The Magic Bullet of Catholic parish renewal is still being looked for. Publishers, apostolates, organizations, etc roll out programs, books, conferences, and plans that get Catholic leaders to jump on the bandwagon, because they want the ministry magic bullet that will transform their parish easily and quickly. There is one problem - it does NOT exist.

There are many things we can learn from this. The first is that these things (books, conferences, programs, etc) only accomplish what they are meant to accomplish. For instance, a conference can teach, be a place of encounter/conversion, start a relationship with another (or deepen it), etc. But a conference (or book, program, etc) cannot do the work that it takes to renew a parish. That being said, these things are good, when used as they are meant to be used. The problem comes when Catholic leaders mistake them for the magic bullet that will guide them to renewal. 

Nothing is quick or easy about parish transformation. Nothing. Nobody has completely transformed a modern parish quickly or easily. The truth is, transforming the culture of a parish takes hard work, determination, prayer, and probably some failures. Below are some these things we have learned along the way, in trying to help parishes renew.
 

1. If your leadership doesn't have the proper vision, your parish will struggle to change. If you read any leadership book, listen to a leadership podcast, or read about leadership on the internet, you will have heard/read that vision in an integral part of leadership. That is because it is true. Without vision a leader doesn't know what they are aiming at. Without vision a leaders can't point those they lead in the right direction. Here is the good thing - in many ways, Jesus already has given us a vision for the Church! The job of a Catholic leader is to take the vision of Jesus and apply it in a particular context, not completely rework it. Here is the bad news, few Catholic leaders know how to cast a vision and then get others to buy into it. Still, this isn't an insurmountable problem, but a skill that can be learned, especially if you have someone who has done it before coach you through the process. Here is one place you can start to form your vision.
2. You can't renew a parish or drive significant change overnight, so you better be ready for the long haul! Parish work is already hard, but changing a parish culture is even harder. Dedication, prudence, perseverance, and patience are all key. Since there are no magic bullets (please admit this to yourself), every Catholic leader who wants to be a change agent, needs to know that culture change is a long-term project, yet worth every headache you will ever run into. Think of how little fruit the average Catholic parish (in the USA) produces. Yet the mission of a parish is to be a source of God's love to the wider community. To offer salvation and mercy to the Catholics who come to Mass AND every other soul that is currently outside communion with Jesus and His Church. Are we achieving this? If not, then what will it take to get there? Are we committed to the long-term efforts it will take to make this a reality? Is salvation of others our priority or not?
3. Parish renewal and transformation will not happen if all we focus on is how to run better meetings, organizational health, internal issues, better communication, etc. While the modern parish certainly needs these better operations, healthy organizational processes, and better communication - these things cannot (in and of themselves) tranform a parish. They can help build a sturdier foundation on which renewal can be built, but alone they merely make us more efficient at achieving the same goals that have failed us previously. True change needs to come from renewed lives and conversion of hearts, which then leads to more missionary disciples who share Jesus with others. The Church is not just a business which is seeking profit margins.
4. Nothing happens without sustained and daily prayer, from both individuals and the community. This is the kind of prayer that first changes your own life and then spills out to change the lives of others. Furthermore, it can't just be your own personal prayer, but the prayer of a parish. If you want to grow, change, and renew your parish, then don't fall into the lie of thinking it will happen merely on your own efforts. Rather, God is the one who changes hearts. It is his grace that can tranform your parish. So, invite him in, as a community.

Let us return for just a moment to the crux of this post - parish renewal is hard. But, it is also worth everything it takes to achieve it. It is worth the effort, time, money, headaches, and crosses you will bear. The world needs us to do our part in spreading Good News.