The
Lay Pastor Society and Evangelization
How does the Lay Pastor Society
answer the call to evangelize?
What
is Evangelization?
“BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS
INTO EVERY HUMAN SITUATION...”...To rephrase Pope Paul VI.
What
is the fruit of Evangelization?
CHANGED LIVES!
LIVES RICHER WITH LOVE AND A DESIRE
TO HELP AND SERVE OTHERS, AS JESUS TAUGHT.
How
does The Lay Pastor Society answer the call to Evangelize?
Evangelization
is sharing the “Good News” of Jesus.
Evangelization is living what Jesus taught us.... to LOVE ONE
ANOTHER...and DO UNTO OTHERS .....
The Lay
Pastor Society DOES as Jesus taught by sharing the “Good News”, on a regular
basis, with all the families in the parish.
Letting each family know that they are cared about, and loved by fellow
parishioners, the Church and Jesus Christ.
The results of this simple and consistent act of love offer remarkable
and surprising reactions and responses.
The Lay
Pastor Society focuses directly on the first two goals of the Bishop’s
National Evangelization plan: “GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES”
The Bishops initially explain the first goal by saying,” Clearly,
unless we continue to be evangelized ourselves, with renewed enthusiasm for our
faith and our Church, we cannot evangelize others.
Priority must be given to continued and renewed formation in the faith as
the basis of our deepening personal relationship with Jesus.”
The
Bishops also state, “The first goal calls us to an enthusiasm for all that God
has given us in our Catholic faith.
It also fosters ongoing conversion within the Catholic Church which, as
in institution and a community of people, it continually needs.”
In
expanding on the 2nd goal, the Bishops state, “Catholics should
continually share the Gospel with those who have no church community, with those
who have given up active participation in the Catholic Church as well as
welcoming those seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. People can know
they are invited to experience Jesus Christ in our Church only if they are
really and effectively asked and adequate provisions are made for their full
participation.”
How
does The Lay Pastor Society actually work?
The Lay
Pastor Society strives to support and help meet the spiritual needs of the
families in its parish.
To show and share the love of Jesus Christ and the Church to parish
families so any “new comers” or “on lookers” see an ever-present network
of love and support that is there for any and all.
A loving network and faith which is available to all... at any time.
The Society puts love into action in its realm of responsibility, where
appropriate, and passes information on to the Pastor or other
qualified/appropriate people when that is the right thing to do.
Where
does The Lay Pastor Society focus its Evangelization efforts?
In
scripture, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves his flock to find one
lost sheep. For
most of the past two centuries, the lay members of the Church have relied on the
ordained members to complete this task.
However our Church has become so large that our ordained members aren’t
able to keep up with the “sheep” who lose their way.
It is therefore the responsibility of parish members to assist our
ordained.
In
today’s world, with the expanding number of Church members and the declining
number of priests and deacons, it falls upon the lay people to assist in meeting
those needs. The
Lay Pastor Society does not focus on outreach to the community to introduce
people to Catholicism.
The Lay Pastor Society DOES
focus on communicating to those already in the parish that Christ and the Church
and their fellow Catholics care about them as individuals and want to help them
if there is any sort of need.
The LPS DOES focus on personalizing and bringing to contemporary life
the teachings of Jesus Christ...to “love and tend His sheep…” directly,
one-on-one... for those already in “the fold” and any who may be straying.
The LPS
was founded, in part, so that those called to “reach out” and “convert”
and bring people into the Church can rest assured that once a “new Catholic”
becomes a part of a parish, their new faith and growth in the love and teachings
of Jesus Christ will be supported and nurtured.
A new “Child of God” often needs guidance and reassurance and help,
or when the newness and excitement fade, they question and weaken in their
faith. Just
as it makes no sense ... “to put young chicks under dead hens” for
nourishment and love...it makes no sense to share and invite an individual to
live for Christ without having loving and understanding people nearby to nurture
and teach for years to come.
The Lay Pastor Society is a loving network of support for parish members,
and the helping hands and eyes and ears for the ordained.
The
Lay Pastor Society’s goal is -
To
bring to life and to action the most basic of Christ’s teachings and
commandments...
To
Love One Another.
Christ
said to St. Peter, “…If you love Me, then tend my sheep.”
The
Lay Pastors tend His sheep.
What
is the Lay Pastor Society
Conceived
in 1980 - Established 1991
The
Bible verse that inspired our society:
John
21:16 “Do
you love Me?...Tend My sheep.”
Our goal is to establish a community
of lay people: Lay Christians who will work together to reach out and tend to
the many needs of our Church family.
To assist and support the ordained in communicating and carrying out the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
To be an extension of the loving arms of “Mother Church.”
To lovingly pursue and “return to the fold” any and all lost sheep.
The
Foundation of the Lay Pastor Society is:
-
The Teachings of Jesus Christ
-
The Inspiration of the Holy Spirit
-
The Challenge of Vatican II
-
The Necessities of our Times
The
Lay Pastor’s Prayer
My
Heavenly Father, I thank you for all the wonderful people you’ve put in my
life. I
thank you for my Church family and especially for the families I’ve been
assigned to look after and care for.
Please help me to realize at all times and be ever mindful that they are
Your children, and that what I do for them I do for You.
And what I forget or neglect to do for them I forget and neglect to do
for You. Please
give me the strength, understanding, patience and compassion to carry out my
responsibilities and to meet the needs of my brothers and sisters. Please help
me to properly assist my pastor and unselfishly fulfill your wish for me here on
earth. Please
help me to remember that I am truly here to serve and not to be served.
I pray for all those who are struggling to know you better, and for all
those who have yet to come to a reship with you. I say these things in the name
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Our
Mission Statement
Our
mission is to serve the Lord and to serve our Church as a fellowship of Lay
Catholic Christians dedicated to personalizing the love and concern the Catholic
Church feels for its members.
We will
strive to strengthen and unite the individuals and families of our parish to
love, worship and trust in the Lord.
It will
be our goal to communicate, on a regular basis, to our brothers and sisters in
Christ, that they are remembered and loved by their Church.
We will
humbly and discreetly address the concerns of our parish members and will do all
we can to assist and support our ordained and religious in their leadership of
our Church.
To
learn how The Lay Pastor Society actually functions, please see our brochure
titled, “How
The Lay Pastor Society is organized, customized,... functions and succeeds for
Christ!”
Your parish can customize its own
Lay Pastor Society and we’ll help you get started!
