Parish Pastoral Councils and Fanning the Flame - Diocesan Assembly 2009

People are social beings, and whilst some are able to live in isolation over longer periods of time than others, we all need to interact with other people.  Sometimes there is a specific purpose for holding a gathering; other times it may purely be a social activity (which is a reason in itself).  Whether it is a Diocesan Assembly, Parish Assembly or a Small Community gathering, there are some common factors which can determine its success or failure.

Firstly, the purpose for meeting must be clearly communicated.  The purpose, clear as it may be in our minds, is of little use if no one else knows or understands it.  If people do not know why they are gathering, they come unprepared, or with different expectations, and do not get as much out of the gathering.  A Diocesan Assembly is being planned for 2009, and its purpose is to give the people of God from around the diocese an opportunity (1) to get together, (2) for formation and (3) to discuss issues that concern the diocese.

Then there is the question of time.  Time is precious, and people often need to see something come out of what they have put our time and effort into.  Things in which time and effort has been put into its preparation also almost always turns out much better than the things which don’t.  Parish Pastoral Councils are asked not just to encourage parishioners to attend the 2009 Diocesan Assembly, but also to help parishioners prepare for it over the 12 months leading up to the general assembly.

Involvement brings ownership, i.e. we treasure things that we have put time and effort into.  We remember the joys we felt as small achievements were made along the way, and appreciate the difficulties we encountered.  We feel that there is a part of us is in the ‘end product’.  It is hoped people regard their own preparations as a personal journey towards the next milestone in our journey as a diocese, to God.  Parish Pastoral Councils are thus asked to facilitate the flow of input from parishes needed for the planning of the Assembly.

When preparations are a group effort, we discover the gifts of other team members as well as our own.  We also get a sense of connectedness to the other people with whom we are working.  This ties in well with Stewardship which has become increasingly prominent in our diocese this year.  Whilst Stewardship is not anything new, we need to constantly ask ourselves whether we truly recognise that each and every single one of God’s people has been entrusted with different gifts, and that we are called to use these gifts to bring forth the kingdom of God.

This leads us to the next point.  “Giving a voice to the voiceless” almost sounds cliché, but that is a role of the Parish Pastoral Councils.  There are various techniques to do this.  The method chosen for the Diocesan Assembly is “Fanning the Flame: Parish Consultation Phase”, that is happening across the diocese in September and October.  The people are asked to reflect on with depth, and express openly what their hopes and dreams are for themselves, their parish, community and Diocese, and Parish Pastoral Councils are asked to help collect these pieces of the mosaic enabling the rich picture to emerge.

In the midst of all of this, we must not forget Prayer.  Prayer is especially important because in any Community, Parish or Diocesan gathering, we need to be asking the Holy Spirit for guidance to take us where we want to go, but where it wants to take us.