1) Yesterday I was talking with a couple who are recent regulars to our parish. They were not attending Catholic Church previously, though they were both raised Catholic (including, of course, Catholic school). Nevertheless they’re people of amazing faith in Christ. As I listened to them tell me their story I started thinking… You can […]
Category: Making Church Matter
This past week I attended a church conference in North Carolina (with my associate Tom) keynoted by Pastor Perry Noble. Perry is pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in the country so obviously he knows something about church growth and health. Perry has some strong opinions about the problems which are inhibiting church […]
Those of you new to this site or our parish might not know that this week we’re moving. We’re moving our entire church exactly one mile north, to the corner of Timonium and York Road, where were celebrating Easter at the Maryland State Fair. We’ll be doing two Masses on Sunday morning as well as […]
The Church is God’s work and God’s handiwork. As people who work in church we need to turn to him and depend upon him and let him shape our work. Often in churchworld dependence on God can become either an excuse for not working hard or an excuse for downplaying the importance of our efforts. […]
Every industry has realities and aspects that differentiate it from other industries. What is normal in one industry is not found in another. There are industry standards and practices that must be followed in a certain way or at a certain time because that’s the way it is. People who succeed in those industries understand […]
Every weekend is special because we get to worship God, receive our Savior and help reintroduce people to him too. Every weekend is special, but this weekend will be different. And that’s not so much a promise as it is a warning. If you have ever spent even a little time around here, you know […]
Two interesting things happened this past week for the people who work here at Church of the Nativity. First, we had our biggest (non-Christmas/non Easter) weekend ever. Over 4200 people (that’s a lot of people). The energy and life of the place was palpable and exciting. What a great way to kick off a New […]
“This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2.12 For a lot of people, Christmas comes down to Christmas Eve, and Christmas Eve comes down to getting it over with, starting with Church. As a result, the vast majority of people try […]
People are leaving the Catholic Church in droves. It’s an exodus that’s beginning to look like a stampede. You already know this from your circle of family and friends, I do from mine. But more than our antidotal experience a simple staggering fact tells the story. Currently one in three Catholics have walked away from […]
A few years ago we decided to take a Saturday morning and bring together our parish staff and parish council. The focus of the meeting was a discussion on the purpose of the parish: our mission, vision and strategy. What we found at that time surprised us: there was far less shared understanding about who […]
