22.10.2014
Come&C Highlights Parish Activities Which Form the Heartbeat of Dublin and Glendalough
A snapshot of parish life in Dublin and Glendalough has been captured in a new booklet which was launched at Diocesan Synods yesterday evening (October 21). Come&C contains material which was gleaned from the diocesan Vision and Mission Survey initiated by Archbishop Michael Jackson in the spring of this year.
Lay people of the dioceses were asked to respond to a series of questions about parishes. Over 79 percent of parishes responded and their comments have been compiled into a booklet
In his forward to Come&C the Archbishop states that the material shared by the parishes gives voice to the aspirations and the achievements of parish communities the length and breath of the dioceses. He added that parishioners have also raised warning signs and concerns.
Come&C was launched by Sam Harper, one of the Lay Honorary Secretaries of General Synod. He said he was greatly encouraged by the possibilities the resource offered to the dioceses. He contrasted the research for Come&C with last year’s Church of Ireland census.
“Many of you will know that the Church of Ireland undertook a census almost a year ago. That exercise showed some encouraging facts, but also identified some challenges and even set alarm bells ringing in some quarters. It, as with all such efforts, only dealt with statistics and numbers,” Mr Harper stated. “The research for this report went behind the mere figures and sought to determine the activities at parochial level that caused the very heartbeat of the diocese to tick. If we take the Church to be a gathering of like minded people who meet together for worship and support, then it is very important to conduct a serious self examination to ensure that we are empathizing with those in our charge and relevant to their needs.”
He added that the Church is not just about getting bodies into pews. It also had a mission to bring faith to the faithless and to help build up the faithful in their service to God and their communities, he said.
Mr Harper said that Come&C recognised the good work done by many parishes and suggested ways forward for those who were seeking a better way to fulfil their mission.
“To use this book to it’s full potential, I encourage each one to read it positively and look for the opportunities for service and growth in your own lives, in each of your own parishes and in your Dioceses and that you will go forth in the encouragement that this will bring to be better servants of Christ following your own faith,” he concluded.
The analysis of responses is broken down into three sections dealing with current activities in the parishes, future developments and vision statements.
Come&C is available to download from ‘the dioceses’ section of the Dublin and Glendalough website or by clicking here.