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Disciples make other disciples. Disciples help other disciples mature . Programs can be avenues for these things to happen, but they still rise and fall based on people! Jesus didn't have a program, but he still had a mission, a vision, and a strategy. It is ok to use programs, as long as...

In the times of the Bible, one of the worst disasters that could befall someone was to be barren (infertile) physically. In fact, it is a major theme of Scripture, to see how someone (or a couple) who was once infertile, has had their situation changed by God and has now gained their fertility. In each reference to infertility, in Scripture...

My teen years were in the late 80s & early 90s. I used to wear Vans and had long bangs (both have made a comeback). I lived those years in a constant search of being relevant and cool with my peers. In some ways I achieved my goal.

Think of the last time you visited another parish for the first time. Did you know where to park? Did you find your way around easily? Did you feel welcomed? Were you a bit nervous? What was positive about the experience and what was negative?

“A budget is a theological statement” -Cardinal Tobin When this was said at the Convocation of Catholic Leaders last summer, it resulted in an explosion of applause and cheers. It is also very true. What we spend our money on tells us what we value, at the core. But, that isn’t the only statement of what we believe (and value) we can make. We also do it with time, staffing, and more.

One of the major (and fatal) flaws of many pastoral leaders in the Catholic Church is the failure to properly empower others to do pastoral ministry alongside them. There are many excuses and reasons why this happens, but rather than focus on those, I want to look at the need to empower others and the results when we do.

Whether you know it or not, there is something that affects every day of your life. It is your worldview. A worldview tells us not only how people think about the world, life, truth, goodness, meaning, etc., but it also plays the main role in our underlying assumptions - and many assumptions which are not explicitly thought about. Ultimately, a worldview...

When I was in college, I took several semesters of archery. I really loved shooting arrows at targets, but what ultimately won me over was the nature of archery; you immediately know how you are doing, based on where you hit the target. Still, there was one time that I hit a bulls eye, which scored a zero because I was aiming at the wrong target! In some ways ministry is like archery...

If you wanted to build a tower, would you start to do build it without a plan? Maybe because you know some elements of what a good tower should have, you just start piecing them together, without a blueprint or a study if it will work. No? Probably not. Yet, this is how most parishes operate. Without a clear plan on how to build disciples.

The reality of most Catholic parishes - we are stuck in a culture of comfort, ease, status quo, and administration of the decline of our numbers - will not be easy to change. No one program, event, new idea, tweeking of old ways, conference, gimmick, or online video series will change our parishes. Rather, it takes...

I still remember the most welcoming church I ever walked into. I was greeted at the door, then 2 steps into the door, then again and again and again. At least 2 dozen people didn't recognize me, so they sought me out. Most of them didn't just say "hi", but...

Simply put, being a disciple of Jesus isn't about behavior modification. If that were the case, we are pretty hopeless, because I don't know anyone who is sinless. Yet, how often does our Catholic culture push behavior modification as the goal of our faith? Too often. In fact...

If you have ever read a book on leadership, taken a class, or just perused a leadership website, you have seen lots of hands-on practical advice for leaders. But, what isn't quite as common is what leaders need to stop doing to be successful. In fact...

I have a pretty accurate internal GPS. That means, when I think I know where I am going, I generally don't look at a map or have a guide (aka - my phone). Of course, that means there are times I have missed turns, gotten lost, and had to seek help (aka - my phone). Discipleship can be that way too...

Ash Wednesday is a good day to share your Catholic faith with others. In fact, Ash Wednesday Masses generally have more people attend that even Christmas and Easter - which shows a high level of engagement. Below are some suggestions on how to evangelize on Ash Wed.

NOTE - There will be a lot of bold (and frank) statements in this post. Discussion and feedback is welcomed and appreciated, but please be polite, even if you disagree. When the Catholic Church, in the USA, faced the biggest problem in her history (the clergy abuse scandal), the reaction and change was...

A disciple of Jesus is an apprentice in the art of holiness, mission, and virtue. If we are to grow in our discipleship of Jesus, then we need to frequently examine different ways in which we are following Jesus and putting him at the center of our lives. This Christian examination of discipleship is not meant to...

Church renewal is really hard. In fact, just the daily grind of running a parish (or diocese / ministry) can be hard. That means trying to do all of the day-to-day and still make time for growth, evangelization, discipleship, change, renewal, etc is VERY hard. Yet, it is still worth it. If you believe it is worth the time, energy, struggle, and resources, then you should answer these questions.

I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, when I saw the man on the other side of the ship. He was wearing a shirt that said "Texas A&M". He saw me too. I had a Texas A&M hat on. We smiled at one another and started to walk toward each other...

If there is one phrase which can get the Catholic social media arguments going, it is "a personal relationship with Jesus". One one side there are folks that argue it is a phrase stolen from Evangelical Protestants and is empty of meaning, because it is relativistic. They might also charge that it shuns the communal aspect of Christianity. On the other side,