Standing and Meeting

Homily at Our Lady of the Valleys, for the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B.

If you know where you stand, you can meet others where they’re at.

The Old Testament Law cast you out of society if you were a leper. The Law was there for the sake of public health – a primitive form of lockdown, if you like. But the Law was broken twice in today’s Gospel. First the leper came out of lockdown to approach Jesus for healing. And then – not only does Jesus grant the healing but he does so by actually touching the leper while he still visibly has leprosy! That would have made anyone else unclean – but by the power of his divinity, Jesus made the leper clean. Jesus knew where he stood.

We can at least understand why the Jewish Law was so harsh on lepers – it was for the public good, to prevent disease spreading. But it’s harder to understand why Catholic teaching creates divisions. St Paul instructed us “not to give offense to anyone”. But many people today are offended by our teachings that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, or that the Bible says God created two genders, male and female. What does God expect us to do when we’re invited to a same-sex wedding or requested to use a person’s preferred pronouns?

If you know where you stand, you can meet others where they’re at.

Is it true that the Bible teaches God created human beings as male and female? Yes – we find this at the beginning of the book of Genesis, and Our Lord Jesus quotes it himself in the Gospels. But Jesus quickly adds that ‘some people were born eunuchs’. In other words, Our Lord himself gives permission for a person to say, “I don’t seem to fit into these two categories of ‘male’ and ‘female’.” We are called to treat with sympathy and compassion a person struggling with a sense that they don’t fit; and we cannot insist that they must tick one of those two boxes which say “Male” and “Female”. But we also hold that our body is an integral part of our identity, so the place where we stand as Catholics is that you can’t simply tick the box which doesn’t match your body. True manhood and true womanhood, as the Catholic Church understands it, comes from a coherence of inner identity and external form.

That said, what are we to do when a person asks us to use particular pronouns with which we might not feel comfortable? Scripture calls on us not to give offense. If you know where you stand, you can meet others where they’re at.

To use a pronoun does not automatically mean you are declaring a theological position on whether gender can be changed or not. It might just mean that we’re recognising that something has changed in the English language. Words which used to be a label for bodily form are now the way we respectfully acknowledge a person’s sense of identity. We don’t have to like a change in order to recognise and use it.

Pope Francis has a clear position on this. “Don’t worry if people draw the wrong conclusion from your actions.” You may have heard that the Vatican issued a document about blessing same-sex relationships just before Christmas. But you probably haven’t heard it reported accurately in the news. The Catholic Church is not about to start offering public ceremonies for same-sex couples to make public vows in church; we can’t. We can only bless things which are good, and we don’t see that this is part of God’s plan. But among the things which are good are the love and commitment which two human beings in a lasting relationship show to one another. So what is a priest to do if two people in a relationship, same sex or opposite sex, but not in a state of Holy Matrimony, come and ask for prayers and for help? Can the priest pray that they have a more compassionate, understanding, sensitive relationship with one another?

The bottom line is that it is better for people to be kind to one another than it is to be unkind. Even if I disapprove of a particular relationship, I can approve of increased kindness within that relationship. And it is this that Pope Francis has declared can be blessed – not the relationship itself, in a public ceremony, but the two individuals seeking to be kinder to one another, in the privacy of a priest’s office. In the same way, what should you do if a member of your family invites you to a celebration of such a relationship? While your conscience might prevent you from offering a wholehearted message of congratulation, it need not prevent you from being a spectator at a ceremony or welcoming your new in-law to a family meal. I’m not saying that you should go as Catholics – I’m simply pointing out that Pope Francis asks us not to alienate people, but to stay close to people whose choices we don’t approve of. We are very unlikely to communicate our Catholic values to any person whom we alienate by our words or actions.

We do not need to create a new leprosy, for same-sex couples or transgender individuals. But, like the healed leper going to the priest, we must still follow God’s Law. There are no easy answers when these complex situations enter our daily life. If we choose to respond with tolerance and compassion, our stance will be misunderstood. That’s OK. But whatever you do when one of these situations comes your way, do it for the glory of God. If you know where you stand, you can meet others where they’re at. Jesus did, and so can you.

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Deliverance Ministry (Condensed Book)

Every so often in my minstry, I find it useful to take a text and produce a condensed version for quick reference. I have just done so with the Charis (formerly ICCRS) document on Deliverance Ministry. The text is below.

summary9Download

A Catholic Opinion on Reflexology

From time to time, I am asked if Reflexology is compatible with Catholic faith. I say, no. I will set out why below.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a form of therapy based on the belief that ‘lines of bio-energy’ connect different parts of the body, in particular various internal organs are mapped to different regions of the sole of the foot (or to other easily accessible parts of the body).

Belief in the existence of this ‘bio-energy’ is widespread in many Asian cultures. In India it is known as prana, in Japan as ki and in China as chi or qi.

Reflexologists operate in the belief that lightly touching certain points on the sole of the foot (or other parts of the body) affects the flow of this energy and therefore brings healing and balance to our inner organs.

For example, the British Association of Reflexologists claim that “back in the 1920’s investigative studies regarding this concept allowed the first Western reflexology foot map to be produced. Since that time the other anatomical areas have been mapped allowing this model to be applied to the hands, ears and face.” But they then go on to acknowledge that “there have been some positive research projects carried out with reflexology; however, as yet, there is not a large enough body of evidence for us to make clinical claims of effectiveness.”

What I say below applies strictly to reflexology as defined above. It does not automatically apply to other forms of massage or therapeutic touch.

There are two questions a Christian should ask when dealing with any alternative therapy. The first is, “Does it work?” and the second is “What are the spiritual implications?”

The Scientific Question

Now, we need to be careful in precisely asking the question “Does it work?” Any form of therapy which pays attention to a person in pain and offers them hope is likely to have a positive feel-good effect, which can itself reduce pain. This is well known in medicine, and called the placebo effect. So whenever we ask if a therapy such as Reflexology works, the question is, does it offer relief above and beyond what can be achieved by the placebo effect alone? If a therapist is charging a client for their ‘expertise’ it would be unethical to do so if that expertise had no added effect. In the case of Reflexology we might also ask whether there is rigorous research to validate the zone maps which suggest how internal organs link to particular regions of the skin. But as we saw above, even the British Association of Reflexologists admit there is a lack of scientific evidence. A study in Malaysia concluded that “From ten systematic reviews, it is safe to conclude that until now reflexology does not have sufficient evidence to support its clinical use.”

Now a scientist will always admit that lack of positive evidence is not proof of absence. The widespread belief in bio-energy across Asian cultures might be pointing us to connections in the human body we are not yet able to document. There is much still to learn about our nervous system and how hormones (chemical signals) work in our body. In recent years, medial science has established a series of unexpected connections between the microbes which live in our guts and the workings of our brains. As a scientist, I am open-minded about whether we will one day discover and understand new connections which caused Asian practitioners to theorise the existence of bio-energy. But until this is characterised and understood, it cannot be used effectively to provide well-founded therapies.

The Spiritual Question

The first of the Ten Commandments requires Jews, Christians and Muslims to honour no God except the God of Abraham. “Honouring” is not just about the explicit acts of worship we carry out; it’s also about where we place our trust.

We do not dishonour God when we put our trust in something which is good and true. We can safely turn to professionals who have passed exams to show they know their craft, based on research which – to the best of our ability – has described the truth of the natural world we live in. So in general there is no problem with a Christian believer turning to doctors, dentists, psychologists or counsellors for help. But we are still morally responsible for checking the values of those practicioners – so we could not agree with a doctor who proposes abortion or a counsellor with a relaxed approach to divorce or sex outside marriage.

When it comes to a therapy like Reflexology, where are we placing our trust? In other words, how would the therapist answer if you asked how they choose where to manipulate your foot and why it would ‘work’?

• I’m doing what I was taught by my tutor/textbook.

In this case you are putting your trust not in this practitioner but in someone else who wrote the instructions.

• I believe there is evidence that your pain relates to this part of your foot.

You can ask the Reflexologist where this evidence comes from. They might sincerely believe in something they have read, but if it wasn’t published in a journal with rigorous scientific checks and balances it doesn’t constitute good evidence.

Ultimately, unless the Reflexologist can produce a peer-reviewed scientific paper, they will be grounded in one of three things:

1. They don’t believe Reflexology actually works but are happy to take your money.
2. They believe Reflexology does work but have blind faith in what they are doing.
3. They believe Reflexology does work and believe they are manipulating bio-energy.

If we find ourself in the postion of a therapist saying “I don’t know how this works and I can’t give you evidence, but trust me that it does” we are surrendering to a superstition, giving authority to somone else’s unfounded beliefs. This is a form of idolatry.

If the therapist believes they are manipulating bio-energy – or is putting trust in a textbook/tutorial from someone who believed that – then to receive treatment is co-operating with an attempt to manipulate the flow of spiritual energy. This is defined as a sin by the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion… Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2117

“The virtue of religion” is a technical term describing the Christian understanding that a follower of Jesus should not turn to any spiritual source for healing other than the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit (or the angels and saints who invoke the same Triune God by their prayers). The only permitted spiritual healing for a Christian is to turn to Jesus.

The Catholic Church does not have a position on whether ‘spiritual energy’ exists. It does recognise that evil spirits exist. When a person opens themself to a spiritual power – real or imagined – other than God that person gives permission for unGodly spirits to have authority over them. This is both a sin of idolatry and potentially leads to a spiritual afflication which will require deliverance ministry.

A Christian Reflexology practitioner might protest that what they are doing is good and the ‘spiritual energy comes from God’. But where is this revealed in the Christian tradition? We know how Jesus taught his followers to heal – by laying on hands, invoking the Name of Jesus, asking for the Holy Spirit. There are hints of the flow of spiritual energy in Scripture – three times it is written of Jesus that ‘power went out of Him’ (Mk 5:30, Lk 6:19 & 8:46). But this power flows because the person has faith in the one they are touching – Jesus the Messiah. There is nothing in Scripture about spiritual energy connecting different parts of the body.

Conclusion

In most cases, a person receiving Reflexology is submitting to the belief – held either by the therapist or at least the source of their instruction – that spiritual energy can be manipulated to effect healing. If the client is not aware of this belief, they would not be guilty of sin, but would still be vulnerable to affliction by unGodly spirits because they had given consent. If the client is aware of the claim to manipulate spiritual energy, they would also be comitting a sin of idolatry.

In some cases a Reflexologist might explicitly reject belief in bio-energy. But in the absence of solid evidence for their technique a person receiving their therapy would be entering a different kind of idolatry – that of giving authority over their body to a human being not grounded in something true and good.

Soundproofing a Confessional

One of my churches has a confessional door which isn’t great at protecting the privacy of the person inside. The door is made of wood-like material with two frosted glass panels in the upper half. The frosting is too thick to allow the penitent to be ‘seen’ for safeguarding reasons so there’s no reason I can’t cover it with some sort of panel. So what are my options?

First, I need to consider the edges of the door. Sound will travel around the sides as well as through the body of the door, so the edges need to be sealed as well as possible.

Next, the outside of the door can be covered with sound absorbing material. For aesthetic reasons, this will need to be fixed flush to the door and look good.

Finally, the inside surface also needs to be covered, but here I have the option of material that can hang loosely and by covered by a curtain.

Edges

Let’s start with this site which is trying to sell soundproof windows but rates different DIY solutions by cost, difficulty and effectiveness. For the bottom of the door it suggests an acoustic door sweep – rather like a draught excluder but made of materials designed to insulate sound. For the edges, the sides and top of the doorframe (the jambs) can be lined with weatherstripping or acoustic gaskets.

