Since most parishes are still looking for the magic program or book to solve all their problems, others are using tried and true programs, such as Alpha, Cursio…, to help get some renewal going in their parishes. Yet each of these programs have a shelf life that, once used, leave the leadership asking what is next.

In recent blogs, I have been calling for a clear vision that people can follow. This vision can, like programs, become another temporary tool without having the necessary infrastructure to keep it going.

What is the value of declaring a vision for the future course when you have no real plan to get there?

What we desperately need to do is transform our current methods of function as a Catholic parish. We must change the culture in which we do things so that the goal we seek to accomplish (making disciples) is a natural function of BEING this new parish. The professionals in the business of Corporate Culture Change will tell you it takes three to five years to bring about effective changes within the culture.

Our cultural change is more difficult because parish leadership doesn’t have the threat of “buy in or you lose your job” to help “motivate” them to change. We are calling them to change because it is the right thing to do. This is a daunting task because most people don’t like to change.

The Death of Discipleship

Salvation is free but discipleship costs everything. This is the reality for every person in the Church. From Pope to the newest convert, all of us must decide that we are going to give God everything. While each parish has ten to fifteen percent of individuals who are trying to live like this, the rest are not willing to sacrifice.

Nine years ago, when I started New Evangelization Ministries, I presented to Pastors the need to develop a Spirit Led Pastoral Evangelization Plan. Once I described what that looked like, they quickly dismissed it in the hopes that they could accomplish their parish conversion with an easier method.

I totally understand their hesitancy, because what I was describing was horrifyingly similar to the process of constructing a new church building. The sheer volume of work in that is enough to make anyone run away. Yet, it is wise to grow with strategic planning leading the way.

Just like constructing a new church, transforming the parish (people) will require a plan that can chart a path of action, sustain the growth, evaluate our efforts, alter our methods as needed and make the disciples our Church desperately needs.  

As daunting as this is, we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is the only one who knows how to transform each parish and is waiting for us to ask and wait for the answer. We must learn how to entrust this process to THE architect for making parishes – The Holy Spirit.