The Apostolic Parish Library
Browse our article bank for free wisdom on creating thriving, apostolic parishes.
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Evangelization
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,…
20 Ways for your Parish to Pre-Evangelize this Summer
A few hours before it is officially summer! While this is a time when parishes tend to “slow down” on programs because people are often vacationing, and can’t commit to a 5-8 week commitment outside of Mass. (Except for youth…
How is Your Parish Inviting People to Consider Becoming Catholic (OCIA)?
Recently I was able to offer a breakout session at a diocesan gathering on creating an invitation culture to OCIA–that is, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the process of becoming Catholic. As far as the Great Commission goes,…
Mercy, Unity, and “the Frontier”: Pope Leo XIV on Evangelization in His First Days
Since his election to the papacy on May 8, 2025, Pope Leo XIV has been speaking to many–dicasteries, homilies, audiences–and is quickly emerging as a compelling voice for the Church’s mission. An Augustinian friar with deep pastoral experience in Latin…
Faith Formation
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Apost0lic Parish
The Last, Best Place to be Human: The Catholic Parish
I was talking to a friend about our new Mission Ignite Toolkit, and how every Catholic deserves to have access to healthy, flourishing parishes in their town. I expected nodding, but instead he asked, why? A little surprised, I blurted…
The 10 Month Advantage: Or, Why Is 10 Months the Perfect Timeframe for Renewal?
Some of you have heard me speak of Mission Ignite, which is The Mark 5:19 Project’s 10 month consulting process to becoming an evangelizing parish. I’ve had a couple of people who do this work ask, why 10 months? Why…
“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…
“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…
Apostolic Leadership
The Need for Apostolic Leadership (and Why It Changes Everything)
I have to admit that back when I was a college professor, I got heartily tired of all the academic effusion about teaching leadership, offering leadership studies, and more. Even though I had a lot of genuine admiration for the…
Prayer
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Missions
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Social Mission
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,…
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….
20 Ways for your Parish to Pre-Evangelize this Summer
A few hours before it is officially summer! While this is a time when parishes tend to “slow down” on programs because people are often vacationing, and can’t commit to a 5-8 week commitment outside of Mass. (Except for youth…