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Written by • August 11, 2024• 11:12 am• Pastoral Notes

Developing Mercy and Welcoming in Church Communities

Today St. Paul reminds us to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves. By this he does not mean that we should regard ourselves in a lowly fashion, but to place the importance of others ahead of our own. Instead of having an attitude of judgment toward others, we should develop an attitude of mercy, just as the Lord has mercy toward us. It is critically important to develop this attitude of mercy and of placing the needs of others ahead of our own in a welcoming community. Welcoming cannot be only a program for gaining new members, or something temporary. It must become a deep characteristic of the culture of a community -- if the community is to be sustained over time. In such a Christian community, the needs of others are placed at the head of the line, while not neglecting the needs of the rest. What are the spiritual wounds of those who don’t feel welcome? As the Lord is kind and merciful toward us, so let us be toward others. Call to action: Many churches still report that they are at about 80% of where they were before the Covid emergency. That means there remains much to do in reaching out to the de-churched, as well as the unchurched. Your GC Smart Tools can help you to identify many of those no longer participating. In some cases, they may have moved away, or there may be some other legitimate reason they are no longer in your parish. In this case, GC Smart Tools can help you update your lists. If you are not sure how to do this, call us GiveCentral! We will be happy to walk with you in this process of using the tools you already have, wisely and well! Pastoral Action Points If you are like many of us in the world of pastoral ministry, you are an “analogue person living in a digital world.” In other words, all these GC SmarfTools might feel overwhelming. Reach out to us! We are happy to answer your questions and walk with you while you learn. If you need help email teresa@givecentral.org Our GC Webinars can give you lots of information. Please join us! You can find the next scheduled webinar on your admin dashboard. Plus, you’ll meet other people with similar questions and needs. Let’s become a helping community toward one another. Templates! We’ve got templates! And they are free for you. If you are sending a church-wide email you are welcome to use GiveCentral templates and adapt them to your local needs. Just look in your Communications Portal! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org
Today St. Paul reminds us to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves. By this he does not mean that we should regard ourselves in a lowly fashion, but to place the importance of others ahead of our own. Instead of having an attitude of judgment toward others, we should develop an attitude of mercy, just as the Lord has mercy toward us. It is critically important to develop this attitude of mercy and of placing the needs of others ahead of our own in a welcoming community. Welcoming cannot be only a program for gaining new members, or something temporary. It must become a deep characteristic of the culture of a community -- if the community is to be sustained over time. In such a Christian community, the needs of others are placed at the head of the line, while not neglecting the needs of the rest. What are the spiritual wounds of those who don’t feel welcome? As the Lord is kind and merciful toward us, so let us be toward others.Call to action: Many churches still report that they are at about 80% of where they were before the Covid emergency. That means there remains much to do in reaching out to the de-churched, as well as the unchurched. Your GC Smart Tools can help you to identify many of those no longer participating. In some cases, they may have moved away, or there may be some other legitimate reason they are no longer in your parish. In this case, GC Smart Tools can help you update your lists. If you are not sure how to do this, call us GiveCentral! We will be happy to walk with you in this process of using the tools you already have, wisely and well!Pastoral Action Points If you are like many of us in the world of pastoral ministry, you are an “analogue person living in a digital world.” In other words, all these GC SmarfTools might feel overwhelming. Reach out to us! We are happy to answer your questions and walk with you while you learn. If you need help email teresa@givecentral.orgOur GC Webinars can give you lots of information. Please join us! You can find the next scheduled webinar on your admin dashboard. Plus, you’ll meet other people with similar questions and needs. Let’s become a helping community toward one another.Templates! We’ve got templates! And they are free for you. If you are sending a church-wide email you are welcome to use GiveCentral templates and adapt them to your local needs. Just look in your Communications Portal! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org

Today St. Paul reminds us to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves. By this he does not mean that we should regard ourselves in a lowly fashion, but to place the importance of others ahead of our own. Instead of having an attitude of judgment toward others, we should develop an attitude of mercy, just as the Lord has mercy toward us. It is critically important to develop this attitude of mercy and of placing the needs of others ahead of our own in a welcoming community. Welcoming cannot be only a program for gaining new members, or something temporary. It must become a deep characteristic of the culture of a community — if the community is to be sustained over time. In such a Christian community, the needs of others are placed at the head of the line, while not neglecting the needs of the rest. What are the spiritual wounds of those who don’t feel welcome? As the Lord is kind and merciful toward us, so let us be toward others.

Many churches still report that they are at about 80% of where they were before the Covid emergency. That means there remains much to do in reaching out to the de-churched, as well as the unchurched. Your GC Smart Tools can help you to identify many of those no longer participating. In some cases, they may have moved away, or there may be some other legitimate reason they are no longer in your parish. In this case, GC Smart Tools can help you update your lists. If you are not sure how to do this, call us GiveCentral! We will be happy to walk with you in this process of using the tools you already have, wisely and well!

