Leadership Summit Highlights – August 2025
On Saturday 23 August, ministry leaders, ministry members and volunteers from across our parish community came together for the second Leadership Summit of the year. It was a beautiful day of prayer, fellowship, and reflection, where we took time to step back and refocus on what it really means to live as missionary disciples in today’s world.
From Maintenance to Mission
We began the day with a time of prayer and reflection, followed by a reminder of the Five Systems of Missionary Renewal: Worship, Evangelisation, Fellowship, Discipleship, and Service.
The big idea of moving from maintenance to mission was a key theme throughout the summit. While it is important to look after the daily life of the parish, we were reminded that evangelisation, sharing the Good News, is at the very heart of the Church. If we only stay in maintenance mode, we risk losing the spark that keeps our community alive and open to new people.
The challenge put before us was simple but powerful: focus first on people, not just on tasks. True renewal happens when we build a loving, welcoming, Christ-centred community where others can encounter Jesus.
Evangelisation through the Kerygma
Our main focus of the day was evangelisation through the Kerygma, the simple and life-changing message of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and His call to repentance. We were reminded that Jesus began by proclaiming this Good News, and only later built the Church to help people grow in that faith. As He told His disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), calling us to reach out, invite others to encounter Him, and share the joy of the Gospel.
“God loves you and has an amazing plan for your life. Sin has gotten in the way of that plan, but Jesus Christ came, and He died for you to bring you back to God. He invites us all to respond by turning away from sin and following Him.”
It was noted that many Catholics know the sacraments and the teachings but have never truly encountered Jesus in a personal way. As leaders, we were encouraged to share our own stories of faith, how His love, mercy, and power have touched our lives, rather than just inviting people to activities.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Evangelisation is never about doing it all on our own. We are a team, and it is about letting the Spirit guide, move, and transform. Our role is simply to plant seeds and trust God to do the growing. Conversion looks different for everyone. It might be through family, retreats, missions, gradual growth, or even a sudden moment of grace.
We were very blessed to spend time together in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In that quiet and prayerful space, we felt deeply united in Christ’s presence and inspired to go out with new energy. We also reflected on the Catching Fish chapter from the book Thriving Faith, which reminded us that evangelisation is about reaching out and inviting others to encounter Jesus. We left with the conviction: It is time to go out, and we are ready.
We also took time in small groups to think about practical ways of building an evangelising culture in our parish and to share what we felt God was showing each one of us individually.
Practical Next Steps
Some of the key takeaways included praying more intentionally for courage and guidance, listening for the Lord’s voice and trusting His lead, sharing the book Thriving Faith and the impact of these summits within our ministries, inviting people to experiences like Alpha that help them encounter Jesus, and planting small seeds of faith in everyday conversations while trusting the Spirit to do the rest.
Looking Ahead
The summit ended with gratitude, and there was a strong sense of hope and readiness for what God is doing in our parish. We are excited to keep building on this momentum and look forward to what God has in store for our parish. Let us continue growing together as missionary disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
