WHAT IS PASTORAL PLANNING? As a parish, we have been called by Bishop Zubik to create a pastoral plan that will direct our work over the next three to five years. Pastoral planning is a prayerful and intentional practice by which the parish Envisioning Team will assist the pastor to establish spiritual goals through listening, discernment, and prioritization. A pastoral plan addresses the current parish community’s spiritual needs. Done well, a pastoral plan lays the path for how best the parish is going to achieve its mission and lead parishioners in furthering our call to Jesus and our ability to lead others to Jesus. The parish pastoral plan sets the optimal scenario for the Holy Spirit to act among us. It creates the most appropriate local background for the Sacred Purpose of our parish to be animated.