Many of the articles here focus on how to turn parishes toward a mission mentality, to become apostolic parishes eager to evangelize. There are a lot of “action items.” Perhaps it is the most necessary time to stake a spiritual claim for silence. After a year and a half of planning, I went on an…
Welcome back to our “Starting Conversations” series, a set of shareable articles for parish staffs, councils, and small groups. Share this prompt with your community and have a good conversation that leads to understanding, assessment, and thoughtful action for evangelizing parishes. As I am no longer a young adult, I write as a late middle…
I have to admit that back when I was a college professor, I got heartily tired of all the academic effusion about teaching leadership, offering leadership studies, and more. Even though I had a lot of genuine admiration for the literature of servant leadership and prophetic leadership, I couldn’t help but think–is everyone actually called…
Welcome back to the conclusion of our three part series on funding the Great Commission. Two weeks ago we introduced Part 1: Do you need money to foster an apostolic parish? One week ago, Part 2: Is your parish keeping its money from the Great Commission? Welcome to Part 3 of 3: But we’re just…
Does it take money to become an apostolic parish? Last week, in Part 1, I answered NO. This week, in Part 2 of 3, I begin with a great big HOWEVER…. Next week (Part 3), I share a bit about the bigger problem. Last week I made the argument that becoming an evangelizing parish does…
“We don’t have the money for that.” “We can barely pay the staff we have.” “We don’t have the budget for risks. We need to be good stewards here.” Money is a point of pain for so many in parishes and dioceses: asking for it, stewarding it, spending it, talking about it. And when parishes…
Welcome back to our Starting Conversations series, a short shareable article for staff, councils, small group studies, and more to discuss. This one may be controversial, which can make for a spirited time together! May God bless your conversation. Let’s begin at the beginning. What does it take to be better at what matters? I…
A Missionary Discipleship Daily Examen A daily general examen is a beloved prayer from Ignatian spirituality. It is meant to be 15-20 minutes of your day, usually at the end, where you place your day before God and look for where he was especially close, and how you responded to his presence. It is meant…
Creative, effective training for mission I help… Online recorded talk sample here. Get to know Susan. Talks: Knowing the Next Move: Engaging the Year of Mission (for priests, parish staffs, dioceses; keynote or workshop) Parishes are dying. Parishes don’t know how to live the Great Commission in a secular culture. The number of practicing Catholics…
Welcome back to another “starting conversations” article. Feel free to share with your staff, volunteers, prayer group, social media friends to initiate some specific conversation on evangelization. God bless your discussion! It’s late summer and people are swimming. What better time to offer a parable for becoming an evangelizing parish? …Once there was a person…