Although Canon Law dictates that each parish is placed under the leadership of a pastor, appointed and installed by the bishop, there are dozens of different types of church leadership structures. There are pastors who are “one man shows” and hold the reigns tight when it comes to decision making. There are “absentee landlords” who […]
Category: Leadership
When our parish was founded 50 years ago, there was an established way in which a parish was a parish. Just follow the playbook and all will be well. Looking back, it was probably that very year of 1968 that served as a threshold to cataclysmic cultural and social changes that have changed everything, including […]
Let us go out to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose I have come. Mark 1:38 A really pivotal scene unfolds at the end of the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel. After an intense day of preaching and teaching the crowds and healing the sick, Jesus goes off by […]
I am a big believer in New Year Resolutions. Even the ones I don’t end up keeping are good for at least a few weeks. And the more people I tell the higher the accountability, so once again this year I am blogging my resolutions. Feel free to hold me to them. Read the Bible […]
Great leaders, and those of us aspiring to be, all do certain things that are worth reflecting on when it comes to leading a parish. Here are 5, in no particular order. They Simplify the Complex Great leaders stick with a problem or idea long enough, and engage it deeply enough, to clear away the […]
A healthy work environment should be a high priority for parish pastors and leaders. As a leader, you want to ensure you’re creating the best possible space for your team to work well and effectively, and sometimes it’s hard to know why that isn’t happening. Here are 5 things you can do to help ensure […]
As a Pastor or staff leader, one of the biggest challenges you’ll face is managing and mentoring your staff. You’ll often be involved in things that will take you out of your comfort zone – handling gossip will be one of those things. Unfortunately, your church will never be a healthy growing church if gossip […]
Healthy growing churches are great and that’s what everyone wants for their church. But don’t be fooled: growing churches don’t mean churches without problems. They have challenges just like any kind of church…just different ones. Here are 5: 1. The Pastor Is Less Available When I first came to Nativity I stood by the front […]
I confess that I take some time every week to look at other church web sites. Nothing wrong with that, you can learn a lot from others and using your neighbor’s good ideas is an entrenched part of the culture of churchworld. But, if I were entirely honest I would have to admit that there […]
For the vast majority of Catholics in the world, the faith is lived and learned and experienced in the local parish. The parish is the heart of the Church. But our hearts aren’t always that healthy. It’s an encouraging sign that there are a growing number of parishes and organizations who are making good progress […]
