Executive Officer’s Report: July 2019

End of financial year reports and tasks have occupied most of my time during July. I was also busy preparing additional reports for the AMPJP Council meeting that will take place on Friday 02 August 2019. My overwhelming feeling after all this report writing is that the AMPJP is active and productive on key issues for the ministries or members sponsor and for the wider Church.

The AMPJP Council continues to work in a very open, consultative and collaborative manner with all the eleven member MPJPs. All members receive Council papers and are able to attend Council meetings. This process is especially valuable as we discern our place within the wider Church. I see this approach as building all members’ trust, knowledge of issues and ownership of the results.

One of my delightful surprises in July was reading the 2018 ACBC document, “Faithful Stewards of God’s Grace: Lay Pastoral Ministers in the Church in Australia”.  I would encourage all Catholics to read at least the first three chapters (just 24 pages). The first chapter is an excellent summary of the development of lay participation in the Catholic Church from 1788 to present. It is an easy, informative, and I would say, inspirational story. The second chapter explores the issues that arise with lay people in ministry and the complementary nature of their roles with the ordained. The third chapter presents a theology of lay pastoral ministry drawing seamlessly on scripture and Church teaching. Most of what is said in these chapters equally applies to lay people involved in canonical stewardship of MPJPs.

From “Faithful Stewards of God’s Grace: Lay Pastoral Ministers in the Church in Australia” (page 24)

The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. It is Jesus who takes the initiative and calls people to follow him. He calls each person by name, just as the Shepherd ‘calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.’ By imitating Christ, by sharing in his life, and responding in faith to his call, Christ’s followers become ‘disciples of God.’ To follow Jesus is not just to learn about him, but also to be remade according to his likeness, the likeness of God. Christ is the servant who, out of great love, ‘lay down his life for his friends’. Showing love for one another is the true sign of discipleship. Christ’s disciples ‘serve each other unto salvation,’ and carry out the truth in love.

Although disciples are called individually by name, all share in this life with Christ and with one another. As a result, ‘we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members on

e of another.’ These words of St Paul echo the teaching of Jesus himself, who prayed for the unity of God’s people, for the unity of disciples with each other, as an image and extension of the unity that binds Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All who are baptised into the Christian faith are inseparably joined together ‘as members of Christ and members of the body of the Church.’ It is within this context, of the unity or communion of Christ’s disciples, that discipleship and ministry in the Church, can be understood.

New events listed on the website:

• • 17 July 2019 Servant Leadership in the Spirit of Pope Francis
  • 22 July 2019 Ecological Justice and Just Transitions Symposium
  • 09 September 2019 Emerging leaders in challenging times, breakfast briefing
  • 12-13 September 2019 Australasian Catholic Press Association Conference
  • 08-10 November 2019 Australian Religious Response to Climate Change Conference

New website content:

The public news section of the AMPJP website now has the following posts:

• Plenary Council 2020 Discernment and Writing Groups (03 July 2019 – also accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)
• Mercy Partners commences One Mater Project to deliver mission of Catholic healthcare across Queensland (12 July 2019 – also accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)
• Church welcomes push towards Indigenous recognition (12 July 2019 – also accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)
• Women’s Leadership for Mission (29 July 2019 – also accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)
• Governance seminar (30 July 2019 – also accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)
• Susan Pascoe’s appointment (31 July 2019 – also accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)

The member section of the AMPJP website now has the following posts:

• AMPJP member contact details (02 July 2019 – only accessible to AMPJP General and Council members)