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Pastoral Notes

Explore insightful pastoral notes to inspire church leaders and nonprofits. Discover spiritual guidance, fundraising ideas, and community-building tips.

Pastoral Reflection Notice that when Jesus encounters the man with the unclean spirit, he does not condemn the man so afflicted. Rather, he has compassion for him, and his wrath is turned toward the unclean spirit afflicting him. Jesus confronts evil and its power directly and immediately throughout the Gospel of Mark. Please notice that Jesus makes a distinction between the person and that which is afflicting the person! His compassion is for the suffering person, but his judgment is upon what afflicts him. Do we sometimes judge others as persons without regard to their circumstances or “what afflicts them?” There is that wonderful saying that goes something like this: “every person you see is fighting silent battles within you know nothing about.” As Christians we need to get beyond making judgments about others based on superficial appearances or circumstances. We don’t know why people are in the situations they are in or why they think or act the way they do. First, we must see them as God’s child, a human being who has dignity before God. Then, we must both pray and work for their wellbeing! Call to action: Are all people welcome in your church? Maybe not everyone is ready for communion, but are they still welcome? Does your congregation foster a welcoming attitude toward others? Or, through sour facial expressions, or an unwillingness to create room in the pew display an attitude of judgment, a spirit of unwelcome? Judgmentalism has been a plague within the church from the earliest days, and it festers and pops up all too easily. It’s time to call it out, and push it out, just like Jesus casting out the unclean spirit! Resolve that as Lent approaches your parish will become more dedicated to developing the spirit of welcome. Pastoral Action Points Resolve that your parish will be a place of welcome, solace, and pastoral love. In this year of Eucharistic education, plan events that allow people to open their hearts to Christ in his sacramental presence. Use your GiveCentral GC Smart Tools to get contact information from new parishioners and visitors, then follow up with an email, a text, or a call within 24 to 48 hours! If you need assistance in setting this up please contact the GC Implementation Team at implementation@givecentral.org Plan for Lent now, if you haven’t already! Ask your teens to be welcomers at masses. Ask your senior citizens to run a “welcome booth” near your main doors! The 2024 GiveCentral Webinar Schedule is now available! Save your seat to attend a webinar, expert insight, parish roundtable discussion, onboarding or reboarding training session! Click here to save your seat. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

Welcoming All with Grace: A Call to Compassionate Ministry

Pastoral Reflection Notice that when Jesus encounters the man with the unclean spirit, he does not condemn the man so afflicted. Rather, he...

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Lent fundraising

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

Journeying Through Lent: Aligning Our Hearts with Christ

Pastoral Reflection Sts. Matthew and Luke offer more details about Jesus’ time in the desert, but St. Mark highlights that this moment...

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Pastoral Reflection (based on the reading for mass at dawn) The shepherds referenced here by St. Luke were remarkably simple people who lived in the fields among the sheep. We have romanticized the idea of the shepherds and turned them into cute Knick Knacks for our nativity sets. But what is said by St. Luke is actually shocking! “All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds!” And what the shepherds told the people was the message they had received from the angels; namely, that the Christ (messiah) had been born. The fact that people were amazed does not mean they believed the shepherds! Swarms of people did not come out from Bethlehem to see him. The only other account we have of visitors were the magi in St. Matthew’s gospel. Proof once again that God uses the simple people of the earth to tell His story, to tell of His might and glory. Most people who come to our churches feel that they are simple people. They are not famous, nor do they wish to be. Their lives are not perfect, and they humbly rely on God’s grace to bring about a perfection which we humans, unaided, can never achieve. Let those who feel simple and in need of God’s grace be welcome in our church, just as the visiting shepherds were at the manger. Call to action: With so many visitors, family members, and former parishioners visiting this weekend it is a critical moment for connection with them. Please do use your GC Smart Tools to assist you in making these connections. Use your text number, your QR code, your pew cards, banners, bulletin announcements, greeters, pulpit announcements – every means you have to get the information you need for growing your parish and widening the circle of relationships among your people! These next few days are busy, but GiveCentral stands ready to help! Don’t be afraid to call us or contact us at support@givecentral.org with any question or request you have. Pastoral Action Points Make sure your ushers/greeters/staff personnel are ready and keep the pew cards restocked for each mass and service this weekend. You don’t get second chances to make first impressions. Have your staff or volunteers ready to keep your lavatories clean and well stocked between each mass or service! You want your church to look great and be welcoming. Ask your High School aged youth to get involved as extra greeters and information ambassadors for this weekend! It will be a wonderful experience for them, and it will help visitors feel wanted and welcome. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

God’s Simple Messengers: The Shepherds’ Lesson for Our Parish Community

Pastoral Reflection (based on the reading for mass at dawn) The shepherds mentioned in St. Luke’s Gospel were simple, humble people who...

