Business guru Patrick Lencioni is well-known for his expertise on organizational health. In fact, he is a New York Times best-selling author of books like The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team and Death by Meeting. But Lencioni is also a faithful Catholic, one who is now putting his talents at the service of the Church through his ministry Amazing Parish and a new book called The Better Pastor.

The Better Pastor is told in the style of a fable—a story about a priest who discovers that there are some simple improvements he can make to his parish to transform it from an ordinary faith community to an amazing one. 

The video clip below is a talk given at one of the Amazing Parish retreats. It gives additional insight into the building blocks for a great Church community.  More talks are available at the Amazing Parish website.

5 Signs Your Parish is Healthy:

1. The pastor, employees and volunteers all strive for excellence, valuing accountability and responsibility, so that the parish runs smoothly.
2. The pastor receives support from parishioners and is not the only one keeping things going.
3. The parish places front and center the vibrant celebration of the Mass, encouraging parishioners to delve deeper into their faith and parish life.
4. Pastors are not only administrative leaders, but also spiritual ones. Parishioners have the opportunity to pray with their priests and learn from their witness.
5. Prayer. The parish is constantly praying for the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

What can you do to help improve your parish’s overall health? First and foremost, participate in the spiritual and community life of the parish. Second, offer your skills and talents to your pastor—you never know how you can help the parish thrive!

Oh, and be sure to let your pastor know that every pastor in the United States should be receiving a copy of The Better Pastor for free in their mailboxes sometime in mid-August!

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