Pastoral Letter: Go Forth! I am with You Always

Course Summary

The seminar takes a deeper look at the Pastoral Letter issued by Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, titled: “Go forth! I am with you always” (Matthew 28:19-20). Reflecting on the Great Commission, Bishop Paul sees in Jesus’ command a challenge thrown to the ‘migrant’ Christian community in the Middle East, and invites them to look at ‘Some aspects of our life as a Church of migrants.’ He recounts salvation history, and using examples of the patriarchs and the life of Jesus, points out the joys and sufferings of being a migrant.

Bishop Paul Hinder is the Vicar Apostolic of Souther Arabia (comprising parishes in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen), a vast vicariate that is home to vibrant parishes made up of ‘migrant’ faithful from all parts of the world. His pastoral letters, while focusing of teachings of the Church, serve to guide a migrant faith community, many of whom are away from their families for long periods of time.

Successful completion of this course earns 1.5 CEU's.

General Course Objectives

• Have an understanding of the term 'migrant' in the Christian context
• Understand the role of inculturation in the context of a multi-cutural faith community
• Understand how to build unity in a multi-cultural church
• Develop an awareness of how families cope in migrant situations.

Course Materials

• No books required. All readings are online.

Course Structure and Highlights

• Week 1: A Pilgrim People
  • Understand the meaning of 'migrant' from a Biblical perspective
  • Understand the influence of inculturation
  • Look at the challenges and trials of a migrant life
• Week 2: The Community
  • Understand how to cope with diversity in the parish community
  • Building unity in diversity
  • Prioritising your time (faith and family)
• Week 3: The Family
  • To understand the challenges of family life in a migrant setting
  • Building the bond of marriage despite the separation of spouses and families
  • Looking at the challenges to fidelity in relationships
  • Building relationships within the Christian community, and with people from other faiths.

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