The Making Disciples Today Blog has reflections to help you grow in your journey of missionary discipleship, reviews on recommended Catholic evangelization resources, and practical insight on how to evangelize in your daily life.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Two Parishes, Two Paths
I recently had the opportunity to work with two different parishes, both filled with faithful, dedicated people who love their Church. But their approaches to ministry—and more importantly, to evangelization—couldn’t have been more different.
One parish’s leadership made a bold decision: they committed to freeing up their staff and clergy’s time so they could focus more explicitly and intentionally on evangelization priorities that lead to true parish renewal. Rather than being consumed by administration, their goal was to build a culture where evangelization wasn’t just another task—it was the heart of their mission.
They asked tough questions about how their parish could shift from maintenance to mission. They restructured meetings, re-evaluated programs, and asked, “Does this serve our mission to make disciples?” before committing to anything new. They weren’t just trying to keep things running; they were actively creating a culture where every baptized person understood their role in evangelization.
The other parish, however, was stuck in the weeds. Their leadership was exhausted from trying to manage internal complaints, keep existing programs running, and maintain a fragile sense of peace among those already in the pews. Instead of focusing outward—on reaching the lost and forming missionary disciples—they were caught up in being a Church focused on Pope Francis calls “self-referential navel-gazing.” Their energy was spent keeping those who already belonged happy (or at least minimizing complaints), rather than equipping and sending people to share the Gospel.
Both parishes were filled with good, faithful people. But only one had truly the mission of evangelization.
So I have to ask: which kind of parish are we building?
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Fr. Dan Beeman, a priest and pastor from Norfolk, VA shared some tips on social media for navigating conversations about faith and spirituality at your Thanksgiving gatherings.
Sometimes we feel like our family and friends can get "sick" of hearing us talk about our faith. Even the most open-minded, prayerful, and loving comments we make and stories we share can be perceived as judgement and lecture. Just mentioning the slightest thing about spirituality and faith seems to cause certain family members to shut down or roll their eyes. We, in turn, find ourselves getting defensive and avoiding the topic completely - often feeling like we can't be authentic and true to ourselves. It's a vicious cycle of judgement, defensiveness, and silence that leads to cultural maxims like: "We just don't talk about religion here."
Fr. Beeman's suggestions are great if you don't have anyone actively hostile or defensive (on either side of the faith discussion) sitting at your Thanksgiving table. But what can you do if you feel like anything you say related to faith and spirituality is outright ignored, causes anger, inflates tension beyond bearable levels, or is openly mocked?
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
Ever feel torn between caring for your parish community and reaching out to the world beyond? You’re not alone! This is a struggle many Catholic leaders face, especially as we try to live out Christ’s call to “make disciples of all nations.” At Burning Hearts Disciples, we’ve seen how powerful it is when parishes get the balance right—serving those already in the pews and reaching those who aren’t yet.
Pope St. John Paul II had it right when he said, “The Church’s fundamental function in every age…is to direct man’s gaze…toward the mystery of Christ” (Redemptor Hominis). This mission means we need both ministry (our “inward” care for our parish family) and mission (our “outward” effort to share Christ with the world). So, let’s dive into what this looks like practically.
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- Written by: Kristin Bird
When you walk through the doors of any parish, it’s easy to see where much of our energy goes. From Sunday school classes to youth groups, we pour so much into nurturing the faith of our youngest members. And while that’s important, here’s the reality: if we want our parishes to truly thrive, it’s time to broaden our focus. We need to engage adults in their faith journeys as actively as we do our children.
Why? Because the faith of the next generation depends on it.
The Limits of a Child-Focused Approach
Of course, children are incredibly open to learning about their faith, but here’s the thing: their spiritual growth is largely shaped by the adults in their lives. Parents, especially, have the biggest influence. In fact, research* shows that when parents are living out their faith, their kids are much more likely to do the same. It’s that simple. The family is the domestic church—the place where faith is both taught and caught.
So, what happens if we focus on forming adults just as intentionally as we do our children? The benefits will ripple throughout the entire community.