Last week I introduced the five “best practices” for revitalizing the Catholic Church as presented in Everyone Leads by Chris Lowney. Again, they are entrepreneurial, accountable, serve the poor, transform each worshipper’s heart and soul, and reach out to those beyond our own church doors. I have invited you to think about the ways we are trying to be entrepreneurial, and have invited you to share your wisdom in what more we can do.
Our mission is to lead others to become faithful Disciples of Jesus Christ in such a way that we work together as community to make the world the way God wants it to be. By being entrepreneurial Lowney says we must become “more nimble, exploit modern technology, express our message creatively, share information more widely, empower our laity, vary prayer and worship styles to accommodate our diverse populations, offer meaningful spiritual growth opportunities, make better use of our talent, and overall, be not only open to new ways of doing things but eagerly seek new approaches.” (Lowney p.82)
Through the wisdom of our Operations Team our use of technology has increased a great deal over the years. Our A/V system has increased participation at Mass due to the projected readings and music on the screen. People with hearing and visual difficulties have appreciated the ability to follow along with the readings without need of a book. Non-Catholics and visitors feel welcome, and some people who have been away from church have started to return due to our use of technology.
We have eliminated the clutter of bulletin boards and installed message boards at each of the doors and in the hall to share more information. Our greeters provide a warm welcome to everyone prompting many compliments from visitors. Many invitations have been extended to join our welcoming parish community.
Our renovations bring us closer to the altar and make the sanctuary handicap accessible. Angling the pews has helped us in visually forming a community of faith. The family room enable those with small children to see the sanctuary rather than people’s backsides during worship.
In formation, we are trying to make use of people’s busy schedules by having “one-stop shopping” with worship and formation on the weekend. As a stewardship parish, we are inviting all to participate in the ministries of the parish so that “everyone can lead” and share their gifts, skills and talents with the community.”
These are just some of the ways we have been entrepreneurial, I am sure I have missed many, are there other ways we can be creative in ministry today?