Every Catholic parish has a pastoral council and a finance council, but how many fulfill the mission they were set up to serve? These councils are among the most important but least understood structures in the Catholic Church. Mandated to exist, their roles have become increasingly critical as parishes--both large and small--are stretching personnel and financial resources further and further each year. Add in the need for internal financial controls and human resource management coupled with fewer and fewer parish priests, and the importance of these councils goes way beyond simply filling seats with warm-bodied volunteers. The function of these councils is to provide consultation to the pastor and to promote greater participation of the entire parish in the life and mission of the Church. But in reality, these terms are vague and leave too much room for individual interpretation. In an unprecedented research effort, author Charles Zech explores the very function of these councils in an effort to lay the groundwork for best practices at every parish. It systematically fills the void as both Church leaders and laity strive to better understand the structure and processes needed to improve their effectiveness. Zech's common-sense, straightforward writing style unpacks the extensive data to cover critical issues such as: Parish Leadership Education/Formation Programs Communication with Parish and Parish Staff Council Guideline Manuals Internal Controls Long-Term Planning Prayer and Faith-Sharing A must-read for every pastor, staff member, or committee volunteer, Best Practices of Catholic Pastoral and Finance Councils gives the guidance, support, and how-to that every parish needs--making it helpful for diocesan staff as well. Use it to stay on track, get back on track, or simply realize a track exists for these highly critical leadership councils.

A practical, accessible guide to help church leaders through the steps needed to ensure an effective, accountable, and transparent financial process in a parish.

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.

The remarkable success of the book A Pastor’s Toolbox: Management Skills for Parish Leadership has demonstrated that the demands of time and financial challenges continue to impact the work of today’s parish leaders. The need has become even greater for practical tools to assist in the many aspects of temporal administration, leadership, and church management. This follow-up volume provides all new information, insights, and practical tools that pastors need to handle the complexities of parish management in the twenty-first century. Sixteen contributors from across the country deliver key content that focuses on promoting excellence and best practices in the areas of management, finances, communications, and human resources development. A Pastor’s Toolbox 2 provides: leadership tools for the pastor and his team; help for working with the parish’s pastoral and finance council; intercultural competence and complex pastoring situations; suggestions for time management and effective meetings; human resources, change management, and canon law; tools for parish stewardship, communications, and Catholic schools. The book is an outgrowth of the Toolbox for Pastoral Management, a nationally recognized joint project of Leadership Roundtable and Seton Hall University. Learn more at www.LeadershipRoundtable.org.

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