The Summer Brainstorm

Usually during these times you have the summer off to relax, re-energize, and re-prioritize.

I want to challenge you to put everything possible "on the table." Even the events and the projects that you do well.

Why is it important to consider making changes and tweaks to to what you are doing? Why is it important to consider new ideas, to consider new changes, to consider new approaches to old ideas?

Because that is the nature of the world that we live in. We are to live "in the world but not of the world."

What can you do differently as a parish staff in order to get that new creative energy as you serve the parish?

What can you do differently as a priest or religious in order to bring that energy to your vocation that you had when you first took your vows?

What can you do to revive your marriage, your family?

Consider everything. Put everything on the table.

Certain things are unchangeable because they are the very identity of your ministry, of your Church, of your vocation.

Other things are not.

Does your religious education program need to meet every week? What is to stop you from meeting once a month?

Does your youth ministry use an old model? Maybe you have been doing the same types of meetings for a few years and it is time to "shake things up", to throw a curveball.

Do you rely on twenty percent of the parish to do eighty percent of the work?

How do you engage the eighty percent that are allowing the twenty percent to do all the ministry?

Take a meeting or two. Pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Then ask yourself what can be put on the table.

Maybe everything will change.

Maybe only a few things will change.

At the very least, you might find yourself fighting for those things you are passionate about, those things that drove you to your vocation, to your ministry in the first place.