Last week, I attended the National Diocesan Directors’ Institute in Washington, D.C. It was my first time there, and it was great to see the national monuments standing as reminders of why and what we stand for.
I came to realize that in the same way these monuments are statements of our national history, mission and identity, we have “monuments” that do the same for the Catholic Church! The most known Catholic “monument” would be the crucifix — a reminder of the mystery and promise of our faith.
In D.C., we were fortunate to attend a session by Doug Tooke on direct services (events). One point he drove into us was that every event should be critiqued with these questions: Why are we putting it on? What are we trying to fulfill? And how does it fit into our ministry’s mission?
He recommended these follow-ups: When do you know what you are doing is successful? And what would you like to do in the future?
When you take a critical look at your events, you should find yourself inline with the goal of all ministries — to bring people closer to Christ.
Makana Aiona is the diocesan coordinator for Young Adult Ministry.
