Revisioning The Parish Pastoral Council

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

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.

"(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]

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.

Mark Fischer helps readers find out what councils are doing today and offers solid, practical answers to a number of important council questions. This book is an essential resource for pastors, council members, and those in committees, pastoral planning, and parish life.