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 […]
When we first started studying healthy, growing, Evangelical churches around the country one of the things we learned about was Small Groups. The concept was not entirely unheard of in Catholic parishes, as the Renew program, widely used a number of years ago, was based on small group discussion, as a form of adult education. […]
One of the major events that we’re already working on is our first ever Rebuilt Conference, April 16 & 17. Actually it’s not really a first, more like a fourth. Back about five years ago we decided to host a first ever Conference for Catholic churches, such as we had experienced in Evangelical churches. Part […]
Most church leaders I know would love to see their church grow. As a pastor or pastoral leader it is very gratifying to experience growth. At the same time, there is often criticism and complaint directed toward churches that are actually growing. A pastor I know recently commented on a growing “mega-church” in his region […]
