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4. Effective Planning Is Rooted in the Teachings of Our
Faith and Supported by Foundational Pastoral Practices
The content and substance of ministries, activities, and programs should
be based in the Church’s
teaching and tradition. The theological summary
provided in Part I is a key resource upon which to base
pastoral planning
for evangelization.
When pastoral leaders begin to work through a planning process for
evangelization, they should
first consider the review of current pastoral
practice, and use this review to define areas of the parish ministry that are
successful and areas that may need additional focus or attention.
5. Effective Planning for Ministry Engages and
Inspires People Through a Culture of Encounter
and Accompaniment, Building Strong and
Trusting Relationships
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Pope Francis has consistently called the Church to live within a culture
of encounter. In his message to the bishops of Latin America, he said
that “two pastoral categories stand out; they
arise from the uniqueness of
the Gospel, and we can employ them as guidelines for assessing how we
are living missionary discipleship in the Church:
nearness and encounter
.
Neither of these two categories is new; rather, they are the way God has
revealed himself to us in history.”
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Pope Francis continued, recalling that
pastoral plans that do not take account of these dimensions “can at best
provide a dimension of
proselytism, but they can never inspire people to
feel part of, or belong to, the Church.” Following on
the wisdom of Pope
Francis, practices are listed below that
speak of effective ministerial rela-
tionships and engagement practices that integrate a “culture of encounter”
and the development of missionary disciples. Selecting one or two areas to
focus on is often more effective
than trying to improve many areas at once,
and your parish may choose one of these areas to focus on in
the next year
or two of your parish plan.
Engaging Others Through Christian Witness in Everyday Life
Being a witness to Christ includes not only proclaiming the Gospel but
also sharing one’s personal
conversion story, participating in the prayer life
of the Church, and living the Gospel in all areas of one’s
life and work.