The world is hungering for the fruit of a dynamic Church that has embraced her missionary identity, but what does it really mean to be a missionary Church? Grounded in Scripture and Sacred Tradition, Fr. Mallon offers an analysis of the challenges the Church is facing, along with practical tools that will support parish and diocesan leaders in bringing about significant renewal. Most importantly, he addresses the critical interface between a missionary parish and its diocese, essential to bearing lasting fruit. "Fr. Mallon understands what it takes to transform a mediocre parish into a dynamic, missionary one, and he understands that parishes need diocesan leadership to transform the Church as a whole. I pray that every bishop in the Church will absorb this message of love, and that, by the movement of the Holy Spirit, it will bring hordes of people to Jesus and his Church." —Patrick Lencioni, cofounder of The Amazing Parish and author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.

Can Catholic parishes become communities of missionary disciples that bear lasting fruit? If so, what does it take to move them in that direction?Through his years as pastor of Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax, Canada, Fr. James Mallon discovered that the answer to the first question was a resounding yes! Tailored for Catholics, Alpha played a key role in the transformation of the parish he pastored.Unlocking Your Parish: Making Disciples, Raising Up Leaders with Alpha aims to provide insight into what Alpha can do to help any Catholic parish become a vibrant, mission-focused community.

Discover a fresh approach to growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Author Josh Danis breaks down the myths around striving or finding shortcuts to the fruitful life, and unfolds the true meaning of each fruit—and how to allow it to flourish in our daily lives. It’s time to not just know about the fruit of the Spirit, but to manifest it and see how it can affect our relationships and the world around us for good!

As faith-filled Catholics, we are called to go out and spread the good news of the Gospel, build up the Church, and fuel its mission. We are supernaturally empowered by God to do this through the charisms we receive at Baptism. Learn about each charism, what they are, and how discipleship unleashes these powerful gifts to produce fruit that lasts.