|  Parish
as disciple
how can we do it better?
As the diocese moves into a 50-year strategic process
for Planning Tomorrow’s Churches, all parishes –
and the diocese as a whole – are going through a process
of discernment. Most parishes are now meeting in
parish assemblies to review information gained in the Parish
Evaluation Inventory (PEI), as well as the Regional Review
Committee’s preliminary observations. Each parish’s
information will be combined and viewed on a regional and
diocesan level to determine how the sacramental, leadership
and pastoral needs will be met in the 10-county area with
fewer priests and dedicated lay ministers and deacons.
This month, we will highlight the second of three aspects
within the PEI – parish as disciple. The other two areas
of focus within the PEI are worship (highlighted in September’s
issue) and sustainability (highlighted in next month’s
issue).
 Parish
as Disciple
How can our parish be a disciple?
One of the most important parts of parish life is spreading
the Good News. That was Jesus’ calling to his disciples,
and through them it flows to us. “Jesus came and said
to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you, and … I am with you always.’” (Matt
28:19) Discipleship is a biblical command that may need to
be reinvigorated in parish life.
Each of us has gifts we can bestow on our parish: We can welcome
new parishioners; serve meals at funeral lunches, work at
a soup kitchen or assist the teen group with coffee and doughnuts.
Business executives can be creative fundraisers; a “natural”
teacher may be a natural for the religious formation program.
There are multiple ways a parish can be a disciple (see
the Discipleship sidebar), and it takes multiple parishioners
to make those ministries vibrant.
I didn’t realize that parishes provided all of these
services. Does mine?
Sometimes we don’t realize what we have until we need
it. It’s likely that most parishes offer all of the
programs listed in the PEI criteria. If the program is not
offered within a parish directly, it is available through
a shared resource with a neighboring parish. If you would
like to start a new program, speak with your pastor or parish
life coordinator.
I don’t have time to be part of discipleship in my parish.
Is that counted against my parish during this evaluation process?
Definitely not. The Planning Tomorrow’s Churches process
is not punitive; it is a process for parish improvement. During
each person’s life there are times when she can be of
service, and times when service is needed from neighbors and
fellow parishioners. However, service can come in many forms,
not just overt gestures of committee work. Prayer, reflection
and participating fully in Mass are also ways of discipleship.
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Case Study #1
Reaching Out to Enrich All
St. Mary Magdalen – Brighton
From 1995 to 2005, St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton has seen
a 55 percent increase in its parish membership. Father
David Howell, pastor of the Brighton parish, believes that
it comes from the faithful’s commitment to discipleship.
“We take the Gospel seriously, and more than half of
our community does more than just participate in weekly liturgy.
They spread the Gospel through Christian service, family life
activities, religious formation of youth and adults, in liturgical
ministries, wellness efforts and other ministries that bring
the Gospel to others within the parish and the wider community.
“Our pastoral council members contact all our parishioners
twice each year to solicit their views, comments, criticisms
and suggestions for the ongoing development of our community.
This information is shared monthly with the council to get
feedback which helps guide our efforts to meet the needs of
the parish.”
Case Study #2
Personal perspective on discipleship
St. John Student Parish – East Lansing
Tom Kochheiser was born and raised in central Ohio
as a devout Lutheran. Religious wanderlust hit when
his Michigan State University girlfriend, who had recently
gone through RCIA, led him to St. John Student Parish. On
weekends, they alternated attending Mass with a Lutheran service.
Fast forward 18 years – Tom and his wife Kristin are
married with two boys. Tom went through RCIA in 2001 when
his eldest son was going to make his first Communion.
“I thought it was the right time to learn more about
the Catholic faith,” said Kochheiser. “It was
important for us as a family to share in all of the sacraments,
and St. John Parish has always been so welcoming to me and
to everyone. It was like coming home.”
Why was St. John’s so home-like? To the Kochheisers,
it’s very welcoming. It has energy. The vast majority
of parishioners participate in parish life. Perhaps that is
why its attendance has grown 44 percent in 10 years.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to sign-up for an activity
because so many volunteers have already jumped up,”
explained Kochheiser.
“The atmosphere is incredibly upbeat, uplifting, renewed
and you leave feeling refreshed,” exclaimed Kochheiser.
“It doesn’t matter if MSU is in session or not,
the atmosphere is still buoyant. It gives you hope that future
generations of Catholics will instill an increased love of
the faith and spirit in all.”
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What is discipleship?
The parish is engaged in the work of Christ through effective
catechesis, religious formation, personal conversion and service.
PEI criteria:
• Catholic religious formation is provided
for all parishioners – from the very young to older
adults [baptism to RCIA].
• The parish provides a quality religious education
program for students enrolled in public elementary and secondary
schools; it is either sponsored by the parish or in collaboration
with neighboring parishes.
• The parish provides opportunities to serve the parish
community and the larger community through active ministries
and community life: parish social needs and concerns; outreach
to the poor, immigrants and refugees; services to the elderly,
those suffering from illness and injustice, persons with
disabilities, and the deaf and hard of hearing.
• The needs of those in nursing homes, homebound and
hospitals are met by an individual parish or in collaboration
with neighboring parishes.
• The parish supports all vocations (priest, deacons,
religious life, lay ministers, married persons, single persons)
through awareness and formation.
A Vision for Tomorrow’s Parishes
and Schools, Diocese of Lansing.
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What are possible parish structures?
Some parishes may be affected in the following
ways:
| 1 Merger: Your parish
may merge with another parish. This means that your
parish or school will join with two or more parishes
to form a new or consolidated |
 |
| 2 Cluster: Your parish
may become part of a cluster. Each parish would maintain
its individual identity, but may be grouped with one
or more parishes that would share a priest and would
collaborate to provide pastoral care and other resources
to its faithful. |
 |
| 3 Parish closure: Your
parish may close. The sacramental and pastoral needs
of your parish would be addressed by neighboring parishes.
Parish boundaries would be redrawn. |
 |
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