Another UK company does offer solutions to soundproof a door, a DIY kit for £69.95+VAT (+£15 shipping to my South Wales church) or one that needs a joiner to install a better seal, but for the same price. The kit includes an acoustic door sweep and three strips for the jambs. I’ve decided to go for the DIY kit.

Outside

Our first helpful site gives a poor rating to fixing acoustic plasterboard, a modest rating to hanging acoustic blankets over the door, and a good rating to hanging limp mass-loaded vinyl, especially when it is not fixed directly to the door.

What’s available for a good aesthetic look on the outside? The thickest iKoustic panel is £119.99+VAT. The data sheet says it can be cut – so this isn’t fibre covering a panel, it’s a panel made of fibre all the way through. Happily, it’s available in white to match my door.

Inside

For my inside door, I’ll consider effectiveness over aesthetics. What about hanging a sheet of mass-loaded vinyl (MLV) and covering this with a curtain? The cheapest option on search seems to be this from Builders’ Merchant Direct, the thickest kind (4mm) for a 1.22 m square is £19.83 + VAT but when shipping is added, that’s an extra £75!

Thinner MLV is available on Amazon, but the advice says it is most effective when sandwiched between two layers of acoustic plasterboard.

So for now I think I’ll get another iKoustic panel for the inside. If this proves insufficient I can always try the MLV later and cover the reworking with a curtain, but the general wisdom seems to be that sealing the edges of the door is the most crucial step anyway.

Food Handling for Churches

For all the years I’ve been a priest, I’ve never got round to looking at proper food handling… until now. Having just taken a Level 2 Food Hygience certificate, I won’t claim to be an expert, but treat the following notes as a summary of information you should verify elsewhere, and this may prove a useful guide.

For All Food

In many cases, churches will only be handling ready-to-eat food. For this you will need to be aware of the universal principles for handling food safely. Further down you will find additional guidance for food to be served hot, and then preparing food from raw ingredients. But initially let’s assume the simple case where everything is ready to eat, coming either from cold storage or a sterile sealed container.

The Preparation Area

Your place for preparing food should have surfaces (worktops, walls, floors) which are hard-wearing and easy to clean, and with a ceiling in good condition (no flaking). Before and after a food preparation session, clean the worktop. A robust method of cleaning is this:

• Remove large debris.
• Use hot water & detergent to degrease
• Rinse with very hot (>82°C) water
• Use disinfectant or sanitiser to kill any remaining microbes
• Rinse with hot water
• Air dry or use paper towels

Depending on how the workspace is treated by other users, consider whether you need to clean chopping boards, utensils and crockery before use.

Check for signs of pests (droppings, gnawing) and clean surfaces where it’s indicated pests may have been. If you have windows which open, ensure they have insect screens.

Food waste should be stored outside the food preparation area.

If you intend to maintain a simple hygiene reigeme by forbidding raw food in the preparation area, make this policy clear.

Deicde how to handle allergens – will there be a designated place for them, or will you exclude them as an operating policy?

The Personnel

No-one who is sick, particularly with diarrhoea, vomiting or a fever, should handle public food for at least 48 hours after their symptoms end.

Food handlers should remove watches, jewellery, false nails and anything else which could fall into food. Long hair should be tied back or covered.

Disposable gloves and blue plasters should be provided to cover sores and wounds on hands. Hand should be washed (and gloves changed) every time there is a trigger: a seneze, touching something dirty, moving from one raw or allergenic foodstuff to another. Proper handwashing technique should be observed.

Storing Food

Food in sealed, sterilised packets may be stored at ambient temperature in a cool, dry, well-ventilated room. To avoid pests, the lowest shelf should be at least 15cm above floor level. The storage room should also be inspected for pests on a regular basis, and the inspection documented.

Chilled food should be kept in a fridge maintained between +1°C and +5°C. If the temperature rises above 8°C the food should be considered spoiled and disposed of. Regular, documented, checks of the fridge temperature are legally required to verify that the food has been kept safely.

Frozen food should be kept in a freezer maintained between -18°C and -25°C. Regular, documented checks of the freezer temperature are needed to verify that the food has been kept safely. ‘Freezer burn’ may discolour exposed parts of frozen products but this does not affect safety to eat. Airtight bags are advisable for any foodstuffs likely to remain frozen for more than two months – supermarket wrapping is likely to be permeable to air. Torn packaging of a frozen item may be made good by adding cling wrapping over the tear. As with fridges, regular temperature checks are required.

Bread is an exception to the usual storage rules and may safely be stored at ambient temperatures until it visibly spoils.

All stored food must be checked and rotated so that items with the earliest Use By or Best Before dates are used first; food past a “use by” date must be discarded, while a quality check may find that food is still palatable after a “best before”.

If some contents from a sealed packet of food are not to be used immediately they must be stored chilled; consider possible ways of ensuring the food is cooled below +8°C as soon as possible, such as chilling the packet before opening or using an ice bath for surplus contents.

Preparing and Serving Food

Adopt a “clean as you go” approach – clean worksurfaces, and replace or clean utensils, after each distinct foodstuff is handled. Any disinfectants that are used in the kitchen need to meet BS EN standards and be designated as “food safe”. 

If your production process includes any known allergens, they should be introduced to the process at the latest possible moment; if possible use a physically separate part of the kitchen for dealing with them. Use a separate board and utensils if available, otherwise clean equipment thoroughly before and after handling allergens. Cleaning with hot soapy water – but NOT simply wiping – is defence against cross-contact of allergens with other food. Remember that cutlery, crockery and cleaning cloths can carry allergens if not treated with detergent. All products containing allergens must be clearly labelled with the relevant ingredients emphasised.

The “danger zone” for microbes to multiply in food is between 8°C and 60°C. Remember that in warmer weather, food will spoil faster. Ideally food for public collection should be in a chilled cabinet at or below 8°C. Food placed out at room temperature must be discarded after 4 hours (and best practice is to discard after 2 hours). Food removed from a fridge should ideally be eaten or cooked within 30 minutes.

Reheating and Cooking

Best practice is that hot food should be presented to the public in ‘hot holding’ – a hot service cabinet, bain marie pan or soup kettle maintained at 63°C or above. It is permissible to put hot items on a buffet table in ambient temperature but only for 2 hours; then they must be thrown away or reheated to ‘steaming’ temperature and then maintained in hot holding.

Reheating

Food which has previously been cooked (or contains ingredients previously cooked) must be heated to 75°C for at least 30 seconds. (In Scotland, there is a legal requirement to cook to 82°C.) Further, this temperature must be attained within 2 hours of the start of cooking, and verified with a temperature probe. You can only reheat food for public use once. This also applies to ‘sterile’ goods such as tinned or powdered soup which must be heated to such temperatures before being placed in a pre-heated soup kettle.

Cooking

If you are cooking from scratch, you will likely be handling “raw” ingredients – uncooked meat and unwashed vegetables. These should be stored and handled separately from sterilised and cooked products, and care taken to avoid cross-contamination via hands or utensils. If you have only one fridge, raw items should be stored on shelves below cooked items. Holding at 63°C can be sufficient for food to be cooked safely (the first cooking cycle doesn’t need to be as high as 75°C) but check what constitutes “enough” holding time for the food you are preparing.

If a cooked product is to be served or stored cold, it must be chilled quickly (such as in an ice bath or cold pan), but it should be allowed to reach 8°C or lower before being placed into a fridge or cold serving cabinet. It can help to divide the warm food into smaller portions.

Particular hazards to note:

• For any meat cooked from raw, ensure the juices run clear and it is not too pink inside;
• Products made of rolled minced meat must be thoroughly cooked through;
• Rice can be safely reheated but only once, and test that it has been cooked thoroughly;
• Raw egg should not be used in recipes for public service (such as home made mayonnaise).

Working Safely

Every food-handling business needs to identify the hazards involved in what it intends to do and put in place both safe working practices and checks to ensure that these hazards have been avoided. Government advice and guidance in keeping a diary (safety log) is available online.

Have a Sinner for Dinner!

Homily at Sion Community during the CCRS Evangelisation Course for the anticipated Mass of the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C.

Your sheep has been incapacitated.

Your sheep has been sentenced.

Your sheep has perished.

Your sheep has been destroyed.

Your sheep has been damned to hellfire for eternity.

That sounds a bit more dramatic than “Your sheep is lost”, doesn’t it!

In today’s Gospel, St Luke speaks of a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son, always using the Greek word apollymi. That’s a strong word – with all the harsh shades of meaning I’ve just used.

St Matthew also recounts a parable of a lost sheep but he uses a gentler word which means “wanders off”. Here, St Luke has gathered together three stories where Our Lord is seriously warning us of the road to destruction – but there’s hope! The perishing sheep is not irrecovably destroyed or damned to Hell; it is still possible for the good shepherd to rescue it.

Three weeks ago, we heard Christ warn us to enter by the narrow door, for many who think their place in heaven is secure will not make it. Two weeks ago we heard his invitation that when we throw a party, we should invite those who cannot return the favour. These sayings reach a climax in today’s lesson – because there is more in today’s Gospel than is first apparent.

What kind of lost person is today’s Gospel speaking of? Among evangelical Christians, it’s common to speak of “the lost” to mean the “unsaved”, those who have never responded to Christ’s saving message, or even heard it. But all three of today’s parables are about the loss of something which already had a place – in the flock, in the coin collection, in the Father’s house.

Should we then think of those who once attended Mass but no longer do so? The famous Church of the Nativity in Timonium expressed its mission statement as: “Welcome the Lost & Grow Disciples.” Fifteen years ago it purposefully focussed on attracting a generation of non-churchgoing middle-aged men who had been raised Catholic and increased its congregation from 1500 to 4000! Certainly it is good to help those who never attended Mass to connect again, but simply coming to Mass doesn’t make a person a disciple. Today’s Gospel might inspire us to reach out to non-churchgoing Catholics, but the focus is more subtle than that.

What happens when the lost is found? In each of today’s parables, the finder throws a party. Something that gets lost in translation is that the woman who finds her drachma invites her female friends – you could say, her women’s fellowship – to come and celebrate. And of course, the lost coin is not really a coin. A drachma is an item of value which bears a human face; it represents a lost person. A lost woman is restored to fellowship, just as the prodigal son is welcomed back into the Father’s house. Unlike his elder brother, that son knew that all his Father’s wealth belonged to him; he chose to take the money and run far away from home.

The story of that son makes it clear that the “lost” we are restoring here are sinners, people whose choice of lifestyle or burden of shame has separated them from the community of believers. Remember why Jesus is telling these parables – he’s having a meal with tax-collectors and other “sinners”, causing the scribes and Pharisees to complain about his behaviour. But should we be surprised? When Jesus has a meal, he invites those who cannot repay the favour, those who don’t believe they should be there at all.

There are many reasons that people drift away from Church practice. Some never had strong roots in the first place. Others enter a time of intellectual doubts. But today’s message is strongly focussed on sinners – people who believe they cannot be forgiven, or who lack the courage to ask. And we are called to reach out to them. What kind of woman, or what kind of shepherd, would we be if we failed to do that?

If you spend a lot of time online, you may have seen this meme:

Person: I want to do “X.”

Catholic Church: You are free to do it.

Person: But you think “X” is wrong.

Catholic Church: Yes.

Person: Because you want to control me?

Catholic Church: No. You are free to do what you want.

Person: But you think “X” is wrong.

Catholic Church: Yes. But only because I want your ultimate good.

Person: But I want to do “X.”

Catholic Church: You are free to do it.

Person: But I want you to say that is good.

Catholic Church: I cannot say that.

Person: Why do you hate me?

It sums up the terrible dilemma we have as Catholics. We proclaim that certain actions are always wrong, so many people feel alienated. But at the same time we want to speak of God’s mercy and the possibility of restoration for anyone who has gone astray.

