Nearly 800 volunteers from across the Archdiocese are engaged in the second phase of the Synod: the Focus Teams.
There are eighteen Focus Areas, which are particular areas of ministry which fall within the five "foundational ministries" of the Archdiocese:
Communion – Sacraments and Worship
- Liturgy and Sacramental Life
Conversion – Education and Formation
- Forming the Faith of our Youth and Young Adults
- Forming the Faith of our Adults
- Catholic Education
Stewardship – Governance and Finance
- Parish Life and Stewardship
- Task Force: Archdiocesan Pastoral Council
- Task Force: Archdiocesan School Board
- Task Force: Archdiocesan Finance Council
- Task Force: Archbishop's Development Cabinet
- Collaboration in the Keys
Solidarity – Social Services and Outreach
- The Social Mission of the Church
Discipleship – Vocations and Evangelization
- Lay Ministry
- Marriage and Family Life
- Youth Ministry
- Campus Ministry
- Young Adult Ministry
- The Permanent Deaconate
- The Priesthood and Vocations
The Focus Teams began meeting in September, at locations throughout the Archdiocese, including the Pastoral Center in Miami Shores, the parishes of St. Rose of Lima, Our Lady of the Lakes, St. Augustine and St. Thomas the Apostle, as well as Barry University and St. Thomas University. Each Focus Team meets three times, and is charged with providing recommendation of priorities, goals and initiatives for the Archbishop to consider for the next three years.
As part of their work, the Focus Team members perform the following tasks:
- Analyzing and gathering data
- Identifying challenges and opportunities
- Discerning goals
- Developing approaches and requirements
- Recommending and supporting the fruit of the Synod
The final work product of each Focus Team is a set of Goal Statements, which are the actions the Focus Team feels are most important to be taken in their particular area for the next three years. At the conclusion of the three Focus Team meetings, a small group of team members will work for two more months as a SMART Goal Drafting Team, converting the Goal Statements from the larger team into specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and trackable goals.
