What Pastoral Planning Is, (And What Is NOT)

Often we envision a ‘strategic plan’ when someone says, “We need a plan!”. However, a pastoral plan is NOT a strategic plan, nor is about financial planning for the parish, planning the weekly liturgy, outlining parish governance, nor programming for your Catholic school. 

Pastoral Planning IS a prayerful and methodical practice by which the pastoral council assists their pastor to establish spiritual goals through listening, discernment, and prioritization. A pastoral plan addresses the current parish community’s spiritual needs. Done well, a pastoral plan lays the path for how best the parish is going to achieve its mission and leads parishioners in furthering our call to Jesus and our ability to lead others to Jesus.

The parish pastoral plan sets the optimal scenario for the Holy Spirit to act among us. It creates the most appropriate local background for our Spirituality of Communion to thrive.

Do you have the right resources and programs in place help your parishioners live a spirituality of communion? How can we help you catch “planning fever”? Contact us today.