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 within their parish 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 Society
Is a simple
formatted plan to show and share the love of Christ with each and every member
of your church family on a regular basis.
A way to evangelize in your parish.
The
Lay Pastor Society - The Concept
In today's world,
with the expanding number of Church members and the declining number of priests,
it falls upon the lay people to assist in meeting the needs of families in the
Church. It is the responsibility of
Christ's Church to reach-out and meet people's needs with love.
As a result of
Vatican II, lay people are not only given the right to take on more of the
traditional responsibilities usually reserved for Priests and Deacons, but in
addition, are empowered and challenged to do so.
"I
sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a
new evangelization…"
Pope John Paul II
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 always able to keep
up with the "sheep" who lose their way and the "sheep" who
are tending to stray… It is
therefore our responsibility to assist our ordained. We must take the words of Christ to heart and look after and
help our fellow Christians. In
other words, we are to accept the call of Jesus, after all, He was talking to
all of us.
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.
Function
and Organization
The goal of the
Lay Pastor Society is to bring to life and to action the most basic of Christ's
teachings and commandments… To Love One Another and to… "Tend His
sheep."
This is
accomplished by an ongoing effort of volunteers who feel called to this form of
ministry.
Important Note
To
start a Lay Pastor Society in your parish the price is:
a
desire… a commitment… and a phone call.
There
is no charge - no cost!
The format of the
Lay Pastor Society can be customized and characterized to the needs and desires
of each parish or church community. The organizers of the Society will be happy to work with you
to achieve your goals.
The set-up and
function of the Society is divided into 4 main areas:
First,
DIVIDING THE FLOCK. With
the help of parish leaders, all families are divided into groups of
approximately 20. The names,
addresses and phone numbers are supplied to the LPS.
The
second area is TRAINING THE PASTORS.
If the basic requirements to become a Lay Pastor are met, those
interested then attend a retreat to learn about the program and how the Church
directs members to seek help and assistance.
The
third and most important, yet most rewarding, area of the Society is TENDING THE SHEEP. Once
a month Lay Pastors contact their “flock families” or individuals to let
them know they are thought about and cared about by other people, the Church and
the Lord. This is usually done by
phone calls, but cards, visits, and coffee breaks are often enjoyed.
The
LPS supplies Society members with ideas and thoughts for conversation and
sharing. Parish activities and
“good news” are also considered. Lay
Pastors reach out in love to share “good news” but are mainly reaching out
to listen, support and show Christ’s love.... this can take many and varied
forms.
The
Lay Pastor concept sounds simple and, maybe to some, unnecessary.
But just think of the faithful people in your parish who receive a phone
call from NO ONE during a month. But
then, if you knew who they were, you’d call them, wouldn’t you ?
We have lots of stories we can share....
Concerns,
joys and prayer requests are noted by each Lay Pastor on the pages supplied.
Rewarding and loving reships are established.
And the help and support that is often so needed but unspoken is shared
with someone who cares.
The
final area of organization is SHARING AND
SUPPORTING. On forms supplied
by the organizers, Lay Pastors record their thoughts after conversations. These notes are their personal and confidential information,
gathered in love. At the monthly
Meetings, Lay Pastors share concerns or challenges with the other Lay Pastors
and appropriate parish leaders. But
NO NAMES are mentioned unless there is a major question, or GOOD NEWS!
The Lay Pastors are encouraged to share with a Priest or parish leader if
there is a concern which merits attention.
PLEASE,
bear in mind this is a very broad and general overview of the LPS.
We hope you will call us if you are at all interested.
Let us tell you how it is working to save lives and spread the Good News
!
Our
Society can ensure that no one in your parish will easily ..."fall between
the cracks."
A
newsletter and other support materials are available to those interested in
starting this ministry.
The
Lay Pastor’s Prayer
My
Heavenly Father, I thank you for all the wonderful things and 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
