Community
“In 2010 the followers of Christ in AD ? will be characterised as a community on mission nurtured in a cradle of love to become a vessel of peace paddled on this spring of love.”
• As a “Cradle of Love” this community will be recognised by our:
– Unconditional Love
– Unity in diversity
– Inclusivity
– Vibrancy and buzz
• As a “Cradle of Love” in this community we will be:
– Nurtured in our heritage
– Formed and informed in the Holy Spirit
– Nourished by our Eucharist, celebrations and a dialogue of life in “living prayer”
– Formed in a living relationship with Jesus
• As a “cradle of love” this community will enable us to be
– Welcoming
– Healing and forgiving.
– Fully exercising collaborative ministry
– Adapting and responsive to the needs of each person and the needs of our society.
– Bi-culturally committed in a multicultural environment.
– Gift to each other
– Practising listening as an art.
– As the vessel of peace which is paddled on this spring of love we will be
– A community that is active, outward and reaches the street.
– Works in the world not separate to the world.
– A community where every member is committed through their personal relationship to Christ to making social justice alive
– Peace-making and bi-culturally aware.
Our barque has always rested on a well of living water
• As the vessel of peace which is paddled on this spring of love we will be
– Connecting the power of the parishes into the pastoral areas, other faith communities and with all people whom we recognise as responding to the prompting of the Spirit.
– A community that will have the courage to speak out and witness its belief.
– Healing, forgiving and openly collaborative.
– Working for transformation of the world
Our waka navigates Raukawa
Education
• In 2010 the Wellington Archdiocese is a diverse and passionate community, grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ and committed to education and lifelong growth in faith.
• We are reflective Spirit-filled people, confident in the knowledge of our own faith, who are outward looking and mission oriented, interacting, learning and sharing with people of all beliefs, ages and cultures.
• Every person is committed to a culture of life-long learning.
• Our needs are being met through a variety of media that embrace the most effective technology in a way that is meeting people’s demands and is accessible.
• Small groups of all ages, cultures, and faiths meet to pray, share, discuss relevant issues, and deepen their knowledge and understanding of God’s revelation.
• Educational programmes identify and nourish the gifts within the community and encourage their use.
• Our leaders in ministry receive ongoing formation and have access to the resources they need.
• New ministries are developing to meet identified faith needs.
• People are supported and educated at key transition points in their lives.
• Our schools and parishes have a vibrant relationship with each other, sharing liturgies, resources (buildings, time, gifts) and stories.
• Families who enrol for sacramental programmes or schools receive ongoing support and help in faith development.
• Youth and Young Adults are enthusiastic, involved and participating because their faith needs are being met in an appropriate way and place.
• There is ongoing research into the issues of modern life (e.g. bioethics) with educational resources for disseminating the insights.
• We have a body of expertise which feeds into Pastoral Areas and Parish Centres.
• People are excited by their knowledge of social justice teaching and are responding to the social and moral issues of the day.
Regarding liturgy, prayer and spirituality in 2010 in the Archdiocese of Wellington we will:
• Be an outward focused community, compassionately listening and praying for the hidden voices within and beyond our community
• Be led by the Spirit, bringing Eucharist to all who live God’s word with commitment and passion
• Recognise ourselves as a spiritual, Eucharistic people who have the confidence to continue developing our own rites and ceremonies for many aspects of life and death, to celebrate the sacredness of the ordinary.
• Our community is open and flexible in prayer, spirituality and liturgy so that our sacraments are meaningful and connected to people’s experience.
• Encourage and celebrate a variety of opportunities to develop and encourage different styles of individual and family prayer life.
• Enhance personal spiritual growth which will support and enrich hospitality within the gathered community, enabling us to be Eucharist to all people.
