Parish Pastoral Councils

Making Parish Councils Pastoral traces the historical development of the ôpastoralö style of council and shows how councils can more effectively embrace the church's vision of studying and reflecting on parish matters and recommending their conclusions to the pastor.

A practical guidebook for all persons involved in developing pastoral councils on a parish level.

"(this book) offers theological rationale and practical procedures for organizing pastoral councils on a grassroots level. It brings together some of the best people in the field to reflect on the purpose, potential problems and the exciting promise of collegial parish leadership. ... [from back cover]

A reference and resource that will assist parishes in the task of establishing pastoral councils

Ideal for those just beginning their ministry and for ministry veterans to affirm their call to service. Each 48-page booklet offers practical advice, questions for reflection, personal testimonies, simple prayers for either group or individual use, and spiritual enrichment in a format that is clear and easy to use.

This is a how-to-do-it' workbook that lays out the necessary steps for forming, enabling and sustaining a parish pastoral council. It moves from introducing the concept of a parish pastoral council to its formation and planning, and on to its first few years of activity. The book provides detailed step-by-step procedures, which can be easily adapted to any parish situation. These procedures are further detailed on an accompanying CD, which provides visual aids and kick-off points for discussion. While other books on parish pastoral councils focus on the theory, this book is simply about getting it done. The focus is practicable and singular: to form a parish pastoral council with sufficient knowledge and training to get some real' work done for the good of all in the parish community.