TRAINORS-TRAINING SEMINAR ON GKK MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSES
May 26-27, 2003, Greenwoods, City of Koronadal

PART III – GKK PROCESSES

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES. We in the BEC, together with our Diocese and our Parish, duly affirm:

1.   Our Vision – to be Community of Disciples of Jesus Christ, and Church of the Poor

2.   Our Mission – Renewed Integral Evangelization

3.   Our Thrust – Building and Strengthening of BECs towards integral liberation and development

4.   Our Hope – to bring about a society that is God-centered (maka-Diyos), democratic (makatao), nationalistic  (maka-bansa), just (makatarungan), respectful of human life (maka-buhay), and integrity of creation (maka-kalikasan).

5.   Our Commitment:

Promote and strengthen the BEC-GKK as a new way of being Church

      Adopt and practice participative style of leadership and processes
Live a simple lifestyle
Actively support the thrust, plans and programs of our Diocese and our parish
Promote and practice transparency in financial matters
Reach out to people of other faith and cultures.

AS BEC:

1.  Our Core Values – participation, self-reliance, subsidiarity, transparency, simplicity of lifestyle, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue

2.  Our Processes – liberating and participative

3.  Our Programs – Organizing, Education, Worship, Social Apostolate

4.  Our Structures – 5 Major Officers, Service Personnel, Advisory Council, Buklods

AS BEC LEADERS

1. Our Core Model – Jesus the Good Shepherd – He is Shepherd, Servant, Steward

2. Our Ideal Leader – Proactive leader, People-oriented leader, Process-oriented leader

3. Our Leadership Style – Democratic, Participative, People-oriented, Process-oriented

BEC-GKK PROCESSES

PROCESS is a transition - a passing from one state to another, a movement from where we start (starting-point) to where we want to be (end-point). Process takes into consideration various factors – present situation, restraining forces and supporting forces that may affect the transition.

BEC-GKK PROCESSES are liberating and participative – leading towards consensus-building, co-decision-making, team-building and net-working.

·     Liberating process – implies method that is non-coercive, not by force or pressure, not imposing one’s will upon another, not oppressive, not suffocating, not burdensome, etc.

·    Participative process – implies openness, transparency, cooperation, coordination, willingness to share with others, dialogue, etc.

LIBERATING PROCESS

Assumptions. It is easily presumed that a person who is BEC-oriented knows not only BEC theory but also BEC practices. Likewise, it is presumed that someone who accepts BEC as thrust also adheres to BEC processes.

Dilemma. If that were so, why then do we have many practices in our GKKs that are clearly contrary to what BEC processes should be? Some of these cases in point are the following:

1. Instant GKKs or insufficiently formed GKKs

2. Common use of pressure tactics

3. Management by policies and rules

4. Installing red tape

5. Wrong use of the Information Sheet (Katin-awan)

6. Exclusivist and elitist tendencies

7. Defective decision-making processes, etc.

PARTICIPATIVE PROCESS

PARTICIPATION is the most distinctive characteristic of the BEC. BEC is where more people participate in the life and mission of the Church than in the larger community of the parish.

Guideline. Participation must be practiced in all levels – by officers and members alike. Such participation includes the following:

1.       Participative leadership among GKK Officers (sharing of responsibilities)

2.       Democratic process in planning, decision-making, implementation, evaluation

3.       Transparency in financial matters – recording and reporting of funds

4.       Self-reliance in terms of financial support of programs and personnel

5.       Coordination with diocesan and parish programs and activities

STRUCTURES OF PARTICIPATION

Guideline. Knowing theory of participation is not enough. Participation must also be built into structures. Structures for participation must be created. In the GKK such structures are the following:

1.       GKK 5 Major Officers – Structure of participative leadership and common responsibility.

2.       GKK Advisory Council – Structure of coordination of GKK programs, services and activities

3.       GKK Service Personnel – Structure that provides Programs and Services

4.       GKK Buklods and their officers – Structures for coordination, communication and communal action

PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP – is shared leadership. In this type of leadership the GKK 5 Major Officers act together as a group and they fulfill their role as corporate in-charge of the GKK and share common responsibility over it. Examples of this unity in role and functions are as follows:

