“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”
-1 Cor 2:9
It’s unmistakable. Parishes across the country are reporting a resurgence in OCIA participation. Many of the pastors we work with have doubled their convert numbers from last year. Amazing Parish would love to take credit for this uptick, but it’s pretty clear: God is moving.
As I reflect on what God is doing, I’m both excited to see what God has in store for the Church and admittedly a little uncertain of how prepared we are to respond. I am afraid that leaders throughout the Church will look at this new “quiet revival” and stop to say “look what we did for God” rather than “look what God did for us.”
It’s not to say that the groundwork laid by pioneers in the new evangelization doesn’t have some correlation with the recent resurgence. Many have toiled for years for a renewal of vision related to how we hand on the faith and respond to the unique problems of our culture.
The first question we should be asking is: Why now? What changed that the seeds of the new springtime are finally starting to push through the soil?
The answer can only be God our Father, in his goodness, is pouring out new wine for the Church. This moment of revival is due to the wild action of God.
Our temptation will be to pour this new wine straight into the same tired wineskins that got us here. But we know that if we do they will burst and we risk squandering the gift of God.
One pastor I work with put it this way:
“We’re doing great work. We brought 60 people into the Church last year. But I know that if I keep going at the current pace, I’m going to burn myself out — and burn out my entire staff. The cracks are showing in the foundation, and they’re only going to get bigger.”
— A pastor, on beginning his coaching journey with Amazing Parish
The pastors we work with are not failing. They are good men doing good — often heroic work. But they share a common trait: they want more, and they’re laboring hard to build a foundation that can receive the next wave. 60 people is extraordinary but still, he could feel the weight of the strained infrastructure, the team running on fumes and the risk of burning out right when God is ready to ignite a new fire.
Which leads us to the next question we must ask: What’s next?
It’s not enough simply to reflect on what we have done, but rather, we should echo the amazed statement of those cut to the heart by the preaching of Peter in Acts – “What shall we do?”
Here a few practical things leaders in your parish can do to prepare for what comes next:
- Create space for seekers
Catholic parishes are notoriously insider focused. Even the language we often use to advertise the programs to become Catholic can be off-putting. The name OCIA doesn’t exactly inspire you to want to sign up.
Even more, the OCIA process is designed for those who have decided to become Catholic, not for those who are still wrestling with doubts and questions of faith. If someone showed up at your parish office wanting to wrestle with God and big questions, other than sitting them down for a conversation with your already overbooked pastor, where would you send them? We need spaces where seekers can build trust with the Church and disciples who are equipped to walk with them.
- Prune good things
“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful”
The reality is not that most parishes aren’t doing enough. Rather, parishes tend to spread themselves too thin, so that they can’t spend enough time on the things that bear the most fruit – and fruit that will last.
Take time to pray with your leaders about what you need to stop doing, even if it’s good, so that you respond to the call of the Lord to do something great.
- Focus on the Transcendent
One of the things that we’ve heard again and again from those seeking to join the Catholic Church is that they are longing for something more, something different than what the world has offered..
In a culture laden by distraction, noise, and superficiality, people are hungry for mystery, for awe, for an encounter with the living God. Coming to your parish shouldn’t just feel like showing up at any other community event, it should feel like being invited into a place where heaven meets earth.
- Beg God for more
God isn’t finished yet. Let’s not rest on the accomplishments of last year and assume everything will continue to progress. Rather, leaders of our parishes should gather together to intercede together for a continued pouring out of graces, and for the wisdom and courage to respond to create the new wineskins God wants for us.
Looking for more inspiration?
Download Rebuild My Church, our new white-paper, and discover how the Lord is inviting you to lead renewal — and how Amazing Parish can walk alongside you in the mission entrusted to you.
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