Here is an important word to help our churches grow: WIN. I am not using this to describe competition, sports or tournaments. Rather, I would like to share one process in evangelization.
In 2014-2015 our employees read the book Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter. It was a cool book from a Catholic Church and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to grow in evangelization. Here is a taste of how this book is summarized with their work:
“Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life.
Rebuilt is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.”
The authors used a process of “Win, build and send” to focus evangelization.
“WIN” is a process of inviting, encouraging and welcoming brothers and sisters to meet our family in our Catholic Church. At the same time, we must deepen a relationship with our family, our friends, our coworkers, our neighbors and our community.
How do we WIN in our parishes? Here are a few in which we already do: • Donuts, coffee or breakfasts after Sunday Masses. These offer both food and fellowship to deepen relationships in our parishes; • Big events (like the Fall Dinner in International Falls on the way, or events during the 4th of July, Labor Day, etc. in both International Falls and Littlefork).
• St. Thomas Aquinas School as new families, parishioners and new members that join a number of occasions (ex. Silent Auction, Grandfathers and Grandmothers lunch, concerts, etc.)
• Missions (Advent and Lent with speakers, priests, music and prayer).
Let us discern how to WIN people to enjoy our families in our Catholic Church. Through this discernment and serving, we will get bigger!
In 2014-2015 our employees read the book Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter. It was a cool book from a Catholic Church and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to grow in evangelization. Here is a taste of how this book is summarized with their work:
“Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life.
Rebuilt is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.”
The authors used a process of “Win, build and send” to focus evangelization.
“WIN” is a process of inviting, encouraging and welcoming brothers and sisters to meet our family in our Catholic Church. At the same time, we must deepen a relationship with our family, our friends, our coworkers, our neighbors and our community.
How do we WIN in our parishes? Here are a few in which we already do: • Donuts, coffee or breakfasts after Sunday Masses. These offer both food and fellowship to deepen relationships in our parishes; • Big events (like the Fall Dinner in International Falls on the way, or events during the 4th of July, Labor Day, etc. in both International Falls and Littlefork).
• St. Thomas Aquinas School as new families, parishioners and new members that join a number of occasions (ex. Silent Auction, Grandfathers and Grandmothers lunch, concerts, etc.)
• Missions (Advent and Lent with speakers, priests, music and prayer).
Let us discern how to WIN people to enjoy our families in our Catholic Church. Through this discernment and serving, we will get bigger!
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