Our minds might turn immediately to abortion, or remarriage after divorce, or the pursuit of same-sex attraction. But not all sources of shame are connected with sexual behaviour. Eating disorders, attempted suicide, serious involvement with occult activities – there are a myriad reasons why someone who was once a follower of Christ might wrongly believe there is no path to restoration.

Such persons are not going to hear Sunday sermons or simply turn up at a parish penitential service. The only way to restore such lost souls is through a good shepherd or a wise woman who takes the time to come alongside them with love and friendship. The only way to overcome that “Why do you hate me?” Mentality is with genuine love.

Jesus ate with tax-collectors and sinners; we should not be afraid to draw near to persons whose lifestyle is far from Christian. It’s true that the Bible does speak of situations where you “cut off” a person from fellowship, but that’s where a person is stridently insisting that their sinful behaviour is consistent with Christian living. Here, rather, we are speaking of the work of reaching out to someone who knows their lifestyle has fallen short of a follower of Christ. We see the same advice given by the apostle Jude (22-23):

When there are some who have doubts reassure them; when there are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out; but there are others to whom you must be kind with great caution, keeping your distance even from outside clothing which is contaminated by vice.

So take a moment to think about your network of friends and family members.

Who is your lost sheep? Who is your one in the midst of the 99?

Who was once an active member of the church but has been distanced by sin or shame? You know what God expects you to do. It will take time. It may take repeated efforts, some of which are rebuffed. But every attempt to love is an act of love. So take a moment now and ask God to make clear where you should focus your loving outreach in the coming weeks…

We know how the story ends.

Your sheep has been pardoned.

Your sheep has been restored.

Your sheep has been snatched from the fires of hell and restored to eternal happiness.

Now that’s a reason for angels to throw a party. But you are the one who must first invite someone who can’t return the favour. The next move is on you!

Kretinga 5: Attracting people who have no Christian experience

#5 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 20 August 2022.

Go into the whole world.  Proclaim the good news!

Jesus sent his apostles on a global mission. Every nation, every culture, every land, must hear the Gospel.

The Good News was sent first to the Jewish people. They knew God was real and were expecting a Messiah. Later, St Paul preached among the Roman and Greek Temples. “I see you have a temple to an unknown God.” “Let me tell you about this God you haven’t met yet!”

Missionaries came to Latin America 500 years ago. Our Lady appeared in Guadalupe and opened hearts for the message of Jesus. Missionaries also went to India, China, Korea and Japan. There were many martyrs! But the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Japanese laypeople kept the Catholic faith for 200 years after the last mission priest was killed. The Gospel challenges the practices of other cultures. No, you cannot worship your ancestors, but you can ask for the prayers of the saints. No, you cannot continue to worship other gods. Worship only the Holy Trinity. No, you cannot be married to all four of your wives. One man, one woman.

In Europe, we face a different problem. Our culture was once Christian. There is a sense that Christianity has been tried, and been rejected. In countries ruled by Communism, the history is more complicated. Christianity was rejected for you. Imagine growing up in a family where none of the adults are Christians. Is that true of anyone here today?

What would you know about Christianity from school, from the media? What would be true? What would be a distorted picture?

The Church gives a special name to the task of preaching again where Christianity failed. This is called the “New Evangelisation”. St John Paul called for an evangelization that is new in its ardour, methods and expression. He spoke of “New Evangelisation” for the first time in 1979, in Nova Huta, an industrial district of Kraków.  This quarter had become famous in the fight of the Christian faithful against communism.  Nova Huta was designed by the Warsaw Government as “a city without God” – an industrial and residential area without religious symbols and without a Church.  But the workers planted a cross and then later, build a church.

Spreading faith is not just for experts or leaders.  “From the crosses in Nova Huta began the new evangelisation,” declared John Paul. “This evangelisation must refer to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.  It must be a work shared by bishops, priests, religious and laity, by parents and young people.” Pope Francis wrote an encyclical in 2013  “Evangelii Gaudium – The joy of the Gospel”  This too calls for the spreading of the word of God by all Catholics.

So what new things can we do to share the Gospel? First we must recognise that new technology allows us to communicate in new ways. We have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Tiktok… And here we have three audiences.

• Our friends.
• The friends of friends.
• The world – or at least, the world of people who speak your language.

Remember, the first stages of evangelisation are trust and curiosity. If people trust us – even as friends of friends – that is a good starting point. What can you say to the people who trust you, to stir up curiosity? “I read a really insightful Bible passage today – this is what it said to me.” “I sensed God near me when I gave time to prayer.” “I felt fulfilled when I went to Mass this morning.”

Some people post pictures of every good meal they eat! How much more so should we boast about Holy Communion! I knew a young man who was studying photography. He was given an exercise: Produce a series of photos about “Relationships” He chose to take photos of people receiving Holy Communion. That was a good witness!

But we must be careful about the language we use. Much of it is “insider language”. Other Catholics know what we mean. “The Blessed Sacrament… An Act of Contrition… The Sacrament of Confirmation.” But what if you’re an outsider? What language works then? We must find simple words to explain our faith.

I am not suggesting we all create social media accounts to share the Gospel. This is for people who already use social media… People who already have trusted contacts. It’s about speaking of faith in a way that fits naturally with who you are. If you want to speak to a wider audience,  it’s less about trust  and more about presentation. Are you gifted in graphic design? Perhaps you can make beautiful images. The TEM evangelisation team have been creating an image with a message about the daily Mass readings. This will grow an audience of trust, over time.

New media is often indirect and impersonal. If you have an opportunity to connect with someone who seems to be open, start a private chat. But we can’t rely on the Internet to help us attract people to Jesus. In the physical world, we also have three audiences.

• Our friends.
• The friends of friends.
• The world – or at least, the world of people who live or work close to you.

I once evangelised a nurse by accident. My mother is a nurse, but she is not a Catholic. She told one of her colleagues that I had become a Catholic. That nurse knew I had studied at Oxford and was a doctor of astrophysics. A few years later, that nurse became a Catholic. My Mum asked her why. “If the Catholic Church makes sense to Gareth, with all his brains, I thought I should look into it.”

We may influence friends of friends.  But we can’t target them.

We can reach out to people who live near us. We can knock on doors. We can run events in the street. “Nightfever” invites people to step into an open church and light a candle. In my home diocese, we took a candle rack out on to the shopping street! This is a way of making a connection.

A few years ago, I worked with other Christians. It was a project called The Turning. Pairs of people went out into public places and approached people directly. “If you died tonight, would you be sure of going to heaven?” I wouldn’t have chosen quite such a bold question if I was running the project. But I tried it, and it opened some interesting conversations. No-one was really hostile.

Non-Christians pass through different levels of curiosity.  First comes awareness – they realise there is such a thing as “Christians”.  Second comes engagement – they are willing to spend time with the Christians they trust, and will listen to what they have to say. Then comes exchange – entering into dialogue and being willing to share their own opinons. Courses like Alpha and Landings provide a safe space to do this.

This morning I spoke about the campus ministers, Everts and Schaupp. Part of their work was running events aimed at people who were only curious. The events used music, drama and other art forms to communicate Christian values. But the focus was on the values, which many people recognise, not on Jesus. Then there would be a short moment where a person spoke about Jesus. They might use a less-well-known Gospel story. Something which shows an unexpected side of Jesus. Something which shows how radical Jesus is.

I heard of a Catholic parish in America which organised a car show. 50 people brought classic cars to exhibit. 600 people came to see. But while talking about their cars, owners were also able to speak about their faith. It makes a connection. It starts a conversation.

Another way to raise public attention is through the relics of saints. In recent years, the relics of great saints have been taken on tour. St John Bosco, St Bernadette of Lourdes, St Therese of Lisieux… When the relics of St Therese came to England a few years ago,  thousands of people came to see. Hindus were happy to honour the relics of a saint. People of no faith were curious about what was happening. Newspapers and radio made reports. The saints can be powerful witnesses. And they are praying for us!

After curiosity comes openness. It is possible to create an event designed to promote openness.  Think of the participants not as seekers but as skeptics or cynics.  Such an event should not have worship music or prayer – that would be too soon. You might talk about current movies and stories to make connections. Bishop Robert Barron in the USA has a podcast called Word on Fire. Often he reviews a new movie and talks about the Christian values in it. You can use the arts to communicate encounter with God;  The message should include something about who Jesus really is. But don’t invite people to a public act of commitment – they won’t be ready.

Franciscans in North Wales and their lay associates launched something they called a Seeker Centre. Now, in the language of Forming Intentional Disciples, their target audience were not active seekers but those still at passive curiosity, The lay associates ran weekends for people at Curiosity with a very gentle presentation of faith. Some team members set up stalls at “Spirituality Fairs”. I don’t know if you have these in Lithuania… Gatherings where people offer healing therapies and fortune telling? But if people are going there to seek healing… why not go there to speak about the One True Healer, Jesus? The Team also created “Gospel Gifts” to give away – candles wrapped with a short Christian message. Soft toys holding the name of Jesus.

Christmas is a great time to give away gifts. I know a church which produced Christmas baubles with a Gospel verse. People who came to Mass in Advent were asked to give one to a friend. They could also invite people to a Christmas Carol service.

A Seeker, as we define it today, is a person who is specifically asking questions about Jesus.  This goes beyond general questions about God  – a Seeker has heard the Christian claim that Jesus is our Teacher, God incarnate. A Seeker wishes to investigate this further.  A true Seeker asks these questions with urgency. A seeker is willing to pay the price which comes with a hard answer. Seekers can be appropriately shown what believers do: Worship and prayer Bible Study,  church socials and service projects. But in service projects, there needs to be an explicit presentation of the Gospel;  we cannot expect participants will link the teaching of Jesus to the volunteers’ motivation.

Everts & Schaupp ran something for Seekers called a GIG: Group Investigating God.  They offered a scripture passage on a printed sheet. The seeker can highlight or circle whatever gets their attention. They have 5 minutes to work their own; Then comes sharing.

It is good to set out clear rules and expectations in a Seeker Group, such as:

• You must grow!
• Be curious; ask questions.
• Share honestly.
• Take risks.
• Listen to others.

Seekers are likely to ask the question about why God allows suffering.  The best response is not to talk philosophy. Rather, speak of how you have experienced God’s presence the midst of your own suffering. An event aimed at true Seekers can appropriately include an invitation to a sign of commitment. Evangelical churches call this an Altar Call. But discernment is needed with each person who responds by coming forward.  Who has actually committed their life to Jesus, and so become an intentional disciple?  Who is simply declaring that they are interested in Jesus and want to know more?

If you run any kind of outreach programme, remember to surround it with prayer.

Public events for strangers should be part of a wider strategy. What happens if you do make a connection with someone? What is the next step? Is there an Alpha Course you can invite them to? Or a seeker-friendly event?

We have a problem in the Catholic Church. We do almost everything with Mass. Mass is not easy for beginners. You won’t know the words. You won’t know the actions. You can’t come to Holy Communion straight away! But if you create a simple service, everyone can join in equally. Whenever I lead a funeral, I explain that it is a service of Christian prayer. Please say AMEN if you hear a prayer you agree with. Please be silent and show your respect if you don’t. There are good times to run easy-access public services. In Britain, many people will come to services of Christmas songs. Or perhaps when a famous person dies, local churches might have a service to remember them. Some parishes have regular services of simple chants, inspired by Taizé.

Somewhere in the USA, 6 parishes work together on an outreach. It’s in a community centre’s parking lot. Every week they offer “dinner church”. It’s a meal, open to all.  It includes a brief scripture and reflection.  They see lots of regulars, and many one-timers.  Average attendance is 35-50.  People who come ask, “who are you folks? Why do you do this?” They tell them they’re from six local Catholic Churches, and just want to meet the community, This opens up lots of positive conversations – it builds trust.

