So if we had the freedom to explore “outside the box” of current parish structures, what might we examine to help us move forward?

We know having a vision is absolutely critical to seeing and knowing where we are going. Some parishes are “mission-oriented” and are deeply committed to finding effective solutions for renewing parishes. Other parishes are “maintenance-oriented” and are simply keeping the status quo of current programs functioning. Here is the first battle before us – to get both the leadership AND parishioners on board with transforming the parish.

Looking At The Structure Of Our Formation

Because the emphasis of our formation is educational, our focus and structure is content driven. It is all about presenting the content at the appropriate age level, whether it has any impact or not. That is why we keep confirming many teens who don’t really believe in God. We are going through the motions without examining whether we have succeeded in our effort.

Another critical flaw within our focus and structure is that in addition to being content-driven, it is also time-driven. Most parishes lead their people through their RCIA program in one year (or 9 months). Why? Most of those programs have little to no evangelization because they have no time to present it.

Shift

What if we shifted our paradigm to make our focus and structure process-driven? We have a goal/mission of making disciples. What does it take to make a disciple? My experience has taught me that it takes two processes to make a disciple. I use the term process because it implies a need for more than just knowing the material.

The first process is to evangelize someone, to lead their heart to encounter the heart of God by receiving the activated indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. This is much more than telling someone “you received the Holy Spirit from a sacrament.”

The second process is the disciple formation process that is meant to not only educate them in what we as Catholics believe, but to show them how to engage in the life of the Holy Spirit so that we know how to operate in His life now!

If we were going to be faithful to the paradigm shift of being process-driven, we could not move into discipleship formation until we knew that they had been evangelized. Today, we are launching right into some elements of discipleship formation without ever evangelizing them first. This is why our Bishops have been calling for the New Evangelization.

The Apostles had very clear criteria to determine when someone was evangelized so they could begin the process of forming them in a new identity – disciple!

I believe that we must begin to ask the Holy Spirit how to do that in this current day and age. I know that the main reason for not making this kind of shift is the fear that we will lose our people or they will not know anything. While I can relate to that, I would counter with two points:

1. Our people are already leaving in droves and don’t know the Faith.
2. That fear is not from God!

Let us give them JESUS (Holy Spirit) FIRST!!