Networks and Structural Changes
By Frances Forde Plude
Still thinking about networks. Just one quick thought about how networks alter organizations and authority structures, changing us as church leaders.
One organizational team speaks of moving from the pyramid to the pizza – from top-down structures to one with many teams on its flatter surface (like pepperoni on a pizza). This is also profoundly theological. It challenges us to let go of the tendency to over-manage. This finds support, of course, in Vatican II documents that speak of church as communio and as “the people of God.” Here are practical reflections about networking in a parish setting.
By Suzanne Nelson
We do live in an age of networks. The elements of successful parish networking are like the four types of successful websites described by Rhonda Abrams in the Florida Today newspaper. I would like to summarize her thoughts about websites and then I will apply them to parish networks.
Transactional websites are the retail type. You can purchase almost anything over the internet, from stocks to sandboxes, books to booties. The challenge is to be on the job full-time and to market the merchandise in an attractive manner. In parish life we do transactional networking. Sometimes, increasingly perhaps, it may be on the internet where we will “sell the Gospel” through education, inspirational books, and community-building projects, for example.
More often though, our transactional networking will be done through such things as deals made with a local business, advertisements in the parish bulletin, Catholic school or religious education programming, or the parish gift shop. Do we consider "selling the Gospel” a full-time task? Is it marketed even half as effectively as, let us say, tennis shoes, hamburgers, or the Superbowl?
Promotional websites are those used to attract new customers. These sites need to inspire confidence because often the consumer is searching for a specific product and doesn’t know the best place to get it. A parish website can also be promotional and for that we will need to find ways to attract people to our site which is one-among-millions. For those with specific needs we can provide links to sites that will meet those needs. For example, a Latin rite parish may have very few people interested in a course on Eastern rites, but a link could help those who do want that information.
We do promotional networking in the parish all the time, often without being fully aware of it. Consider the impact of the following in your parish: the parish stationary, welcoming and directional signs on parish property, the use of the local newspaper or marquees to advertise events, as well as staff participation in civic events.
Informational websites are probably the most obvious and numerous. It is a challenge to find the most accurate and beneficial information quickly in a sea of selections. It takes time and good judgment. Informational networking in a faith community is a must. A parish website is a neat place to share the mission of the church, information about its ministry and structures (Council and Commissions, etc.). It is a good place to share information to draw individuals more deeply into the various facets of evangelization. Informational networking is based on teamwork and mutual respect. Blocks to information flow choke the whole operation. Just as no one person really controls the internet’s flow of information, in a faith community no one can really control information flow. Sometimes individuals try to do so but it does not work. When information is blocked, someone will invent something to fill the gap. It is better to just let the information flow. “The cream will rise to the top.” Eventually the best information will stay afloat and this will strengthen the network.
Relational websites are the fourth type. These build special relationships with “current customers.” They include special listservs, chat rooms, project sharing, question boxes, etc. They are interactive, often in a very personal sense. I was fascinated by a relational website in a New York diocese where clusters of parishes posted their pastoral planning projects to promote them and to get feedback from others. Relational networking happens naturally. However, effective wholesome relational networking is a little more difficult. One thing that helps our parish’s relational networking is consistent gathering of items for the bimonthly staff meeting agenda and a clear, written summary following the meeting. For agenda-gathering we use a table which lists: topic, type of discussion, time needed. The meeting summary is distributed on a second table with: topic, key points made, next steps, who, when. We found other ways to promote good relational networking: staff retreats; bimonthly birthday celebrations; clear job descriptions shared by the whole staff; and verbal affirmation of each other’s gifts. Lest we forget the obvious: prayer and worship are perhaps the best examples of relational networking.
Each networking type is interfaced with the other. They are all interdependent and related. Networks are here to stay and are growing wider and more inclusive all the time. It’s up to us to make them pastorally effective!