The Apostolic Parish Library
Browse our article bank for free wisdom on creating thriving, apostolic parishes.
Use the drop-down menu (click arrow on left) to filter articles by category.
Evangelization
“Make Your House Fair As You Are Able”: Christmas Welcome, and Welcoming Back
“Make your house fair as you are able”: you know where the line comes from, right? People, look east! The time is nearOf the crowning of the year.Make your house fair as you are able,Trim the hearth and set the…
The Crisis of Community: Why Parish Friendship Can No Longer Be Accidental
I recently read a Leadership Roundtable survey on the spiritual lives of young adults, and one line has stayed with me: more than anything else, young people are looking for community. They want friends. Honestly, don’t we all? Very few…
The Gospel of Welcome: Becoming a Parish of Radical Hospitality
Every parish wants to be known as welcoming. Yet many of us have experienced walking into a church and feeling invisible, unsure of where to sit, or whether anyone even noticed we came. Real Christian hospitality goes far beyond a…
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…
Faith Formation
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…
Is the Vision of Your Faith Formation Process Actually Visible?
My friend and consulting partner Heidi Indahl is back this month with a key question that most of us ignore–what is a faith formation program for, anyway? It’s far too easy to get into the “we’ve always had kids in…
“What on earth can we do about faith formation?”
Friends, I am letting my friend and colleague Heidi Indahl speak to that question for herself. I have heard the above question–referring to children’s faith formation–more times than I can count. In fact, it usually comes up in 80-90% of…
Apost0lic Parish
The Gospel of Welcome: Becoming a Parish of Radical Hospitality
Every parish wants to be known as welcoming. Yet many of us have experienced walking into a church and feeling invisible, unsure of where to sit, or whether anyone even noticed we came. Real Christian hospitality goes far beyond a…
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 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,…
Apostolic Leadership
“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…
Begin with Discerning God’s Vision for Your Parish
Welcome to another Starting Conversations article! These articles are designed to be shared and discussed together, with staff, councils, committees, and teams. Enjoy and click the tag “starting conversations” for more of these quick reads that open up good questions….
Prayer
No posts
Missions
No posts
Social Mission
“Make Your House Fair As You Are Able”: Christmas Welcome, and Welcoming Back
“Make your house fair as you are able”: you know where the line comes from, right? People, look east! The time is nearOf the crowning of the year.Make your house fair as you are able,Trim the hearth and set the…
The Crisis of Community: Why Parish Friendship Can No Longer Be Accidental
I recently read a Leadership Roundtable survey on the spiritual lives of young adults, and one line has stayed with me: more than anything else, young people are looking for community. They want friends. Honestly, don’t we all? Very few…
What Parishes Can Do to Help During SNAP Cuts (…Or Anytime)
Boots On the Ground Steps for November–December Many families across the country rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to keep food on the table. When benefits are cut, delayed, or reduced — as is expected in November and…
The Gospel of Welcome: Becoming a Parish of Radical Hospitality
Every parish wants to be known as welcoming. Yet many of us have experienced walking into a church and feeling invisible, unsure of where to sit, or whether anyone even noticed we came. Real Christian hospitality goes far beyond a…
Browse More Article Categories
- apostolic leadership
- Books
- Education
- Eucharistic Revival
- Evangelization
- Evangelization Workshops
- Faith Formation
- Family Formation
- Forgiveness
- Interview
- M519P News
- Miracles
- Missionary Discipleship Stories
- Missions
- Prayer
- Reviews
- Social Mission
- Speaking
- Stories
- Talks
- The Apostolic Parish
- Uncategorized
- Workshops