Parishes & Schools Explore Best Practice in Mission & Engagement in the Oceania
How do we do mission in Oceania? This is a key question of the Pastoral Ministry Network, hosting body for the Alive in the Spirit Experience 2022. While we have all heard of pastoral initiatives in dioceses, parishes and schools from other parts of the world, Alive in the Spirit celebrates and shares the wisdom of the good news in the Oceania Region.
Drawing on its theme: “What does God require of us: To Act Justly, To Love Mercy & To Walk Humbly” (Micah 6:8), the interactive online pastoral experience offers both individuals and groups a variety of ways to flexibly engage including both one-month and 12-month options.
Bishop Terry Brady, long-term auxiliary Bishop in Sydney Archdiocese offers a workshop exploring his vision of parish, drawing upon his lifetime of ministry and experiences.
The presentations are thematically organised, examining best practice in a variety of dimensions of pastoral life.
Community Engagement presentations explore areas such as building the bridge between parish and school, engaging with cultural diversity, celebrating the lived experience of disability, and engaging and sustaining volunteers in ministry.
Mission & Evangelisation presentations include survey findings into what Australians think about Jesus, the Church and spirituality; how we creatively fund the mission in parish settings; best practices for marketing; and addressing the culture and leadership within a synodal church.
Presentations are also grouped around the themes of “Care & Outreach” and “Faith & Spirituality”.
Richard McMahon, co-chair of Pastoral Ministry Network says, “We are delighted by this year’s offerings. Whenever we short-list a presenter, we ask them to ground their offering in their local experience, and to offer something relevant and practical to participants. There is certainly a rich quality this year ranging from religious in rural settings, to lay people in schools and parishes, and academics engaging with the research and best practice.”
Bishop Michael Dooley from Dunedin Diocese in New Zealand says, “the Covid Pandemic has been challenging but it has directed us to make good use of technology and this conference offers us a practical way to gather together and learn from one another about the mission Christ calls us to.”
More Information
Please visit www.aliveinthespirit.com.au or contact the Alive in the Spirit team at [email protected]
Lisa Bright
0419 418 547