At this time of the year, we see lots of people in their brown missions shirts at Nativity, many serving here in our city of Baltimore. Others go further afield. Their send-off Mass a few weeks ago offered an impressive sight: nearly 100 missionaries serving in Haiti, Kenya, and West Virginia. Relief work is sometimes […]
Category: Discipleship
Around here we like to talk about our “Rally Cry” or what our friend Patrick Lencioni calls “the thing that must be done now.” This time last year it was obviously finishing the new church building (which we did, ahead of schedule, under budget, and with no debt). Next, it was our annual signature event, […]
We say as a parish that our goal is… every member a minister (and if Nativity is where you typically go to church, you are a member). And this weekend is a very special weekend for us, as we welcome commitments from members to join us as ministers. A minister is kind of like a […]
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. […]
This Advent our message series is focusing on giving and growing in generosity. And in this season and this series we will focus on both. This weekend will bring our annual Missions Weekend, highlighting our partners in Haiti and Kenya, while also supporting our partners in Nigeria. We’re offering the opportunity to sponsor a child […]
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. Matthew 25:16-17 Look at that first word. “Immediately.” The first two servants immediately do something with the master’s money that benefits the master. They invest the money, doubling it. Knowing that […]
This weekend is our annual Fall Small Group Launch, an opportunity for parishioners who don’t have a group to give it a try. Our Small Group Team will be hosting sign-ups all weekend long, just off the Concourse, offering opportunities for all kinds of groups (men’s, women’s, mixed, affinity) at nearly any time or day […]
For the vast majority of Catholics in the world, the faith is lived and learned and experienced in the local parish. The parish is the heart of the Church. But our hearts aren’t always that healthy. It’s an encouraging sign that there are a growing number of parishes and organizations who are making good progress […]
We have a saying here at Nativity: “You’re always in a season.” Just as in nature, we always find ourselves in corresponding seasons of growth and fertility, seasons of maturation and harvest, seasons of decline and death. Knowing what “season” you and your church are in can be a great help for reflecting on the […]
Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. Jesus said: “Roll away the stone.” John 11.40 As odd as it sounds, recent statistics consistently show that many people who don’t go to church or describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated, nevertheless still profess a belief in God and […]
