After much preparation, we are more than excited to welcome church leaders from 30 states and 10 countries to REBUILT18. I am a big believer in conferences, especially going to conferences at a local church where you get a real feel for the people, the community and what makes it work and how it honors […]
We are currently preparing for our REUILT 2018 Conference in which we’ll be welcoming parish leaders from 30 states and 10 countries. We’ll be spending two days talking about church health and growth. Healthy churches are growing churches, because healthy things grow. Growth might come in different ways in different seasons: growth in discipleship, worship, […]
Easter is here and we know that our churches will be filled with visitors and new comers and lots and lots of unchurched people. This can be a golden opportunity to make a connection with them…or not. Whoever you are, whatever your role at your parish, whatever kind of parish you have, there are at […]
Every church has its own unique culture. And, to a certain degree, you can have any kind of culture you want. For instance, we have a fairly casual culture on our staff, you might prefer a more formal style. It doesn’t matter what kind of culture you have as long as it’s healthy. Of course, […]
From time to time I like to reward my regular blog readers with a little insider information, ahead of church wide announcements. Here at the mid-mark for the season of Lent, with spring just around the corner and Easter close on the heels of that, here’s an update on what is happening here at Nativity. […]
Although Canon Law dictates that each parish is placed under the leadership of a pastor, appointed and installed by the bishop, there are dozens of different types of church leadership structures. There are pastors who are “one man shows” and hold the reigns tight when it comes to decision making. There are “absentee landlords” who […]
Your parish relies on many forms of communication to get the word out about what you want your parishioners to know and what you want them to do. These include your bulletin, bulletin boards, signage, web site and, increasingly, social media. But, consider the oldest, old school communication you use: the announcements at Mass. We […]
Lent is an annual season of preparation for Easter. The faithful and those new to faith are encouraged to greater attention to the word of God as they grow more deeply as disciples of Christ. Renewed efforts in prayer, penance, and giving nobly characterize this season. At Nativity there are a wealth of opportunities to […]
When our parish was founded 50 years ago, there was an established way in which a parish was a parish. Just follow the playbook and all will be well. Looking back, it was probably that very year of 1968 that served as a threshold to cataclysmic cultural and social changes that have changed everything, including […]
Let us go out to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose I have come. Mark 1:38 A really pivotal scene unfolds at the end of the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel. After an intense day of preaching and teaching the crowds and healing the sick, Jesus goes off by […]
