Parish Renewal

You are here: > >

There clear pathways to parish vitality. Thriving parishes consider the strategic questions regarding identity, capacity and purpose. To thrive, and not merely survive in the years ahead, vital parishe must remain true to identity, leverage capacity and communicate a compelling sense of purpose. These parishes will revitalize the congregations and mobilize people around an urgent and evangelizing plan of action. This conviction is at the heart of the Pathways to Parish Vitality project. Consider the resources provided at:

www.parishvitality.net

to obtain resources, best practices and practical strategies for: equipping leaders building organizational capacity for growth connecting, welcoming and engaging spiritual seekers fostering spiritual growth in all generations.

"Real effectiveness... less from doing more things and more from doing the right things."

The Good News is that people are just as receptive to God and open to the invitation of faith as ever. The bad news is that in the new religious landscape we can no longer presume that people will come to us. We must also reach out to them. We do this because Jesus did and He gave this great commission to us. He connected with people. He welcomed people. He engaged people in God's mission on earth. Revitalizing a parish can be as simple as connecting, welcoming and engaging people in the life and mission of Jesus.

CONNECT

How do we connect with people? Every conversation is an opportunity to connect with people. Sometimes people just show up. They arrive unexpectedly for the funeral of a loved one. This is a point of contact. How do we respond? Do we connect with them or just observe them as they come and go? When a young person is confirmed, is that the last that we plan to see them or is the next invitation already prepared? When an unemployed person approaches the church requesting assistance it is a moment of spiritual crisis in the person’s life. How do we respond? Do we just hand them a meal voucher and let them leave or do we include a word of encouragement and a pledge of prayerful support? And do we bother to stay connected to those who just show up? Read more about connecting... in person, online, etc.

WELCOME

In order for parishioners and visitors to engage with the parish, they must feel welcomed. People can find a church online but technology only goes so far. Some churches expend significant funds on a sophisticated media campaign and connect with large numbers of people who then visit the church only to be disappointed by the lack of welcome. Media campaigns can swell attendance temporarily. Attention will fade as fast as it swells unless there is a community committed to welcome the stranger. This requires a commitment to hospitality. Read more about strategies for welcome...

ENGAGE

We engage people in conversations. We engage colleagues in tasks at work. We engage donors in needed projects for the community. Parishes can engage people too. Whether it is a new family that shows up at church on Sunday or working with a young person in a service project at a local soup kitchen, an essential goal of parish evangelization is engaging people in the mission of Christ. In some ways parish engagement is different. According to the often cited Gallup research, people invest in churches only when the heart is engaged. People do this consciously as they answer these four questions:

What do I get? (answer: clear expectations and benefits)
What can I give? (answer: a place to do what I do best)
Do I belong? (answer: I matter – I am known, my spiritual growth and opinions really matter)
Can we grow together? (answer: I grow in my faith and so is the church community)