Rebuilt: The Story of a Catholic Parish: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter

Rebuilt shares the journey that our parish has taken to realign itself with the single mission that Christ set for His church: making disciples. Father Mike White and pastoral associate, Tom Corcoran, first walk us through the process by which they came to recognize the disconnect between that mission and the reality of our parish life and, most significantly, came to realize that it was that disconnect that was the true source of stagnation within our parish. They then share how they set about moving our parish from a self-focused and comfortable (albeit marginally relevant) "consumer" Catholicism to an evangelical faith community razor focused on bringing not just ourselves, but the broader community and, indeed, the world, into a tranformative relationship with Jesus Christ. As one of the many who shared and continues to share this wonderful and deeply fulfilling journey, I can attest to the authenticity of the stories told and the truth of the results. It has not been a smooth or simple road. And the journey is far from finished. But the fruit of obedience is profoundly satisfying and we have become a movement, a people on fire, in love, sustained by ministry from within and driven outward in mission. Our parish mantra is: Love God. Love Others. Make Disciples. These three exortations have come to drive and guide every aspect of what our parish does and how it does it. It is the "why" behind every "who, what, when, where and how." And the results are humbling. Lives are changed. And one can but be amazed.The timing of the publication of this book is truly prophetic. Our new Pope, Pope Francis, does not appear to tolerate the comfortable routine, the trappings that become a clericalism, careerism and consumerism that are so far away from the person of Christ and the true mission of the Church. From him, one senses there will come a call to rebuild our Church - to be again the Church that Christ established - a swelling of love - a movement of people, transformed, on fire, seeking to follow Christ's teachings and, by their loving, kind and merciful actions, calling others into discipleship. And, as Pope Francis redirects us, it is to this prophetic book and its related guides that parishes may now turn for practical, seasoned assistance in how to revitalize a parish by stripping away the numb and meaningless trappings of faith and community and reawakening the heart.God's timing is indeed always perfect!

Church defined by its physical structure for far too long. Cold concrete walls and a darkened narthex offer little appeal to a young population seeking relevance, authenticity, and purposeful engagement.Rebuilt is the story of church examining its conscious. Leaders of a church seeing empty pews and unfulfilled promises of better days took a step back. They asked themselves hard questions and through genuine soul searching came up with and implemented real plans for change.This book narrates how church can be transformed. An easy to read summation of real changes made to fill pews, expand involvement, and build community.Real people making profound change for the better. Reading this book will inspire. It offers a playbook as to how to breakdown indifference and shows how to discover that the right actions can illuminate church with the energy generated by its congregation.Those committed to real reform should definitely read this book!

I suspect that many readers will find "Rebuilt" to be at times both a bit condescending and self-contradictory, e.g., the authors descry an old set of "demanding consumers" but then describe the purposeful tailoring of their entire approach to appeal to a different "lost" consumer. Having said that, Nativity is a parish that has increased its weekly mass attendance by 200% and, for that reason alone, the book is worth reading. There are some wonderful, outside the traditional Catholic box ideas in here that could be implemented in many parishes without adversely affecting our core Catholic faith, values, teaching and tradition. In that respect, I find many of the reviews which criticize the book as being too Protestant, decidedly unhelpful.Just a couple additional thoughts: 1) Nativity was, as the authors described it, clearly a declining, dysfunctional parish in need of wholesale change. It seems worth asking if this approach would work, or perhaps how such an approach would have to be modified in a more vibrant, functioning parish with lots of people already involved in active ministry, and 2) This approach is not for pastors who have trouble letting go...autocrats and micro-managers need not apply. Neither will it be friendly to pastors who are prone to impulsive action and/or rapid changes in direction. At its core, it seems that Nativity's underlying success was in building a cohesive team, empowering the many gifts but one Spirit. The leaders of such teams always share some common traits including honesty, patience, a willingness to listen effectively, and the courage to share authority while accepting full responsibility. Unfortunately, "churchworld" has many pastors who lack one or more of these essential qualities. For that reason, pastors who are considering the "Rebuilt" approach might want to begin with a prayerful, brutally honest self-assessment. In that place where you are alone with God, and you know that God knows what you know, do you have what it takes to lead a parish in this manner? If not, trying to mimic "Rebuilt" might be a recipe for disaster.

Fácil de leer, lleno de ideas,experiencias, inspiraciones. Bien razonado y con explicaciones muy claras de cómo poner en práctica las ideas. Muy adaptable a la realidad de cualquier parroquia. Ideal para equipos parroquiales con mucha ilusión y ganas de arremangarse y poco tiempo para leer...

What a great book. Congratulations to Fr Michael and Tom for rebuilding their church and spreading their message of how to do it in such a readable, logical and inspiring way. I’m now excited to move on to their book about Tools for rebuilding a parish, and implementing their ideas in my parish.

Not every page is a gem, but there are so many good ideas flowing from this book (and the second "Tools for Rebuilding" book) that it deserves a serious place on your reading list. It was nice to know that one is not alone in so many of the pitfalls of daily ministry. At a minimum, it makes you focus on what is really important, what is truly fruitful, what truly brings growth.

Church is family. Church is a place where you belong. Fr. White had a longing: to revive his parish and to get parishioners involved. Much did not work so he went out to look for inspiration. Successfully. He has found great ways and means to attract people to faith in God and to create a community within the parish. His experience and his book do prove, that a parish is not a "place where you go" as a consumer. But a place where you belong. Every parishioner needs to be part of the team. In order to find out how to put this into practice, Fr. Whites book is a must-read! It would be precious to find a publisher in D/AT/CH who would translate it into German. It is a incredible useful toolbox and guide for an spiritually decreasing church in the west.

I have been a professional youth minister in the church for fifteen years now and I haven't read a better book than this about the problems in the church,and the way through them. I am constantly telling people that the solutions and answers are there to be found,if we just commit ourselves to looking. Put simply, this is one of the best places to look.Read this book. Them buy a copy for your pastor!