The Mission-Driven Parish
The Spirit of Christ charges and equips the Church for
its missionary purpose. Stop and estimate the average age of people who attend Mass with you on Sunday. Some parishes would be shocked to discover that they are a second-half-of-life congregation in a first-half-of-life culture. In the 21st Century, congregations cannot continue to grow from birth rates and immigration as had occurred in previous centuries. Churches that want to grow today must be intentional about growth. Thriving parishes will start by revitalizing the congregation and respond creatively to the calls Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI for a New Evangelization. These churches will regain the missionary purpose for the community.
Some of the latest church growth metrics being introduced today suggest that church growth may be more influenced by transformation than production. In some ways, church marketing is like internet marketing. The paradox of being an attractive church in the contemporary culture may be that we generate more attention by scattering people than by gathering them. If so, growth is more about church mobilization and transformation and less about program preservation. This is an entirely new scorecard for most churches. It rejects the tried and tired notion that success comes from being a destination church with sensational worship, exciting youth programming and charismatic leadership. A new scorecard counts the numbers and impact of parishioners out in the community. According to Ed Stetzer of Outreach Magazine, "the great goal transformational churches hold in mind is to help every community experience the impact of the kingdom of God. Moving away from the church property, they hope to deliver Jesus where He is not known and justice where oppression rears its insidious head."
Church matters. But we have too many churches that are about themselves and not God’s kingdom agenda. Talking to churches experiencing transformation has increased my hope in what God is doing today. I am more confident than ever that He is using His people as a symbol and a sign of His kingdom.
Thriving parishes will continue to exercise creative fidelity in the years ahead - true to their Catholic identity while responding to emerging pastoral needs in creative ways: pursue activities that cause vitality and growth, encourage small church communities, foster stewardship and provide a sticky experience of church. These parishes take the time to view the congregation from the perspective of an outsider - Does the parish connect with new people,welcome newcomers and engage members in the parish mission? This is evident in the very culture of a vital parish. A vital parish is mission-driven.
Some of the latest church growth metrics being introduced today suggest that church growth may be more influenced by transformation than production. In some ways, church marketing is like internet marketing. The paradox of being an attractive church in the contemporary culture may be that we generate more attention by scattering people than by gathering them. If so, growth is more about church mobilization and transformation and less about program preservation. This is an entirely new scorecard for most churches. It rejects the tried and tired notion that success comes from being a destination church with sensational worship, exciting youth programming and charismatic leadership. A new scorecard counts the numbers and impact of parishioners out in the community. According to Ed Stetzer of Outreach Magazine, "the great goal transformational churches hold in mind is to help every community experience the impact of the kingdom of God. Moving away from the church property, they hope to deliver Jesus where He is not known and justice where oppression rears its insidious head."
Church matters. But we have too many churches that are about themselves and not God’s kingdom agenda. Talking to churches experiencing transformation has increased my hope in what God is doing today. I am more confident than ever that He is using His people as a symbol and a sign of His kingdom.
Thriving parishes will continue to exercise creative fidelity in the years ahead - true to their Catholic identity while responding to emerging pastoral needs in creative ways: pursue activities that cause vitality and growth, encourage small church communities, foster stewardship and provide a sticky experience of church. These parishes take the time to view the congregation from the perspective of an outsider - Does the parish connect with new people,welcome newcomers and engage members in the parish mission? This is evident in the very culture of a vital parish. A vital parish is mission-driven.
Missionary Churches are Engaging Churches
According to significant research that is being done on a unprecedented scale - global and across all denominations, a thriving church culture is founded upon empowering leadership, gift-based ministry involvement, needs-oriented outreach, structures that facilitate parish mission, passionate spirituality, inspiring worship, holistic small groups, and loving relationships.
Gallup explored how to grow a spiritually committed congregation with the help of thousands of congregations across all denominations here in the U.S. and developed an engagement hierarchy that is present in any thriving church culture and which causes a level of spiritual commitment that is evident in exemplary levels of satisfaction, service, invitations, and financial support. A thriving church is one that answers four basic questions:
What do I get? People are attracted to a church where they are spiritually nourished and have clear expectations for involvement and membership.
What can I give? People are attracted to a church where opportunities to contribute - "a place to do what I do best", "where I am recognized for my contributions", "where leaders care about me as a person".
Do I belong? People are attracted to a church where "my opinion counts", "others are just as committed to spiritual growth", "I have important friends in the congregation".
Can we grow together? People are attracted to a church where there is mutual benefit - "I have opportunities to learn and grow", "I see recent progress in my spiritual development", "Others care about my spiritual growth".
Gallup explored how to grow a spiritually committed congregation with the help of thousands of congregations across all denominations here in the U.S. and developed an engagement hierarchy that is present in any thriving church culture and which causes a level of spiritual commitment that is evident in exemplary levels of satisfaction, service, invitations, and financial support. A thriving church is one that answers four basic questions:
What do I get? People are attracted to a church where they are spiritually nourished and have clear expectations for involvement and membership.
What can I give? People are attracted to a church where opportunities to contribute - "a place to do what I do best", "where I am recognized for my contributions", "where leaders care about me as a person".
Do I belong? People are attracted to a church where "my opinion counts", "others are just as committed to spiritual growth", "I have important friends in the congregation".
Can we grow together? People are attracted to a church where there is mutual benefit - "I have opportunities to learn and grow", "I see recent progress in my spiritual development", "Others care about my spiritual growth".
vitality, evangelization, new evangelization, parish, renewal, innovation, pastoral planning, innovation