Pastoral Action Points

  1. If you are like many of us in the world of pastoral ministry, you are an “analogue person living in a digital world.” In other words, all these GC SmarfTools might feel overwhelming. Reach out to us! We are happy to answer your questions and walk with you while you learn. If you need help email teresa@givecentral.org
  2. Our GC Webinars can give you lots of information. Please join us! You can find the next scheduled webinar on your admin dashboard. Plus, you’ll meet other people with similar questions and needs. Let’s become a helping community toward one another.
  3. Templates! We’ve got templates! And they are free for you. If you are sending a church-wide email you are welcome to use GiveCentral templates and adapt them to your local needs. Just look in your Communications Portal!
 
Stay up-to-date with news & information – follow us on social!
Toll-free:  833.716.2612   |   Email us at: support@givecentral.org
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Last modified: November 8, 2024

← Recall that the Church already existed when the gospels, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were written down. Thus, the parable of the workers in the vineyard gains an even fuller meaning, for new members were joining the Church constantly, and older members may have assumed that they were more privileged than newer ones. In truth, there has always been tension in the Church between older members and newer members. Even in today’s parishes sometimes older members, though happy to see more people, are not always happy to share space or influence with the newer ones. Just as the New Testament Church had to examine itself about its spirit of welcome toward its new members, so must we today. Being with the Lord is a privilege, but it does not make us more privileged because we have been with Him longer. Our souls, hearts and our arms must be open to those who are new to Christ and His Church. Call to action: Part of developing the spirit of welcome in a parish community is by asking the long-standing organizations and ministries to encourage new members, to receive their ideas, and make them feel valued. This can be hard, because it requires groups to move beyond old thinking and the spirit of “we’ve always done it this way.” It requires a deep examination of conscience and an openness to the “new means and methods” called for by the New Evangelization. Unless we take the risk of deepening our spirit of welcome, there will be no new laborers for the vineyard. Pastoral Action Points Fall is a wonderful time to invite parishioners to join the various ministries, services, and organizations in your parish. Some parishes have ministry fairs or parish town hall meetings where the organizations and ministries can be highlighted. Use your GC Smart Tools to communicate an awareness of your groups and ministries by creating emails or direct mailings about them. Is your parish engaged in GC’s 20 for 20 campaign? If it is, stay in touch with Give Central throughout the campaign and look for our weekly webinars offering support and instruction. Have you started thinking about Advent? It’s a great time to encourage your parishioners to invite others to join them at mass. Take some time to plan a special welcoming experience for those “sometime” Catholics to get them re-engaged. Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org Previous Story
Developing Mercy and Welcoming in Church Communities
→ Wisdom is a divine gift, in fact, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The person who is wise seeks wisdom, while the fool runs from thing to thing. However, in order to obtain wisdom, we need to be focused and prepared. In today’s gospel parable the wise virgins are ready for the wedding feast because they have prepared, they have thought about what is needed, and they have actively sought what they need – in this case, oil for their lamps. The foolish virgins are foolish because they have not prepared and have not actively sought what they need. Every human being comes to a point in life when he or she realizes that life is short and that we want a life of meaning. Sometimes people come to our churches because they are seekers, and they are actively looking for wisdom and meaning, for connection and hope. The good news is that there is still time, though not an infinite amount of it! For those whose souls are like “dry weary lands without water,” and who are seeking the One who is the Truth, who is Wisdom, let them find in our parish communities a welcoming place, a place where He who is Wisdom can be found. Call to action: The readings in the final Sundays of Ordinary Time focus on the last things and the conclusion of history. It reaches a crescendo on the Solemnity of Christ the King – the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Christ the King celebrates looking forward to the time when all things shall be under the headship of Christ. November also marks the beginning of the Holiday Season as people prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. It is also the time when the greatest amount of charitable giving is done for churches and nonprofits. Perhaps your parish is running its annual stewardship campaign, or you are asking your people to consider their Christmas gift to the parish. If you are, use your GiveCentral texting and QR Code capabilities to make things easier for them! Remember, the wise are prepared! Pastoral Action Points Do you have a new staff member that needs to be trained on the GiveCentral platform? If so, contact Teresa to set up training at teresa@givecentral.org Prepare now to welcome new church members and those “once or twice a year” visitors during Advent and Christmas. Do you have a welcoming ministry organized? Also, we have Advent and Christmas pew card templates, email templates, and direct mail templates here available for your use. Contact teresa@givecentral.org for more details! Stay up-to-date with news & information - follow us on social! Toll-free: 833.716.2612 | Email us at: support@givecentral.org Next Story
Living with Gratitude and Generosity: A Call to Stewardship

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