The Apostolic Parish Library
Browse our article bank for free wisdom on creating thriving, apostolic parishes.
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Evangelization
Learning to Speak Mission Again: Why Catholics Need Language Immersion for Evangelization
Catholics need a tactical immersion in God’s language to live and share the Gospel. Find out how parishes can rediscover the words of mission.
Why Are We Named After “Mark 5:19”?
Why Mark 5:19? In fact, what IS Mark 5:19? When it was clear to us that the Lord wanted me to leave diocesan ministry and step into direct parish support for evangelization, it was a joy to say yes. But…
The Top 10 Misconceptions About Parish-Based Evangelization
(No flashing sign or soapbox required!) “Evangelization means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. At its essence are the proclamation of…
Welcome Those Living with Disabilities to Church…With More than a Parking Space
19% of people in the USA live with disabilities, and the vast majority of people living with disabilities in the United States are unchurched.* Does that shock you? It once shocked me. A story made it clear: for many years,…
Faith Formation
Putting It All Together: Faith Formation That Works
Hello friends–I welcome back Heidi Indahl, who has been writing out faith formation articles. This is the fifth installment of a series, and you are encouraged to explore all the others here! Heidi, thank you for your ongoing work and…
“3 Keys to Deeper Faith”: Brain Development and Models of Catechesis
We welcome our fourth article in a series on mission-forward faith formation from our friend in the field and fellow parish consultant, Heidi Indahl. Enjoy!–Susan Windley-Daoust Over the last several months, we have discussed many factors that go into a…
Do You Have a Recipe for Parish Faith Formation Success?
(Photo by www.freepik.com.) Hello, friends–I yield this space to my collaboration colleague Heidi Indahl, who works through a process called Designed for Discipleship (TM). She consults on how to combine missionary discipleship and education and formation, and has written for…
Children Need Jesus Before Catechesis
Friends, once again I am yielding this article space to Heidi Indahl, who connects with The Mark 5:19 Project through her Designed for Discipleship consulting with parishes and dioceses. You can read her previous two articles here. As for the…
Apost0lic Parish
Why Are We Named After “Mark 5:19”?
Why Mark 5:19? In fact, what IS Mark 5:19? When it was clear to us that the Lord wanted me to leave diocesan ministry and step into direct parish support for evangelization, it was a joy to say yes. But…
The Definitive Resource for Creating a Evangelizing, Mission-Forward Parish is Coming
…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,…
Welcome Those Living with Disabilities to Church…With More than a Parking Space
19% of people in the USA live with disabilities, and the vast majority of people living with disabilities in the United States are unchurched.* Does that shock you? It once shocked me. A story made it clear: for many years,…
Mapping the Mission: Understanding Your Parish’s Given Mission Field
In today’s rapidly evolving religious landscape, our Catholic parishes face unique challenges in fulfilling their evangelical mission. Together, we can discover how to effectively serve both parishioners and the broader community by understanding the true nature of our mission fields….
Apostolic Leadership
Take Time Away to Measure by the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Free Mini-Retreat)
We are a Church of the resurrection, and we get the joy to remember that every day this holy season. Happy Easter, friends! But I have long thought we don’t pay enough attention to the joy of the coming of…
“For such a time as this”: Apostolic Leadership in a Disrupted World
…Leading parishes in mission when the house is on fire. 3rd c. AD painting of Esther and Mordecai, Syria. Public Domain. “For such a time as this” comes from the Book of Esther. Mordecai, her older cousin, encourages Esther, the…
Welcome Gen Z with Encouragement and Joy
Readers, I am ceding this space today to my Gen Z daughter, Julia Windley-Daoust. I have had the honor of hearing her opinions for 19 years, and she is passionate on how the Church can improve its outreach and inclusion,…
Introducing Our First Immersion Tool: the “Starting Conversations” packet
Have you ever tried to learn a new language? (Any Duolingo fans in the house?) Unless you were born in a two language household–it’s hard work! In my academic career, I had to learn four other languages. I’m no great…
Prayer
A Daily Examen for Missionary Disciples
A daily general examen is a beloved prayer from Ignatian spirituality. It is meant to be 15-20 minutes of your day, usually at the end, where you place your day before God and look for where he was especially close,…
The Sacrament of the Present Moment (without Sacraments)
How do Catholics engage Holy Week in a Covid-19 pandemic without the lifeblood of grace, the sacraments? Perhaps it’s not in more online everything. A spiritual master from 400 years ago taught us how to not let this pandemic spiritually…
Missions
Why Can’t We Recruit Volunteers?
Why can’t we recruit volunteers? I don’t know a parish–or non-profit of any sort–that isn’t short on volunteers. Some have more of a volunteer deficit than others, but it seems to be universal…or at least the norm in the United…
Why Are Parishes Stuck Regarding Evangelization?
I’m pleased to announce I have an article on parish evangelization, “Stuck in Neutral: When Parish Evangelization (Still) Fails,” published in May 2023’s Homiletic and Pastoral Review. A taste below, and you can read the rest on HPR’s website: It…
Social Mission
Congratulations, You Are a Catechist! (…Now What?)
Once again, I am ceding this article to my colleagues in the field, Dr. Tim and Heidi Indahl. They have exciting news–and we are honored to excerpt their new book, The Proactive Catechist! Enjoy! — Susan Windley-Daoust Hello, Mark 5:19…
Learning to Speak Mission Again: Why Catholics Need Language Immersion for Evangelization
Catholics need a tactical immersion in God’s language to live and share the Gospel. Find out how parishes can rediscover the words of mission.
Why Are We Named After “Mark 5:19”?
Why Mark 5:19? In fact, what IS Mark 5:19? When it was clear to us that the Lord wanted me to leave diocesan ministry and step into direct parish support for evangelization, it was a joy to say yes. But…
The Top 10 Misconceptions About Parish-Based Evangelization
(No flashing sign or soapbox required!) “Evangelization means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. At its essence are the proclamation of…