How do lively and attractive parishes stir up activity and enthusiasm? Usually, five (5) habits are involved, according to a recent piece in U.S. Catholic monthly!
Kristen Hannum writes about this in the March 2014 issue of the magazine. She talks with experts who share ingredients that prove to be key parts of a recipe for success.
Father Tom Sweetser, S.J., director of the Milwaukee-based Parish Evaluation Project, offers a wide range of suggestions for shaking up the ordinary in parish life:
singing a song as a round at Mass;
sending a thank-you note via the children to get parents’ attention;
serving cocoa to volunteers after shoveling snow for the homebound;
sticking a dollar under a front row seat to get people to sit closer for a talk.
“These small, creative gestures are what people remember and get them to show up in the first place, and has them coming back for more,” Fr. Sweetser says. “The best parish practices are the little things that are done with imagination and forethought.”
From the secrets shared by those parishes considered the most lively and effective, five key strategies emerge:
1. Make a good first impression
2. Metrics matter -- Pay attention to details
Keeping track of results is part of understanding whether those little changes are actually doing any good. The good news is that by changing something small, you may be able to see a dramatic result for a minor investment.” Or as Sweetser says, pay attention to the details.
3. Faith formation must be implemented as a family affair
4. Pluck people from the pews
5. Communicate the right message(s)
Read more -- including examples of the five habits of Highly Effective Parishes. Click on the link --
http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/201402/five-habits-highly-effective-parishes-28521?utm_source=March+18%2C+2014&utm_campaign=ebulletin+March+18%2C+2014&utm_medium=email#
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