From Maintenance to Mission: Evangelization and the Revitalization of the Parish

Evangelization, contrary to what many people believe, is not just a Protestant concern; in fact, writes Robert Rivers, it is Catholic to the core. In this practical, approachable work he suggests that the Catholic parish is a wonderful setting to carry out the evangelizing work of the church. He makes the case that evangelization holds the key to the future of the church because it was in fact the centerpiece of post-Vatican Council reform. Drawing from the USCCB document "Go and Make Disciples, which offers a comprechensive plan and strategy for evangelization, he explores ways to challenge us to become Catholic evangelizers. And he proposes ways to move from maintenance to mission-oriented parishes. "My purpose," affirms the author, "is to try to place before the reader a compelling vision of Catholic evangelization and share some strategic thinking that might enable us to implement the great vision to which we have been called." He attains that goal convincingly, practically, and hopefully.