Persevering in Mission Building the Body of Christ

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Persevering in Mission Building the Body of
Christ

• Emerging Models Where Have We Been and Where Are
  We Going?

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The Story is Changing

• 64 million Catholics
• 18,634 parishes
• 30,500 lay ecclesial ministers
• 15,863 permanent deacons
• 19,000 active diocesan pastors (app.)

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New Paradigms Emerging

• The sky is the limit. The old paradigms are
  going away, so we must look for new ways. I
  think and pray often about the Acts of the
  Apostles. We are building a new church. The old
  way is passing away. There is a new church
  coming. (Pastor/Northeast)

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Paradigm shift
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Parish of the future

• Top findings of the regional leadership symposia
• Vibrant and welcoming with small faith-based
  communities
• Increased lay leadership
• Mission-focused, justice-oriented
• Inclusive of diverse peoples and forms of
  leadership

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Emerging models

• We are redefining ourselves. (Pastor/
  Midwest)

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Redefining ourselves

• An operative theology of parish
• Parishes as systems which areco-responsible for
  the mission
• Regional parish structures

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• Operative Theology of Parish

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Emerging as an operative theology of parish

• Vatican II theology
• Communio discipleship and evangelization
• Inclusive, justice-oriented theology
• Integration of all diversity
• Eucharistic theology
• Eucharistic-centered

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Communion and Mission

• The parish will be a community of communities
  which gather together on Sunday mornings to
  celebrate Eucharist and go forth from the tables
  to build the reign of Gods justice and peace in
  the larger community of the city, state, country,
  and the world. The parish will understand that
  it does not exist for itself, but for the
  mission. Parish communion and mission.
• (Parish life coordinator / Northeast)

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• Parish as systems of leadership

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Co-responsibility of parish

• I believe that this is one of the important
  and positive results of the Council
• the co-responsibility of the entire parish, for
  the parish priest is no longer the only one to
  animate everything.
• Benedict XVI, Meeting With Clergy, Origins 37,
  2007

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Leadership as a system of relationships

• Pastoral leaders see the parish as a whole, with
  all the baptized assuming responsibility for the
  community of disciples, caring for one another
  and carrying the mission of Jesus into the world.

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Redefining ourselves

• Leadership Roles
• Parishioners as disciples, caring for one
  another, often in small communities, and
  carrying the missioninto the world.
• Parish staff providing for the day-to-day,
  hands-on care for the parish
• Pastor as facilitator, overseeing or presiding
  over the life of the community/ies

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Emerging leadership models

• Collaborative
• Focused on engaging parishioners in the life of
  the community, calling forth their gifts, using
  councils, committees, commissions, visioning,
  etc.
• Core Team of Pastor and Staff
• Focused on working together as a team to
  provide for the sacramental and pastoral life of
  the parish, assisted by parishioners
• Centered in the Pastor
• Centered in pastors sense of being responsible
  for the life of the parish, sometimes with
  part-time staff, addressed through meetings and
  tasks

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• Regional Parish Communities

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Emerging parish structures

• A preferred ecclesiology or diocesan planning
  efforts did not appear as a significant factor in
  determining how parish structures or leadership
  are evolving among symposia cohorts.
• Pastors and staff are creating models that
  work for their community.

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Redefining ourselves

• Regional communities of communities
• Grounded in a local faith community and
  discernment of local needs
• Faith-based networks which are cross-parochial
  and transcend local parish structures
• Mega-churches
• Intentional small faith-based communities as a
  building block for the future
• Represent an evolving process of emerging
  redefinitions with numerous challenges and
  opportunities

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Where do we go from here?
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EMP Critical issues surfaced by the Emerging
Models Project

• Need for research in the areas of
• Multiple parish ministry
• Development of leadership in and for a
  multicultural church
• Engagement of the next generation of pastoral
  leaders
• Parish staffing and compensation models
• The role of finance councils and business
  managers
• The impact of parish life coordinators on the
  life of the parish

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EMP Phase II (2009 2012)

• Research questions generated by collaborating
  national organizations
• Nation-wide research conducted on questions
• Learning consortium of national organizations and
  researchers gathered bi-annually to discuss
  contemporary issues

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Organizational Contribution

• Contribute expertise, time, and resources
• Determine the specific agenda and research
  questions for these initiatives

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Formal Research

• CARA will conduct parish research in these
  identified areas through a three-tiered parish
  inventory of pastors, staff, and parishioners.

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Learning Consortium

• Members of the collaborating organizations,
  researchers, and invited guests will meet twice a
  year to share and dialogue about these
  initiatives.

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• See, I am doing something new!
• Now it springs forth.
• Do you not perceive it?
• Is 4319

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For More Information

• Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project
• Marti R. Jewell
• mjewell_at_nalm.org
• www.emergingmodels.org