Kickstart is designed for priests leading parishes who are hungry for renewal, and need some guidance. By joining Kickstart, (pastor) priests will connect with fellow priests on the journey of leading parishes from maintenance to mission. In this workshop, a coach will introduce a cohort of priests to the foundational principles of parish renewal. Beginning with vision, priests will begin to prayerfully discern what God desires for their parish. Priests will then be coached through concepts, which can later be applied to form a high functioning leadership team and establish a structure suited to the mission of the Church and a priest’s vision. Ultimately, these principles will allow priests to transform the parish culture. Parish renewal takes many years. Kickstart is the beginning of Divine Renovation’s coaching process, where priests may enter into when they are ready for the work ahead.
- 6 Sessions over 12 weeks
- Cohorts of six priests led by a Divine Renovation Coach
By the end of Kickstart, you will be able to:
- Come away with a sense of hope and encouragement that you don’t have to accept decline.
- Use some basic tools around renewal to help make changes that bring positive results to your parish.
- Have an introductory understanding of core principles of parish renewal.
- Begin to identify leaders who can work with you on mission.
MISSIONAL PRAYER. The first step is parishes realising that the Spirit is at work ahead of them. This means aligning ourselves with God’s plan in prayer. Co-creating means starting first with prayer.
Unlock radical change in your parish. Although every parish is unique, three keys have transformed hundreds of them. By creating a culture of prayer, we tap into the power of the Holy Spirit — and our parishes come to life. By prioritizing evangelization, more people get to encounter Jesus — and our parishes grow. By honing our talents and gifts, we share responsibility for leadership — and our parishes thrive.
For your personal viewing (will not enrol you in coaching).
The purpose of this guide is to lead you through Father James Mallon’s book, Divine Renovation: Bringing your parish from maintenance to mission. Through this chapter by chapter Reading Guide, you will come to understand the inspiration behind this book, and how Father James proposes we can renew our churches and reclaim our missionary identity. This book does not propose a one-size-fits-all approach, but instead equips you with the questions and principles necessary to begin the process of renewal in your parish.
Why does parish renewal matter? Because too many of our churches are in decline—attendance is shrinking, energy is low, and it's too easy to get stuck in maintenance. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine a parish that is alive with faith, filled with people eager to encounter Jesus and share him with others. If you're moved by what's possible in your parish, Launch Point is where to begin. This session is an opportunity to honestly assess where you are, dream about what’s possible, and discern whether you’re ready to take the next step. Renewal isn’t just a program—it’s a journey and today, you and those you have brought around you, start exploring if you’re ready to embark on it together.
LOGIN WITH GUEST PASSWORD
We will:
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Examine parish decline, recognizing our place in that reality
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Discuss the hopeful possibilities within our own parish context - make the case as to why our parish should embrace mission and renewal.
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Assess our parish’s potential for implementing renewal initiatives and our personal openness to change, adapt, and be accompanied in that journey
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Discern what our next step around parish renewal might be.
When to run it in our parish:
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The pastor is open to starting (or re-starting) the Parish Renewal Journey
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We are convinced that renewal is not only necessary, but also possible
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A small group, invited by the pastor, has been gathered to discern together
Format and Flow
Today’s session will be an interactive discernment process. It will include a:
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mix of prayer, reflection, videos, and discussion
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time of group discernment
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2-hour time commitment, though you might like to incorporate social time, a break, and longer times of discussion or prayer
Videos We'll Watch
(You may want to download these ahead of time)
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Introduction to Divine Renovation (3 min)
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Reality Check (5 min)
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Unlocking Your Parish (5 min)
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Are You Ready for Change? (10 min)
As a Pastor, parish priest or deacon, you have the privileged opportunity to preach in a manner that is life changing, as it invites and guides your listener to have a transformational encounter with Christ. Unfortunately, despite this tremendous opportunity, many priests and laity report experiencing lack luster and ineffective homilies week after week, and, as a result, people are left unengaged, a vision for evangelization is not cast, and disciples are not made. “Our people will starve spiritually if they are only being fed mediocre messages.”
In response to this challenge, Divine Renovation has published the book, Preaching on Purpose, and this accompanying Preaching Workshop to guide preachers, empowering them to craft and deliver impactful homilies that preach the kerygma, call forth a response from the hearer, celebrate and form disciples, and cast vision. Enrolling in this course, you will engage in a systematic 10 week, 7 session course, that, accomplishing the above list, will form you into a missional preacher. Join us and begin to deliver “strategic preaching that pierces hearts, inspires personal conversion to Jesus, unleashes missionary disciples, and helps the entire parish break out of maintenance to ignite the world through the power of the Gospel.” Your engagement in this course will enhance the Sunday experience and lead your community to a renewed encounter with Christ and His Church.