Collaborative Ministry - Br Loughlan Sofield

Brother Loughlan Sofield S.T. is on the staff of the Trinity Ministries Centre, Stirling, New Jersey. He is co-author of a number of books, the most recent being "Collaborative Ministry".

On the 8th May, at Sacred Heart College, Loughlan spoke to the Geelong Deanery on the topic of Collaborative Ministry in reference to the formation and implementation of Pastoral Councils.

With an easy style and a warm personality, Loughlan led us through a number of challenging and insightful steps. A lot of what he said was common sense, a lot of what he said has been done before but a lot of what he said, and his enthusiastic approach, stirred the spirit.

The word Liturgy, as we know, comes from the Latin ‘Laos’, meaning people and ‘Ergon’ meaning the expression. So liturgy is the expression of the people. How many of us really experience liturgy like this on a regular basis? It can often be very hard to "celebrate" with a variety of people coming from a variety of places. ‘Good’ liturgy, we know, needs a number of key elements, but perhaps the most important is community. Not oversized, not global, but to begin with, just a pocket of intimacy, a place where I can be warmly welcomed and welcoming, a place where I let the prayers, the music, the ritual, the symbolism and the power of the Word and Eucharist wash over me. I can then, in some way, express myself at this Liturgy, which is in part, an expression of me and these other people I feel close to.

This is a big challenge for Pastoral Councils and impacts greatly on collaborative ministry.

Pastoral Councils, according to Loughlan Sofield’s definition, are primarily concerned with people. The purpose of a Pastoral Council should be to touch into the wisdom of the people, to build a living Christian Community. So a Pastoral Council should be the catalyst for real community building - community building to such a degree that people feel renewed and strengthened, not just from the weekend celebrations of the Liturgy, but from the way they are ministered to as they ‘liturgy’ their way through the week. Then we could all say that we "feel His love in the warmth of each other’s company".

Ministry is relational. Loughlan led us through a brief exercise to further emphasise this point as we reflected on the question - "When was the last time you were ministered to?" The responses were rich and varied and indicated that ministry, because of its relational nature, takes place everyday in many different ways. By the fact of our baptism, we are all ordained to ministry and should recognise and elicit this giftedness from each other.

After finding a common definition for a "living Christian Community" and a common vision, Loughlan suggested a number of criteria for parishioners deemed to be potential members of a pastoral council - from reflective, enthusiastic and capable, to being willing to make a three year commitment.

It was reiterated throughout the evening that a Pastoral Council should discern what God’s plan is ..... Not create their own.

Loughlan also shared a number of convictions about the formation or overhaul of Pastoral Councils.

The selection process for council members must be preceded by -

This group of people will then be an effective entity in identifying the needs and the gifts of the community and developing structures that unite and direct these.

The most effective model of collaborative ministry, Loughlan believed, was the inter-linked circles which had at its centre the Parish Priest and Pastoral Associate. Three other circles represented the Pastoral Council, the Organised Groups (ie. Liturgy Group) and the Staff (ie. the day to day administration and pastoral needs etc.).

In conclusion a number of thoughts battle for prominence!

An alive and visionary Pastoral Council which networks with people in their homes and streets, could lead us back to the enlightened grassroots level of the early Church. People who work within Parish need tangible signs of support, so that they and / or their families are not ‘burnt out’ or ‘lost’ in the broader picture of Parish life. Collaborative Ministry will never work perfectly, but it is the most Christian and intelligent way of organising a Parish. It may at times be frustrated by models of leadership within the wider Church that do not appear to embrace this same collaborative spirit. Loughlan Sofield pointed out that collaborative ministry did not negate leadership models. He illustrated American Religious Communities that failed because there was no one at the end of the day to make a final decision etc. So obviously we need leaders within our Church! Perhaps if we, within the Geelong Deanery embrace the spirit and practice of collaborative ministry, we may be the catalyst for change within the wider Church, for

"Everything is possible for those who believe." (Mark 9:23)

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