The discussion included answers to the four main questions:
At St. John’s, how will you help people feel welcome and want to participate in Mass? At St. John’s, how will you develop households of faith? At St. John’s how will you bring adults into a systematic catechetical experience? At St. John’s, how will you help people experience an on going encounter with Christ?
To help people feel welcome and want to participate in Mass, it was suggested that families as well as individuals be greeters to welcome people as they enter. Also, to invite those that we support through social ministry in the community to join us at church.
In regards to developing households of faith, religious education families pointed out how they liked the short email communications they received. It was suggested to extend such communications via email to teens and young adults and/or all households in the parish.
To include adults in our learning circles, interest in adult online courses and opening up existing catechesis gatherings to all parishioners was suggested. The Saturday Catechesis Gathering is now open to all in the parish who would like to join in the adult group that breaks open the scripture of that Sunday’s Mass. We meet once a month from 10:00 to 11:00am, see bulletin for dates. Online courses at Dayton University: http://vlc.udayton.edu/ and Notre Dame University: http://www.step.nd.edu/ are now available to Metuchen diocese members at a discount. Be sure to select Metuchen on the drop down discount box when registering.
Other suggestions included: starting a women’s group again; having people from different ministries visit children’s classes and explain their ministry, having teens involved more in Christian action rather than just learning how to be a Christian in the classroom which has been an on going strategy in children’s catechesis.
All participants in the Town Meeting read a short article: The Gift of the Person of Christ and discussed in small groups: How do we encounter Christ now in our lives?
In the large group we shared our answers of:
- PEOPLE
- SCRIPTURES
- SACRAMENT
- PRAYER &
- NATURE
We invite you to post any comments you would like to share on the TOWN MEETING.
1 comment:
I have liked reading Father Bill's book recommendations in the past. I like "First Things". I like "C21", put out periodically by Boston College on the evolving church in the 21st century. I found it interesting when attending a NJ state legislative swearing in a few years ago in Trenton that a surprising number of legislators (maybe a majority -- I didn't count) have law degrees from Seton Hall. I think we do not understand how our basis in faith spreads out throughout our state and nation; and we don't understand how defections from the ranks will affect our future presence.
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