Leadership Team Reading List

Here's the reading list our new parish leadership team will be working through this autumn.  4 books we hope can inspire us to transform our parish.  You can read about the team here.

Book titles:  

• ·      The Amazing Parish (website, see here) which describes a leadership team here
  ·      Rebuilt by Michael White and Tom Corcoran, see here
  ·      The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher, see here
  ·      Divine Renovation by James Mallon, see here
  ·      Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell, see here
  
  

Reading plan of excerpts:

(1) ‘Warfare in Heaven’: Calling consumers to become disciples 

Rebuilt, by White and Corcoran, pp.1-11, 49-65

Issues:   Are parishioners ‘consumers’ or ‘disciples’?  c.f. Needy/complaint/demanding consumers

Complaints: the reaction to proposed change

(2) The Mission of the Church and the need for Change 

Divine Renovation, by James Mallon, pp. 9-25, 43-45, 52-57; Rebuilt pp.58-64

Questions to consider:

(a) Why does the Church exist?  Why does our local parish exist?

(b) What does Pope Francis mean by a “self-referential Church”?  How does the example of changing Mass times illustrate this?

(c) Bigger question: What cultural changes, both outside and within the Church, mean that a parish can maintain structures that only served a previous era?

(d) How is change likely to be experienced by the parish?

(3) Defining Mission and Strategy 

Rebuilt pp.67-83

Issues to consider: 

The distinction between a mission and a specific set of strategies

The usefulness of old-style ‘mission statements’

What will the consumers say? 

(4) The Sunday Experience

Rebuilt pp.87-114; Divine Renovation pp.95-96 (plus pp.95-117 if time)

Question to consider: How would St Anthony’s “Sunday experience” feel if you approached it as a visiting Catholic?  As a new parishioner?  As a unchurched outsider?

Issues in chapter: music, welcome, cleanliness, scrapping all social events, the environment

Note that Rebuilt pp.96-97 contradicts Divine Renovation p.113

(5) The Benedict Option

pp.1-5; 16-18; 236 as summary of book’s thesis

pp.100-121; 124-129 on how liturgy forms culture

pp.124-129 on putting God first

Key questions: 

(a) How do we form a Christian culture in the midst of our secular society?  How do we do this as a parish?  As individual families?

(b) What choices must we make as individuals and families if we are to put God first?

(c) If liturgy forms culture, does a ‘welcoming’ liturgy subvert it to another agenda?  When does liturgy become about us and not about God?

(6) Community and Small Groups 

Rebuilt pp.151-170; Divine Renovation pp.138-141

Key questions: 

(a) To what extent is, and to what extent is not, our parish a community?

(b) Is Mallon’s analysis of the modern ‘belong-behave-believe’ model accurate? 

(7) Expectations and Tithing

Divine Renovation pp.153-164; Rebuilt pp. 171-188 (or at least p.188 summary)

Key questions:

(a) To what extent does this reverse the ‘consumer’ model of parishioner?

(b) Does this still leave a place for the half-committed in the pew?

(8) Changing expectations in Sacramental Preparation

Divine Renovation pp.197-220, and pp.221-230 if time

Key questions:

(a) How would the parish respond to this?

(b) How could we prepare people for such a change of culture?

(c) Is this workable/desirable?