Optional Educational Opportunities
Not everything that is useful in the ministry of parish development can be covered in any one program. Here are several resources you may want to make use of as you participate in the core offering of Shaping the Parish. Activities that are conducted by the sisters and brothers of the Order of the Ascension will be announced as they are available.
Parish Development Initiatives (Optional)
Any participant that has completed one cycle of STP is invited to engage in a Parish Development Initiative (PDI). This is an opportunity to complete a project in your parish and receive feedback on it. This is not a required part of the program but an additional learning opportunity.
1) Doing a PDI
2) Forms used in the PDI process
Development Initiative - Action Plan
Development Initiative - Evaluation
Evaluation: Sample, may be used in receiving feedback from participants
Learning to say the Daily Office on your own
Do Morning or Evening Prayer on Zoom for a few days. Commit yourself to an on-line Daily Office group in one of many parish’s across the nation. Or finding an in-person Daily Office near you and participating for a number of days. Articles that may be useful: Making the Daily Office part of your practice, The Daily Office, Daily office synergy
Workshops - Self-awareness, Group development theory and skills
There are several organizations not affiliated with OA or STP that offer 4-5 days in-person workshops. These have been powerful learning tools for many people. Here are a few such groups - NTL, the Leadership Institute of Seattle and Stanford Business School - Interpersonal dynamics All are fee based workshops.
Diocesan gatherings
A diocese with a number of partcipants in STP might consider having an in-person component to “pray, reflect, and support one another in the work.” If that happened during the two years that would have its own value and might build some glue in that diocese.
