Who are Synod Evangelization Team (SET) memebers?
The parish Synod Evangelization Team (SET) is the pastor’s chosen “twelve” co-workers withhim tasked with the work of building a parish that is in the service of evangelization. These “apostles”—chosen for their capacity to draw others to Christ—will help each parish to be an icon of “a Church which goes forth.” This choice of members will lighten the burden of our pastors and allow them to more deeply experience the joy of missionary discipleship.
Ongoing Virtual Formation
The Synod Evangelization Team works with the pastor to:
- Create a culture of relational evangelization
- Foster the centrality of the Eucharist as the source of life
- Help form missionary disciples
- Foster a culture of small groups in the service of daily discipleship, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and evangelization
- Collaborate with parish staff, pastoral council, and other leaders to foster a missionary culture in the parish
- Identify future leaders, the co-laborers in the vineyard
- Work with parish staff, pastoral council, and other leaders to implement the archbishop’s synod priorities and integrate them into parish life
Discerning a Synod Evangelization Team memember
- An effective SET member is someone who grasps how relational evangelization works and has a charism for walking with and pastoring people to Christ. This may be a staff member, but it may also well be a parishioner at large. It is up to the pastor to identify who these people might be.
- SET members are not necessarily all parish staff, nor other ex officio members (a difference from the request in 2022); they are people in the parish who the pastor, as spiritual father, discerns can do all of the above.
Action: The current term of service of all SETs established between September 2022 and June 2023 concludes on June 30, 2026. Every pastor should discern whether to “Renew” or “Revise” his SET by June 30, 2026. The Office of Discipleship & Evangelization will be requesting updated information in the Fall Survey.
Synod Evangelization Teams: A deeper dive
The parish SET is to be the catalyst within the parish for renewed discipleship, fruitful evangelization, and assisting the pastor in evangelistically implementing the synod priorities. The team works in close collaboration with the Parish Pastoral Council, parish staff, and other parish leadership, but has the unique purpose of building missionary disciples within the parish, not only for Synod implementation but also to fuel a vigorous proclamation of the Good News beyond the parish.
- The current term of service of all SETs established between September 2022 and June 2023 concludes on June 30, 2026.
- SETs have either functioned as envisioned, morphed into a different model (i.e. pastoral council, evangelization council, work supporting ECTs), or dissolved.
- Therefore, pastors should either renew or revise the “twelve
Remember: An effective SET member is someone who grasps how relational evangelization works and has a charism for walking with and pastoring people to Christ. This may be a staff member, but it may also well be a parishioner at large. It is up to the pastor to identify who these people might be
RENEW: Pastor should re-appoint and/or appoint new SET members for a three-year term. Considerations:
- The SETs are made up of a “figurative 12”; if you have a few more or a few less, that is good, provided you are keeping in mind the definition of an effective SET member (above).
- Unlike three years ago, there are no mandated ex officio members, nor is there a mandated formation course like in 2023, but we encourage discipleship formation for members at the pastor’s discretion.
- Some examples for the makeup of your SET:
- Clergy (priests and deacons) serving at the parish
- Parish/school staff who have anything to do with formation and evangelization
- A Pastoral Council member
- Executive Cell Team (ECT) member(s), Division Leader(s), small group leader(s)
- A parishioner with the charism for evangelization or pastoring
- It is up to the pastor and his SET whether or not to designate a point of contact for future synod implementation initiatives.
- Establish terms of service (i.e. 3 years); consider a staggered membership
- If at any time a member discerns to resign from the SET, the pastor should prayerfully replace them with another
REVISE: Pastor should ensure the purpose of the SET remains intact, even as he amends the use of his SET to best meet the needs of his particular parish. Examples:
- Pastoral Council and SET have merged, with a focus on evangelization
- A formalized Evangelization Council or Team that serves in a complementary role to the Pastoral Council
- SET as a subset of a Parish Leadership Team
