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Justice In The Church

Synod Continental Discernment Session

Participants came together in prayer, to listen, dialogue, and discern if the Continental Phase Document authentically reflects our concerns, hopes, and priorities for the future of the Church.

Read the letter we submitted to the North American Synthesis Writing team based on your input.

Session One: Toward a Missionary Synodal Church

FutureChurch hosts the first of two sessions dedicated to discerning the contents of the Synod Continental Phase Document, Enlarge the Space of your Tent. After song, scripture, and prayer, FutureChurch co-director, Deborah Rose offers a summary of the context of the document and the contents of section three, “Towards a missionary synodal church.”

“All Are Welcome” by Marty Haugen. Copyright 1994 by GIA Publications Inc. Music displayed and streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-737115.

Additional Resources:

  • Continental Phase Document Read More. (It would be very helpful to read Section III as completely as possible)
  • Highlights and notes from Section I, II, and III of the Continental Phase Document (Deb Rose’s slides) Read more
  • Summary of FutureChurch Synods Sessions – What Our Participants Said. Read more
  • In Our Own Words Full Synod Report Read more
  • Prayers used for this session Read more
  • FutureChurch Questionnaire (now closed)

Session Two:

FutureChurch hosts the second of two sessions dedicated to discerning the contents of the Synod Continental Phase Document, Enlarge the Space of your Tent. After song, scripture, and prayer, FutureChurch co-director, Deborah Rose offers a summary of the responses provided last week’s participants and invites participants to discern the three questions asked of the Synthesis drafting team:

  • Which intuitions resonate most strongly with the lived experiences and realities of the Church in your continent?  Which experiences are new or illuminating to you?
  • What substantial tensions or divergences emerge as particularly important in your continent’s perspective?  Consequently, what are the questions or issues that should be addressed and considered in the net steps of the process? 
  • Looking at what emerges from the previous two questions, what are the priorities, recurring themes and calls to action that can be shared with other local Churches around the world and discussed during the First Session of the Synodal Assembly in October 2023?

“Sing a New Church” by Delores Dufner, OSB, © 1991, The Sisters of St. Benedict. Published by OCP. All rights reserved. Music: J. Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, Part II, 1813. Music displayed and streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-737115.

Additional Resources:

  • Continental Phase Document Read More.
  • Overview of participant responses to week one (Deb’s slides) Read more
  • FutureChurch Questionnaire (Now Closed)
  • Opening Scripture and Prayer Read More.