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THE PARISHTHE PARISH

AN EVANGELISING AN EVANGELISING COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

EVANGELISATIONEVANGELISATION

From the Greek for Announcing From the Greek for Announcing Good NewsGood News

Is to experience, live, celebrate Is to experience, live, celebrate and share the Good News that we and share the Good News that we are loved unconditionally by Godare loved unconditionally by God


Ultimately the Good News is a Ultimately the Good News is a person person

Whose name is Jesus, the Christ the Whose name is Jesus, the Christ the Anointed One of GodAnointed One of God

At the heart of evangelisation is the At the heart of evangelisation is the sharing of our experience of sharing of our experience of encounter with Christencounter with Christ

Nothing lessNothing less


We cannot give or share what we We cannot give or share what we never hadnever had

‘‘Those who have come into Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him to themselves, they must keep him to themselves, they must proclaim him.’proclaim him.’

John Paul IIJohn Paul II


The desire in us to communicate Christ The desire in us to communicate Christ comes from the compelling power of God’s comes from the compelling power of God’s love within uslove within us

Jesus asks his disciples: Who do you say I Jesus asks his disciples: Who do you say I am? Peter replies: You are the Christam? Peter replies: You are the Christ

Each disciple needs to be able to speak Each disciple needs to be able to speak this answer of the Tradition not as this answer of the Tradition not as something to be parroted but from their something to be parroted but from their own experience of encounter with God in own experience of encounter with God in prayerprayer


We need to be touched by the We need to be touched by the holiness of Godholiness of God

In the holiness of God’s people the In the holiness of God’s people the ChurchChurch

We are immersed through baptism We are immersed through baptism into the life of the thrice holy God into the life of the thrice holy God in the family of the Churchin the family of the Church


This community/family we call Church This community/family we call Church does now what God does in and through does now what God does in and through JesusJesus

God loved the world so much that He God loved the world so much that He sent his only Sonsent his only Son

I have come that you may have life, life I have come that you may have life, life to the full Jn 10:10to the full Jn 10:10

This is the Good News he brings to the This is the Good News he brings to the poorpoor


The work of evangelisation is at the The work of evangelisation is at the heart of the Churches lifeheart of the Churches life

‘‘She is linked to evangelisation in her She is linked to evangelisation in her most intimate being.’ EN15most intimate being.’ EN15

‘‘it is the essential mission of the it is the essential mission of the Church.’ EN14Church.’ EN14

Evangelisation is not something extra Evangelisation is not something extra but the ‘pulse’ of the Church’s life and but the ‘pulse’ of the Church’s life and ministryministry

FOUR CORE MINISTRIES of FOUR CORE MINISTRIES of PARISH LIFEPARISH LIFE

KoinoniaKoinonia Demanding that we be a Demanding that we be a

community of living community of living witnesswitness to to Christian faithChristian faith


LeitourgiaLeitourgia Requiring the public work to Requiring the public work to

worship worship God togetherGod together


DiakoniaDiakonia Filled by care for people’s physical Filled by care for people’s physical

and spiritual and spiritual welfarewelfare


KerygmaKerygma That requires evangelising, That requires evangelising,

preaching and sharing God’s preaching and sharing God’s wordword that comes from Tradition and that comes from Tradition and Scripture Scripture


Tom Groome describes these four Tom Groome describes these four core ministries ascore ministries as

WitnessWitness WorshipWorship WelfareWelfare WordWord


When we look at these four core When we look at these four core ministries as we find them in the ministries as we find them in the life of our parishlife of our parish

We need to view them through an We need to view them through an evangelising lensevangelising lens

WITNESSWITNESS

‘‘Modern men and women listen Modern men and women listen more willingly to witnesses than more willingly to witnesses than teachers teachers

and if they listen to teachers it is and if they listen to teachers it is because they are witnesses…..because they are witnesses…..

