Five Ways to Grow your Parish

         Adding members to your parish is always desirable because increased church membership means more community and more people bringing time, talent and treasure to your church.  You will also be able to spread the good news to more people.  It is not difficult to expand the number of people who enthusiastically attend your services.  Making some small changes will make for standing room only.

         1.  Increase Expectations:  This is something parish leaders tend to be hesitant to do because they believe that if they are too hard on people they will not attend church.  It turns out the opposite is true!  Parishes that set their expectations high see a greater better attendance rate than those with lower responsibility on the parts of parishioners. 

People want to be a part of something that is significant.  While some people attend church because they feel guilty if they don’t, this can wear off over time, especially since most Americans today attend church less than once a week.  In an environment like that, people begin to justify not going to church because others they know do not attend and they seem like good people.  Even for those who do go to church every Sunday, it can become something that is seen as a chore and is done and forgotten once they leave the church grounds.  Obviously, this is not idea.  Church leaders want parishioners to carry God’s message with them constantly.  The reason for attending services is to know God better and to get closer to him.  Otherwise it is almost like entering, saying a short “hi” to God, and then leaving without further discourse or contemplation.  Increasing the expectations of church goers will bring together what priests and ministers aim to do:  it will help parishioners know God better, it will increase the spirituality of parishioners, and it will increase the number of parishioners in your church.

         You want to start out relatively small and gradually work your way up to higher expectations.  For instance, start out explaining why it is important to be on time for church and why people should stay until the end.  When folks do come in late, the priest or minister might look at them in a fatherly, “I’m disappointed” way.  This works well if you are an involved priest or minister because your parish members are your children and when you act as such, parishioners respond accordingly.

         2.  Always show you are happy to be there.  Sure there are times when you are tired or just not in the mood to deal with every perceived or real crises people come to you with.  But while God is the ultimate leader of the church, people look to you as an example.  Always want to be there for God and his people.  This will have an amazing effect on parishioners.  Your happiness to be there worshipping with parish members will be contagious and pretty soon they will look forward to attending services.

         3.  Provide a parish newsletter.  Most churches provide bulletins containing information about upcoming events, letters from the pastor and sections where volunteers are thanked for their hard work.  The newsletter serves a different purpose.  If it is written and illustrated well, it helps parishioners understand God’s word more deeply.  Most services last only an hour and that just isn’t enough time to explain the week’s readings in depth.  Most priests and ministers do a wonderful job explaining the meat and potatoes of the readings, and some even include a short statement about how to implement God’s word into the parishioners’ daily lives.  Implementation of God’s word on an everyday basis is of such importance it needs a section all its own.  This is where the newsletter comes in.  It allows people to read more about the lessons of the week when they are not distracted by children running up the church isle, people coughing, texting and talking.  In addition, a newsletter is fabulous for explaining other things that is crucial to Christianity that the church rarely has the time to explain.  You can have volunteers run the newsletter.  There are many people sitting in the pews looking for opportunities to help the church, but have schedules that will not accommodate a strict schedule.  The newsletter editor and his volunteers can do most of the work from home.  In addition, many people are passionate about their faith and are eager to share it with others.  The newsletter gives these people the opportunity to do just that.

         4.  Now and then take time to explain exactly what is being done and why.  When parishioners truly understand what is happening and its significance, they are more likely to embrace it with enthusiasm rather than just going through the motions.  For instance, a priest recently took the time to explain why Catholics make the sign of the cross and what it means.  Another priest once explained why it is important to dress respectfully for church.  These explanations coming from a trusted and respected priest or minister tend to be met with more faithful execution from those in the pews.

         5.  Make a showing at events.  Whenever possible, the pastor or minister might consider making at least a short appearance at church events. This boosts enthusiasm.  And when those attending the event tell others the priest or pastor showed up, more people are likely to attend the next church event.

         Go at the pace you think your parishioners will respond best to.  Remember, the above suggestions do not all have to be implemented at once.  Put them in place over time and watch your parish soar to new heights.

