Spain

Grateful disciples, co-responsibility and leadership

The Spanish Episcopal Conference has a program dedicated to the promotion of co-responsibility and pastoral leadership in parishes. Through the platform "Grateful Disciples", the Episcopal Conference "wants to help achieve communities with a strong identity".

Paloma López Campos-May 23, 2023-Reading time: 2 minutes
Co-responsibility

(Unsplash / Hannah Busing)

From the Spanish Episcopal Conference are seeking to strengthen the identity of the Christian community through the current disciples. The desire is that the members "feel co-responsible for the evangelizing task of the Church" and that they are willing to contribute with the necessary means to this end.

In addition to resources, there is a need for "inspirational leaders, women and men with a pastoral heart, capable of identifying and developing the many charisms that exist in each community, most of them still undiscovered".

To achieve its objectives, the Conference has made available to all a web page, "Grateful disciplesThe "Grateful Followers" platform, where you can find a variety of resources such as videos and articles. Soon a platform will also be available that will connect a multitude of grateful supporters working in their communities and parishes.

A community with 10 A's

One of the most interesting articles already published on the website outlines the characteristics of a grateful and co-responsible community:

  • Joy: A community "that has learned to give of itself without measure", which is evident in all its activities.
  • Grateful: That community that knows how to "thank the faithful for their commitment and dedication".
  • Administrator: Because she is aware that she does not own the assets, but rather advises them.
  • Open: For its capacity to "know how to discover the voice of God" through the suggestions of the faithful.
  • Welcoming: Because it knows how to value all gifts, so that "all the faithful feel that they are unique and indispensable to the mission of the parish, while placing all their trust in God who uses their talents and offers them this wonderful opportunity".
  • Autonomous: Self-sustaining and "enjoys being responsible for its mission".
  • Current: Take advantage of all legal modern advances to put them at the service of the mission.
  • Authentic: A community that "is transparent".
  • Bold: Because "he is not afraid to sow gratuitousness because he knows that he will receive a lot and will have all that God wants and needs to make his Church".
  • Adorant: A community that knows that "its strength, its mission and its talents are divine and therefore lives from the surrender of Jesus in the Eucharist".

Parish stewardship

On the website you can also find the registration form for the pilot program on parish stewardship that will take place during the 2023/2024 school year. The link redirects to a form to fill in the data before July 31, the deadline for registration.

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