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Pastoral Reflection In this liturgical year our gospel passages come from St. Mark and St. John. In today’s gospel proclamation from St. Mark, we encounter Jesus initiating his public ministry after the arrest of his cousin, John the Baptist. He proclaims good news: “the Kingdom of God is at hand!” He wants a change of heart: “repent and believe the good news!” To repent is not about feeling bad or feeling sad, rather, it is about the redirecting or re-orienting of the heart, mind, and soul toward God and the ways of God. Next, we encounter Jesus calling his first disciples, Simon (later to be renamed Peter), and his brother, John (the youngest of the apostles and the author of the Gospel of John). Please notice that they literally drop everything and follow the Lord! When the Lord calls us, he does not want us lingering in old places and old ways. Rather, the Lord wants us to follow where he leads. The immediacy of discipleship is most pronounced in St. Mark’s Gospel. There will be no waiting around in St. Mark’s telling of the Christ story, and those called to discipleship had best respond quickly! Call to action: When our parishioners, old or new, show an interest in engagement with the parish community we should act on it as quickly as prudence allows! One fast way to lose volunteers is to wait many days or weeks before getting back to them when they offer their services. Whether it’s the offer to volunteer, or to make a donation, getting back to the parishioner within 24 to 48 hours is critical! Use your GC Smart Tools to make lists of your volunteers and ministry groups. Use your Smart Texting to get back to them, even if just to acknowledge their interest! Finally, thanking your people for their service or offers of service helps in making your people feel wanted, known, and engaged in the community. Pastoral Action Points Lent is coming quickly this year! Have you planned your Lenten activities? If your parish is participating in the Rites of Christian Initiation, take the opportunity to help the candidates and catechumens to be known by the greater parish community. Trying to create a welcoming ministry can be hard (Catholics are so shy!). If it’s not possible to have a full welcoming ministry, try having a welcome desk or kiosk in your foyer or gathering space. Invite some of the teens who need service hours to be at the desk to welcome visitors and answer questions. Likewise, some of our more senior members may be willing to do it if they can sit instead of stand! Think creatively about welcoming visitors, guests, and seekers to your parish! GiveCentral has some big announcements coming soon that will make using our platform faster, easier, and more fun! Be ready for some good news! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

The Call to Discipleship: Following Christ Without Hesitation

Call to action: When our parishioners, old or new, show an interest in engagement with the parish community we should act on it as quickly...

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Guided by the Light: Preparing Our Hearts for the Journey of Faith

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

Guided by the Light: Preparing Our Hearts for the Journey of FaithPastoral Reflection

These few short weeks after the Epiphany and before Lent are a time of recognizing Christ as the light of the world. The light not only...

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John the Baptist is in the desert, near to Jerusalem, proclaiming a baptism of forgiveness and announcing the coming of the Lord with great anticipation. Yet, he feels unworthy of the Lord, his own cousin, Jesus. Even so, Jesus will come to him! How many of us feel unworthy? How many stay away from Christ because they feel unworthy or unwelcome? The good news is that the Lord wants to come to them, just as he came to his cousin, John. Jesus is the very embodiment of the proclamation we heard from the Prophet Isaiah in today’s 1st reading. He is the one who will bring God’s comfort to His people! In Christ, their oppression is at an end. If Advent is about the coming of the Lord, let us take this time to invite Him to come into our hearts and souls now! Call to action: St. Bernard referred to the coming of Christ (Advent) in three ways. The first was the coming of Jesus at Christmas as a matter of history (past). The second is the Advent of the Lord in the form of the Holy Spirit, who is here with us now guiding the Church (present). And the third is the Advent regarding the coming of Christ at the end of all time to unveil the new creation (future). In modern times we have tended to focus only on the first of St. Bernard’s meanings of Advent. This has, no doubt, been exacerbated by the commercialization of Christmas and the entire holiday season. However, if we are responsible pastors, we need to help our people have the fuller understanding of what Advent means for us as Christians. When we decorate our homes and churches, we are not merely mimicking our neighbors but making a statement about the future! All things shall be made new in Christ, and in Christ we shall dwell in the light! Let’s educate our people about why we decorate and what it means from a Christian point of view! You can use your GC Smart Tools to send short messages to your people that will educate them and remind them of who they are, children of the light! Pastoral Action Points The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will bring lots of parishioners and visitors to your parish, making this celebration the perfect opportunity to welcome all, grow engagement and donations in support of your mission and ministries. Join Edgar Barroso for a very special webinar to learn more about ways to boost your parish engagement and giving for the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day. Friday December 8, 2023 at 10 a.m. CLICK HERE to Register! Pastors, have you asked your parishioners to consider their Christmas or end of the year gift to the parish? Join us for an upcoming webinar where you will learn all of the marketing materials and tools GiveCentral has available to assist you with engagement and giving for Christmas and year-end giving. DEC 11 Webinar Registration DEC 15 Webinar Registration DEC 18 Webinar Registration Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youtube Instagram

