Bearing Much Fruit

From collaboration to co-responsibility

A Strategic Plan for Adult Formation and Evangelisation in the Diocese of Middlesbrough 2010 – 2014

The Bishop’s Council for Evangelisation and Adult Formation has produced a new five year Strategic Plan,  entitled “Bearing Much Fruit”. The document has been distributed to all Diocesan Priests and to Parish Lay Adult Formation Contacts.

The full text is also available to read by clicking here.

The plan looks at the needs and challenges the Church faces today and sets out a strategy for the future.

Needs and Challenges – Key Issues

• Catholic demographic trends show numerical decline in key areas of Catholic life, with fewer active priests and smaller, ageing congregations. These trends look set to continue and will present many challenges and opportunities for parishes.
• The demographics point to the urgent need for evangelisation especially with young people and young families. There has been a dramatic decline in the number of people marrying in the Church, and consequently the number of baptisms.
• A sign of growing co-responsibility between Clergy and Laity is demonstrated by the large number of people active in various Lay ministries throughout the Diocese.
• The creation of an Adult Formation Department has made a significant impact in raising awareness of lifelong discipleship, offering new courses, responding to need, developing networks of contacts and supporting parish and Diocesan initiatives.

A Strategy for the Future – some Key Proposals

• Addressing issues of change and transition.
• Developing a Diocesan strategy for Evangelisation.
• Developing a Diocesan strategy for Marriage and Family Life.
• Developing a systematic programme for catechesis.
• Consolidation and expansion of the Adult Formation Team.
• Developing specific formation programmes for the Lay faithful.
• Establish working in partnership wherever it is feasible.
• The challenges for the coming decade and beyond face the whole Church – Clergy and Laity  - and require a collaborative response. It is proposed therefore to develop programmes of collaborative formation wherever appropriate and possible.

The Council invites your Feedback!

Work is still to be done to flesh out in detail some of these proposals and your constructive comment is welcomed. In consultation with your Parish Priest and Lay Adult Formation Contact  you may wish to discuss and address especially these two questions:

• What are your/parish priorities for Adult Formation in the future?

• Any specific thoughts on issues/concerns to be addressed under any of the above Key Proposals?

Please write or email (before 10th September) to:

Adult Formation Department, Diocese of Middlesbrough, 50a The Avenue, Middlesbrough.  TS5 6QT

adultformation@dioceseofmiddlesbrough.co.uk

Thank you