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"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." Acts 2:46
God is calling you to be a witness for Jesus Christ!
Yes, YOU!
Have you ever considered being in a small group of like-minded faith-filled friends who want to share the good news? Have you ever heard God asking you to share the Good News with others and wanted to know how you could do it more effectively?
To respond to Archbishop Hebda's request in his Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis SYNOD Pastoral Letter:You Will Be My Witnesses, we are building small groups in our parish. The Archdiocese has chosen the Parish Evangelization Cells System (PECS) to guide parishes as they build small groups. They have developed a 7-week leadership video formation series to watch, as we discern how each of us may be a part of a small group.
Archbishop Hebda has a dream for every parish in the Archdiocese; for all Catholics to come alive in their faith and grow in the community by participating in small groups. This is a return to the disciple's same mission from the earliest days of the Church to spread the Good News of Jesus through small groups meeting in homes. Archbishop Hebda asks us to imagine the impact of 186 parishes across the Archdiocese journeying together to build relationships, enliven our faith, and draw us closer to Jesus, all within small groups of friends.
Did you know? Father Becker appointed SJA parishioners to be a part of the SYNOD Evangelization Team (SET) to make the Archbishop’s dream become a reality by creating a small group ministry right here at Saints Joachim & Anne. The initial group of 12 attended the Catechetical Institute’s School of Discipleship 7-week series at Our Lady of Grace, the Activated Discipleship Seminar held at Williams Arena, participated in a Small Group Visioning Day, and then were commissioned at an SJA Mass.
That group of 12 then invited more parishioners to attend further formation at an Archdiocesan-led 7-week training, followed by an additional 4 weeks of small group practicum. It was a time to hear the Lord’s voice in their heart. They discerned whether to lead a small group, assist someone else with a group, or maybe the Lord led them to another role.
Do you need some more inspiration? Read the Archbishop’s Pastoral Letter, “You Will Be My Witnesses” to learn more about his vision and hope for our Archdiocese and each of the parishes within. His incredible letter can be found on our website at SSJACS.org/archdiocesan-synod.
We look forward to casting our nets far and wide!
Please pray for all of us to enter the “UPPER ROOM” and be a witness for Jesus Christ and answer God's call wherever it leads us!
If you would like more information to participate in a future 7-week Parish Evangelization Cells System training, please contact one of our SET members or the parish office at 952-445-1319.
In January 2023, Fr. Michael Becker appointed 12 members of our parish to be part of the SYNOD Evangelization Team (SET) for the Parish of Saints Joachim & Anne of Shakopee. Please see a list of our team members below. Feel free to talk to them about their experiences and thank them for their service to our parish's mission of making disciples of Christ.
SJA's inaugural SET team has attended:
2024Catechetical Institute's School of Discipleship: Activated Discipleship Seminar
On May 20, 2023, more than 1,700 faithful gathered at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota to be sent out as disciples of Jesus Christ across the Twin Cities. The event was a key kickoff moment to launch the priorities of the Synod of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The day included talks from Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Bishop Joseph Williams, Jeff Cavins, & Mary Healy, as well as Holy Mass and one-on-one time with prayer teams. Adoration was led by our very own pastor, Father Michael Becker, who has been appointed by Archbishop Hebda to be the SYNOD Vicar of Charisms for the archdiocese. We had many parishioners, including our SJA SET team attend this event.
Watch this inspiring video on YouTube
for a glimpse of the Activated Discipleship Seminar and
see why our SJA SET team was inspired and motivated
to fish for our next "72". Be sure to watch for Father Becker!
* SJA Executive Cell Team (ECT)
ECT information: ArchSPM.org/ECT
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20