Every parish is called to be a missionary parish. Every parish should have an easy way for new people to explore the Christian faith. And there should be a way to start soon. If a person approaches the parish in November, don’t tell them the converts’ course starts next September. A parish on mission should have something available within a few weeks. And if the course only starts three times a year, have some kind of seeker night or Taizé service half-way between the starts. Then there is something to invite people to.         

The Alpha Course is not meant to be a one-off course for a parish. Alpha is a lifestyle. A parish which commits to Alpha plans to run it three times a year. You can start in September, January and after Easter. If you don’t have small groups, Alpha graduates can help with the next Alpha. And they keep helping until they are ready for the sacraments.

Alpha doesn’t work for every parish. I tried it in my last parish and it wasn’t a good fit for our culture. So we tried a different course called Discovering Christ, which turned out to be a much better fit.

Discovering Christ and its two follow-up courses come from an American organisation called ChristLife. Discovering Christ has 7 sessions and a retreat day. The focus is on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Following Christ looks at the lifestyle of a disciple. How do we pray? What does it mean to forgive others? Spiritual warfare – because we have an Enemy who attacks us. The Power of the Sacraments – because we have a divine Friend who loves us. How do we discern our calling?

Their third course is called Sharing Christ. It is about ways of sharing the Gospel with other people. Together the three courses are a Catholic toolkit to take a person through the steps of discipleship. But always remember: People grow at different speeds. “Finishing a course” doesn’t mean the person is ready for the next step. That always needs a spiritual conversion: “Tell me the story of where God is in your life.”

When we run a course, it is tied to a time and a place. What about the people who cannot come at that time? Alpha has a short version which can run in a lunch hour. During the pandemic, Alpha learned how to run the course online.

An ideal parish would have groups to explore the Gospel in the daytime and in the evening. It would have an online option for the housebound. This takes a lot of organising. It needs more people to help lead it. But it can be done – if a parish decides this is important. Jesus told us to spread the Gospel!

Sometimes we need a solution for very small groups. Perhaps we can meet a single person or a family in their own home. There is a study guide for this, too. In Canada, there’s a group called “Catholic Christian Outreach”. They have materials for studying the Christian message in a very small home group.

Most of the resources I have been talking about are, of course, in English. There is nothing to stop them being translated. You could ask for permission from the publishers. The exception is Alpha. The Alpha course is available on video in Lithuanian. I know that in Kretinga, you have a good history of Alpha with live speakers. That’s great if you can come together and do it. But with the videos, you can run Alpha even when no live speaker is available. Alpha also have a special version designed for work with teenagers.

In Wales, there are many evangelical churches which run Alpha. But now they face a new problem. People are trying Alpha, but it’s not connecting. The new generation isn’t asking spiritual questions. They have no sense of who God is. Even Alpha is answering questions which they are not asking.

Sherry Weddell is seeing a similar problem in the USA. She runs a Forum on Facebook for people familiar with Forming Intentional Disciples. It’s a great place to research questions about faith sharing. How do I evangelise in this or that situation? Search the Forum. Hopefully Facebook can translate into Lithuanian reasonably well. She also notes that Alpha isn’t connecting with Americans now. They aren’t ready for it. What can be simpler than Alpha?

The churches in Wales had an idea. They were inspired by a book called Imagine Heaven. It’s about people who have been close to death but were revived by doctors. Sometimes these people have a testimony of glimpsing heaven. They meet their relatives – or a being of light and love. There was an American engineer called John Burke. He studied many of these stories from America and from India. Did these stories match what we believe as Christians about death and judgment? In India, people wouldn’t expect to meet Jesus. They would have Hindu, or Buddhist, or Islamic ideas about death. But John Burke found their stories were a good match, too. So he wrote the book, “Imagine Heaven”. He also interviewed many of the people with stories of visiting heaven. You can see these interviews on YouTube.

The Churches in Wales adapted these into a six-week course. “What is after life?” We have lived through two difficult years. Some of us have lost loved ones. Many of us were worried about the virus. All of us were reminded that science is not able to protect us from being mortal. People are asking whether heaven is real. These near-death stories don’t prove anything. But they arouse curiosity. They open a door.

Jesus told a parable about two people who found treasure. One of them was a merchant looking for fine pearls. He knew there was something better. He wouldn’t rest until he found it. I’ve heard many sermons about how Jesus can fill the “God-shaped hole” within us. But I never felt that hole within me. I wasn’t looking for fine pearls. I was happy with life. Those sermons didn’t connect with me.

But Jesus also spoke about a man walking through a field. He wasn’t looking for treasure, but he tripped over it. So he bought the field. And enjoyed the treasure. That’s me. I wasn’t looking for God when my granny died. But I found him anyway. We must work out what other people are looking for. And we can place the treasure where they can trip over it.

There are many activities you can run in a parish. You can’t do everything. But if you run something, you need to invite people. It’s not easy. Many Catholics are afraid to invite their friends to church. But there are gentle ways to start the conversation.

• “Do you ever think about spiritual things?”
• “What do you think happens to us when we die?”
• “What does the word ‘God’ mean to you?”

There’s no point running a big event if you can’t get people to come. The best advert for Alpha is a joyful Alpha graduate. Social media can help. Have someone produce images that parishioners can share. But what is most important? Catholics who come to Mass must get good at inviting people.

So I want to finish with an exercise for you. I would like you to get into pairs – person A and person B. Person A is going to invite person B to come to a Taizé night. Person B will pretend to be someone who stopped going to Mass 20 years ago. Then Person B will invite Person A to the next Alpha course. Person A will pretend to be someone who has no Christian experience.

Remember the good ways to open the conversation:

• “Do you ever think about spiritual things?”
• “What do you think happens to us when we die?”
• “What does the word ‘God’ mean to you?”

Use part of your own story. Build trust. Make a connection. Give an invitation. And before you do this for real, pray!

Now it’s your turn. Go – and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord!

Kretinga 4: Reaching Catholics who no longer attend Mass

#4 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 20 August 2022.

I’d like to start with a story.

About 15 years ago, I went shopping for a new winter coat. I wasn’t dressed as a priest – it was my day off. I saw a woman stopping people at the entrance to the clothes store. I realised she must be reaching out for some religious group. So when I’d bought my coat, and had spare time on my hands, I went out through that door.

I allowed the woman to start a conversation. She was a Jehovah’s Witness. Now, if you meet a Witness or a Mormon, they will have a script of what they want to say. It’s about why their strange version of Christianity is really the right one. But I stopped the woman, and asked a question. “Tell me the story of how you became a Jehovah’s Witness?”

She lived in a small English village. She used to worship at an Anglican church. Then her beloved dog died. The Anglican minister wasn’t interested. But she had neighbours who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were interested. They showed her a lot of care and sympathy. Then they invited her to join their church. Now she’s an active Jehovah’s witness.

Similar things happen in the Catholic Church.

In England and Wales, Catholics are only about 10% of the population. So there are lots of people who could become Catholic. Most years, as a parish priest, I had 2 to 4 adults become Catholic at Easter. Often they were middle-aged women. They had a friend who was a Catholic. That friend introduced them to the church. They wanted to join the group of “nice friendly people” So they took religious instruction and became Catholic. But often, within 2 years, they aren’t coming to Mass any more. Being with the “nice friendly people” isn’t enough. I would say 80% of the new Catholics I worked with were like that.

The other 20% were different. Their conversion went much deeper. Perhaps they had done a lot of reading, and the Catholic Faith made sense to their intellect. Or perhaps they had a profound spiritual experience and deep connection with Jesus. These are the new Catholics who stay.

In Western countries, we also lose many young people from the Church. They ask for the Sacrament of Confirmation – and then we never see them again. Parents seem to say “If you’re old enough to be confirmed, you can choose not to go to Church.” I say, “If you’re mature enough to make that choice, you should choose not to be confirmed.” But some young people do stay.

There was a study, in Canada, in 2012, about young people from many Christian churches. What stands out about young people who remain active in church? They have experienced God’s presence and seen prayers answered;  They live in Christian communities where they can talk about real spiritual questions  They can adult communities living out Christian faith in authentic ways.

There was also a study in England about different ways Anglican Churches were running. Some churches run a project called “Messy Church”. This allows families to come together as families for a few hours. They eat together. They hear a short Bible message. They make something which illustrates the message. Evidence shows that children who took part in Messy Church are more likely to worship as young adults.

Many people drop out of attending Catholic Mass. Young people drop out as they grow up. Adult converts often do not stay for more than a year or two. And Catholics who have practiced for a long time also leave.

Why?

Let’s remember the steps of discipleship. Many of the people who worship on Sunday are still at Trust or Curiosity – passive. Few have made the decision in their hearts to be open to Jesus and his challenges. If you lose a person who’s decided to follow Jesus, they have probably found a different church. But if you lose someone who’s still at trust, it’s because they have lost trust.

You know what it’s like being a Catholic in Kretinga. What could cause a Catholic here to lose trust in the Church or trust in God?

An English professor, Stephen Bullivant, has studied why Catholics leave in the USA and the UK. He found five common reasons. One is that children reject the faith their family taught them. If both parents attend Mass, 40-50% of their children will continue to say “I’m Catholic” If only one parent attends, it will be 20-30%.

The second is that a change in the family lifestyle is a trigger to stop going to Mass. Maybe it’s when a person takes on a new job. Maybe it’s when the children leave home to go to university. Or when the children stop being willing to go to Mass.  A family tension – kids reject upbringing.

The third reason is that a person finds they wish to make life choices in conflict with Church teaching. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with a divorced person. Maybe you experience same-sex attraction. Maybe you are attracted by drugs or money. There is integrity in not worshipping as a Christian if you can’t live as a Christian!

The fourth reason is the one that led the lady at the shop to become a Jehovah’s Witness. The Church did not support her in a time of crisis.

And the fifth is a rather different reason. Some Christians feel safe with unchanging rituals and unchanging traditions. They want a church that hasn’t changed its teaching or practice in centuries. So if they can’t have Mass in Latin, they drop out. If they hear teaching which was updated at the Second Vatican Council, they lose trust.

An American Diocese, Trenton, also asked its people why they stopped coming to Mass. Many blamed the number of priests convicted of sex abuse for losing their trust. Others said it was that when they went to Mass, they heard too many requests for money. Some said the music wasn’t up to a high enough standard. Others said the preaching wasn’t meeting their needs. And some said they didn’t feel the priest there cared about the people.

In my last parish, I gathered together a group of people who didn’t come to Mass. They were willing to talk about why. The number one reason was that they had noisy children.

They felt embarrassed when their small children cried at Mass. So they didn’t come to Mass. We looked at whether we could have a “baby chapel” with a video relay, but that didn’t work. Our side room wasn’t in the right place. And the parents didn’t like the idea of being “cut off”. So I had another idea.

Let’s have a special Mass for toddlers and their parents! It was once a month, an extra Mass at 4 pm on a Saturday afternoon. This is late enough to fulfil the Sunday obligation. But early enough you don’t have to use the Sunday texts. I did all the things priests are allowed to do to shorten a “Mass for children”. I could swap the lectionary reading for a more suitable and shorter one. I could merge the psalm with an Alleluia response. The opening song was an action song the children could join in. The preaching was a 1 minute message for distracted parents. There was another action song at the end. It was all done in about 35 minutes. The first time I tried it, 80 people came. By the third time I had 120. And the total attendance of my usual Sunday Masses only totalled 300! I could see that grandparents were borrowing children for a reason to come! So it showed what parents said was true. They really did feel embarrassed to be at a main Mass. But they would come to a Mass designed for noisy children.

