- Call on a friend or another member of your group, have coffee, and get him or her on board to help you organize.
- Discuss how you envision the Need, the Vision, and the Goals within your local community.
- Determine the model of gathering that best suits your local community.
- Start talking to others to build support
- Existing groups that might welcome some great discussions or perhaps another local reform organization.
- Call or email members of your parish or an organization of which you are a part and share your plan with them. Ask them if they would support such a gathering.
- Call or email friends whom you sense have been affected by church teachings in the past and ask if they would be interested in coming to a gathering to share their experiences.
- Schedule the Gathering and secure a suitable venue. Share this information with CCRI:
- Get the word out!
- Click <here> for a sample invitation to the people to attend your meeting.
- Click <here> for a sample letter inviting your Pastor, local clergy, or Bishop.
- Remember to reach out to former Catholics and those on the periphery of the Church as well.
- Be sure to publicize your event widely. See if it can be announced in your parish bulletin or, if you’re very lucky, in the diocesan newsletter.
- Email CCRI the details of your Gathering so we can add it to the calendar: date(s), time, physical location, city and country, and contact info.
- Click <here> for sample Templates for facilitating the Gathering
- After your gathering(s), the final step will be to complete the Report so that CCRI can collate the data you collect and add it to the information from gatherings all around the world. This information will be shared with Pope Francis, bishops around the world, and lay Catholics everywhere.