Brainstorming the Ideal Parish

On June 17, 2005, about a dozen interested leaders from the San José diocese met to discuss the future of the local church. The purpose the meeting was two-fold:

1. To tap into our shared wisdom to get a better sense of what services, publications or programs could be developed to assist parishes with the work they do.
2. To encourage one another so that we maintain a sense of hope and enthusiasm about the work we do together in the local church

We began by discussing how each of us got started in ministry. Then we brainstormed around these questions (click on each question to go to the discussion points):

• What is the (primary/unique) purpose of a parish?
• What do think a parish is for?
• What would you describe as the ideal parish?
• What prevents parishes from living up to the ideal?
• What resources do we need?