It is primarily by the conduct of her It is primarily by the conduct of her life that the Church will evangelise life that the Church will evangelise the world.’ EN41the world.’ EN41

WITNESSWITNESS

Modern people thirst for authenticityModern people thirst for authenticity

It is only the witness of our lives that It is only the witness of our lives that will enable the ring of truth to be will enable the ring of truth to be heard in what we sayheard in what we say

Witness is offered at personal and Witness is offered at personal and institutional levelinstitutional level

WITNESSWITNESS

PERSONALPERSONAL

When we makes choices which serve the When we makes choices which serve the well being of the vulnerable/powerless, go well being of the vulnerable/powerless, go counter culture and in tune with the counter culture and in tune with the GospelGospel

When we form alliances with other agencies When we form alliances with other agencies that promote the common good and that promote the common good and challenges conventional wisdom of challenges conventional wisdom of powerful groups that serve only the powerful groups that serve only the interests of their membersinterests of their members

WITNESSWITNESS

In arenas of influence in business or In arenas of influence in business or political life to act in accord with political life to act in accord with gospel truthgospel truth

INSTITUTIONALINSTITUTIONAL

Engaging with others in a process of Engaging with others in a process of dialogue, discernment and action dialogue, discernment and action in the interest of the common goodin the interest of the common good

WORSHIPWORSHIP

Lord teach us to prayLord teach us to pray

In every parish setting providing In every parish setting providing opportunities for people to come to opportunities for people to come to an initial and deeper awareness of an initial and deeper awareness of the stirring of the divine in our the stirring of the divine in our lives and in our worldlives and in our world

WORSHIPWORSHIPTo experience the God who delights in us To experience the God who delights in us

as he delights in his son Jesus Christas he delights in his son Jesus Christ

To recognise the image of God in every To recognise the image of God in every human beinghuman being

To live with a grateful heartTo live with a grateful heart

To grow in confidence in sharing their own To grow in confidence in sharing their own particular experience of the divine at particular experience of the divine at work in their liveswork in their lives

Encouraging each other to engage in Encouraging each other to engage in faith-filled conversationsfaith-filled conversations

PUBLIC WORSHIP-LITURGYPUBLIC WORSHIP-LITURGY

Is it open and welcoming?Is it open and welcoming?

How does it express full conscious How does it express full conscious and active participation by all the and active participation by all the people?people?

Is what is to be heard audible, Is what is to be heard audible, intelligible and in a language that intelligible and in a language that is accessible – speaking to heart is accessible – speaking to heart and headand head

PUBLIC WORSHIP-LITURGYPUBLIC WORSHIP-LITURGY

Is what is to be seen visible and Is what is to be seen visible and aesthetic?aesthetic?

What role does music have?What role does music have?

How does it enable us to be drawn How does it enable us to be drawn into the mystery of God’s into the mystery of God’s presence?presence?

WELFAREWELFARE

By this will all people know that you By this will all people know that you are my disciplesare my disciples

How do these people ‘care’ for their How do these people ‘care’ for their membersmembers

But more importantBut more important

How is their care manifest for others How is their care manifest for others in need locally and globally?in need locally and globally?

WORDWORD

We do not live on bread alone but on We do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the every word that comes from the mouth of Godmouth of God

How do we create opportunities fro How do we create opportunities fro people to be nourished by the people to be nourished by the Word?Word?

How are people led to feast at the How are people led to feast at the table of the word in the liturgy?table of the word in the liturgy?

WORDWORD

How is the bread of God’s word broken How is the bread of God’s word broken in the homily?in the homily?

How does our parish help people to How does our parish help people to ponder the word like Mary and share ponder the word like Mary and share their reflections in small groups?their reflections in small groups?

How do we celebrate the liturgy of the How do we celebrate the liturgy of the Word in Eucharist and other settings?Word in Eucharist and other settings?

CALLED to SHARE GOOD CALLED to SHARE GOOD NEWSNEWS

How do you respond to the Good How do you respond to the Good News in your life?News in your life?

How can you become a bearer of How can you become a bearer of Good News for others?Good News for others?

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