If there is no common vision for where a parish is going, the likelihood of the approaches used by each leader will be different. Granted, you wouldn’t use a kindergarden approach with adults but the issue I am speaking to is the end result. Parishes do all kinds of fundraisers, meeting, picnics, …, for what? If there is no unity in the result then we are essentially running little individual businesses. Yes, a parish is a business but it’s end should reap a spiritual result.
If an adult education leader is teaching a class on Ephesians, their result may be the increased knowledge of their students on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. A second grade religious education teacher may have their sites set on the attainment of the Sacrament of First Communion and Reconciliation. A Confirmation Sponsor will be focussed on helping their confirmandi receive their sacrament. The Head Usher will be focused seating, collections, bringing up the gifts, and maybe greeting new people.
There are so many activities but do they all lead to a unified result? I would suggest that part of our problem today is that they don’t. Our parishes are fractured and their activities compete for the attention, financial resource, and time of our membership. What do they get for this effort? An ambiguous message that affirms that there is nothing more to the faith than getting your sacraments, being good, and going to Mass every week is the way to attain salvation.
They experience no life in their hearts, only obligation and guilt. I think is is safe to say that we have created a parish membership of country club members. They view the parish like a club. They pay their dues (getting their entrance sacraments and paying donating money to the Church. Once they have accomplished that, they are free too partake in only those activities that they desire to. There is no real connection to the person of Jesus because we have not help them make it.
The end result of all our efforts in parish life must be to lead each person into a viable relationship with Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Until we lead them to experience that conversion of heart and life, they will only be “playing Church!”
One of the critical steps in responding to the Bishop’s call for a new evangelization is attaining the vision of where to go. While consulting with parishes I have interviewed their staff and found as a rule that just about every staff member has their own definition or understanding of evangelization.
Imagine Moses trying to move the Israelites out of Egypt. He had his own Staff called Tribal Leaders. How successful would Moses have been if each of those leaders led their tribes in their own direction. Moses had to provide for them the vision and infrastructure needed to move everyone together. It amazes me that while Peter had Jesus to focus on while walking on water, the Israelites a a cloud or pillar of fire.
The first element the leader must if is the vision of where they are going before they attempt to lead anyone. When this vision is not present the leadership defaults back to the standard practice within the church. They basically maintain the programs that were present before they came. This is causing a tremendous problem among our faithful. They have grown up only knowing religious education without conversion or introduction to the person of Jesus. Once confirmed, they grow up believing that this is all there is.
To initiate a new evangelization we must provide the vision for our staff and followers that there is greener grass to the faith and the means to get there!