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Collaborative Ministry at St. Joan of Arc

Collaborative ministry, according to the St. Joan of Arc stewardship committee, is people working together to serve the world by building God's reign of peace and justice.

At St. Joan of Arc, collaborative ministry translates to parishioners taking active roles as ministers among ministers. “I think most people at St. Joan of Arc understand ministry in this active sense,” said our pastor, Father George Wertin - who is better known to us at St. Joan of Arc as simply 'George'. “It isn't much different from shared ministry,” he said. “And it is far superior to volunteer ministry and sharing our gifts.”

To better understand exactly what is meant by collaborative ministry, it might be a good idea to compare the ministry structure at St. Joan of Arc with the structure that can be found at many of the more traditional Catholic parishes - and indeed, at more traditional churches of various denominations. First of all, in the good old days before Vatican II, the model of parish ministry looked to the priests to do the ministering. They had the training and the competence. The parishioners were there in a supportive role. I grew up in a parish much like this. It was OK because in the good old days the average parishioner did not have the information, training, know-how or interest to be involved in ministry.

The negative to the old model - as I remember it - was that our pastor (where I grew up in Ohio) had his favorite cronies. These were his friends, so they almost always had “his ear.” It seemed like, when there was anything to be done - they did it. It also seemed like their interests in serving were always attended to. This certainly did not encourage involvement or new ideas.

In recent years, it has been more common for parishes to hire and train large staffs. These staff people plan and provide elaborate programs and services in which parishioners are invited to participate. When I was married, for several years I belonged to a parish much like this. I wanted to be involved, and I was. However, it meant working under the direction of staff members rather than thinking and acting from my value system and expertise. I enjoyed “volunteering,” as did many others. However, as I look back on those many years of service, I realize that many volunteers’ special gifts were overlooked in an attempt to follow a plan laid out by one staff person.

Both of these models operate from the top down, George explained. “Neither of them is acceptable for us at St. Joan of Arc,” he added. St. Joan of Arc’s vision statement says: “St. Joan of Arc provides a fertile place for all people to grow in their desire to make a difference in the world by engaging in collaborative ministry.” This statement recently was adopted as part of the parish’s strategic plan. “In other words, if we are to be the salt of the earth, the leaven in the loaf, to use the biblical metaphors, we need to sustain a network of ministries,” George said. “We cannot afford to have parishioners only in passive and supportive roles.”

Two Collaborative Ministries Parishioners who are involved in ministry at St. Joan of Arc agree that this kind of involvement pays them dividends, as well as helping St. Joan’s thrive. Those who minister through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults make a huge time commitment to the program and to the people they sponsor. The RCIA team members begin meeting in early September, and by mid-September they also are meeting with those who have committed to be RCIA sponsors for the year. By the end of the month the team members and sponsors are meeting with those who plan to join the Catholic Church. RCIA Team member Theresa Hinnenkamp and sponsor Mary Kay Olson The entire group - team leaders, sponsors and those studying the Catholic faith - meets weekly from September through May. During this time, the team leaders and sponsors help the RCIA candidates learn more about the faith. Joyce Opal, who is an RCIA sponsor for Cathy Passer, said that she has learned more about her Catholic faith - and about her spiritual journey - through being a sponsor. “Being involved helps you get in touch with your own spirituality,” she said. “I really love being involved at St. Joan of Arc.” Opal, who originally was Lutheran, went through the RCIA program four years. She said she benefited so much from the program that she decided this was one way she could give something back to her church. Jennifer Mueller first served as a sponsor for an RCIA candidate. Now she is a member of the RCIA team. “This is another way for me to make the church feel smaller and do some service,” she said. “I feel a greater sense of responsibility, not just for my candidate, but for all the candidates.” The parents of those children making their First Communion minister to their children. During a recent First Communicants meeting, parents and other volunteers helped the children understand the concept of bread and wine being changed into the body and blood of Christ. For these - and countless other St. Joan of Arc parishioners - collaborative ministry means serving others while serving God.

The parish council and the stewardship committee agree that collaborative ministry is alive and well at St. Joan of Arc. They see all baptized members as ministers at St. Joan’s. They feel parishioners are given the freedom to reach out and share their gifts. However, with the freedom to participate in collaborative ministry also comes a responsibility. “We all have to take responsibility and ownership for St. Joan of Arc,” George said. “Collaborative ministry strives to create partnerships that foster healing and growth in our communities as we journey together.”

Traditional Ministry	Collaborative Ministry
-church focused	-world focused
-restricted to those who are competent	-assumes all are competent
-giving (missionary)	-sharing (missionaries)
-controlling: hierarchial	-empowering
-individual	-communal (networking)
-charity based	-justice based
-closed system	-open system
-people centered	-creation centered

Terry Kolb is a staff reporter for the Catholic Spirit and news editor of New Earth, the Fargo diocesan paper. She also has been published in several daily newspapers and a few magazines. Most of all, Terry is the mother of six and grandmother of eight. She has been a member of St. Joan of Arc since 1998.