Welcome

Think of parish development as preparing for a large dinner gathering. You’ll have a lot of people coming in and expecting a great party, so you need to get your house ready to host. You need to consider how you will arrange your space to accommodate visitors. You have to think about what kind of atmosphere you want to create for the occasion and how best to do that. What food and refreshments will you serve, and you have to make sure everything is tidy for their arrival. Essentially, parish development is about ensuring your church is well-organized so that you are always prepared to welcome new people and carry out the ministry God has called you to do. As the needs of each generation change, your parish or congregation should be able to transform in ways that allow you to address those needs. 

If you take a moment to think about it, this makes a lot of sense. If our churches are to serve the world God loves in ways that are effective and sustainable, then we need to make sure our communities are working in ways that are healthy. Nobody wants to join or remain with a grouchy group that grumbles about their problems constantly, and actively resists any attempt to change things when needed. On the other hand, when churches are healthy, they are not only sustainable, but they can also thrive and be more energizing! They make a difference in the lives of their members and the world around them, and that can be very attractive indeed!

Now, at this point, we should make one point clear: thriving does not always mean growing numerically. Those who have studied the causes of parish decline often say there are many causes of decline that we cannot do much about: immigration patterns, birth rates, or things like a local major employer choosing to close up shop and move out of the community. However, what we can do is create healthy churches that are able to discern a vision and purpose God is calling them toward in whatever their reality is. Those churches can faithfully live out their calling in ways that matter to the members of the parish and the community around them. Sometimes, that results in new members, but it is important to remember that faithful service to God and neighbour is the point and not simply getting more people to show up.

This module introduces you to the topic of parish development and gives an overview of what parishes and congregations can focus on with regards to creating thriving parishes.

Thriving churches know how their organization runs and have a clear understanding of each person’s role within that. Thriving churches have an intentional stewardship cycle that runs on an annual basis, as well as a clear vision that drives their ministry and mission. Thriving churches are also looking to do contextual mission in ways that are outward facing towards the wider community, and open to change and transformation as the world around them changes in each generation.

Creating a thriving parish takes depth and intentionality. For starters, before parishes can even begin to think about how to attract and retain new members, they must make sure the parish itself has a healthy and lifegiving culture. The eight pillars of the Learning Commons are a good set of markers and goals towards which parishes and congregations can strive.

So how do we begin to move our parishes towards those goals? How do we know how far away from those goals we might be? What if our parish, or congregation, is already struggling to the point where it seems impossible?

A good place to start is the Thriving Parish Self-Assessment Tool. It allows church leadership to evaluate how things are going in each of the eight pillars: worship, spiritual growth, community, pastoral care, contextual mission, leadership & governance, financial stewardship & management, and property management & maintenance. 

We have now covered the basic introduction to Parish Development and Creating Thriving Parishes. For those interested in learning more about Christian hospitality and community, check out the resources listed on the Learning Commons under the ‘Community’ pillar. You can also look at our module on “Community” for more information.

There are modules for each of the eight pillars that need attention within churches that are thriving: worship, spiritual growth, community, pastoral care, contextual mission, leadership & governance, financial stewardship & management, as well as property management & maintenance.

The modules give a broad overview of each pillar, with best practices and insights for parishes to focus on. The module may include links to resources in the Learning Commons, such as books and articles which specialize in the field, as well as contacts for diocesan support.

For those interested in learning more about parish development as it relates to church decline, take a look at:

• Reginald Bibby’s “Resilient Gods: Being Pro-Religious, Low Religious, or No Religious in Canada”,
• Gerald Arbuckle’s “Refounding the Church: Dissent for Leadership”, or
• Thom Rainer’s “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” and “Becoming A Welcoming Church”.

Each book is a good point of departure from authors who come from different denomination and theological perspectives, rooted in research methods.

You can reach out to the Parish Development Subcommittee at any point for a conversation about these pillars. 

The subcommittee is also available to provide assistance if needed, providing opportunities for occasional in-person and online events.