ENVISION - Planning our Parish Future
The heart of ENVISION is the
evangelizing mission of the Church. This mission, rooted in Scripture,
is to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to all people, living Gospel values in our lives, and inviting
others to join us in doing it. ENVISION is Christ-centered,
mission-focused, and results-oriented. It
builds on the good that is already happening here
and on the dreams that we have for our future.
ENVISION is inclusive: everyone in the
parish is welcome and encouraged to take part in the process.
The more people involved, the more the process
will truly reflect our whole parish. ENVISION
will bring all of us together— pastor, parish leaders, and
parishioners — to evaluate our parish’s needs and vision, and to shape
our parish’s future. We will do all this in light of the evangelizing
mission of the Church.
What is the evangelizing mission of the Church?
In essence, it is the Church’s response to the
command Jesus gave his followers: “Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to observe all that I have commanded you”
(Matthew 28:19-20). Evangelization was the
Church’s mission when it was first established
and it is still our mission today.
Evangelization is something that all
Catholics can do, every day. The US Bishops describe evangelization
using the words of Pope Paul VI: “... evangelizing means
bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking
to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel
itself” (no.10). We can evangelize — live Gospel
values and virtues — in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities
– wherever we are.
In the document, Go and Make
Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in
the United States, the Bishops speak to Catholics, but they also
address Christians from other traditions and non-Christians.
In
Part I of Go and Make Disciples, the Bishops present their
vision of a new Catholic evangelization, and outline three concrete
goals to help the Church in the United States bring this vision to
life:
Goal 1 -
To bring about in all Catholics such
an enthusiasm for their faith that in living their faith in Jesus,
they freely share it with others (no. 46).
Goal 2 -
To invite all people in the United
States, whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the
message of salvation in Jesus Christ so they may come to join us in
the fullness of the Catholic faith (no. 53).
Goal 3 -
To foster Gospel values in our
society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance
of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our
nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus
Christ (no. 56).
Goal 1
calls Catholics to deepen their sense
of Scripture and sacrament to help them live more fully as disciples,
both at home and at work. Goal 2 focuses on invitation. It
urges individuals and communities to express a more welcoming attitude
and to take action to invite people to come to know Catholics and the
Catholic faith. Goal 3 broadens the scope of evangelization,
stressing that it is not possible without powerful signs of justice
and peace in our society and our world.
Please continue to
PRAY for God’s blessings on our planning process.
© 2004 Paulist National Catholic
Evangelization Association. Used with permission.
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