The Church will have to initiate everyone into this art of accompaniment which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other
Supporting the Pastoral Accompaniment of Families
Most of the time, quite unconsciously, families are engaged in a common project of growing in the joy of mutual love. This is their vocation and mission, their path to holiness: The Gospel of the Family. Inspired by Pope Francis' Amoris Laetitia, The Seeking God Together Companion offers support to those already engaged in accompaniment of families, and encourages confidence in others to get started, keeping close to Christ, building on hope, and looking out for small ‘take-off’ or ‘landing’ points when family life intersects with the Church. Buy Seeking God Together from Amazon.co.ukScroll down this page for resources to support the introduction and use of the Seeking God Together Companion
Order a Copy of Seeking God Together
Order HereSeeking God Together is a practical Companion to support parish pastoral ministry with families within the home-school-parish partnership. It encourages a Christ-like walking together with families on a journey in faith, recognising that families and family life are of vital significance to all the people of God: single, married, lay and ordained.
Seeking God Together offers a snapshot: ‘What’s Life Like?’ across the broad stages of contemporary family life from cradle to grave, with all its rhythms and messy complexity. It encourages conversations in ordinary every-day language, whenever families approach the Church, or the Church reaches out to them, aiming to build confidence and hope as we seek God together.
- A practical Companion for the pastoral accompaniment of families
- Inspired by Pope Francis’s Amoris Laetitia on Love in the Family
- Starts from a family perspective and meets families where they are
- Offers a reference guide to the 9 seasons of family life
- Encourages a shared journey with families and seeking God together
- Identifies 'take-off' and 'landing points' for ministry where family life intersects with the Church
Who is Seeking God Together for?
Seeking God Together is for Parish Communities
The Companion seeks to encourage parish communities in their responsibility for accompanying families in faith, and in building and sustaining strong family ministry. In seeking God together with all families, the communities hope to affirm them in the sacramental significance of family life and relationships at home, as ‘domestic church
Seeking God Together is for the Bishop and Diocesan Departments
The Companion seeks to support the Bishop and his Diocesan teams in providing for the pastoral care and nurture of families in the gradual and many-sided process of growing in faith
Seeking God Together is for Schools and Chaplaincies
The Companion is for Catholic schools, including the essential work of their pastoral staff, family workers and chaplaincy teams, in developing, renewing and sustaining strong, supportive and encouraging partnerships with families in the nurturing of children and students, and their education and formation for Christian living
Seeking God Together is for Families at Home
The Companion is for all families, at all stages on their journey, seeking to know more about their Christian faith, and to begin afresh or deepen their relationship with God. Rooted and nurtured in the life and mission of the parish faith community, the Companion seeks to affirm and encourage families that God is with them, in every circumstance, as he promises.
The Nine Seasons
- Families expecting a baby: Conception to Birth
- Families with infants: Birth to Starting School
- Families with growing children: Childhood Years
- Families with adolescents: Adolescent Years
- Families with Young Adults and Single Members of any Age
- Families with engaged couples: Preparing for Marriage
- Families in the seasons of married and family life: Married & Family Life
- Families with ‘Empty Nesters’ through to Retirement years
- Families with older members: The Later Years
Dancing towards the future with immense hope...the leaven that makes it possible to look beyond arguments, conflicts and problems and to see things in a broader perspective. It harnesses our uncertainties and concerns, so that growth can take place
About the Resources on this Page
On this page you will find companion resources for each Season of Seeking God Together. These resources are recommended by parishes and schools, and local and national advisers working in family ministry and adult formation. To keep them as relevant as possible they have not been included in the printed version of the book, but are available here as free downloads, and updated annually. If you would like to recommend any resources that you have found to be particularly valuable yourself, please click on the suggestion box below:Do You Have Any Resources You Wish to Recommend?
Suggest Resources Size: 556 KB Seeking God Together Resources Season 1
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Introducing Seeking God Together
The following free downloadable resources have been produced to support dioceses introducing Seeking God Together to local leadership teams. These resources comprise:- Introducing Seeking God Together PowerPoint Presentation and Presenter's Notes (including background on the resource's development, ethos and aims, as well as its structure, methodology and some opportunities for use)
- Seeking God Together Formation Process PowerPoint Presentation and Presenter's Notes (including step-by-step guide to hosting a local planning session to start or enrich the community's pastoral accompaniment of families and additional material for exploring accompaniment through the lens of one of the 9 Seasons)
Free Resources for Introducing Seeking God Together
Download Introducing Seeking God Together PowerPoint PresentationDownload Seeking God Together Formation Process PowerPoint Presentation