2017 USCCB Convocation Participants Guidebook and Journal | Page 18

Who’s Who
what they have contributed, received, and learned. Ultimately, the
Convocation is about forming missionary disciples, a reality to
which all the baptized are called.
A Team Approach
As our Holy Father has noted, “Our challenge today is . . . to fos-
ter a sense of collaboration and shared responsibility in planning
for the future of our parishes and institutions. This does not mean
relinquishing the spiritual authority with which we have been
entrusted; rather, it means discerning and employing wisely the
manifold gifts which the Spirit pours out upon the Church.” 20
In the United States, an opportunity for discernment is being
offered through the Convocation and through the various initia-
tives already underway in response to the leadership of our Holy
Father and his predecessors. We do not evangelize alone or in a
vacuum; we need each other. All the baptized have a role to play.
We are united as one Body of Christ, the Church, while recogniz-
ing the different roles and responsibilities that various members
have. Church leaders have a special responsibility for “discerning
and employing wisely the manifold gifts” of the Spirit. 21 This is
accomplished through collaboration, listening, and prayer. If we
become more attentive to the gifts the Holy Spirit has given to
others, we can work together better for the Kingdom of God.
The Convocation therefore is not a gathering of individual people
but rather a gathering of teams from dioceses, organizations, and
other communities and groups. The cooperation, partnership,
preparation, and formation for each team (delegation) is import-
ant for the success of the event.
Being a member of a delegation means working to secure cooper-
ation, promoting teamwork, and resolving conflicts; recognizing
the potential value of differing ideas, opinions, and competing
needs; and affirming and accepting challenging situations as
opportunities to make effective changes to fulfill the mission of
13