This talk is about reaching Catholics who no longer attend Mass. But we have to understand why they left. If things haven’t changed, they will leave again. So we need to think about three things. How can we invite them back? How can we make sure their experience of church is different this time? How do we listen to any hurt which caused them to leave?

There are two kinds of strategy for reaching out to lost Catholics. One is to run events targeted at the lost. The other is to create a culture which seeks to bring back the lost.

On Thursday night I spoke about the American Parish of the Nativity in Timonium, near Washington  They established a clear mission statement: This parish exists to reach the lost and make disciples. Next they asked: Who are the lost, in this place? They identified men aged 30-50, fathers of families, as their target audience. They set about changing the culture. “Culture” simply means “the way we do things”. It also means they way we DON’T do things. A church serious about welcoming the lost: – will NOT have procedures which are difficult to follow – will NOT make cynical comments at Christmas and Easter about part-timers visiting – will NOT implicitly or explicitly criticise the way people dress. Yes, there is a place for Christian teaching on how to dress modestly and respectfully. But the place for this is in small groups where people have already committed to follow Jesus.

When you try to change the culture of a congregation, there will be trouble. Expect people to get angry. Expect people to leave. This is painful for anyone with the heart of a shepherd. The good shepherd doesn’t want even one of the sheep to be lost. But in John 6, Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life – you must eat me.” Many left him, because it was a difficult teaching. Jesus allowed them to go.

Often resistance is driven by emotion rather than logic. People confuse a challenge to their religious culture with an attack on their faith. How many of the things we do as Catholics are essential to following Jesus? In the first thousand years of Christianity, no-one prayed the rosary. No-one went to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. These things came later. In the first three hundred years of Christianity, we didn’t have dedicated church buildings. No statues. No candle racks. No cupboards of vestments in seasonal colours. These things make the Church beautiful today. Some of them are even required by the rules the Catholic Church has made. But they are not essential to following the message Jesus gave us. Times change. A hundred years ago, no-one prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Now it is well-known. Jesus continues to show us his love and mercy.

Opposition comes not when you speak of change, but when you try to do it. There will be people who don’t understand. There will be people who don’t care. There will be people who don’t believe you are serious. There will be people who think they can resist until things go “back to normal”.

Unhappy parishioners respond in negative ways. Passive aggression. Slander and gossip. Letters of protest, sometimes claiming “everyone else” agrees with them, or formal complaints; threats that someone will stop volunteering, or take legal action. So: Expect conflict – Don’t take it too personally –     Try to be sensitive to the adjustment the congregation has to make – Remember that the real battle is a spiritual one. Satan does not want people to become Disciples of Christ. This battle is won on both knees!

How did Nativity Church start to welcome the lost? They introduced a Sunday evening Mass, with a focus on youth. They used technology to enhance the worship. They built an extension on the church to create more space for welcoming experience. The space even included a café!

What could you do first? Define your mission field – probably the geographical boundaries of your parish. Be clear about who the lost souls are within this field. The need to reach the lost will become part of the culture of the parish. It will often be mentioned in preaching and prayer. It will be part of every evaluation meeting. Once a year it will be explained from the beginning for anyone who’s new. It’s about inviting the typical lost person to attend church. Make them as welcome as possible when they turn up. Some are housebound; ask if they wish to receive communion at home. Some are shielding from Covid. But they can receive a regular video call from someone who cares.

It’s safe to assume that most of the lost are still at Trust or passive Curiosity. Recognise that many things, though good, won’t move them to being disciples. Just turning up in church won’t make them disciples. Just asking them to say certain prayers won’t make them disciples. Just giving religious education – because they haven’t passed into active seeking – won’t help. Reminding them of church rules and obligations won’t make them disciples. Making your building beautiful won’t make them disciples. Getting them into small groups won’t automatically make them disciples… but you can be smart about what you do in the small groups. You can be equally smart with lost Catholics who are personal friends. Allow time to grow your friendship. Pray for your friends Share your own story of how Jesus, or your faith, changed your life for the better. When it seems right, invite your friend to church.

But what’s it like for a lost person coming to church? Why not ask a friend, who is not an active churchgoer, to test your Sunday Mass and write a review? What does it look like for someone who’s not familiar with it? Are you making the weekend service experience as good as it can be?

Music should carry the worshipper to the heart of God. It’s an emotional, intellectual and spiritual journey. What does your church music say to your target audience? Think of the music as the “soundtrack” of the Mass.  Call people to attention as they arrive. Offer something soft at communion.  Use music to draw people into silence and lead them out again.

“It’s about the hospitality!” Do you have welcomers inside your building? Do you have welcomers outside your building? Does it have good signs leading to it? Are the toilets clean? Are the toilets accessible? What can help blind people to take part? What about deaf people? Is there a space for people in wheelchairs? Does someone hand people a song book or newsletter at the door? Is there a hot drink available at the end of the service? And what about the parents with small children? Is there children’s liturgy for those aged around 4-8? In short, CREATE AN IRRESISTABLE ENVIRONMENT!

Nativity Church also offers great advice for preaching… But I will skip that because most of you won’t be preaching at Mass.

Here in Kretinga, I am told you have 500 or 600 people who attend Mass regularly. There were another 400 who came before covid. We need to be sensitive to people’s fears about disease. So we need to ask what it means to be part of Church while staying at home. How do people receive news from the parish? Who will visit them from time to time, or call them if they don’t want a visit? With 600 people, there are enough of you to ask how to change the culture. It starts with a few. Jesus started with 12. But this is something for the parish priest and people to discuss together, later.

The other way to reach the lost is to invite them to a special event. But what kind of event? And how do you send the invitation?

Most of the lost people belong to Catholic families. Some will live in the homes closest to your home. Some will send their children to school with your children. Some are on the parish register because they asked for a sacrament for their child. A personal invitation is better than a bulk e-mail. I don’t even know if that’s legal in Lithuania, unless people opt-in! But a personal approach is always allowed. Inviting someone to come with me is even better!

 It’s great to invite people back, but what are we inviting them TO? Sunday Mass is the main event in our churches. But it’s complicated to join in if you’re not familiar with the words. And what about communion? Some people need confession before they should come to communion. Some people may be in relationships not blessed by the Church. Pope Francis has asked for “accompaniment and discernment” for such people. It’s the work of the Parish Priest to see if there’s a way back to the sacraments. Perhaps there are other devotions in the parish where returners can be fully included. Anyone can adore the Blessed Sacrament or pray the rosary! But most of all, returners need a safe place to share their story.

 So what can you invite them to? There are different groups in the English-speaking world which work with returning Catholics. The key names are LANDINGS, KEEPING IN TOUCH and CATHOLICS RETURNING HOME. It’s not a good idea to put lost Catholics together with new people exploring the Church. New people don’t understand all the special church words. Lost Catholics may be full of complaints about what the Church did wrong. So it makes sense to have a special meeting just for lost Catholics. This can give them space to tell their story. What went wrong? Why did they leave the Church? This is a time to sit and listen. It’s not a time to defend bad behaviour. It’s not even a time to defend right behaviour, which came across harshly. Just listen.

Some will have left the Catholic Church and found somewhere else to worship. Most won’t be going anywhere to worship. Some have lost their faith in God.

I will let you into a secret. I don’t always enjoy being a Catholic. Sometimes I prefer the music other Christians are singing. I don’t think we are the best at welcoming strangers. But I am a Catholic because I can receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Like Peter, I can say this. Lord, who else can I go to? You have the message of eternal life.

But it takes a very mature faith to choose a church for this reason. Many people, like the Jehovah’s Witness I met, choose the church where they are loved. It is not easy, to call someone out of a church where they are loved. We can learn Catholic apologetics. We can try speaking with deep logic and reason. But it won’t be easy to persuade a Catholic who went elsewhere, to come home. There is a place for inviting ex-Catholics to come back from their new church. That place is in personal relationships. The Catholic Church has signed an international agreement against proselytising. We don’t try to steal sheep from other churches… Even if the sheep were once Catholic. So we don’t target members of other churches, as a group, to join us. But if we have a good personal relationship with an ex-Catholic in another church, we have trust. Trust allows us to listen to each other’s point of view. This is where we can invite the other person to look again at what the Catholic Church teaches.

But let’s think about Catholics who have stopped attending Mass and now say they have no faith. Landings is a programme designed to offer lost Catholics a safe place to “land”. It’s run by lay people, not priests. That matters, because many lost Catholics were hurt by something a priest said or did. Lost Catholics are invited to come to group meetings for a few weeks. The programme can run at any time of year, but Advent and Lent seem to work well. A Landings group is a safe small group for support and friendship Leaders create an environment which fosters adult conversation and community. Both active Catholics and lost Catholics are invited to tell the story of their spiritual journey. Listening to one another, without judgment, builds trust.

How can you let people know a Landings programme is running? Worshippers at Sunday Mass can be given invitation cards to pass on to their contacts. Some parishes have team members who visit door-to-door in the community. Advertisements can be placed in newspapers or the windows of local businesses. Maybe someone can even write an article for the local newspaper. A banner can be put outside the church or in a prominent public place. You can place news items, or short videos, on social media.

Here’s what they do in Singapore, at a parish called “Holy Spirit”: Each time a new Landings programme begins, former participants speak at Sunday Mass. They testify about the incredible experience they had from taking part in Landings. A parish room is reserved for “meeting returners” every Monday night. That is always staffed, even on weeks when there is no Landings session occurring. That parish saw more than 100 Catholics return in one year!

In Britain, a lady called Sheila Keefe adapted some of these ideas to make a new programme. That’s the one called “Keeping In Touch”. I want to share some of Sheila’s words with you.

My first experience when I began this ministry was one of shock. Here are some of the stories told by the people we visited: One man was told never to come to church again when he confessed that he had had a vasectomy;  another introduced his non-Catholic fiancée to the parish priest who said “find a new girlfriend!” Bereaved people talk about how their church ‘friends’ kept away from them;  others say they never felt they belonged to or had been welcomed in their parish.  Feelings of guilt keep many Catholics away;  they don’t believe God will ever forgive them for what they have done. There are many, many wounds out there that need to be healed;  what is so surprising and humbling is the number of wounded people who are happy to talk; they are open to reconciliation with the Church.

The “Keeping in Touch” team tries to involve the whole parish in the programme: Prayer is crucial! The programme is mentioned monthly in bidding prayers. They ask housebound parishioners and parish sisters to pray. Team members go visiting door-to-door, in pairs. They always try to say a prayer as they approach the house we are visiting Homes to be visited receive a letter from the parish priest a week or two beforehand; The family there is able to refuse a visit if they so wish. The teams are not there to convert; They aim to get to know fellow Catholics and to address any concerns they may have.

More words from Sheila:

One elderly gentleman, who would only open the door a crack, said he didn’t want a visit. But he would like information about today’s Church.  A few months later we invited him to a small group meeting… We were somewhat surprised when he accepted.  He had been away from the Church for 40 years…  and it took him a good six months to find his voice in the group, but he persevered and joined us for the Triduum the following Easter. He preferred weekday Mass… He and could often be found quietly kneeling at the back of church, happy and at peace.  He died two years later after receiving the Sacrament of the Sick.

Jesus said: the harvest is great, but the workers are few. We know that today there is a great harvest out there. People scared away by covid may need an invitation to return. They may need a special Mass, perhaps on a weekday, with masks and social distancing. But there are many more people who have lost touch with the Church for other reasons. How can you reach out to them? How can you offer a safe place for them to land?

Take 5 minutes to discuss this with the people near you, And then I will take questions and comments.

Kretinga 3: How People Become Catholic

#3 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 20 August 2022.

