"Are we still a Church capable of warming hearts? A Church capable of leading people back to Jerusalem? Of bringing them home?" - Pope Francis, Meeting with the Bishops of Brazil, 28 July 2013. Pope Francis, like his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II, is calling for Catholics to embrace the new evangelization. But there has been ongoing confusion about who is responsible, what it really means and what it looks like in practical application. How can we respond to the Holy Father's call, creating evangelization opportunities that help bring people back to the Church? By transforming Catholics into digital missionaries - ready and able to take the joy and warmth of the Gospel online via social media to infrequent, inactive, or ex-Catholics around the corner or across the globe. Consider this: 1. Nearly every "lost" Catholic in the U.S. is most likely connected with at least one engaged Catholic - or is one "retweet" or "like" away from them 2. On the whole, Catholics have not been taught to see social media as a way to live out their faith 3. Motivating parishes to put a priority on evangelization has been a challenge 4. Catholics are more likely to be comfortable as digital missionaries than to participate in other forms of evangelization 5. Parishes can offer "digital missionary training" to parishioners - who would welcome it! In Transforming Parish Communications: Growing the Church Through New Media, you'll discover: How to embrace the Church's vision of evangelization in new media How entire parishes can become hubs of digital evangelization - and how to overcome obstacles Specific strategies for implementation How to create a consistent digital identity online Best practices for parish websites The nuts and bolts of Facebook, Twitter, email, blogging and more Consider this book your entry into an important - and urgent - call to each of us as Catholics. To bring the warmth of the Gospel to the "lost" and bring them back to the Church. Visit the companion site for more ParishGuideToNewMedia.com

Using real-world case studies and examples, Hunsinger and Latini helpfully guide pastors and lay leaders through effective and compassionate ways to deal with discord.

In Transforming the Mainline Church, Robert Chesnut provides valuable lessons for inner-city churches. He urges congregations to be more open to diversity, to emphasize the arts and music, to support entrepreneurial leadership, and to move beyond denominational concerns to an approach that responds to the religious hungers of a new generation.

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.

A communications specialist discusses communication in the local church--advertising, talking with the media, communicating with members, and utilizing technology. Includes helpful forms, checklists, and examples from cutting-edge churches.

"The poverty of people living in urban slums in Kenya and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa is one of the greatest scandals of our time. Much has been written about the causes of poverty, yet there seems to be little improvement. One reason for this failure is that many programmes are focused on "doing something for the poor but not with the poor." Through a two-year process of social analysis and theological reflection, the parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church in Kibera slum examined the many injustices facing them in their daily lives. The aim of the parish was to better understand the reality of life in Kibera so that it could people improve their lives in a more responsive and holistic way. This book is a summary of the parish's findings. In their own words, parishioners describe their history, living conditions, socio-economic problems, parish life and African culture that are particular to Kibera. It is a unique perspective because parishioners evaluated these problems in the light of their faith. As a Christian community, parishioners made a plan and have begun their own initiatives to resolve the most serious injustices facing them. This is an important resource for people working in slums."--p. 4 of cover.

A congregation communicates its heart and soul through words, photos, actions, programs, architecture, decor, the arts, and countless other aspects of congregational life. In Reaching Out in a Networked World, communications expert and pastor Lynne Baab examines technologies such as websites, blogs, online communities, and desktop publishing. She demonstrates how a congregation can evaluate these tools and appropriately use them to communicate its heart and soul, to convey its identity and values both within and outside the congregation. Baab urges congregation leaders to reflect on the way they communicate. The recent explosion in communication technologies offers many new ways to present values and identity, but no one has much experience thinking about how best to use these tools. Baab seeks to help leaders use these new technologies with more precision, flair, and consistency. When congregations are intentional about communicating who they are and what they value, people in the wider community can get a clear and coherent picture of the congregation and its mission. Newcomers and visitors are more likely to see why faith commitments matter and why and how they might become involved in this congregation, while current members and leaders will greatly benefit from having a unified vision of the congregation's heart and soul.