Leadership for Mission

"Leadership springs from within.
It's as much about who I am as what I do."

This insight from author and leadership coach Chris Lowney points to the important relationship between our interior disposition and the need to build skill as leaders. While true in all leadership endeavors, it is certainly the case in pastoral leadership. We must be attentive to the needs of people - parishioners and those who are in need of pastoral care - while leading our parish to more fully live Christ's mission and draw people more fully to Christ. It is good for us to consider this deeply as we move through the final weeks of Phase 0 and toward the implementation of our Families of Parishes.

We have principles, parameters, and vision points, but what precisely are we going to do in each phase of Beacons of Light? The Milestones chart captures the focus for each phase in each principle. It offers a quick glimpse at what Families of Parishes will do and how you will know when you're ready to proceed to the next phase of the process. These benchmarks will be addressed in the annual plan Families will create - what have you done and what you are planning to do in the coming year.

Download the Milestones poster below. Display it in your offices and meeting rooms as a quick reference on the Pathway.

Not everyone can be THE boss. A company has only one CEO. A parish staff has only one pastor. However, organizations have many layers of leadership, and leaders can influence the organization from the bottom up and the middle out, not just top down. One of the most important things leaders do is shape culture.

Organizational culture is the collection of values, expectations, and practices that guide and inform the actions of all team members.

Think of it as the collection of traits that make your organization what it is. Leaders must constantly shape the culture of their organization. What is one simple thing you can do to change the culture of your parish? How can you make you enhance the values and practices of your parish staff, even if you’re not THE boss?

While the focus of Phase 3 of the Pastoral Planning Pathway is “Culture” (during which time you’ll be focusing on creating a “Family” culture), it’s never too soon to change the culture of your parish staff for the better. Start by assessing the culture of your parish and of the parish staff. What values, expectations, and practices need to change if we are to truly move from maintenance to mission?

Beacons of Light has felt to me in many ways, a reality that is both now and not yet, and the Warmup Days captured that balance, helping to prepare for what is coming while acknowledging that it is not yet the reality. The keynote wonderfully articulated the type of leadership our parishes will need as we journey through the Beacons of Light process, and reignited my desire to strive to be that kind of leader for my community. Being together in person with so many others engaged in parish ministry was a great reminder for me that I am not alone in this process and that we are all journeying together towards a common goal.