Have Better Meetings: A 3-Step Framework for Catholic Ministry Professionals
Whether they’re unproductive, redundant, or just plain boring, bad meetings can make or break your work experience. Meetings should be fruitful and move the mission of the organization forward, and no where is this more important than in the Church, which has the most important mission in the world.
In this blog post, we present a three-part framework designed to transform parish meetings into dynamic and purposeful sessions that align with the mission of the Church.
How do you build a better team around yourself?
Knowing the people you work with and appreciating their unique peccadillos and communication styles is one of the best ways to avoid parish drama and build the Kingdom effectively.
Ask this question to get more freedom in your work.
Your pastor probably doesn’t care how you’re lining up catechists for the year; he just cares that you’re lining up catechists. There are many items like this that you know he’s going to sign off on, but you still feel like you need to run them by him. If he’s going to sign off on them though, we have to wonder why we’re waiting to move on until we run them by him. A better question might even be: Why do I need to run them by him at all? Usually, it’s just because we never asked for permission to make decisions for our selves.
Unlock an extra hour in your day
Time is a precious resource, and finding ways to be more efficient and effective can make a world of difference in Catholic ministry. New things often come up at times of least convenience: a vendor dropped out of your fundraiser. A coworker lost a family member, and now their responsibilities are yours. A teen shows up with a serious issue while you’re prepping for youth group. Imagine having an extra hour each day to respond to God however He calls. In this post, we’ll look at two essential strategies to help you build more time into your day.
Who cares if my office is messy?
Does this sound like anyone’s office you know?
I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man without sense; and behold, it was overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
Proverbs 24:30-31
Ministry work is busy. The nature of the work often requires us to wear many hats and be many things to many people. We are simply so busy running from one thing to the next, that it’s easier to keep the three things we’re working on right in front of our faces so we can bounce between them. Unfortunately, this makes our work spaces pretty messy, and scripture clearly has an opinion about that. In the verse above, the author goes so far as to call the owner of the field above a sluggard and a man without sense. Yikes!
What if my pastor is the reason I can’t get stuff done?
“Father, our meetings aren’t good.”
To be fair the meetings weren’t good. I had only been at the parish for about 5 months, but I had been internally (and externally) complaining about our team meetings since my first attendance. They were unorganized, had nothing to do with the actual work I did, and almost always wrapped up with 20 mintutes of gossip. We had good people on our team, but the meetings were far from productive for most of us. I decided that if that trend was ever going to change, I needed to approach the issue head on. I read everything I could on the Amazing Parish website, practiced the conversations in my head for a couple weeks, and decided to meet with my pastor. Father was typically super-approachable, warm, kind, and patient; I was certain he would be excited by my energy and practical solutions. It was time for a 1-on-1 meeting.
How do you transform parish culture?
Since Sherry Weddell’s “Forming Intentional Disciples” gained national attention a lot time has been spent by parishes to figure out one question: How do we establish a culture of discipleship in our parish?
Culture is a tricky thing to transform. After all, culture doesn’t happen when you define it; it is defined by the way it is lived out. You can’t just say, “We’re a parish of disciples.” And boom! It happens. People aren’t that easy.
How do you avoid burnout?
If you want to avoid burn out and bear fruit and in your parish, Jesus is the answer. Jesus and only Jesus. You need to be with him. Go to him constantly in scripture and in the Blessed Sacrament. Make sure that he is the source of your ministry by cultivating a deep interior life of prayer.
Seek first the Kingdom, and the rest will be given you as well.
Matthew 6:33
Why Catholic Ministry Professionals?
Because you want to avoid burnout, build a thriving parish, and fill your pews with people who love Jesus. Whatever struggles you may have at your parish, joyful ministry exists in the midst of better conversations, better work, and intentional growth.