…If you donate now–and we have a matching grant that doubles your support!
But what are you supporting? Glad you asked!
Why Your Parish Needs More Than Just a Hammer
There’s an old saying: “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” No one’s quite sure who said it first—but nearly everyone repeats it. Why? Because it’s true. If you’ve only got one tool, it skews how you approach every challenge.
And let’s be honest: too many parishes are trying to renew mission with a single, worn-out tool—usually a program that worked once, somewhere else. But we are in a new mission field. Becoming a truly evangelizing, mission-forward parish today requires more than a hammer. It requires the right tools for the work ahead.
That’s exactly what the Mission Ignite Toolkit is designed to offer.
This is not another program. It’s a powerful, practical collection of discernment, assessment, and implementation tools designed for Catholic parish leaders ready to answer the call of evangelization in a post-Christian world. These tools don’t replace prayer, discernment, or leadership—they make those essentials actually workable. They remove the guesswork and give teams shared language and clear, Spirit-led next steps.
We know it sounds a bit “wonky.” But it works—and it works in every kind of parish. Urban or rural, large or small, thriving or struggling, clustered or standalone. We’ve seen it firsthand.
Drawing from rich consultation with expert practitioners, lived experience in the field, and insights from The Four Ways Forward: Becoming an Apostolic Parish in a Post-Christian World, we are creating the definitive resource for parish renewal. The Mission Ignite Toolkit will:
- Guide leadership teams in discerning God’s unique vision for their parish
- Transform staff culture through prayer-centered leadership
- Provide frameworks to evaluate and strengthen existing ministries
- Offer proven exercises to identify and develop new lay leaders
- Help parishes create focused evangelization strategies
- Establish sustainable financial foundations through tithing
- Design comprehensive, lifelong discipleship pathways
- Reorient parishes to serve those outside their walls
- Deepen a culture of authentic hospitality
- Address welcoming people living with disabilities into full participation and discipleship
- Foster a witness culture where faith-sharing becomes natural
- Build an invitational culture that welcomes seekers and returners
- Analyze local needs to focus social mission efforts
This isn’t a cookie-cutter approach. It’s a Spirit-led, team-based journey to discover and live out your parish’s particular call to mission. Yes, it will look like a book—but it’s much more than that. It includes plug-and-play exercises, reflection guides, ministry assessments, and evaluation tools. It empowers your team to discern where the Spirit is leading and equips you to act.
And right now, we need your help.
Every dollar raised is going directly into developing, testing, and refining this resource. A generous supporter has offered a $1,000 matching grant for all funds raised through our Mission Ignite fundraiser on August 9 at St. James Coffee.
If your heart longs to see every parish become an evangelizing parish—this is the moment to act.
🎟️ Near Rochester, MN? Join us for a fun, meaningful evening and buy a ticket!
🌍 Further away? You can still give. Every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,000.
Let’s build something beautiful, faithful, and mission-ready—together, as the people of God.
