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Appleton, WI

Welcome to our parish journey with rebuilt.

rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, Making Church Matter was written by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran. It is a book about the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland that went through a transformation and is now healthy and growing. Most of the Roman Catholic Churches in the United States and in Europe are struggling. The parishes in our diocese are no exception. Data from the diocese shows parish numbers are declining, young people are not choosing to be involved in parish life, and the church is seen as irrelevant. Each parish has to address its own situation, including St. Mary.

We have pulled a group of parish leaders together, made up of staff, pastoral council members, committee leaders and interested parishioners who are reading and discussing this book in order to start our parish renewal. Many parishioners have expressed interest in reading and discussing the book, too.

New groups are beginning to form but you can also read the book on your own if you cannot be part of a group.

Interested in joining a group? Register here.

You can purchase your own copy and we will have copies in the parish library to be checked out.

Timeline: Summer-read, discuss, and gather feedback.

 

Chapter summaries and questions below can help guide your own reflection and/or group discussion.

Rebuilt

Introduction: Convenient Parking

Chapter 1: Church is Not Easy

Chapter 2: Pharisees at Heart

Chapter 3: Lost People in Churchworld

Chapter 4: War in Heaven

Chapter 5: Pretty Churches and Other Lies

Chapter 6: “It’s The Weekend, Stupid!”

Chapter 7: Mobilize the Next Generation

Chapter 8: Make the Message Matter

Chapter 9: Build from Below

Chapter 10: Don’t Rob God

Chapter 11: Get the Parish Out of the Pews

Chapter 12: Be Restorers

Chapter 13: Fall in Love

Chapter 14: Lead Where You Serve

Chapter 15: You Can Do This!

Appendix A: Detailed Example of Changing Our Culture