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Parish Development & Organization Development

A Short Definition of Parish Development

Parish development is an effort to increase a parish’s ability to improve its:

  • Health as a community and organization
  • Capacity to be productive in its primary task of worship and formation
  • Ability to both define itself in relation to its heritage and to adapt to new challenges and opportunities that emerge in the church and society
  • Strategic, problem-solving and renewal process

By making use of the theory and methods of pastoral and ascetical theology and of applied behavioral science, usually with the assistance of a leader or consultant trained in the field, and carried out in as collaborative and inclusive a manner as possible given the parish’s current capacities and requirements.

A Longer Definition of Parish Development

  • The development of the parish as a community of faith with a unique identity, purpose and dynamics.

  • The development of the parish as an organization that can be understood, assessed, and improved using the knowledge and methods of pastoral and ascetical theology and organization behavior and development.

The goals of congregational development include:

A. Developing the community of faith by enabling a pattern and culture of congregational life that is:

·         Rooted in our tradition

·         Adapted to the local context

·         Appropriate for the particular group(s) of people drawn to the congregation

·         Reflective of the unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity of the Church.

     And that:

1.      Renews people in their baptismal identity and purpose and sends them, in Christ, for an apostolate in family, work, civic life and church.

2.      Nurtures the Christian life of people at all phases of maturity; gives special attention to guiding and equipping those of Apostolic Faith; encourages all toward a more prayerful, disciplined, and compassionate Christian life.

3.      Fosters a strong life and ministry of worship, doctrine, action and oversight.

4.      Enables people to seek the presence of Jesus Christ in the people, things and circumstances of life, through stability, conversion of life and obedience.

B. Developing the congregation as an organization that:

1.      Has established structures, processes and a climate that allow it to effectively manage its important and pressing business (e.g., projects, problems, crises, etc.) while giving adequate attention to strategic issues (e.g., long-term development and renewal, people development, planning and envisioning, relationship building, engaging new opportunities, crisis prevention)

2.      Has increased its ability to adapt to new conditions, solve problems and learn from experience.

3.      Has an increased ability to engage formation issues such as:

·         A vision that is sacramentally actualized in the parish’s culture. That vision includes the defining of identity, purpose, values, organizational culture and related programs and activities

·         Attracting new people (as staff and/or members) who join in living within a healthy culture.

·         Increased competence and commitment in liturgy, spiritual life and discipline, and emotional intelligence.

·         Creating an alignment, an adequate “fit,” among the various aspects of the organization’s life such as income/expenses, space/program needs and possibilities, vision/resources of leadership, energy and money

·         Establishing relationships with external “public” or constituencies that have a stake in the organization.

From Fill All Things, Ascension Press, 2008

 
Definitions of Organization Development

Organization development is a system-wide application of behavioral science knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational strategies, structures, and processes for improving an organization's effectiveness.
-- Cummings and Worley, "Organization Development and Change", Sixth Edition, South-Western Publishing, 1997, p.2.

Organization Development is an effort 
1.planned,
2.organization-wide, and
3.managed from the top 
4. to increase organization effectiveness and health through 
5. planned interventions in the organization's "processes," using behavioral-science knowledge
(R. Beckhard,1969)

Organization Development is a response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structures of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges, and the dizzying rate of change itself. (Warren Bennis,1969)

Organization Development is a top-management-supported, long-range effort to improve an organization's problem-solving and renewal process, particularly through a more effective and collaborative diagnosis and management of organization culture-with special emphasis on formal work team, temporary team, and inter-group culture- with the assistance of a consultant-facilitator and the use of theory and technology of applied behavioral science, including Action Research (French & Bell 1990).

Organization Development has been defined as a series of planned processes by which human resources are identified, utilized, and developed in ways that strengthen organizational effectiveness by increasing problem solving capabilities and planning     (The Organization Development Institute).

Organization Development is the attempt to influence the members of an organization to expand their candidness with each other about their views of the organization and their experience in it, and to take greater responsibility for their own actions as organization members. The assumption behind OD is that when people pursue both of these objectives simultaneously, they are likely to discover new ways of working together that they experience as more effective for achieving their own and their shared (organizational) goals. And that when this does not happen, such activity helps them to understand why and to make meaningful choices about what to do in light of this understanding.
-- Neilsen, “Becoming an OD Practitioner”, Englewood Cliffs, CA: Prentice-Hall, 1984, pp. 2-3.

Organization Development (OD) is the process of improving organizations. The process is carefully planned and implemented to benefit the organization, its employees and its stakeholders. The client organization may be an entire company, public agency, non-profit organization, volunteer group - or a smaller part of a larger organization.

The change process supports improvement of the organization or group as a whole. The client and consultant work together to gather data, define issues and determine a suitable course of action. The organization is assessed to create an understanding of the current situation and to identify opportunities for change that will meet business objectives.

OD differs from traditional consulting because client involvement is encouraged throughout the entire process. The ways in which people communicate and work together are addressed concurrently with technical or procedural issues that need resolution. (Chicago OD Network)