Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter

by Michael J. White, Thomas W. Corcoran

Overview

"Our parish wasn't working," said the leaders of a Catholic church in Maryland "We didn't know how to fix it. We can learn from churches that are getting it right." 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594713866
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	02/25/2013
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michael White received his bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland and his graduate degrees in sacred theology and ecclesiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After being ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, he worked for five years as personal secretary to William Cardinal Keeler, who was then archbishop. During that time, he served as the director of the papal visit of Pope John Paul II to Baltimore.

During his tenure as pastor at Church of the Nativity, the church has almost tripled in weekend attendance from 1,400 to over 4,000. More importantly, the commitment to the mission of the Church has grown, evidenced by the significant increase of giving and service in ministry.

Thomas Corcoran received his bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland and completed his graduate work in theology with Franciscan University of Steubenville. Corcoran has served Church of the Nativity in a variety of roles that give him a unique perspective on parish ministry and leadership. Beginning as a youth minister, Corcoran later held positions as coordinator of children's ministry and director of small groups. He currently serves in the position of associate to the pastor and is responsible for weekend message development, strategic planning, and staff development.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

Introduction: Convenient Parking 1

Part I Naming the Problem 13

1 Church Is Not Easy 15

2 Pharisees at Heart 25

Part II Finding a Way Forward 35

3 Lost People in Churchworld 37

4 War in Heaven 49

5 Pretty Churches and Other Lies 67

Part III Developing the Strategy 85

6 "Its the Weekend, Stupid!" 87

7 Mobilize the Next Generation 115

8 Make the Message Matter 129

9 Build from Below 151

10 Don't Rob God 171

11 Get the Parish Out of the Pews 189

12 Be Restorers 205

13 Fall in Love 223

14 Lead Where You Serve 241

15 You Can Do This! 255

Appendix A A Detailed Example of Changing Our Culture 263

Appendix B A Few of the (Many) Things We Still Don't Know 269

Appendix C Naming the Change: Mission, Vision, and Strategy 275

Notes 281

Editorial Reviews

Cardinal Timothy Dolan ends the preface to this guide to congregational resurrection by declaring, "If you love your parish, read this book!" Readers must be open-minded as White, a pastor, and Corcoran, his lay associate, explain how they revitalized their suburban parish of "demanding consumers" -- "convenient parking" was the top reason parishioners chose the church -- into a vibrant community of disciples. Essentially a how-to manual, it is easy to read, filled with stories, lists and action items directed at priests, lay ministers, and concerned parishioners. But the authors also admit that they lost many parishioners along the way, and they are unapologetic about angering those opposed to change. They also don't concern themselves with major disagreements within the church, but focus on issues of parish culture. They borrow extensively from evangelical culture, especially megachurch pastors Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. In their efforts to reach the lost, the authors remain humble, wondering in the end if they still cross the line into pandering to consumers. Their model may not appeal to all, but they offer a starting point to address the critical issue of Catholics leaving the church.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly

Having successfully revived a moribund Roman Catholic parish, the Church of the Nativity in Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland, Pastor White and pastoral associate Corcoran describe, with much humor and many practical tips, their successes and failures as they stumbled through the process. Using as a model a Protestant megachurch, White and his staff examined what was working and what they needed to improve, and took bold steps to get their parishioners to be not just consumers but active ministers to each other and missionaries to others, all the while remaining faithful to the Catholic tradition. If ideas seemed to work well for other communities, they tried them, no matter the source. In doing so, the staff created a vibrant parish with actively participating parishioners. The authors frequently refer to their fairly comprehensive website associated with this book. VERDICT With its combination of scriptural quotations, reminiscences, descriptions of specific steps taken, and honest evaluations of what worked and what did not, this volume could serve as a guide to the revival of any community or organization, not just a Catholic parish. With a foreword by Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan of New York.—Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ

Library Journal