Partnership Ideas

Your parish has established a new partnership with a mission parish. Now what? Here are a couple of tips to get parishioners involved and make your partnership a rewarding experience for both parishes.

Communication

• Establish contact with your new Parish Partner
• Ask questions and learn more about the parish: their needs, challenges they face and what parish life is like. 
• Share information about your parish and express how you wish to help.
• Appoint a main contact person for both parishes. Someone that the parishes can rely on to get updated information and follow-up on certain projects and requests.
  
• Share photographs and stories with the Parish Partnership website. Parishioners can feel more connected with their Parish Partner by visiting this site when it is most convenient for them. Their involvement in the program is part of a nation-wide program that benefits thousands of people. Include a link to this site on your parish's website.
• Sign up for free bulk copies of EXTENSION Magazine or Nuestra Familia Católica for distribution in the parish so people can read about the challenges mission parishes face in the United States.
• Remember your Parish Partner in homilies and Mass intentions each week.
• Get your religious education program involved in writing letters to the children of the mission parish.
  
  

Donations

• Past donor parishes have found it helpful to print envelopes specifically for their Parish Partner. This makes donations for your Parish Partner easier to collect

• Is your religious education program getting new materials? Perhaps your previous books could be used by your Parish Partner. Many mission parishes have outdated material and not enough supplies for all students.

• Create a giving tree during Christmas. Parishioners can chose a tag with a name of a family from your Parish Partner that could use extra help during the holiday season.

• Gift cards to large national stores are a helpful way to provide direct support to parishioners.

• Religious education classes and youth groups can get involved as well. Be creative. To help raise money, organize a bake sale, car wash or activity night, such as bowling, to get the youth of the parish involved.