Mission
The Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of Atlanta holds the definition of family as "an intimate community of persons bound together by blood, marriage, or adoption for the whole of life" (Familiaris Consortio, 70). The mission of this Office is to empower families to undertake four specific tasks for the good of the Church and Society:
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The family is to form an intimate community of persons.
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The family is to serve life in its transmission, both physically by bringing children into the world, and spiritually by handing on values and traditions as well as developing the potential of each member to serve life at every age.
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The Family is to participate in the development of society by becoming a community of social training and hospitality, as well as a community of political involvement and activity.
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The family is to share in the life and mission of the Church by becoming a believing and evangelizing community, a community in dialogue with God, and a community at the service of humanity.
(Family Perspective in Church and Society, pages 8, 9)
The mission of the Family Life Office is to focus on the prevention of problems in families by offering psycho-educational workshops and seminars in the areas of marriage preparation, marriage enrichment, stepfamily living, natural family planning, and the training and continuing education of clergy and lay volunteers. The orientation of each program incorporates the teachings of the Catholic Church and the belief that the family is a vibrant, living organism whose members are interconnected.