic area. Some are given ministry among a particular language group. In the midst of day-to-day activity, it is easy to get the impression that the parish exists solely to serve the parishioners. We fall into a consumer mentality, thinking that the parish provides services for parishioners. This really limits the way we think about Church and denies the mission we all share by our baptism.
It is important to remember that the parish IS the parishioners under the leadership of the Pastor. Together, the Pastor and the people are sent to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, in word and in deed, to a specific segment of the population, a neighborhood, town, or locality. Jesus is our model. It would have been easy to stay among those who already believed, but Jesus knew the purpose for which he was sent. Each day sends us. Will we go?
Be sure to mark your calendars:
Cohort training sessions will be held March 15-16, 2016 at the following sites:
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saint Isaac Jogues Parish Center, Evesham, NJ
TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saint David the King – the Great Hall of David the King, West Windsor, NJ
TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saint Mary’s Parish Center, Colts Neck, NJ
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saint Mary’s Parish Center, Colts Neck, NJ
TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 2016 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
St. Luke’s Parish Center, Toms River, NJ
1.) We are pleased to introduce a new Reid Group consultant for Mercer County and for Special Projects, Dr. Cleo Molina. Cleo is a Latina, a veteran diversity consultant with many organizations and a former faculty member at Seattle University. Cleo has worked with The Reid Group for many years and in projects similar to Faith in Our Future, both in the Diocese of Newark and the Diocese of Scranton. Cleo will work with Karen Castellon through March until Karen and her family relocates abroad. We are grateful to Karen for her work these past several months and we are excited for Cleo to bring her experience and expertise to this important project.
2.) Please make a note of the next steps for Core Teams:
a.) Plan to complete your work evaluating the 4 areas of parish life in ways that involve the whole parish (e.g. surveys, task forces, work groups, town hall meetings, etc.).
b.) Finalize the four report forms:
c.) Implement your communications strategy to keep your fellow parishioners involved.
d.) Contact your Reid Group consultant with your questions and concerns.
3.) As you continue your regular meetings as a core team, plan for regular communications with parishioners through bulletin announcements, announcements at Mass, messages on your website and more.
4.) We ask that you not contact your cohort partners before the March 15-16 training sessions. The reasons for this request are two-fold: the focus for now is on the parish evaluation process and many parishes need the next four weeks to complete their work; it is best to understand the expectations of the cohort phase of Faith in Our Future before meeting with each other. In fact, cohort teams will have nearly an hour to meet and begin their important work during the March training sessions.
5.) In preparing for the March 15-16 training sessions, we request that core team secretaries bring hard copies to exchange that evening of the Parish Summary Report and the Data Verification Form for all members of your cohort. For example, if you have 3 other cohort partners, bring 15 copies and so on. The Parish Evaluation Reports will be shared electronically following the meeting. Cohort core teams will be provided contact information for everyone in their cohort to make communication easier.
If you are contacted by reporters from newspapers, television, or radio stations, particularly reporters outside your local community, please refer them to Diocese of Trenton, Office of Communication, Rayanne Bennett, Executive Director, [email protected].
Contact your Reid Group consultant if you need a parish facilitator to help with town hall meetings, core team meetings and more.
Please let us know what other questions you have and we will answer them in future updates.
Thank you once again for contributing your time and energy to Faith in Our Future.
Msgr. Leonard Troiano, [email protected] 1-609-403-7159
Sherrie Sporek, [email protected] 1-609-403-7193
FAX: 1-609-406-7413
MAILING ADDRESS:
Faith in Our Future, Diocese of Trenton
701 Lawrenceville Road
Trenton, NJ 08648
Burlington & Ocean Counties Consultant
Tom Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-2990
Monmouth County Consultant
John Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-1055
Mercer County & Bi-Lingual Consultants
Karen Castellon, [email protected], 1-908-240-9941
Cleo Molina, [email protected], 1-206-383-2536