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ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT CONFERENCE
Notice of Cancellation of Conference
The Pastoral Ministry Network were very excited to offer a face-to-face Conference after two years of Alive in the Spirit online. Unfortunately, due to a low number of registrations, the Pastoral Ministry Network Committee came to the decision to cancel the Alive in the Spirit Conference for 25 October 2023. We value and thank you those you registered to attend the Conference. A number of people were also enthusiastic about the idea of a Conference but were restricted by timing and other commitments. The Committee are discerning a three-day Alive in the Spirit Conference in mid to late 2024 to engage all those connected to ministry in practical ways to be Alive in the Spirit. We look forward to sharing these details with you in coming months and value any insights or feedback you have.
Your Keynotes
Steph Langley
Head of House & Mercy Educator
All Hallows’ School, Brisbane
Steph Langley is a Mercy Educator at All Hallows’ School in Brisbane. Her current title is Head of House – Coolock and she is responsible for the Pastoral Care of 180 students from ages 11-18. Steph has a keen interest in engaging young people with the Mission of the church beyond their schooling years. She was the former President of Brisbane Actioning Mercy a post-secondary school group that aimed to link young people with the Brisbane Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy. She is a recent graduate of the Leadership for Mission Course which enhanced her understanding of the direction of the modern church and the importance of engaging our young people in these liminal times.
Qwayne Guevara
Lead Facilitator, Diocesan Synod
Manager, Catholic Youth Parramatta
Qwayne Guevara is passionate about building community and has experience co-creating opportunities where young people are welcomed to foster authentic friendships, realise their gifts for mission and service, and encounter Christ in their daily lives. She spent several years in advocacy and law before a profound encounter of God at World Youth Day 2016 compelled her to pursue a call to ministry locally. Qwayne holds a Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution and is studying a Graduate Diploma of Theology at The University of Notre Dame. Qwayne has also been appointed by Bishop Vincent as the Lead Facilitator of the Diocesan Synod in 2023 to 2025.
Your Emcee
Brendon Mannyx
Community & Mission Manager
Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
Brendon comes from a theatre background. The last time he walked beneath the proscenium arch was in the role of Count da Pennies in the National Pantomime at the Teatru Manoel in Malta back in 2008. He still jumps at the opportunity to hold a microphone and speak to an audience. He is passionate about working with communities to reimagine missionary discipleship in today’s world.
Your Workshops - 11:30am Selection
Effective Parish Pastoral Councils
Parish Pastoral Councils are core to the life of any parish. This workshop will explore their role within the life of the parish and best practices for a council to operate with God’s mission at its heart.
Let’s Talk About Grief & Loss
Presented by Grief Care
We all experience loss and grief in many ways in our lives. This workshop will guide participants through an understanding of grief and loss, how we recognise it in ourselves and others, and the importance of acknowledging and holding space for people experiencing Grief and Loss in our communities.
Art and Spirituality
Rose McAllister
Creation of art provides an opportunity for a deepening awareness of oneself and the world, and can act as a catalyst for evoking the Spirit. Art is a means to see-to-re-search and find the living meaning of what it means to open the heart. Everyone has the ability to create art, but in order for it to be theological, the artist needs to explore ways that it makes sense of faith. Opening the heart through art involves making meaning through the creation, then reflecting on the art itself and the unfolding the moment-to-moment direct experience of the process.
All Are Welcome
Donnie Velasco & Alison Ryan
Welcome in our Parishes has to be more more than a cup of tea right?! Let’s learn together how to connect with Parish newcomers and walk them into the heart of the Community by: 1. Getting in touch with your local reality, especially in a post-covid world 2. Revitalising our call as the people of God, to be people of radical welcome 3. Practicing skills in welcome, hospitality & accompaniment.
Listening Circles
Vic & Liz O’Callaghan
Listening Circles have been designed to create and sustain safe spaces for people to talk about the unspeakable. With my co-creator and partner, Liz O’Callaghan, we have worked with people in Australia and the USA to train facilitators to assist people to talk about ‘the elephant in the room’ – the impact of the sexual abuse of children within institutions. This process is solidly based on the principles of Restorative Practices and has been expanded to address other issues that have impacted society as a whole
Your Workshops - 1:00pm Selection
Lay Led Parishes – A Living Story
John and Uta France
The Catholic parish of St John Vianney, Morisset, is led by a lay leaders John & Uta France, operating with the guidance of a priest supervisor and the support of a sacramental priest. Morisset parish does not have a parish priest, yet it functions as a canonical parish. About 10 years ago, Morisset parish was forced to consider alternative ways of operating due to a priest shortage. Referencing Canon 517 §2 from the Code of Canon Law. The Bishop of Maitland/Newcastle at the time, Bill Wright gave the parish the opportunity to trial this model of leadership and commissioned the leaders.
Active Listening in our Communities
Nicki Graham
Listen to God say to you.. be still and know that I am God (PS 46:10)
Active listening, or listening to understand, is an important skill that helps to build strong relationships, gain a deeper understanding of your fellow parishioners, friends and colleagues, and develops your sense of empathy.
Today, we see more than ever, the importance of connecting with each other so that all can be participants and valued members of the parish community.
This practical workshop provides opportunities for role playing and discussing a variety of scenarios to enhance the skills of active listening.
Engaging our young people in the Mission of the Church beyond School
Steph Langley
In an ever-changing world, engaging our young people in the message and mission of the Church is becoming more complicated. This workshop will aim to explore different options of engaging young people in the Mission of the Church beyond their Catholic school context. This workshop hopes to be collaborative in nature allowing participants to share their experiences in this space so as to learn from different contexts.
The Volunteer Journey – Engaging and Supporting Ministries
Richard McMahon
Engaging and sustaining people in ministry roles is what we all want but can be difficult to achieve. We explore successful strategies for attracting people in identifying and sharing their gifts, helping discern their suitability for roles, and examine the key aspects for onboarding, supporting, celebrating, retaining and developing people to become leaders and coordinators in ministry.
Living Justice in Parishes
Developing a Reconciliation Action Plan
Alyson Segrott
My passion lies in Aboriginal and Torres Strait people and non-Indigenous reconciliation, and I’m committed to building a better future for all Australians. One of my significant achievements was co-developing the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, which received endorsement from Reconciliation Australia in 2022. Currently, I’m working on the next level of RAP – Innovate, which is under assessment by the Diocesan Leadership Group. In this workshop I will share with you my journey of developing a Reconciliation Action Plans and the reasons why we need to have a to continue the journey in reconciliation.
Your Program
9:30 AM Morning Tea and Registration
10:00 AM Welcome, Acknowledgement & Prayer
10:15 AM Keynote Addresses
11:15 AM Question Time
11:30 AM Workshop One
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Workshop Two
2:30 PM Afternoon Tea
3:00 PM Afternoon Plenary
3:45 PM Closing Prayer
4:00 PM Finish
4:30 PM Pastoral Ministry Network AGM
Thank You to our Sponsors
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