Project to Continue!
New Initiatives Study Challenges and Change in Parishes
April 2, 2009The next phase of the grant will last three years and will address a variety of issues facing parish leadership including diversity, both multicultural and generational; ministry in linked parishes; and lay ecclesial ministry. This work will add to a growing body of information about challenges facing parishes and their responses that the Project has already developed since its launch in 2003.
The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project is an initiative of the National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM) with the Conference for Pastoral Planning and Council Development (CPPCD), the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA), the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association (NCYAMA), and the National Federation of Priests' Councils (NFPC). Thanks to this renewal grant the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project will be able to continue developing research initiatives that are providing information, resources, and hope to pastoral leaders across the country. Christopher Anderson, Executive Director of the National Association for Lay Ministry, stated that; "The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project was created to stimulate a national conversation on how to inspire excellence in parish pastoral leadership. The new initiatives funded by this grant from Lilly Endowment will expand the scope of work while continuing to inform the national conversation with research and materials."
Over the past five years the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project has conducted a series of research symposiums and surveys on best practices of pastoral leaders; parish life coordinators; pastoring multiple parishes; the next generation of pastoral leaders; human resources; and diversity in Catholic parishes. This Project hosted the National Ministry Summit in Orlando in April 2008, which was designed to develop recommendations for the future of pastoral leadership in these changing times. Findings from this Project can be found online at http://www.emergingmodels.org/, and in "The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Series" published by Loyola Press.
The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project is funded by Lilly Endowmentas part of its Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program, which was designed to provide funding to organizations that would establish projects to enhance pastoral leadership in parishes and congregations across the country. Sixty-three separate projects were originally funded as part of this outreach.
