Tools for Rebuilding: 75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish Better

Front Cover
Ave Maria Press, Nov 25, 2013 - Religion - 320 pages
Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran know that the fundamental work of the Church is to evangelize—to introduce people to Christ and make them disciples. Still, they’re the first to admit: “the difficulty comes when we reach down into the details and get to work.” In their barn-burning first book, Rebuilt, White and Corcoran shared their story and vision of building better Catholic parishes. Now, in their eagerly anticipated second book, Tools for Rebuilding, they lay out seventy-five proven tactics for getting the job done.

In Tools for Rebuilding: 75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish Better, White and Corcoran share seventy-five foundational tactics that helped to rejuvenate their parish. Their candid, hands-on advice gives a clear way forward—one that will make church matter to the people in the pews and that anyone working in parish ministry can implement.

Principles/tactics include:
  • Get the Right People on the Bus
  • Christmas Is Over, So Throw Out the Dead Poinsettias
  • Stop Advertising (Other People’s Stuff) in Your Bulletin
  • Don’t Let the Insiders Take All the Good Seats
  • Just Because It’s Slow Doesn’t Mean It’s Holy
  • When It Comes to First Communion, Just Surrender
  • Funerals Are Scud Missiles
  • Preach the Announcements
  • Start Getting Rid of Fundraisers
  • Everything Takes Longer (Than You Think)
  • Pastor, It’s Not All About You
  • Stop Trying to Make People Go to Church and Make Church Matter
 

Selected pages

Contents

Preface
Dont Just Do Something Stand There
Enthusiasm
Sometimes Its Okay Not to Be Generous
Christmas Is Over So Throw Out the Dead
Foot Traffic and Phone Calls Do Not Prove Youre
Empty Your Own Trash
You Are Your Website
Take People on a Journey
Know What Season Youre
Preaching Tools
Find Your Message Then Stay on
One Church One Message
Comfort OutsidersChallenge Insiders
Preach the Announcements
Sacramental Tools

Look They Have a KidzoneToo
Connect with Your Community
People Tools
Know Whos Not Here
Vestments Are Like Golf Clubs
Churchpeople Dont Belong in the Pews
Weekend Tools
Greet Guests
Remember All That Money You Saved on Vestments?
3
Nobody Is Growing in Christ Just Because of Your Pious Procession of
Manage the Transitions
Baptisms Are OpportunitiesTake Them
When It Comes to First Communion Put Down the Carrot and Stick
Make Confirmation Initiation Not Graduation
People Really Will Come to ConfessionReally
Use Anointing Strategically
Beware of SelfRighteous Super Consumers
Seriously See What Happens When You Stop Announcing Mass Intentions
Funerals Are Scud Missiles
4
5
Copyright

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Tools for Rebuilding: 75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish ...
Michael White,Tom Corcoran
No preview available - 2013

Common terms and phrases

Andy Stanley announcements Baptism better Bible building can’t Catholic celebration challenge Christmas church churchpeople churchworld comes Communion Confirmation congregation culture didn’t disciples discipleship Eucharist evangelization eventually everything faith Father Michael feel fundraisers funeral give growing happen heart Here’s homily invite Jesus Christ kids Kidzone kind leaders liturgy lives look Lord Maryland State fairgrounds mean mission move numbers offer opportunity parents parish parish staff parishioners pass the basket pastor people’s person pews practical steps Pray prayer preaching priest problem pulpit Rick Warren right people leave sacrament Saddleback Church seasons serve small groups someone sometimes SRSCs strategy Sunday talent talking they’re things Timonium trying unchurched Vatican II vision volunteer ministers we’re we’ve week weekend experience weekend Masses who’s worship wrong you’re youth ministry

About the author (2013)

Fr. Michael White is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, pastor of Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, and cofounder of Rebuilt—an organization designed to rebuild parishes for growth and health. White is the coauthor of the bestselling book Rebuilt—which narrates the story of Nativity’s rebirth—Tools for Rebuilding, Rebuilding Your Message, The Rebuilt Field Guide, and ChurchMoney. He is also coauthor of Seriously, God? and the bestselling Messages series for Advent and Lent. During White’s tenure as pastor at Church of the Nativity, the church has almost tripled in weekend attendance. More importantly, commitment to the mission of the Church has grown, demonstrated by the significant increase of giving, service in ministry, and much evidence of genuine spiritual renewal. White earned his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Maryland and his graduate degrees in sacred theology and ecclesiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In 2023, White and his lay associate, Tom Corcoran, were honored by Pope Francis with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award for outstanding service to Church and Pope.

Tom Corcoran has served Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, in a variety of roles that give him a unique perspective on parish ministry and leadership. First hired as a youth minister, Corcoran has also served as coordinator of children’s ministry and director of small groups. He is lay associate to the pastor and is responsible for weekend message development, strategic planning, and staff development. Corcoran also is the president of Rebuilt—an organization designed to rebuild parishes for growth and health. Corcoran is the coauthor of bestselling book Rebuilt—which narrates the story of Nativity’s rebirth—Tools for Rebuilding, Rebuilding Your Message, The Rebuilt Field Guide, and ChurchMoney. He is also coauthor of Seriously, God? and the bestselling Messages series for Advent and Lent. In 2023, Corcoran and Fr. Michael White were honored by Pope Francis with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award for outstanding service to Church and Pope.

Bibliographic information

TitleTools for Rebuilding: 75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish Better
A Rebuilt Parish Book
AuthorsMichael White, Tom Corcoran
PublisherAve Maria Press, 2013
ISBN1594714452, 9781594714450
Length320 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Religion / Christian Ministry / General
Religion / Christian Ministry / Pastoral Resources
Religion / Christianity / Catholic
  
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