When we educate Catholics to understand the Church and her teachings, the demand to access the sacraments and our clergy increases when Catholics begin to use the sacraments in everyday life. This is a beautiful problem, but it is not the norm. Instead, we see an overall decline in parish communities as aging practicing Catholics pass away, and the younger generations are unable to feed on the spiritual nourishment they seek. The heavy influence of emotional safety, excitement, and cultural influence in Protestant communities can pull these young cradle Catholics away from the Church. We also see the gradual death of Parish communities in small towns across the country. All of these factors can be overwhelming for a Parish pastor.

The influence of these Christian communities outside of the Church has already had a diluting effect on Catholicism in the United States. We have politically liberal Catholics and radical traditionalist Catholics on each end of an American spectrum. The emergence of these RadTrad Catholics has only grown in response to the shifting and growing progressive Catholic groups. This quasi-schism comes from the indirect influence of Protestant Christianity and its embrace of socio-cultural standards and their influence on the Western world. This becomes another factor that our clergy must contend with.

How can we build a strong Church full of resources to enable its members to utilize the sacraments fully? How can we grow spiritually with the number of clergy in the United States? How can we help our priests? The answer is strong small groups. The answer lies in the laity empowering its members to foster small group growth and to enable the layperson to act as a leader within the Church. This methodology will give time and resources back to our clergy so they can prioritize administering the sacraments to the Church militant. This should be the top priority of our priests and deacons.

Like the Father in a nuclear family, the priest is in charge of spiritual leadership, establishing rules, providing financially for the family, acting as a protector, serving as a role model, and giving emotional support.

We must continue to model the nuclear family established upon creation and “in the beginning.” We see this modeled in scripture and locked into covenant by Jesus Christ himself. Throughout history, we know the role of a child expands through maturity. The expectations of the oldest child are very different from the baby in the family. As young men and women grow, they are often expected to share parental roles with their younger siblings. This is intentional. Imitation helps teach adolescents how to develop into adults and start their own families. This was expected and very opposite of the current mindset in pre-formed America. A younger brother or sister may be expected to cook and clean while their Mother or Father is absent with other responsibilities.

The Church, as the body of Christ and a family, has the same expectations of the laity. While our Father is away, he established spiritual fathers in the Church to sustain and grow. While our spiritual fathers attend to our family's needs, the expectation to mature, lead, and teach our younger siblings becomes necessary. This is the spiritual milk that the Apostle Paul speaks of in his Epistles—the path to maturing as a Christian. The most significant mode of intimacy within a large body is to form smaller groups with older siblings to care for and guide the spiritually hungry. The goal of the layperson leader is not to act as a member of our clergy but instead to point people to the sacraments.

If the hands of our priests are an extension of Christ's hands, then the laity must become extensions of the hands of our priests. As our blessed and Holy Mother Mary points to Jesus, we should point to the sacraments and the Church to find our source and summit.

Christ, our leader. Jesus models leadership in scripture and the sacraments.

The attributes of a good leader have been widely explored and accepted through leadership principles, psychological research, and frameworks studied in organizational behavior and management theory. Christ himself modeled these characteristics to all Christians.

These attributes are but not limited to

1. Integrity

A good leader is honest, ethical, and transparent in their actions.

They build trust by staying true to their word and demonstrating consistency between their values and behavior.

2. Empathy

• Understanding and caring for the feelings and perspectives of others fosters strong relationships and motivates team members.

• Empathy helps leaders address challenges with compassion and fairness.

3. Effective Communication

• Good leaders articulate their vision, goals, and expectations clearly.

• They actively listen to others, provide constructive feedback, and foster an environment where open dialogue is encouraged.

4. Vision and Purpose

• Great leaders have a clear vision for the future and can inspire others to work toward that vision.

• They align team goals with a larger purpose to create a sense of direction.

5. Adaptability

• Flexibility in the face of change or challenges is crucial.

• Adaptable leaders can pivot strategies while staying focused on long-term goals.

6. Decisiveness

• Influential leaders make informed decisions promptly, balancing input from others with their judgment.

• They take responsibility for their choices and outcomes.

7. Accountability

• Leaders take ownership of their actions and encourage others to do the same.

• They create a culture of accountability by setting clear expectations and holding everyone, including themselves, to high standards.

8. Inspirational and Motivational

• Great leaders inspire others through their passion, optimism, and energy.

• They recognize individual contributions, foster morale, and help team members see their potential.

9. Competence and Confidence

• A leader’s expertise and confidence in their abilities instill trust and credibility.

• They lead by example, demonstrating proficiency and professionalism in their work.

10. Emotional Intelligence

• High EQ includes self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills.

• Leaders with strong EQ navigate interpersonal relationships effectively and manage their emotions under pressure.

11. Resilience

• Good leaders remain calm and composed during adversity, modeling perseverance and optimism.

• They help their teams stay focused and motivated despite setbacks.

12. Collaboration and Delegation

• Effective leaders foster teamwork, leveraging the strengths of their team members.

• They delegate tasks appropriately, empowering others while avoiding micromanagement.

The goal of Catechism with Catholics Over Coffee is to explore these attributes and learn how to apply these skill sets in a small group setting. A good leader can help facilitate conversations about the sacraments, which will foster intimacy and growth in the small group and create new leaders in the laity. A good leader can lead in any setting. This is why simple fishermen with no formal education were selected to lead and grow the infant Church of Christ. We become a temple for the Holy Spirit.

Bishop Robert Barron has emphasized the critical role of the laity in renewing and “saving” the Catholic Church, particularly in the context of these modern challenges of cultural Christianity. He frequently draws on the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, which highlighted the laity's mission to sanctify the world by bringing the Gospel into all areas of life, including politics, education, business, arts, and family.

Barron has criticized a Church model overly focused on internal structures and governance, urging a shift to a more outward mission. He proposes a return to the “Catholic Action” model, where laity are formed in their faith to engage with and evangelize society actively. He often speaks of the need for lay Catholics to live out their vocations vibrantly, embodying Gospel values in their professional and personal lives to transform culture and reinvigorate the Church’s mission in the world.

Our mission is to foster small groups. One of the primary groups will be to enable and train leaders to facilitate small groups emphasizing learning the sacraments and daily application in our lives. If you would like to learn more about The Final Summit ministry and the Catechism with Catholics Over Coffee podcast and leadership program, please check us out at thefinalsummit.com

You can also connect with us on social media or by email: yourfinalsummit@gmail.com

“We have to stop thinking of the Church as an institution that is managed by professionals while everyone else simply comes along for the ride. The laity must become active participants in the mission of the Church.” (Bishop Robert Barron — Word on Fire Journal)