Brothers and sisters, I have good news for you. There are people in our churches today who passionately in love with Jesus. A few years ago, these same people didn’t know Jesus at all!

How did this happen? Was it a pure miracle? Is it an accident? Or did it come from steps that are predictable and can be reproduced?

God’s grace is always a factor. We cannot predict where and when God will send the blessing of faith. Jesus himself told the parable of the sower. Some seed falls on good ground and bears fruit. Other seed struggles and fails to bear fruit for different reasons. Our job is to sow the seed.

But we can learn to be smarter in sowing the seed. There are lessons we can learn from people who’ve found faith. You might call these people “intentional disciples”. They’ve made a personal decision to follow Jesus and learn from him. He is truly the Lord of their lives.

In the USA, evangelical Christians fund ministers to work with university students. Two such ministers are Don Everts and Doug Schaupp. At the start of the 1990s they noticed something had changed. American young people were less willing to accept what people said about Jesus and Christianity. They didn’t trust claims made by experts. But they would trust witnesses. Suppose they met a person like themselves, testifying to how Jesus had changed their life? That person would have much greater influence than Bible scholars or church leaders.

Everts and Schaupp worked with 2000 new Christians. They noticed a very predictable pattern of conversion. There were five key steps or “thresholds”. But is this true in a Catholic context?

Yes!

There’s a laywoman, a convert to Catholicism, called Sherry Anne Weddell. She works for the Siena Institute in Colorado, alongside Dominican priests. Sherry noticed how these same steps were present in the stories of the Catholic converts. She published what she found in her book, Forming Intentional Disciples.

I first read this book about 10 years ago. When I read it, I shouted for joy! At last, someone understood my experience of being a convert to the Catholic faith! I became a Catholic so I could follow Jesus and receive Holy Communion. But is this what’s important to most Catholics? Most of the Catholics I met were worried about two other things: How can they help poor people? How can they keep their local parish going, at a place to meet in a building they love? Neither group of Catholics seemed very keen on recruiting new members of the Catholic Church. Now this book provided the answer – most of these Catholics were on the journey of conversion, but they had not yet become disciples.

In her first book, Sherry Weddell confirms the work of Everts and Schaupp. In other places she explores what happens after discipleship. Each disciple seeks and finds their role within the church. Today I’d like to summarise this teaching.

Here are seven stages of spiritual growth in the journey of making disciples. These are true for a church-going Catholic becoming more intentional in their commitment. They are true for a person making the journey from another religion to Catholicism. Why is it important to know where a person is on this journey? You can be smart in nudging a person towards their next step. How many Catholics in a typical parish have become intentional disciples? Let’s have some guesses. 50%? 20%? 10%? 5%? Weddell estimates only around 5%. So let’s start the journey.

Trust

The first step requires trust. This could be trust with Jesus Christ, trusting the Church, trusting a Christian believer or trusting something identifiably Christian. Without trust, there can be no conversation. To build trust, you need to do something very simple: become a brilliant friend. That’s not something you need me to teach you. It comes out of your unique gifts as a person.

Curiosity (Passive)

The second step requires us to stir up curiosity in the mind of the person who trusts us. If we don’t talk about Jesus, people will not meet him. But we must wait for suitable moments to speak about Jesus! We mustn’t become a boring person who always talks about religion. We must be equally willing to take an interest in the other person’s religious viewpoint. So listen first, then speak.

You can share the story of your own faith when someone trusts you. No-one can say you are wrong about your own lived experience. On this, you are the world’s greatest expert!

We can find natural ways to speak of how faith is part of our lives. How many of you will go to work on Monday morning? Might someone ask “What did you do over the weekend?” – if you went to church, say so! Just mention one thing about Jesus or some aspect of the Christian faith. If our friends want to know more, they will ask!

A single conversation is rarely enough to win someone for Jesus. Most successful faith-sharing takes place in ongoing relationships. Everts & Schaupp ran university events for people who were curious. These used music, drama and other art forms to communicate Christian values. There would be just a few minutes when someone spoke about Jesus. They found fresh ways to speak about him. They chose things which people did not expect to hear about Jesus.

In a typical Catholic parish, many people are still at Curiosity or just back at Trust, We must keep re-telling the Great Story of Jesus. This can awaken the desire to be a disciple. We must stress that you can have a relationship with Jesus today. We need to be ready to speak openly about our inner life of prayer, and our relationship with God.

I’ve met dozens of young parents who want their children baptised. I always ask them to tell me the story of their relationship with God. Often the answer they give is about the church – how they got baptised and made their first communion. They often don’t think of God as a person they can relate to – “God” is only as a label for “church stuff”.

Many of our churchgoers have a very immature relationship with God. Sometimes they focus on their “relationship with the church”, or sometimes on their “relationship with a deceased relative”. How can we help these people know God as a loving Father? They can be helped by hearing testimonies from people who do have a relationship with God. They can also be encouraged to pray the Prayer of Openness – “God, if you are there, show yourself to me!”

Openness

The third step is in red for a reason. It’s the most challenging of the whole process. It’s the threshold of Openness to the Possibility of Change.

The message of Jesus is challenging. When we take it seriously, it demands change in our way of life. Think of a person living a worldy life who starts to follow Jesus. Maybe they have to stop a casual sexual relationship. Maybe they need to change the way they do business. Even a really moral person now has to devote time to church each weekend! Many potential Christians wait for a long time at this threshold. They might be challenged to cross it by a major life-event – a new baby – a death in the family – or something like that.

What will you see if you have a friend struggling with openness? They will probably argue against Jesus very strongly. Our task is not to argue back, but to listen and to acknowledge their pain.

Our friend might ask big questions about God. How can a good God can allow evil in the world? Has science has disproved God? (By the way, I am a doctor of astrophysics, and I believe in God.) Someone who actively disagrees with you is willing to engage with you. That’s good. Be open, listen to what they say, and then you can have your own say.

A parish mission or a weekend on retreat can lead a person to openness. When your friend has said YES to openness, you will know! But beware. Don’t rush to give them a job in the church. It’s tempting. But the energy which comes with saying YES to God is for growing, not serving. Volunteering comes later.

What can you do to guide a friend into openness? Speak honestly about your own struggles. Don’t make following Jesus seem easier than it is. Help your friend explore the question “Where is God in this?” Pray. Pray FOR your friend – we have an Enemy who doesn’t want them to be open. Be bold. Ask your friend, “Can I pray with you?” Maybe invite your friend to Eucharistic Adoration.

Seeking (Active)

The fourth stage is marked by a more active kind of seeking. Your friend has realised that hiding from God is not an option. So your friend now reaches out to God and is asking a deep question: “Are you the One to whom I can entrust my life?” Now a seeker will be asking questions specifically about Jesus. What did he teach? What did he do? This is different from asking philosophical questions about “God”.

Only now will your friend be ready for catechesis. Catechesis means answering the religious questions people are asking!

Now your friend will be ready to try different forms of prayer. You can suggest guided Bible reading, the rosary and other devotions.

Explain that a personal relationship with Jesus also makes them part of a wider community. We come to Jesus through membership of a parish. This is where we receive the sacraments. We believe that God speaks through the formal structures of the Catholic Church, the Magisterium.

In today’s culture of freedom, seekers may struggle to understand some key ideas. Can the Church access to absolute truth? Is there really such a thing as objective sin? Do we have to surrender our freedom to Jesus as our Lord? Young adults may find it easier to recognise the presence of sin in broken systems. Think of the way the world fails to tackle climate change. This is also a kind of sin, but less personal.

We need patience to answer people’s questions. But they fact they are asking, gives us hope!

Intentional Discipleship

Questions cannot last forever. When you have answered enough questions, you can challenge your friend to join the Church. So ask the question: “What about becoming a Christian?” “What about joining the Catholic Church?” Or if the person is already Catholic, “What about coming to confession and reconnecting?” If the response is “No”, a natural follow up is “Why not?” Then deal with the blockages people have. Acknowledge your friend’s fear of “what would happen if I said yes to God”?

Be ready to meet with your friend two or three times a week once they have said YES to God. This is the time to make sure the new or returning Christian is part of the Church community. This is where small groups in the parish are important! If an adult isn’t yet baptised, they probably need to wait until next Easter and do a course. But the more important moment is the day they said YES to Jesus in their heart. This is their baptism of desire!

Ministry

Our Christian growth doesn’t end by becoming an intentional disciple. Any member of the church should look at the gifts and talents they have been given by God. Those gifts are given for a reason – to be used! Ask “How can I use these to serve God in the church and in the world?” Last night I said more about how we can identify gifts and draw in people.

Vocation

There is a seventh step, but not everyone is free to take it. And many people have taken it already before they become disciples. If you are free to discern a long-term or permanent commitment, you can ask, “What is my vocation? Should I be a priest or a member of a religious community? Should I devote a few years of my life to full-time missionary work?” Knowing your gifts helps you to answer this question.

Further Reflections

Let’s pause here and reflect. Perhaps, as I have described these steps, you can see them in the way you came to faith.

Ten years ago I read Sherry Weddell‘s book Forming Intentional Disciples. For the first time in my life, I no longer felt alone as a Catholic disciple in a parish. I want to share something that Sherry wrote, which made my heart sing for joy.

In her youth she spent time with a group of other young enthusiastic Catholics. Together they agreed on this description of what a normal parish looks like. Sherry and her group suggest there are seven things that should be normal for a Catholic parish.

1. It is normal for lay Catholics to have a living, growing love relationship with God.
2. It is normal for lay Catholics to be excited Christian activists.
3. It is normal for lay Catholics to be knowledgeable about their faith, the Scriptures, the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church, and the history of the Church.
4. It is normal for lay Catholics to know what their gifts of service are, and to be using them effectively for God’s work.
5. It is normal for lay Catholics to know that they have a vocation/mission in life. Some of us are priests or religious, but most of us have a mission in the secular world. This mission is given to us by God. It is normal for lay Catholics to be actively engaged in discerning and living this vocation.
6. It is normal for lay Catholics to spend time with other committed lay Catholics. Such friends encourage and nurture us. Such friends help us discern as we attempt to follow Jesus.
7. It is normal for the local parish to function consciously as a house of formation for lay Catholics. A good parish enables and empowers you to do all of these Normal things.

 At last, here was someone else who “got it”! I wasn’t the only person in the world who believed a parish should be like this!

Now, my dear brothers and sisters, how do you feel about a church like this? Is this a church you’d want to join? Is this a parish you’d like to be part of? How can we transform a parish? This is what Pope Francis asks us to do. He has reminded us that all of us who are baptised are called to be missionary disciples. In a typical parish, only 5% of the people at Sunday Mass are probably disciples. But… if these disciples could be formed, inspired and given the right tools, they could double their number in mere months!

You can’t tell much from the fact a person attends Mass. You cannot know how far that person has travelled on the journey of discipleship unless you ask. If you only take one thing away from this talk, take this question: “Tell me the story of where God is in your life!”

Ask this question whenever you get the chance – and then shut up and listen!

This transformed my ministry as a parish priest. I met many young adults who had been brought up Catholic and sent to Catholic schools. They want a baptism for their new baby, or first communion for a child. But they didn’t know who God is. I learned to ask them the key question: “Tell me the story of where God is in your life!” They would answer: “I got baptised and made my First Communion.” “I went to a Catholic School and got confirmed.” So I would ask them again – “I am glad you were in the church, but where was God?” Half of them look puzzled – they don’t know God is a person. The other half say – “God was there for me, he loves me, he makes me happy when I am sad.” So then I ask about Jesus. They can tell me the story of Christmas. They can tell me the story of Easter. Then I say: “Do you know that Jesus talked about God as His Father?” This is when their eyes begin to open.

