In an excellent article in The Priest https://www.osvcatholicbookstore.com/newsstand/thepriest(January 2020), by Father Robert J. Hater, he makes the important point that the Church needs collaborative ministry (Acts 4:32). He defines collaboration as “individuals or groups working together at a common task to accomplish a goal.” He then identifies two levels of collaboration; functional and spiritual.
Functional collaboration is dependent on each individual making contributions to the ministry through optimal use of their knowledge and skills for the role they are fulfilling. Fr. Hater speaks of the role of faith including communal love and prayer as the main components of spiritual collaboration. He emphasizes that spiritual collaboration underlies functional collaboration. This is a critical point because if individuals with all the expertise in the world cannot cooperate and support each other it is highly unlikely that the desired goal will be reached. According to Fr. Hater, effective collaboration requires gratitude, openness, compassion, patience, humility and confidence.
If the pastor expresses his appreciation by showing gratitude to the staff, it will serve as an effective motivator to keep encouraging positive behavior and activity. Openness begins with an open mind and a willingness to change if a better idea arises. One method that has proven useful is to be a better listener to truly understand rather than pushing your point. Start with the idea that the other person might be right.
Being compassionate can be a challenge, especially with those who tend to be difficult personalities. Often, as they begin to see you truly want to be aligned, they may be more willing to engage. A useful starting point may be to identify areas where you agree rather than starting with where you differ. This will also require patience and that can lead to creation of a hopeful and positive spirit as you work together toward a commonly acceptable resolution. And then, adopting the mind of a servant leader, which we’ve discussed in earlier blogs, will be helpful. This will enable the team to see the humility and confidence that is so valued in a leader.
Once a priest understands the value of collaboration in his ministry it will set the tone for the parish. As a role model for ministers and staff, they will likely seek to imitate the behavior of their leader. Each staff member, and even volunteers will come to understand that “this is how things are done around here.” The respect and support that will arise from spiritual collaboration will have many benefits. Each staff member will come to value the roles and expertise of others (functional collaboration) and all will carry out their roles in a loving, compassionate manner. Conversely, the attitude of an autocratic leader who cares little for his staff and volunteers will often lead to an overly dependent and demoralized staff. Why not follow the best example of a leader we all know, Jesus. The choice is always ours. Choose wisely.