Preparation for the Convocation
Consider offering some of your Masses for its fruitfulness and for the other leaders you have yet to meet .
In addition to personal prayer , remember that an important way to prepare spiritually and strategically for the Convocation is by meeting in small groups with other delegates and with other Catholic leaders in your community . To assemble these small communities , consider :
• Who are your main collaborators ? Who is already working alongside you in the work of ministry in and with the Church ?
• Who might the untapped , potential collaborators in your community be ? Consider those in other ministry areas ; those at the diocese or parish ; those in apostolic movements ; those in religious communities ; those in academic institutions and higher education ; Catholic business and community leaders ; emerging ( young adult ) leaders or people in other cultural families or other generations who may have new perspectives to bring to the conversation .
• Read and discuss how parishes can make use of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis statement , Living as Missionary Disciples : A Resource for Evangelization , especially Part 2 , “ Developing a Pastoral Plan for Missionary Discipleship .” Find the document online at : http :// www . usccb . org / beliefs-and-teachings / howwe-teach / new-evangelization / index . cfm .
As you gather these people together in preparation for the Convocation , reflect on the following :
• What does your landscape look like ? What is your local mission field ?
• Who is not being reached by the existing efforts of church communities in the area ? Who is not in the pews ? Who is not in church leadership ? Who is struggling on the margins of your local area ? Who does not have the
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