Remember, for many people, “God” is just a label for “church stuff”. It’s easy for someone in a classroom to ignore a message about God. A one-to-one conversation forces the listener to engage – often that engagement is enough to get the person thinking afresh about who God really is.

Never accept a “label” without enquiring what it means. Even people who initially call themselves atheist or agnostic might admit to praying. They might be open to the possibility of some version of God! Try answering their questions with more questions – most people only need two “whys” to think about why they stand where they stand.

If you get the chance to ask a second open question, try this: “If you could ask God one question which he would answer right now, what would it be?” In fact, take a moment to find your answer to this question right now!

How can you encourage someone to take Jesus seriously, and so become a Catholic? This usually requires a relationship sustained over years. Can you share a meaningful message about Jesus if you only have 2 minutes for a conversation? If you can only speak to someone once, with what will you end your conversation? An invitation to say a prayer? An invitation to connect with a church?

Do you expect to be able to nudge someone closer to Jesus?

It’s all too easy to blunder into enter this kind of conversation with judgement and expectation. “Why don’t you go to Mass?” “Why aren’t you pro-life?” “Don’t you believe Mary is appearing at such-and-such a place?” But in fact we have something much simpler to share. “You are loved. God created you to have a relationship with you. We human beings don’t love perfectly… but Jesus came to show us perfect love and to re-connect us with God.” And it’s that deliberate, personal re-connection with God which is crucial!

In Western cultures, maybe 15% of the baptised Catholics attend Mass on any given Sunday. Many who do go to Mass are going only once a month.

Three distinct things happen in Catholic lives, but these don’t always match up. There’s the sacraments of initiation – baptism, first communion, confirmation. There’s the way people get involved in the parish community, as volunteers or simply attending. Then there’s the interior journey through the thresholds of discipleship. The Catechism of the Catholic Church recognises we have TWO conversions. The “first conversion” (1427) is the one by which we become disciples. The ongoing or “second” conversion (1428) is where we find our role in working for Jesus. The Church recognises (Catechesi Tradendae 19) that often we try to catechise people who have not yet been evangelised. They haven’t heard and accepted the good news that Jesus is real and loves them! So we need to know how to evangelise – Let’s not make the mistake of trying to catechise people who still need to hear the basic Gospel.

As individuals, we can seek to have conversations about faith with the people who trust us. As members of parishes, we can ask how our parishes can help bring faith to people with no faith. This is why I’ve drawn the thresholds of discipleship as a circle. As individuals, we make the journey from trust to intentional discipleship and ministry. A PARISH becomes a pump which closes the circle. People who are already intentional disciples work reach out to new potential members. They become disciples. They start making disciples. And so the cycle continues.

A parish can become a vibrant disciple-making institution, but it needs to be intentional. Does your parish have a plan? An effective plan is to run a regular outreach course. This is the engine to bring future disciples to that key decision point of choosing to follow Jesus. Suitable courses in English include Discovering Christ, Alpha, and Sycamore. These courses provide a safe place for people to ask questions about God and Jesus: they are a safe starting place for outsiders who aren’t familiar with church language. They also help people who already ‘belong’ to church. It’s a chance to take a fresh look at what we believe. Graduates of these basic courses can then join longer lasting small ‘connect’ groups. A healthy parish is an invitational parish. It invites those who are not already members to come aboard!

One cycle of a course like Alpha or Discovering Christ is probably not enough. It won’t move someone all the way from Trust to Intentional Discipleship. But sustained work with a person can achieve this in around two years. When people reach the stage of Openness, supporting them with prayer is crucial. Recognise they are vulnerable to falling back. They might hide within a community which doesn’t seem to affirm their growth. Growing as far as Openness can be scary in a community which is mostly still at Trust! Who would want to become a disciple in a parish where you can’t see many disciples?

Now that you are aware of the thresholds of discipleship, what can you see? Are there many people worshipping in our churches who don’t focus on following Jesus? Many people will belong to a parish and be passionate about their community. They want to keep their beloved church building well repaired. They will raise money to fix the roof but not to spread the gospel. Why? They are stuck at the threshold of trust or curiosity. They believe in the community, but do not yet believe in the Lord in a personal way.

We will meet people in church who are passionate about serving poor, not because they love the Lord but because they love the people. Of course, Jesus did tell us that the second great commandment is to love our neighbour. All of us who follow, must help people whose needs we come across in our daily life. Some of us will also choose to volunteer, go to and help people in need.

We can build buildings, grow congregations and carry out works of mercy without making disciples. But if you have limited resources, and a question of where to place your energies – hear this. I’d like to tell you this that I was a parish priest for 12 years. I never asked anyone to organise a fundraiser. When people freely volunteered to raise funds, I would say OK but I never asked anyone to focus their volunteering there.

What I did ask people to do was to focus on making disciples using courses like Alpha. What happens when you make disciples? Disciples give generously and volunteer, and that’s when the church grows. When I took on my most recent parish it was in £50,000 of debt. Before I left, its bank balance was in credit How? Not because I raised money for this purpose, but because I focused on making disciples. Seek first the kingdom of God and what you need will be given to you. That was advice from the master. I’ll let you into a secret: follow his advice and it works!

The parish priest can’t do it all on his own! In my last parish I had about 50 requests for baptism, another 70 for First Communion, and about 10 for marriage each year. There simply isn’t time for one priest to have 130 ongoing conversations with parents this year. And even less time to start 130 new ones in the next year! But it shouldn’t all be on the parish priest – as Pope Francis reminded us, we are ALL missionary disciples, a healthy parish will have many adults who could encourage faith in these families. In the next session we will think about Catholics who have stopped attending Mass. Then we will look at reaching people who have never experienced church. But what I have shared this morning applies to everyone. Maybe not everyone who goes to Mass is a Catholic. Certainly not everyone who goes to Mass is an intentional disciple.

In a moment, I will open the floor for questions. But first, I would like to take a moment of prayer. Maybe, through this talk, you’ve realised that in your heart, you have chosen to follow Jesus. But maybe you’ve never expressed that as an adult.

I am going to show some words used by Pope Benedict XVI at a World Youth Day, These are words we can use as to make a commitment to Jesus for the first time. We can use them to re-commit our own faith. Take a moment to read the screen silently. Then if you wish, you can make your own prayer using these words.

Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me.

Brothers and sisters, you are missionary disciples. May God bless you as you go forth to win many followers for Christ.

Kretinga 2: Building an Engaged Parish

#2 of 5 seminars in Kretinga, given 19 August 2022.

Last night, we noted that every parish can work with the people who already come. Tonight I want to say more about how we can do this. Much of what I want to say comes from an unexpected source. In the UK, the name “Gallup” is famous. They do political surveys, especially near election time. But they also do religious surveys!

There was a man who worked for Gallup, Albert Winseman. He wrote a book: Growing an Engaged Church. What does the book say? The founder of Gallup Polls, George Gallup Jr., started looking at “spiritual commitment” in the 1990s. What is “spiritual commitment”? It’s faith that isn’t just about feeling good. It’s faith which makes a real difference in daily living.

Why do people come to church every Sunday? In the free West, people used to come because of a sense of belonging. Their friends would say something if they didn’t come. Everyone was there. You missed out if you weren’t. Also, Catholics may feel guilty if they missed Mass on Sunday. Would God be angry? Would they miss out on heaven?

Here in the Baltic, I expect things were a little different. The communists didn’t want people to go to Church. So going was a sign of defiance. But in the West, it is no longer fashionable to go to Church. And I expect that here, young people no longer feel they are doing something “forbidden”.

In the new generation, people want an emotional connection with God. People who come to Church need to feel right about it. Often, the first feelings come because of the worship – the music, the incense, the art. Many new Christians “shop around” until they find a worship experience that touches them.

Once people find a church which feels right, they get involved. What are the signs of involvement? People volunteer. People give generously of their money. People invite their friends to come and see. People who feel right about church, report a sense of satisfaction with their life. So George Gallup measured these things, not attendance or membership.

A healthy church asks each member a double question:  “What are you good at, and what do you love to do?”  Your job as a leading member is not to please other members who don’t feel good about church. Your job is to make and develop disciples.

Yesterday, I noted it was important to make clear “What is expected” of members. It’s also valuable to have small groups. Today I want to look at the importance of recognising personal strengths. You can do this in an informal way. You can ask: “What are you good at, and what do you love to do?” You can ask: “What do you dream of doing for God, given unlimited resources?”

Even people who volunteer are not necessarily “engaged”.  Activity without engagement leads to burnout.  Burned-out members eventually leave. Imagine a church with much activity but little heartfelt engagement. The words “duty” and “responsibility” are used loudly when there are holes to fill. After a few years, volunteers leave. “I’ve done my share.”  “It’s time for the younger members to take their turn.”

Most new people who come to church, come because a friend invites them. But the new member won’t become engaged unless the church works to make that happen.

“Engaged” church members have many chances to do what they do best for their church. Why? Leaders have invested the time needed to discover their members’ greatest talents and gifts. Leaders have put them in roles where they can play to their strengths.

Gallup has found that there are twelve things which affect engagement These can be grouped into four stages of deepening commitment.

First Stage: WHAT DO I GET OUT OF MY CHURCH?

We’ve already looked at one important question.

• (1) Do I know what is expected of me in this congregation?

Here’s another key question.

• (2) Are my spiritual needs met by my church?

The best way to find out is to go and ask people!

In fact, I am going to be bold. I am going to ask you right now. Please choose between three possible answers:  COMPLETELY, OR A LOT  HALFWAY NOT MUCH OR NOT AT ALL If this parish meets all, or nearly all, your spiritual needs, please raise a hand… Now put it down. If this parish goes halfway to meeting your spiritual needs, raise a hand… Thank you, hands down. And if the parish does little or nothing to meet your own personal needs… thank you for your honesty.

Second Stage: WHAT DO I GIVE TO MY CHURCH?

People who feel good about their church, give generously to the work of the church. Now here we must walk carefully. Jesus asked us to give freely for no reward. If you are spiritually mature, you will keep on giving and not count the cost. But many of the people in church are not spiritually mature. If we don’t give positive emotional feedback,  we will lose them before they become mature.

So here are four questions if you want to raise up volunteers who are not spiritually mature.

• (3) Do you give people the chance to serve the church doing “what they do best”?
• (4) Do you thank or compliment members of the church who make a positive contribution?
• (5) Do you take an interest in a person whose gifts can be developed?

That’s especially important if you’re in a position of leadership. That’s not just the parish priest. The senior altar server, the head of Mother’s Prayers, the Faith & Light leader, the top catechist… You have many leaders in a parish.

• (6) Do you support members of the parish in their spiritual growth?

I belong to a community called Sion Community. We have some things we do to support one another. Sometimes – especially on birthdays – we honour people. Everyone in the room has a turn to say something positive about the birthday person. Or we do an exercise called “I see in you.” This is about a positive quality in someone’s character. “I see in you a hidden strength…” – something like that. I won’t ask you to do this right now. I am not confident you could form groups where you all know each other well enough. This is why small groups are important in a church. This is where you can know and be known. Being “known” might feel scary. But if you get positive words from people who know you, it will feel safe.

This is your goal. Can you make this parish a safe place? Will members feel safe enough to experiment, and get things wrong? Will they feel safe enough to hold each other accountable? Will they feel safe enough to share the things and ideas that they have? I would like to belong to a parish like that.

Third Stage: DO I REALLY BELONG TO MY CHURCH?

The Catholic Church is journeying towards a global Synod. Pope Francis wants to listen to the voice of the Church – in all her members. At the start of this year, Catholics around the world were asked to speak. Now a committee is putting together responses from across Europe. Next year, the Vatican will bring together the voices from each continent.

