From a Maintenance to a Missional Parish - Reading Guide

Chapter 7 Guide

Leader of the House: The Essential Role of Leadership

Key Theme ~ Learn to live out and empower the best of leadership

Corresponding Videos ⇒
The role of the Holy Spirit - Session 5 - Divine Renovation
An Interview with Fr . James Mallon

Takeaways

• The Second Vatican Council identified three key functions of priestly ministry, which
are “to preach the Word of God, to celebrate the sacraments of faith and to lead God’s people.” (p. 233)

• “Everyone has some degree of leadership ability – the ability to influence another person.” (p. 235)

• “I have realized that a leader must continue to grow, learn, and adapt.” (p. 236) “A weak leader will rely on his or her title or office or official authority.” (p. 235)

• “Successful leaders “lean into their natural strengths and talents” and are simultaneously aware of their weaknesses and deficits. There is no such thing as a well-rounded person. It is a myth. We are all imbalanced. But there is such thing as a well-balanced team.” (p. 241)

• “Vulnerability is not only essential between a leader and those who are led, but also among other leaders. We need this not only to maximize our own ministries and to support one another, but also because of our need to model authentically the kind of change we long to see within our churches.” (p. 243)

• “A leader must have a vision about the destination — the dream of what that destination can be.” (p. 247)

• “A vision may begin with the leader, but it cannot remain solely in the mind and head of the leader. It must be communicated and shared in a compelling way that invites others to receive it, take ownership of it, and even change and adjust it.” (p. 250)

“The key people in your parish are other leaders, people of influence”. Influence literally means “to flow into. “Always keep your eyes open for the influencers and flow into them so that they can flow into others.” (p. 255)

• “Someone once said vision without strategy is hallucination. Vision is fundamental to transformation. It creates a desire and enthusiasm for the necessary journey, but as in any journey, once you have decided where you are going, you must then discern how you will get there.” (p. 258)

• From the conclusion: To do this work, we must lean on God. “It is the Holy Spirit of God who brings us to embrace our true identity as a missionary Church.” (p. 285)