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 Think Big Act Small: Working at Collaborative Ministry through Parish Pastoral Councils is a really useful book on the practical working out of collaborative ministry through parish pastoral councils. The work itself is an example of what can be achieved through the collaborative process. Written by Johnny Doherty CSsR, Oliver Crilly, Frank Dolaghan and Paddi Curran the book traces the process that began with a parish mission and lead to the establishment of a parish pastoral council by way of a parish survey and a parish assembly. The book is set on a scriptural basis and anchors itself firmly in the tradition, faith and values of the bible. In two major parts, further divided into sub-sections, each part takes its lead from scripture. Part 1 takes as its foundation the line from Matthew's and Mark's accounts of the Transfiguration "It is wonderful for us to be here" (cf. Mt 17:4 & Mk 9:5). This details the nuts and bolts of the process of putting in place collaborative structures in a parish. By thinking big and acting small much indeed can be achieved! Essentially, it chronicles the path trod by Ardmore Parish, Derry as they begin the task of involving are in the challenge to live out their Christian calling as baptized members of the community of God (cf. pp. 64-65 for a calendar of events). As such it serves as a useful guide to others considering the onerous undertaking of collaboration. Of particular value are the sections on Partnership – giving some sage advise on the characteristics that are the hallmarks of effective partnership including being proactive i.e. taking personal responsibility for the situation one finds oneself in, being clear about where one can make a difference and leaving others to do the rest (for more read the book). It than looks at how partnership works out in the context of the parish and the parish pastoral council. Resources – gives everything a parish could need from a sample mission plan, to a sample questionnaire, to a draft constitution, to books and materials that make it a one-stop shop for generating ideas to use in your own context. The scriptural foundation shines through in Part 2 which details the spirituality on which collaboration is founded. Using a verse from John 17 "That the world may believe", Part 2 explores what thinking big and acting small means in a faith context. Each section begins with a familiar gospel story – the road to Emmaus, the person of Christ, the wedding at Cana, the transfiguration, the prayer of Jesus, the commissioning of the disciples. In doing so they "bring forward some of the important realities of our faith that can easily be lost in activity." (pg. 104) In six well known stories we are minded of the abundance of the gospel message - in the road to Emmaus we "discover the six essential elements of a parish spirituality: prayer, scripture, Eucharist and other sacraments, community with one another, tradition and teaching of the wider church and evangelilsation." (pg. 104) The implications of this for a parish are explored, generating enough material to keep any parish pastoral council going! In all the book, published by Veritas, is carefully crafted, well written, practical and useful. It will be a valuable resource for all parishes embarking on the path of collaboration. Debra Snoddy |
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