Opening Hearts, Opening Doors
BMCC Strategic Plan 2025–2029
At the beginning of 2025, the BMCC Evangelisation Council began the important work of discerning a renewed strategic direction for the Brunswick Moreland Catholic Community. This work, now presented in the document Opening Hearts, Opening Doors: Strategic Plan 2025–2029, reflects broad consultation, prayer, and a deep desire to be a Christ‑centred community that responds faithfully to the call of the Gospel.
The plan draws from several significant sources:
the Final Report of the Synod on Synodality,
the Australian Plenary Council,
demographic research across the suburbs that make up BMCC,
and the lived experience and wisdom of parishioners across our communities.
The result is a strategic plan that is both visionary and practical—one that sets a clear direction for our shared mission in the years ahead.
Our Vision and Mission
The plan articulates a simple but profound vision:
“That God’s love and justice is present in our communities of faith.”
And our mission is equally clear:
“To bear witness to God’s love and justice.”
Everything in the strategic plan flows from this mission.
Five Missionary Areas
The heart of Opening Hearts, Opening Doors is built around five missionary activities that shape parish life:
Worship
Welcome and Hospitality
Education in Faith
Outreach
Stewardship
These five areas guide every initiative and goal within the plan, helping us open our doors more widely and our hearts more generously.
Below is a summary of each area as presented in the strategic plan.
1. Worship – Deepening and Enriching Our Liturgical Life
The plan calls for liturgy that is meaningful, participatory, and reflective of our diverse community.
Key goals include:
Establishing a BMCC Liturgy Committee to coordinate worship across all churches.
Fostering full, active participation of parishioners in liturgical ministries.
Celebrating significant moments in people’s lives—baptisms, anniversaries, milestones.
Resourcing liturgical music and maintaining our sacred spaces with care.
This focus ensures our worship remains the heart of who we are.
2. Welcome and Hospitality – Building a Culture of Belonging
Recognising that many people seek a spiritual home, BMCC commits to being a place of warmth and welcome.
Key elements include:
Creating a Welcome and Hospitality Committee.
Developing structured ways to greet, register, and connect with new parishioners.
Encouraging inclusive and accessible liturgies.
Cultivating community through social gatherings and hospitality.
This ensures that “opening doors” is not just a metaphor but a lived reality.
3. Education in Faith – Forming Disciples Across All Ages
The plan emphasises lifelong formation and spiritual growth.
Its goals include:
Establishing a BMCC Education in Faith Committee.
Providing opportunities for learning about scripture, sacraments, and Catholic tradition.
Strengthening catechetics, RCIA, baptism preparation, and sacramental programs.
Supporting retreats, reflection days, and leadership development.
This area recognises that faith is something we grow into throughout life.
4. Outreach – Walking With Those in Need
Inspired by Catholic social teaching, BMCC aims to be a community that stands with the poor, the marginalised, and those who struggle.
Central commitments include:
Establishing a BMCC Outreach Committee to coordinate social justice initiatives.
Prioritising care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, refugees, young people in crisis, and environmental stewardship aligned with Laudato Si’.
Strengthening partnerships with organisations such as St Vincent de Paul, CatholicCare, Jesuit Social Services, and local schools.
Developing pastoral care ministries for the sick, housebound, and vulnerable.
This expresses the “opening hearts” dimension of our mission.
5. Stewardship – Caring for Our People, Resources, and Mission
Good stewardship ensures that BMCC remains strong, transparent, and sustainable.
The plan outlines:
Strengthening the Evangelisation Council and Stewardship Council.
Building a synodal, listening culture across the community.
Improving communication through parish bulletins, online platforms, and annual reports.
Managing parish assets responsibly to support mission and future growth.
Prioritising safeguarding to ensure that all are safe and protected.
Stewardship ensures that what we have is directed toward what truly matters.
Already Putting the Plan Into Action
Although the strategic plan spans five years, implementation has already begun. BMCC has now established four of the key committees envisioned in the plan:
Worship Committee
Welcome and Hospitality Committee
Education in Faith Committee
Outreach Committee
These committees are vital signs that Opening Hearts, Opening Doors is not simply a document—it is a living vision already shaping the life of our parishes.
The first meeting of the BMCC Welcome and Hospitality and Outreach Committees
A Community Moving Forward Together
Opening Hearts, Opening Doors is more than a strategic plan. It is a call—a call to renewal, to deeper faith, and to wider engagement with one another and with the world around us.
As we journey through these coming years, may this plan help us grow as a community that opens its doors generously and opens its hearts compassionately, witnessing to God’s love and justice in all we do.
If you wish to get involved in any of the committees, please speak with a member of the Evangelisation Council or visit our parish office.
A copy of the full strategy plan is found below.