"God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission." -- Blessed John Henry Newman
The statistics are heartbreaking. In 2007, 24 percent of Americans identified as Catholic. By 2014, that had dropped to 21 percent. The number of people who claim no religious affiliation has surpassed Catholics and evangelicals, making "nones" the largest religious group in the United States. Catholics are simply walking away from the Church.
Yet there are many committed, faithful Catholics who desperately want to stem this tide. We are here, in this moment, and are called to be part of the mission, for the sake of our members, and for those who are still outside the Church. Yet while we long for this renewal, we are often at a loss as to how to accomplish it in a practical way. What steps do we take? How do we start, and how do we continue? How will we measure success -- and how long will it take?
In Made for Mission: Renewing Your Parish Culture, author and speaker Tim Glemkowski offers four keys that can radically change parish culture:
- Cast the vision
- Prioritize a clear path to discipleship
- Mobilize leaders
- Align everything
Implementing these four keys over time, parishes can become not simply gathering places for worship but seedbeds of discipleship and missionary outposts of the New Evangelization. This book is a must-read for Catholic clergy, lay parish staff, anyone working in ministry, and any dedicated parishioner who is passionate about renewing the Church.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Glemkowski is an international speaker and the founder and president of L'Alto Catholic Institute. He is also cofounder and president of Revive Parishes, an online formation platform for parish leaders. Tim has served in various roles in evangelization, including teaching high school theology, with youths and young adult ministry at a parish, and as a director of evangelization and catechesis. He double-majored in theology and philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville and has a master's in theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado.
