Gather with your parish to explore what the Sandhurst Strategic Mission and Pastoral Goals mean and why they matter.
Dive into the three Strategic Directions of the Strategic Mission and Pastoral Goals:
1. Gospel mission and pastoral outreach
2. Belonging and a sense of community
3. Life-giving and empowering formation.
The third direction, 'life-giving and empowering formation', underpins the other two directions, because formation enriches and strengthens us to participate, allowing us to grow deeper in mission.
Geoff Gowdie, Assistant Director of Mission and Pastoral Life, said, “The simple purpose of the workshops is to promote an initial understanding of the Strategic Mission and Pastoral Goals and help priests and parishioners, especially those in an active parish role, to make the links to the life and mission of their parishes.” Having said that, Geoff encourages anyone to come along to a Goals Familiarisation Workshop; being a leader is not a prerequisite.
Numurkah Parishioner, David Walker, who facilitated workshops in Cobram and Yarrawonga this week, said participants were excited to have overarching diocesan Strategic Directions. “Each parish was very different in its approach to the workshops and the Goals they focused on,” he said. “These workshops aren’t about solving problems; they’re about becoming familiar with the goals and making connections with them and what’s happening in the parish.”
David noticed that a key theme emerging from the workshops he has facilitated was a desire from parishioners for more formation. “People are seeking better and sustained formation and more of it,” he observed.
Geoff Gowdie reinforced that understanding the goals will help parishes with their own planning. “Hopefully, these workshops will prepare the way for moving to the next step – planning an implementation journey. The Mission and Pastoral Life Team is working on resources to support parishes on that path, too.”
Over the next fortnight, nine more parishes will participate in a Goals Familiarisation Workshop.
Read about the Goals Familiarisation Workshops held in Kyabram (for Kyabram and Tatura parishes ) and at Echuca here.
Watch a video of the Workshop facilitated by Geoff Gowdie at St Augustine's, Kyabram.