Handbook for Parishes
The Partners in the Gospel Handbook for Parishes provides guidance on the major aspects of parish life: Worship and Prayer, Discipleship, Community and Hospitality, Missionary Outreach, Governance and Leadership, and Administration, Finance, and Infrastructure.
Introduction and Phase Zero Handbook
Introduction to Handbook: How to use, timeline, support.
Phase Zero (February 2024 – July 2024): Focuses on assessing the current parish, in preparation for the transition to the future parish family.
Phase One Handbook
Phase 1 is focused on getting to know each other; welcoming each other and starting to develop an understanding of each parish’s gifts, needs and hopes for the future. This Phase 1 Handbook outlines a series of administrative guidelines and recommendations, as well as ways to plant the seed for how to start to work together more collaboratively.
Phase One Handbook sections listed separately for quick access:
- Synodality and Partners in the Gospel + Discernment and Decision Making with Transition and Healing Guide
- A Community of Communities + Social Outreach and Pastoral Care
- Administrative Milestones
- Communications Guidelines
- Creating a Culture of Hospitality + Appendix resources
- Development and Fundraising
- Data and Technology Sharing
- Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
- Liturgical Considerations
Handbook for Schools
This applies primarily on issues that specifically impact schools, from Phase 0 through Phase 3. Includes school finance best practices and school funding methodologies.
People Handbook
This People Section is focused on all activities related to people including volunteers, new staff structures, job descriptions, consultative structures, decision matrices and more.
People sections listed separately for quick access:
Special Additions
This section highlights special tools or resources that parishes requested as part of this process.
- Alternative Consultative Models: This guide provides additional ways for parish families to consult with their communities.
- Transitioning Websites and Social Media: This guide outlines archive requirements and best practices for transitioning technology.
- Parish Family Advisory Council Overview: This sheet outlines the responsibilities for members and may help recruit lay volunteers to serve on this council.
- Mission and Evangelization Handbook: Mission and evangelization are at the core of the life of the Church, and are, therefore, at the core of Partners in the Gospel.
- Re-Evangelization and Discipleship Resource: Guidance on reaching those who have fallen away from the Church and how to help parishioners grow deeper in their faith.
- Outreach Guide: As the Catholic Church, we reach out to those in need because this outreach to our brothers and sisters is central to our mission.
- Transforming Organizational Structures: These resources help parish families consider how to create staffing plans that match the leadership style of the pastor, reflect ministry priorities for the family, and make the best use of the resources and personnel present.
- Managing Records in the One Parish Transition Process: This guide provides a simple process for managing physical records during the One Parish transition, ensuring important records are preserved, organized, and securely stored while unneeded records are properly disposed of.
- Combined Archives Lists: This guide outlines how to dispose of unnecessary physical records during the One Parish transition by following archdiocesan retention schedules and removing redundant, outdated, and trivial (ROT) materials.
Checklists
These checklists capture the major activities of each phase:
Parish Transition Workbook
To help smooth the transition for parish leaders, staff and parishioners, every parish should fill out the Parish Transition Workbook to capture information outside the Parish Annual Report that will be helpful as parishes join together.