Encountering God
Parishioners self-reported an average frequency of Often (68%) in this area of discipleship behavior. According to their responses, they most often express their discipleship through Encountering God in the following ways: trusting in God's forgiveness for your sins and failings, giving thanks to God when you receive blessings, and praying daily. These are just a few of the ways in which parishioners personally encounter God as disciples.
Behavioral Statements on Encountering God
Below is a summary of parishioner responses ranked from the highest average frequency to the lowest.
| Statements Ranked According to Avg Frequency (0-100% Scale) | Avg Frequency (%) |
Almost Always/Always |
|
| I trust in God's forgiveness for my sins and failings. | 86% |
| I give thanks to God when I receive blessings in my life. | 83% |
| I pray daily. | 82% |
| I rely on my faith for guidance in my life. | 79% |
| Attending Mass strengthens my commitment to follow Jesus. | 78% |
| I have a strong sense that God loves me unconditionally. | 78% |
| The life and teachings of Jesus influence my important decisions. | 76% |
| When making important decisions, I turn to God in prayer. | 76% |
Often |
|
| I trust in the Holy Spirit's presence and power to guide my life. | 74% |
| I pray for those in need in my local community and around the world. | 71% |
| My faith influences how I carry out my work responsibilities. | 70% |
| I recognize God's presence or blessings when I experience moments of struggle and loss. | 69% |
| I pray spontaneously and conversationally with God. | 68% |
| Receiving Holy Communion strengthens my sense of mission to bring Jesus' love to the world. | 65% |
| When I go to Mass, I feel Jesus' presence. | 65% |
| I am aware of God's presence with me throughout the day. | 64% |
| I sense God's presence in my family or friends. | 64% |
| My relationship with Jesus helps me deal with the imperfections and scandals in the Catholic Church. | 64% |
| I sense God's presence when I read or hear Scripture. | 56% |
| I sense Jesus' presence when I am serving others. | 56% |
| When someone shares about a hardship or struggle, I offer to pray with or for them. | 50% |
| I seek and pray for Christian unity and understanding among all faiths. | 50% |
Sometimes |
|
| I pray with members of my family. | 31% |
What does the expression of Encountering God include?
Our relationship with God lies at the core of the life of discipleship. Disciples' lives are infused with an awareness of God's presence, and we recognize these moments as encounters with God. As disciples, we trust God, even in times of suffering or struggle. We have the confidence and commitment to engage with God personally in prayer, to pray with or for others, and to be strengthened for mission by our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and in our faith community at Mass. Disciples are mindful of how God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are active in our lives, guiding us toward discernment and ongoing conversion.
Reflection
Note: If you prefer to type in your responses, download the PDF version of your profile report where you will find a space under each question to type in your answers.
As you look at this area of Encountering God, invite parish leaders to discuss:
What in these results affirms our parish's experience of discipleship? What surprises us?
What conclusions can we draw about our parish's general practice of discipleship in this area?
When we look at the highest and lowest ranked statements in this area, what does this say to us as a parish?
What are some aspects of "Encountering God" that our parish would like to grow in the next year?