• Provide training and ongoing formation for active lay participation in all liturgical ministries, preaching in particular
• Actively involve the gifts of the community through personal invitation
• Affirm and empower all leaders – lay, ordained, men and women
• Incorporate silence and reflective moments in liturgies which will be creative, culturally diverse and enriched by varied and appropriate music and environment
• Recognise the diversity of our community as a gift of God
• Acknowledge this diversity through –
• Deepening our understanding in Pastoral Areas of the tradition of our Aotearoa/New Zealand Church and the whakapapa of our parishes
• Living out our bi-cultural partnership within a multi-cultural context which is reflected in our liturgies and prayer
• Discerning and using the gifts of all
• Fully embrace active youth participation and ministry which recognises the giftedness and creativity of our young people
In 2011, the Archdiocese of Wellington, enlivened by the Holy Spirit and nourished by the Eucharist, is collaborative in its leadership and ministry.
• This collaborative leadership and ministry is based on mutual respect, trust, listening, a commitment to work together, and the sharing of responsibility.
• The gifts and strengths of each person are recognised, developed, and supported. People of all backgrounds and cultures enrich and participate fully in our faith community.
• We share resources, communicate effectively and reach out in an inclusive way as a helping, healing and hospitable community.
• We build on the life giving insights and values of the past and embrace the challenges of the future so we and our world may be transformed.
In 2010 the Wellington Archdiocese is a place where everyone knows and understands that social justice is at the heart of the Gospel.
So therefore,
We celebrate Eucharist with integrity and are transformed to go out and face the social justice challenges in our society.
We have an awareness of social justice issues at local and global levels, through life long education in Catholic social teaching.
We are empowered and mobilised to work on issues in collaboration with other parishes and organizations. This includes collaboration across the wider Christian and faith communities, as with other people of good will.
We formally recognize the ministry of social justice animators, and provide them with the support they need in their role.
We express our faith through actions, by being willing to get out of our comfort zones, and not just looking after ourselves, and being open to the risks and conversion involved in questions of social justice.
We develop long term social justice policies, as well as developing the ability to respond quickly to emergencies and urgent issues.
We respect and acknowledge cultural diversity and different understandings of life, valuing people for who they are.
We affirm the importance of both social services and social justice, and use the political system to bring about the resolution of structural injustices.
We are committed to a preferential option for the poor, vulnerable and disenfranchised.
We are committed to a consistent ethic of life, recognizing the connectedness of all life. This includes a commitment to unborn life and the frail elderly, the care of the earth, and promoting the goodness of all Creation.
We make a commitment to reconciliation and healing with people within the Church community as well as beyond: tangata whenua, addressing our history, people who have left or are excluded from the Church
We are committed to ongoing development of lay leadership in the whole Archdiocese, creating a culture of participation and involvement
We have recourse to specialist input on complex issues, for example Bioethics, and make better use of social justice tools and resources that already exist
We find ways to facilitate the sharing of information between parishes, chaplaincies and other social agencies, with practical suggestions to develop the heart of people for justice
We acknowledge the priority of social justice in the organizational life of pastoral areas and parishes
We hope to see peace and compassion grow through working for justice.
“We must be the change we wish to see” Gandhi
Youth
In 2010, the Archdiocese of Wellington is a joy-filled, integrated Christian community, celebrating diversity where all are encouraged to shine through the gifts that they share, living their Catholic faith in the world today. Through listening and meeting people where they are at, our community empowers all to recognise the ‘God moments’ in each of our lives as we live the Good News.
This is seen concretely in that:
1. Young people are involved at all stages and levels of the activity of the Catholic faith community.
2. Activities which include young people are organised outside the ‘Sunday Church’.
3. Young people feel themselves actively Catholic by involvement in and/or initiating service and social justice projects supported by the community.
4. The Catholic community is recognised as effective agents for social justice.
5. Young people have their own space to be creative and experimental in the expression of their awareness of God.
6. Effective publicity and promotion, both internal and external, is taking place.
7. Age-integrated collaboration (teamwork) is evident at all levels of Catholic life.
8. Young people of all ages are involved in faith education and formation.
9. Parishes, pastoral areas and schools are acting as faith journey facilitators rather than an end point.