This week we invite you and your family to sign up to serve on Christmas Eve at the Fairgrounds. I know it seems far away but it will be here before you know it. Besides, if we wait till after Thanksgiving a lot of people have already made their Christmas plans and even if they […]
Church health and growth are dependent on many factors, for sure. But bottom line, at the end of the day, churches don’t grow because they’re not healthy. And they’re not healthy because they’re focused on themselves. For all the talk about evangelization these days, the truth is that many churches remain resolutely focused on themselves, […]
All of us, in our different ways, have struggled, and continue to struggle with the alarming and terrible news, currently coming at us on a daily basis regarding the larger Church community. My own statement, posted below, sums up much of my initial reaction, but more needs to be said. The blockbuster denunciation of the […]
The terrible news out of Pennsylvania this week brought revelations that our own former Archbishop was found by a Grand Jury to be criminally negligent. This, following revelations earlier this summer of multiple, credible charges of child abuse by the former Archbishop of Washington. Nativity stands in unity with Archbishop Lori and his official statement. […]
Here at Nativity, we’re currently immersed in one of our sacred summer rituals: housecleaning and reorganization. Over the years, we have worked to reduce the amount of storage onsite and move seasonal and long term storage off site. Each summer, we unpack these areas, reassess their contents, and get rid of anything that is outdated, […]
Culture is the blend of beliefs, customs, values, and vision as demonstrated in behavior and direction. Culture is, quite literally, who your church is. Most every church leader I know wants to shape a compelling culture that is, among other things, welcoming, accessible, attractive, inviting, engaging. At least, that’s what they say. But, it isn’t […]
Life magazine famously named 1968 “the year that changed history.” Certainly the multiplication of historic events that year earn it a noted place in the history books. And, among the events of special recognition was the establishment of our parish. Back then many suburban parishes in this country were bursting at the seams and North […]
As Carey Nieuwhof has pointed out in his excellent blog post, one often overlooked factor in the steady decline of church attendance has been the Church’s resistance to follow the culture into the technological era. We are living in a time when technology is an ever present mainstay in people’s lives, yet churchworld seems hesitant […]
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 […]
Painting a clear and compelling vision is key to any renewal. If you get your vision right, you will empower and equip your advocates, educate your bystanders and disarm your critics. Vision helps you start, maintain and continuously expand the growth of your parish. It helps you overcome supposedly insurmountable obstacles and will get you […]