Gallup notes that if you really belong to your church, your opinion matters. Pope Francis thinks your opinion matters. The Synod doesn’t mean the Catholic Church has become a democracy. Sometimes when we hear what people say, it’s right to do what they ask. Other times, mother church has to explain what Jesus says. We are sinners, so we don’t always instinctively agree with Jesus!

So Gallups’s point (7) has two parts.

• (7a) Is my opinion sought?

Pope Francis wants to know. He wants us to be a church which listens. We should listen especially to outsiders. There is a famous saying: If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you walk together, you will go slowly. In a listening church, we travel slowly. But we will take more people with us.

• (7b) Am I told about significant changes?

The Vatican is brilliant at writing documents. But not so many people read Vatican documents. Parish priests have a difficult job. They have 7-10 minutes to preach a message each week. They know many members of their congregation don’t come every Sunday. If they want everyone to hear a message, they have to keep giving it for three or four Sundays. But they need to keep it fresh so you aren’t bored if you come faithfully every weekend! That’s not easy, so have patience with your priest.

The next point assumes that the parish has made clear what it expects of its people.

• (8) Can I see that I have an important share in my parish’s stated purpose?

Take a moment to reflect on that. Do you realise how important you are, to the mission Jesus has for Kretinga parish?

The British Cardinal, St John Henry Newman, wrote a famous reflection:

God has created me to do Him some definite service.  He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.  I have my mission.  I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.  I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.  He has not created me for nothing.  I shall do good;  I shall do His work.

You have a task which God has prepared for you, personally. Jesus made this clear in his parables. If you bury your gift in the ground, God will not be pleased. You must use your gifts to grow the Church. But you are not called to do this alone.

In a church of real belonging, you share the journey. (9) Are other members of this congregation committed to their spiritual growth? This is a sign of a church truly reaching for success. St John of the Cross spoke about a coal in the fire. When a hot coal is in the fire, it stays hot. When you take it out, it cools quickly. Jesus invites us to burn with his love!

But a really successful church invites new people to share the journey. So Gallup also asks this question:

• (10) Do I have a close friend in this congregation who is not a family member?

The purpose of a Catholic parish is not providing you with Mass. It is to provide you with an opportunity to bring other people to Mass. It is also so you can love and support the other people who come to Mass. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples at the last supper. You don’t have to be a priest to be Jesus to other people. Parish social events help build community. You can go to social events, or just talk to someone after Mass.

Fourth Stage: AM I GROWING SPIRITUALLY?

What is spiritual growth? It’s about my friendship with Jesus. We start our religious lives by being told ABOUT Jesus. We grow when we realise that he is a living person we can connect with. When we first make a connection with Jesus, it is wonderful. It is like the honeymoon of a new marriage. But then Jesus asks us a question. Do you love me? Or do you only love the feeling of being close to me? So Jesus tests us. As we grow, we leave the honeymoon behind. Now we know Jesus is real, will we serve him for no reward? Spiritual growth can be painful. But we also grow by meeting Jesus in reading the Bible and entering into prayer.

There are many kinds of Christian Prayer. We can meditate quietly, use our imagination, or use a prayer book. But prayer doesn’t just happen. It’s always a choice, to turn our attention to God. Jesus says we will be known by our fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 says: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Even when God feels far away, spiritual growth results in fruit like this. St Teresa of Calcutta was called to help poor people in India. For six months, she heard God speak to her clearly, asking her to do this. Then she suffered 50 years of darkness, not feeling the presence of God again. But the fruit of her work was amazing! Hundreds of sisters and brothers joined her congregation! Thousands of poor people were helped! Spiritual growth can be painful, but it is always good.

 Here are Gallup’s last two questions.

• (11) Has any member of the church asked me about my spiritual growth during the last six months?

• (12) Do I have opportunities to learn and grow in this congregation?

“Learning” might be through study groups to look at church teaching. “Growing” might be through shared prayer – not Mass, but other kinds of prayer. Or it might be taking on the challenge of a leadership role – more responsibility.

 So let’s recap. If you want people to be engaged in a parish, what should the leaders do?

Let people volunteer according to their strengths. There shouldn’t be pointless rules about having to “move on” from ministries. Of course, if someone’s doing a really bad job, you might have to move them on. Every volunteer should have an opportunity to “renew or change” each year. It might be worth having a re-commitment service for volunteers each year. Who here volunteers for this parish? Raise your hands. You are working for God – thank you!

Sometimes, a parish has to introduce a major change. That could be a new priest, a different service time or a new music style. When this has to happen, leaders should give very clear communication. Make the practical details very clear. Make any new expectations very clear. Repeat the message in different ways – aloud, in writing and online.

Every parish needs to be open to new people. We need to avoid using “insider language” that only regular people will understand. Get a second person to check for clear language in surveys and signup sheets.

Now let’s look at example of a parish which was really successful in raising engagement. It’s St Gerard Majella in Long Island, New York. It had 1200 worshippers and two priests, Frs Bill Hanson & Chris Heller. When they arrived 1991, there was nothing special about the parish. It was in debt – half a million dollars.

The new priests worked out a mission statement based on Acts Chapter 2. Four banners stated clearly what was expected of parishioners. They were expected to pray, to help people, to share the Good News of Jesus, and socialise. Parishioners were challenged to take a 1% step closer to giving 10% of their income to the church. A room in the church became a “gift exchange”. The secretary there matched parishioners with volunteering work most suitable to their talents.

Often we ask why people leave church,  or why they don’t volunteer  or who they don’t give generously. St Gerard’s priests asked the opposite question. Why did the people who do good things, do the things they do? Gallup doesn’t just publish a book; it can conduct surveys in individual parishes. The surveys measure engagement – and disengagement! Disengagement is a terrible thing. When someone in the parish talks negatively about projects, this has a huge influence. One person saying “that will never work” stops many others from trying.

Over a four year period, St Gerard’s grew active engagement from 34% to 46%… And it saw active disengagement drop from 22% to 12%.  The $½M debt became a $2M surplus.

Taking a survey helps leaders deal with criticism. “So you don’t like the new things we’re doing?” “13% of our worshippers agree with you… but 45% agree with what our leaders have done.”

Then one of the two priests was moved to serve elsewhere. In most parishes, people would complain. In St Gerard’s, the people said “No problem” and stepped up to fill the gap!

The tool used to survey people in St Gerard’s was called M.E.25 That’s Measuring Engagement 25 – 25 questions. Unfortunately, it is only available in English and Spanish. Gallup also offers another tool to help people look at their personal strengths. It’s called the Clifton StrengthsFinder. It was developed by a man called Clifton. This is available online by Gallup in English and Russian, but not in Lithuanian. St Gerard’s used this with members of their Small Groups.

The Clifton test asks you to answer many questions. You do it online –  the computer ranks you against 34 possible personal strengths. The basic test reports your top five strengths. For the premium fee, you are placed against all 34 possible strengths in order. Now like all these self-test questionnaires, we only get out what we put in. But it’s often helpful to hold it up, like a mirror, so we can see ourselves more clearly. Monsignor Bill Hanson was the priest who at St Gerard’s until 2015. He wrote an introduction for the Catholic Edition of CliftonStrengths His parishioners were often “amazed at the accuracy” of the results. They are sometimes surprised to see their character traits identified as “strengths”. You can do the StrengthsFinder in a small group. It can be a powerful bonding experience. People have in-born talents, skills they have trained in, and learned knowledge.  A personal strength is built on a base talent enhanced by skills and knowledge. The Clifton idea is that volunteers and employees should be selected for their strengths. It’s better to do what you’re good at than work on overcoming weaknesses! But often a strength is about HOW you do something rather than whether you can do it.

Last night I spoke about the Divine Renovation parish in Halifax, Canada. They raised their parish level of engagement from 10% to 45%. They also use the Clifton StrengthsFinder tool.

Engagement is key to parish success. If you don’t have people emotionally committed to the parish, you can’t do much. If you don’t have a clear vision of what the parish is called to do, you won’t achieve it. If your vision doesn’t align with God’s vision, you won’t go far either. Psalm 127 begins saying: Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.

The first step of parish success is to build a team. But do the team members share the vision? Do they love Jesus? There are two traps we can fall into. One trap is that we love other people more than we love Jesus. We must love other people! It was the second most important command Jesus gave us! But he said, love God first. If you only love other people, you might not take time to pray. You might avoid some of God’s hard teachings. Jesus said some difficult things about lust and divorce. The Catholic Church doesn’t want to make life hard for people whose marriages break up. But the Church must teach what Jesus taught. I’m not here to speak about that tonight.

The other trap is that some people love the Church more than they love Jesus. They love certain traditions! We must sing these Latin songs! We must wear these special robes! Things like this help some people feel safe in church. But they can get in the way for other people. Can we help everyone feel safe while making space for people who are different? It’s not easy.

So, first form a team of people who love Jesus. With these people take time to write the vision for your parish. Every parish must be Jesus’ body on earth. But some parishes are in cities and others are outside. Some have people from many nations. Some only have local people. Some have lots of people who have no connection with church, and never did. Others have lots of people who used to come to church, then left. Your vision will say something about how to be the right church for your place. It may take a few months, even a year or two, to write the vision. That’s OK. What is important is to get it right.

The next question, is how to live the vision. Your starting point is your people. The gifts that you need to begin are in the people God has given you. Don’t try to do too much or go too quickly. Do what you can with the people you have! But you probably need to do something new. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you got.

I don’t know if this is true in Lithuania, But in England the Catholic Church is good at two things. We lose our old people slowly. We lose our young people quickly! It can be different. But we must build an engaging church. Young people should serve according to their strongest gifts. Just like all the other people!

How can you help the people who come to Mass become more engaged? Small Groups are very helpful. Perhaps you can start with running the Alpha Course. The Alpha Course is available in Lithuanian. I know many of you have tried Alpha. Sometimes we can learn a lot from the way other churches run it.

There is a church in Vilnius called “Journey Church”. They use Alpha to engage people. You could look at their website. Ask: what do they do to attract people? What do they do to keep people? They are not Catholic. We couldn’t do everything they do in a Catholic service. Catholic Liturgy can never be as relaxed as a church which is a coffee shop! But we can look at their ideas and ask “How could we make that work here?” I don’t know your parish very well. You are the experts! So look at which other successful churches do, and learn!

To be an engaging church, people must talk to people. It’s probably not enough to do it in the street after Sunday Mass. This is where small groups are important.

Nativity Church in the USA gives some advice on how they engage people. Every volunteer agrees to follow five standards.

• Show up for ministry.
• Don’t be too formal or “official” in the way you do it.
• Come prepared to do what you’re going to do.
• Give glory to God by what you do and how you do it.
• Come expecting to bless others and succeed yourself.

They suggest you try to start a new ministry team as an experiment. Not altar servers or readers or communion ministers. Something more connected to people. For example, greeters at the front door. Or refreshments after Sunday Mass. Try to invite some new people who have never served before, as well as regulars.  Appoint a team leader you know and trust.  Give him or her real authority as well as responsibility. Invest in your leader and team. Give them lots of your time as you launch your ministry.  Bring the team together. Reflect on your standards and values. What does “success” look like for this team? Will you wear something in common – a badge, a lanyard, a T-shirt?

Launch the project quietly. Don’t make a big announcement to the wider congregation. This is about under-promising and over-delivering.

Expect things to go wrong. One of your leaders will quit. Key members won’t show up for duty. People in the church will complain about the project. But keep going! Keep encouraging your team. Once it’s working well, start a second team for another task. It will get easier!

I think that is enough for tonight. But before I take questions, I will ask you a question. What kind of team could you start in your parish? Please gather in groups of 3 or 4 and discuss!