Surviving or Thriving FAQ

The parish leadership team helps the pastor align the parish to what’s most important for its mission. A parish leadership team exists to assist the pastor in leading the direction and priorities of parish and bringing the rest of the staff, volunteers, councils and parishioners on board. This involves creating clarity of the mission of the parish and aligning the entire parish, staff, and ministries to that mission, which includes everything from strategic decisions and inspiring people to operations and finances. The role of leadership team members is to look beyond their areas of expertise or responsibility in order to help the pastor protect the good of the entire parish. A pastor is a better leader when he surrounds himself with good leaders and opens himself to their input and influence.

It’s important to understand that the leadership team is NOT an advisory or oversight body, like the parish council or the finance council. The leadership team is an operating body, which means that each team member is actively involved in implementing the decisions of the team. In general, other councils at the parish meet monthly, but the parish leadership team meets weekly because it is intimately involved in the day-to-day happenings of the parish.

It’s crucial that the leadership team of a parish meets weekly to look at the overall health of the parish. While weekly meetings are the norm, this team may need to come together more often at times, even at a moment’s notice. For example, when there is a crisis at the parish or when an urgent matter arises, the parish leadership team is the group of people the pastor can rely on to help him address the issue. It’s also important for members of the leadership team to understand that being on the leadership team is NOT a reward or a privilege, but rather a serious responsibility. 

The leadership team should be small, between three and five people. Having too many members makes it very difficult to build strong trust and to engage in the difficult conversations that a team must have.

That will depend on the maturity level of the individuals under consideration and their roles and responsibilities. Because no two parishes are the same, there are no easy formulas for determining who should be on the leadership team. However, there are four qualities that are essential for each leadership team member to have, regardless of the size, location or demographic of the parish:

1. Committed Parishioner: Frequently present at the parish throughout the week and available for weekly meetings.
2. Missionary Heart: Striving to live a life of holiness and eager to serve and share God’s love with others.
3. Whole-parish oriented: Focused on collective results of the parish more than individual areas of responsibility or concern.
4. Team Player: Mature, trustworthy, vulnerable and able to engage in healthy and productive conflict

The pastor picks his team, and he is the leader of the team. As he considers people to invite to be on the team, a pastor should compare that individual against the four qualities of a parish leadership team member. (Committed Parishioner, Missionary Heart, Team Player, Whole-Parish Oriented). If just one of the qualities is missing, it’s important to address it or consider asking someone else who might be a better fit for the role.

In addition to sharing these free resources we have available, you could personally and charitably give him encouragement. If he is not receptive to that, don’t underestimate the power of prayer. Continue to pray intentionally for your pastor and your parish. We believe that a for a culture to change, it’s most effective for a pastor and a small team to lead this. Share our resources and have your pastor reach out to our team. 

A helpful resource is Pat’s POV: Only The Pastor Can Take The First Step. 

Don’t forget that each one of us has our own circle of influence and the principles of Amazing Parish are universal at the core. This means that you can begin implementing the principles in your own circle of influence.

You can check out our website for a variety of online resources, including articles, conference videos, and webinars. You can also attend an upcoming conference with your team to really engage and to get set up with our free and customized coaching.

The most effective way to affect change begins with the pastor first and his parish leadership team. Jesus is the model for this. Jesus was the leader, but even he had his select cohort of Peter, James and John. He started with these few and was able to foster new culture beginning with this first “circle of influence”. 

The pastor leads this change, beginning at the foundation of the parish leadership team. The best way to change the culture of your parish and community is by starting at the foundation. The parish leadership team will be the first to implement and grow in the Cultures of Prayer, Healthy Teamwork, and Active Discipleship. As these become the new “culture” of the team, it will continue to spread (naturally and intentionally) through the parish staff, parishioners, and your community, etc.

Begin by praying together regularly. Be intentional about how you pray. Don’t just pray out of habit. Invite the Lord into the team and into your prayer together. 

Continue to “meet” virtually to pray with one another and to share prayer intentions. This could be at the beginning or end of meetings, or you can designate a time to “meet” just for the purpose of prayer together.  Get creative! A helpful document can be found here.

If you have a parish leadership team, start by building a the cultures of prayer, teamwork and discipleship. If you don’t have a parish leadership team, encourage your pastor to consider building a leadership team. 

But, you always have the ability to start with yourself – inviting others into prayer, engaging charitably in a productive and healthy way in conflict when necessary, and reaching out to share the love of Christ with others.

If you can, DO keep meeting with your team.  Now is the time to really lean on your team more than ever. Continue to meet (at least) weekly on a video conference call if possible. You may have to adjust the time/day that you were meeting to accommodate many changes for your team. Get creative and stay connected.

First of all be human, be more present than ever, and be creative. It’s important that the leadership team puts an emphasis on these things and delves into the cultures of prayer, teamwork and discipleship. The pastor should be leading his team through this first by staying connected and focusing on the cultures. 

When you’ve re-stabilized as a team, you’ll be ready to start doing more tactical things in response to a crisis. There are a number of parishes getting creative and trying new things. Many are livestreaming masses and parish events, some are getting creative with confession, and some are even calling all of their parishioners to check in. Every parish is unique – meet with your parish leadership team and decide what will be best for your parish. You can find more ideas that we have linked on our website to support you in growing in prayer, teamwork, and discipleship: https://amazingparish.org/clarityincrisis/

Because every diocese has different regulations in regard to situations related to furlough, you’ll want to check with them first. 

In reaching out to your diocese, you will not only learn the HR expectations, but you can also gain insight into what other parishes might be doing to avoid furloughing. 

If you’re still looking for more ways to work through considering furloughing, you may find it helpful to read Pat’s POV: The War on Jobs. You’ll find that Pat’s podcast, ‘At the Table’, is also really informative. Lastly, check out our Clarity in Crisis and Surviving or Thriving pages for more resources! Don’t forget that the power of prayer is real. Ask the Lord to help you to get creative.

What the pastor does in the time will directly shape what the new normal looks like.  Our parishes and, in turn, the Church will come out of this time better or worse, not the same. 

If you haven’t already, we suggest forming a leadership team. If you have a leadership team, focus on growing in the three cultures of Prayer, Healthy Teamwork, and Active Discipleship.

Because you will be creating healthier culture on a foundational level, it’s something that will be sustainable in a crisis and when you find your “new normal”. 

Practically, you can also start looking at ways that you can do things that you haven’t before. Don’t be afraid to get creative in the ways that you reach out to your community and stay connected moving forward.