Proměna farnosti - Z udržovacího režimu k misijnímu zápalu – Mallon James (2022)

"We don't need to hear about Jesus. We want to play cards!" She slammed her fist on the table, and everyone in the hall fell silent... The faces of the parishioners expressed just recognition that the person had said out loud what everyone else wanted to say. When it became known that I intended to take over the parish hall on Monday evenings for an evangelistic program called Alpha courses, it caused such an uproar that I had to call an extraordinary meeting of the parish council. And instead of backing down from my intention, I stubbornly stood my ground as a newly ordained priest. I had no other choice. God immensely blessed our small parish during those first attempts to reach out to those who do not attend church. Within a year, more than a hundred people were coming to us on Monday evenings to learn about the offer of the gospel. Lives began to change. The conflict over playing cards was worth it. (abridged from the introduction "The House of Cards") The church has the main task of making disciples, and ultimately missionaries, and bringing the joyful message to all people. And that should be visible somewhere: in parish programs, in financial budgets, in personnel policies. Canadian priest James Mallon offers a number of suggestions on how to awaken parishes. The book Transformation...