‘Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.’ – Heb 12.2
Last week, I was fortunate to attend a few days of retreat down in Sydney that were put on by the Divine Renovation network. It was attended by over ninety representatives from parishes all over Australia and New Zealand. All these parishes had something in common – they were all investing in parish renewal. They were seeking ways to take their parishes from maintenance to mission. They were sharing stories about how to re-engage people, how to make Church matter, and how to once more share the Good News of Jesus with those we encounter.
Within all the sharing and discussion, there was one question that really struck me:
What does ‘success’ look like for a parish that is following Jesus Christ?
It got me thinking. And perhaps it’s something we can all think about. How do we measure our fruitfulness?
By attendance? Productivity? Or something else? Our relationships? Our faithfulness? What is it that Jesus is calling us to?
Might these be the questions we ask Jesus?