Timeline | Planning for mission 2025-2026
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September 2025 – March 2026: New Life Regional Leadership SummitsParish leaders and priests gathered as a region will understand the need for parish planning in light of the mission of the Church and begin to pray and discern together about what changes might need to happen to accomplish the mission.Goals
- Share the evangelistic vision of parish planning with parish leaders.
- Facilitate an encounter with the Lord in prayer and small groups.
- Begin discerning how to accomplish the mission within available resources.
Talks- Planning for Mission
- The Role of Discernment and the Holy Spirit
- Understanding Our Current Resources
- Implementing Planning at the Parish Level
Outcome- Parish leaders will be prepared to implement planning at the parish level.
November 2025 – August 2026: Parish Level PlanningPhase 1: Leadership Formation for Prayer and Discernment(Begins after participating in New Life Regional Leadership Summit.)Parish leaders will be invited by their pastor (and his Local Parish Planning Team) to an encounter with the Lord in prayer and begin to learn how to use prayer to discern God’s will to carry out the mission in their parish or parish cluster. This phase will be structured as three 90-minute prayer and discernment sessions, but could take place over one entire day.Goals- Become authentic disciples through encounter and mission.
- Understand prayer as the source of the mission and divine guidance.
- Recognize the steps towards becoming a mission-centered parish.
Sessions- Authentic Discipleship (Video featuring Bishop Cozzens)
- The Essential Role of Discernment and Prayer for Mission (Video featuring Fr. Tom Niehaus)
- Steps to Becoming a Mission-Centered Parish (Video featuring Dcn. Mark Krejci)
Outcome- Parish leaders will be equipped to lead Prayer, Discernment, Feedback Sessions for parish community.
Phase 2: Planning for Mission - Prayer, Discernment, Feedback Session(s)With support from the Diocesan Planning Commission, parish leadership will invite everyone to participate in a 3-hour session on parish planning for mission. Parishioners will hear the vision for mission from Bishop Cozzens (via video), be invited to encounter the Lord, to discern in prayer how the Lord is calling them to become a mission center, to understand their resources and to provide suggestions to the Diocese for parish planning in their region.Goals- Pastors and Local Planning Teams facilitate an encounter with the Lord in prayer for parishioners.
- Teach discernment and listening to the Holy Spirit for mission guidance.
- Allow an opportunity for all parishioners to feel heard.
- Collect feedback for the Diocesan Planning Commission.
Outcome- Parish leaders will compile feedback and share it with the Diocesan Planning Commission.
- The Diocesan Planning Commission will recommend to the Bishop any necessary collaboration or structural changes for mission success.
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