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

Advent Reflections: Inviting Christ into Our Lives Today and Beyond

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John the Baptist is in the desert, near to Jerusalem, proclaiming a baptism of forgiveness and announcing the coming of the Lord with great anticipation. Yet, he feels unworthy of the Lord, his own cousin, Jesus. Even so, Jesus will come to him! How many of us feel unworthy? How many stay away from Christ because they feel unworthy or unwelcome? The good news is that the Lord wants to come to them, just as he came to his cousin, John. Jesus is the very embodiment of the proclamation we heard from the Prophet Isaiah in today’s 1st reading. He is the one who will bring God’s comfort to His people! In Christ, their oppression is at an end. If Advent is about the coming of the Lord, let us take this time to invite Him to come into our hearts and souls now! Call to action: St. Bernard referred to the coming of Christ (Advent) in three ways. The first was the coming of Jesus at Christmas as a matter of history (past). The second is the Advent of the Lord in the form of the Holy Spirit, who is here with us now guiding the Church (present). And the third is the Advent regarding the coming of Christ at the end of all time to unveil the new creation (future). In modern times we have tended to focus only on the first of St. Bernard’s meanings of Advent. This has, no doubt, been exacerbated by the commercialization of Christmas and the entire holiday season. However, if we are responsible pastors, we need to help our people have the fuller understanding of what Advent means for us as Christians. When we decorate our homes and churches, we are not merely mimicking our neighbors but making a statement about the future! All things shall be made new in Christ, and in Christ we shall dwell in the light! Let’s educate our people about why we decorate and what it means from a Christian point of view! You can use your GC Smart Tools to send short messages to your people that will educate them and remind them of who they are, children of the light! Pastoral Action Points ● The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will bring lots of parishioners and visitors to your parish, making this celebration the perfect opportunity to welcome all, grow engagement and donations in support of your mission and ministries. Join Edgar Barroso for a very special webinar to learn more about ways to boost your parish engagement and giving for the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day. Friday December 8, 2023 at 10 a.m. CLICK HERE to Register! ● Pastors, have you asked your parishioners to consider their Christmas or end of the year gift to the parish? Join us for an upcoming webinar where you will learn all of the marketing materials and tools GiveCentral has available to assist you with engagement and giving for Christmas and year-end giving. ● DEC 11 Webinar Registration ● DEC 15 Webinar Registration ● DEC 18 Webinar Registration Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org No longer want to receive these emails? You can unsubscribe here.

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

Rediscovering the True Meaning of Advent: Welcoming Christ in Every Moment

John the Baptist is in the desert, near to Jerusalem, proclaiming a baptism of forgiveness and announcing the coming of the Lord with great...

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A Call to Hope and Connection

August 9, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

A Call to Hope and Connection

This Sunday marks the beginning of the new liturgical year (Happy New Year) and the start of Year “B” in the Sunday Lectionary cycle....

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Embracing Unity: Overcoming Disunity with GiveCentral Tools

June 7, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

Embracing Unity: Overcoming Disunity with GiveCentral Tools

Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary! In these weeks after Pentecost and before Advent the Word of God as presented to us in the...

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God’s Love Inspires Us to Love Others

May 24, 2024 • Pastoral Notes

How God’s Love Inspires Us to Love Others in 2024 ?

The Most Holy Trinity is the reality about God’s own nature that has been revealed to us through Jesus and the teaching of the Apostles....

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