What Message and/or Challenge do we "hear" in "Collaboration??

January 24, 2010

Two things motivated me to post a Blog today…

First I announced this weekend that Deacon Carney and I had a Blog so check the web site.

Second the Toronto Star carried an article this morning announcing that Pope Benedict had encouraged clergy - bishops, priests and deacons - to get into blogging and Facebook.

Now as I stated at the Masses I have heard all sorts of directives from Popes over the decades of my life and priesthood but I never thought I would live to hear a directive like this from a Pope – get busy you clergy start blogging and get your mug on facebook. I will consider a little more before I launch the facebook thing.

I want to tell you about a very positive and encouraging experience of this past week at St. Paul The Apostle. I assure you there are always lots of positive and encouraging experiences in the course of a week at St. Paul’s.

Last Thursday I facilitated a gathering of the leadership team in the parish. The heads of all the groups and ministries at St. Paul The Apostle parish meet three times a year to celebrate our achievements and plan strategy as we work together in the future months.

Specifically we have been studying a book by Loughlan Sofield ST entitled “Collaboration, Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry”.

It was a very productive and postive session. The participation was 100%. The creative juices were flowing throughout the room.

What at difference from the previous session in September 2009.

The last meeting in September 2009 was one of the most difficult sessions I have ever facilitated. There was strong resistance in the room for wahtever reason. If you are familiar with the process you know I am not accusing or blaming here just stating an observation. It can be a way of a group telling the facilitator they are heading in the wrong direction or going too quickly.

I spoke of this difficult experience at the beginning of the session last Thursday January 21, 2010. These were basically the same leadership people.

I also mentioned a conversation I had earlier in the day with Margie Ann McKinnon at the Diocesan Centre. Margie Ann sponsored a workshop in 2009 with Loughlan Sofield on “Collaborative Ministry”. Her advice to me –“Avoid the word Collaboration”. In the advertising for a workshop we are planning here at St. Paul The Apostle November 6, 2010 with Loughlan Sofield her advice was stress discovering our gifts, something like that but not “Collaborative Ministry”.

The sense is there is resistance to “Collaboration” and “Collaborative Ministry”.

Those more trained in these areas might be able to give more insight into this but it appears these words set off alarm bells in our psyche – we are going to lose some of our independence or I am going to be challenged to change. Is that what we are hearing in the unconscious?

Understanding what was happening is not my area of expertise – I only know what I experienced at the September session and something very different this last meeting after I spoke of the resistance I perceived at the earlier session

I know the Collaboration language is very current today in many organizations in our society.

I would like to hear from folks who work in non-church/secular organizations. Is this resistancee a common experience or is this just a church phenomenon? My guess is it is a human phenomenon. Intriguing!!

Other events coming up include an ecumenical service next Sunday January 31st sponsored by the Kingston Ministerial Association. It takes place at the new Salvation Army Citadel corner of Taylor-Kidd Blvd and Centennial Drive. The service begins at 6:30 pm.

I am honoured to have been asked the preach at that service

Have a good last week of January – especially if you find January not your favourite month.

…and if you have any thoughts on the “Collaboration” thing my email is fatherlbyrne@cogeco.ca

Father Leo