1. Meeting of the 5 officers after Mass (Bible Service) to share observations, suggestions, plans

2. Taking turns in making announcements at Mass (Bible Service)

3. Filling in for one another at parish meetings, zone meetings, seminars, assemblies, etc.

PROMOTING PARTICIPATION

Guideline. Participation is the most important principle in liturgy. Active participation of the faithful in liturgical activities must be promoted rather than obstructed. Examples of such participation are as follows:

1. Mass sponsoring – by Buklod, by GKK, by family or combinations

2. Sponsoring Group assigns – chapel cleaners, decorators, readers, psalmist, offerers, collectors, etc.

3. Sponsoring Group prepares – offerings in kinds, Mass stipend, breakfast or merienda for priest

DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION. There are 3 levels and degrees of participation.

1.  Information – sharing/providing relevant data (like announcements). Comment. Participation is low level, but many people can be involved, only they are mostly passive onlookers and listeners.

2.   Consultation – getting other’s opinions, feedback. Comment. Participation is medium level with significant number of key leaders involved. But result is important to arrive at good decision.

3.  Decision-making – making conclusions, judgments. Comment. Participation is high level but with still fewer leaders involved – the decision-makers. Note. Good decision involves all three levels.

GUIDELINES ON DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES

1.  It is not possible (nor desirable) to involve everybody in every decision. The key factor is deciding who should be involved in the first level, second level, and third level of decision-making processes.

2.  Decisions are based on data. Defective or insufficient data will result in defective decision. Defective decision is difficult to implement.

3.  There are various types of decision-making: one man, group, majority, consensus, unanimous. A good leader would know what kind of decision is appropriate at any given circumstance.

4.   It is not advisable to always use the majority vote in any kind of decision-making. Basic rule is – people who will be deeply affected by a decision, should also be involved in the process of decision-making.

5.    Decision-making in the Church context has certain limitations (parameters), such as:

      No decision should go against faith, morals, Church disciplines, higher laws, etc.
No decision that limits participation or that which could be interpreted as exclusivist or elitist.
No decision that imposes penalty or punishment for such decision belongs to a higher authority.

6.  Basic questions to be asked in decision-making. Does the group have the competence to make this kind of decision? Will this decision need the approval of a higher authority?

PARADIGM SHIFT

Question. Given the above situations (in our GKKs), where do our problems lie? What are the solutions? Some of the answers may be found in the idea of paradigm shift.

PARADIGM - means model, theory, perception, assumption of how we see things and how they should be. They affect the way we think (attitude) and the way we act (behavior).

PARADIGM SHIFT - means changing the way we look at things (perception) and the way we do things (behavior). It means unlearning “old ways” and learning “new ways”. Among the paradigm shifts that are needed today are the following:

1.       Understanding the BEC as Church,

2.       Use of authority in Church context,

3.       Proactive and participative leadership style

4.       Participative, people-oriented, process-oriented management

5.       Wholistic (integral) approach to mission and evangelization

6.       Promotion of BEC Core Values

BEC AND BEING CHURCH OF THE POOR. Some guidelines
 

1.   To be poor does not mean only economically poor. To be poor means to rely on God’s providence (spiritual poverty) and live a simple lifestyle (evangelical poverty).

2.   For the GKK simplicity in lifestyle means the following:

To be self-reliant and self-sufficient in plans, programs, personnel, and finances
To rely only on what the community can afford to give
Not to burden people with so many contributions and fund raising activities
Not to put up projects that the people cannot afford
To buy only things that are most necessary for their needs
To avoid unnecessary expenses or burden people with unnecessary requirements
For any group not to rely too much from their GKK for their expenses
For the GKK to make a budget at the beginning of the year
For the GKK to define limits of support that it can give to any group.
For the GKK to be transparent in its finances and make report once a month.