Do you have questions on the Divine Renovation model?
I am attending a Divine renovation Open House parish in Chicago on Saturday 20th July. In August I will be visiting the Divine Renovation office on Friday 9th and I am meeting with the Pastor of St. Benedict’s church, Fr. Simon, on Sunday 11th.
I will have opportunities then to raise some questions in relation to their programme. If you have been following them or have questions that you would like to raise, post them here and I will see if I can have them addressed.
Exploring Church Transformation 
How did the parish of St Benedict manage the change with their faith community… Reform can be met with enthusiastic followers and participants and equally those who procrastinate! Managing both groups and holding that balance in a healthy tension may be a challenge and an opportunity. Any advice or guidance on how they approached this? Thank you.
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The sequence of events that brought about the change in St. Benedict’s is interesting and involved a lot of upheaval for people.
About 15 years ago the diocese there merged three parishes and appointed a pastor to oversee the integration of the three.
It was decided by the pastor, in conjunction with parish personnel to build a new church and dispose of the three individual churches. The new church, St. Benedict’s, was opened in 2007.
When Fr. James was appointed as pastor, 10 years or so ago, he came into a space of change and was able to build on that.
It hasn’t been without resistance, including many letters to the Bishop. The DR book really is about managing that change, including the issues of dealing with or working through the resistance.
The change is massive, it is moving people from one approach to church, one of taking part at weekends, to a church of living the Gospel in every day where the weekend participation is about growing in understanding of the Gospel in the now.
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