Building a capable and effective team

There are many and varied examples of parish teams across the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Most parishes have a Parish Secretary, Bookkeeper or Accountant, Safeguarding Committee, and Finance Committee to support the day-to-day operations of the parish and the administration of parish goods. While these roles are essential, they tend to be directed towards parish maintenance, not missionary renewal.

In many parishes, the core team is complemented by others who participate in pastoral planning, contribute to the pastoral care of the community, or are involved in faith formation, worship, fellowship, and social justice initiatives. More recently, roles in youth ministry, mission, and evangelisation have emerged. Drawing on the gifts and skills of lay people, these roles are contributing to the life and experience of the parish community.

Building and managing a diverse and dispersed team is definitely complex.

Where two or more parishes are partnered under the leadership of one Parish Priest, these roles are often shared across all of the parishes. In the other cases, Parish Priests of neighbouring parishes have found it beneficial to collaborate: for example, co-funding a position or taking turns in offering an Alpha program. Some parishes have responded to the challenge by appointing a small team to support the Parish Priest in his leadership role, while others have found another way to effectively coordinate parish activities.

Take the Way of the Gospel does not mandate the composition or leadership model for a parish team. It is invitation to every parish to think creatively about the skills they need to build a vibrant and vital community of missionary disciples in their location, and to invest in and collaborate with people to help bring this about.