 

 

Five Ways to Find Your Calling

         As devoted Christians we realize that answering the call of God is of utmost importance.  How can we rightly serve God if we do not know what he is asking of us?  We are aware that God expects us to forgive, to act kindly, to avoid bad behavior, to be patient and to do our best to avoid falling into sin.  But what, specifically, is it in terms of our careers, family and volunteer work that God is asking of us?  For some people, the answer to this question seems to be dropped in their laps from God himself.  Others must work quite hard to figure out what they are here to do.  For those who are unsure of God’s calling for them, the answer might seem to change constantly.  Others never seem to find their calling and they remain as confused in mid-life as they were as teenagers.

         While only God knows what he has in mind for you, and only he will let you know what that calling is in his time, there are some hints you might be missing.  Why waste another day wondering?  These five ways to find your calling will help you assess whether or not you are on the right path.  They will also help those of you who are so lost you don’t know where to begin.

      What talents do you have?

      There is a strong temptation to enter into a field that pays well.  And there is nothing wrong with earning a good living, so long as you are responsible and generous!  The problem comes in when we try to do something we are not very good at because we want the rewards of having a certain position.  The truth is, God gave you – yes YOU - specific gifts he expects you to use.  If you are highly creative and are going for a degree in accounting you might be off track.  God never gives us a good set of skills he does not intend for us to use in some positive way.  It can take some research and soul-searching, but somewhere there is a need for your unique skill set.

      What’s your passion?

      This one is a little trickier because our passions sometimes get in the way of what we are called to do, especially if we are making something important to us that is not important to God.  For instance, many people have a passion for the outdoors, the arts, politics and religion.  But there is only so much need for certain things that many people are passionate about.  This does not mean you should not take your passion into consideration – not by a long shot.  What you are passionate about may be your calling.  Read on.

      What makes you want to pursue your passion?

      Try to think like Jesus.  When did Jesus put his own desires and needs before that of his people?  He didn’t.  Likewise, if your passion is say, politics, what do you want to do regarding politics?  Run for office?  If so, why?  If you long for a political career mainly for the opportunity to control the lives of others or for the privileges that come with being a politician, you can safely say you are pursuing the wrong dream.  As a Christian, you are to put God first and others before yourself.  That’s quite a concept in today’s world.  And for the Christian politician, this means you absolutely must do what is right according to the Constitution because you swear to uphold it.  If you want to become a politician because you want to change people’s lives without their say-so, move on, soldier.  The same concept can be applied to any passion.

      How will I contribute to the lives of others?

      You can help others directly (nurse) or indirectly (engineer), but what you do must be for the good of others, not only yourself.  While almost any job will cater to some need people have, you must be able to carry out your duties with a spirit similar to that of Jesus.  If you show up for work only for the paycheck, you are probably in the wrong field.  Moreover, some people find themselves bored during the work day and wind up wasting a lot of time on social networks.  But you are being paid to work, not to network.  How do you think God feels about your goofing off half the day and getting paid for a full day’s work? 

      Try It!

      After thoroughly praying about, thinking about and assessing what your calling might be, as long as you are painfully honest with yourself – try it!  Of course, if you are not good at math but have always loved the idea of designing fighter planes, your passion might be ahead of your abilities.

            Many people stress over the fact that they have such a desire to do something, but not the ability.  Don’t worry about it.  Remember, our motives are often self-serving and not of God, even if we do not always recognize it.  If you have an idea to do something that utilizes your unique talents and passions, and the reason you are passionate about it is more than self-serving rewards, give it a go.  Even if you are initially wrong about the direction you are taking, God will help you find the right path.

            The main idea is to give of yourself using the talents and skills God has blessed you with.  Remember that you are working for God above all and others before yourself and you almost can’t go wrong.  If you keep your mind and heart focused in this way, you will be in constant prayer with God.  So evaluate your talents, skills and passions, then get to work.  By actively seeking the Will of God, he will guide you to where he intends for you to be in every aspect of your life.