Episode 60 - Building a Culture that Welcomes People

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Summary

Father Charlie Garza shares his experience of growing a welcoming parish community at St. Albert the Great in Austin, Texas. The parish is multicultural, with people from over 60 countries. 

 

Before focusing on parish renewal, the weekly mass attendance was around 2,500. However, through intentional efforts to create a welcoming environment, the attendance has almost doubled, with Spanish-speaking attendance at 222% above pre-COVID levels and English-speaking attendance at 7% above pre-COVID levels. 

 

Father Charlie shares his experience in building a welcoming culture at St. Albert the Great. He discusses the challenges faced, such as pushback from older generations who felt left out when the focus shifted to young adults. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the pain points of parishioners and addressing them. 

 

Father  Charlie advises other multicultural parishes to identify the big events for each culture and tailor their strategies accordingly. He also encourages parishes to learn the principles of successful growth but adapt them to their own circumstances. Father. Charlie shares his vision for St. Albert the Great, including hosting large events and providing training for hospitality teams.

Takeaways

• Creating a welcoming parish community begins with a mindset shift and a positive attitude towards newcomers.
• Leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone for hospitality and welcoming.
• The entire parish community, including volunteers and regular attendees, must actively participate in creating a welcoming environment.
• Hospitality should be extended from the parking lot to the pews, with a focus on making newcomers feel welcome and included.
• Initiatives such as welcome tables, connection cards, welcome emails, and personalized phone calls can help newcomers feel connected and informed.
• Retreats can be a powerful tool for engaging newcomers and transitioning them into discipleship. Building a welcoming culture requires understanding and addressing the pain points of parishioners.
• Multicultural parishes should identify the big events for each culture and tailor their strategies accordingly.
• Learn the principles of successful growth but adapt them to your own parish's circumstances.
• Don't be afraid to fail and learn from failures.
• Celebrate wins and reinforce positive behaviors to build confidence.
• Have a vision for big events and invest time and energy in planning for them.
• Provide training for hospitality teams to ensure welcoming practices.
• Perseverance is key in achieving success in parish growth.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Parish Background

02:19 - Impressive Growth in Attendance

06:16 - Extending Hospitality from Parking Lot to Pews

09:43 - Engaging the Entire Parish Community in Welcoming

14:42 - Initiatives and Practices for Enhancing a Culture of Welcome

23:19 - Building a Welcoming Culture: Addressing Pain Points and Challenges

28:23 - Tailoring Strategies for Multicultural Parishes

34:05 - Adapting Principles for Successful Growth

36:15 - Embracing Failure and Learning from It

41:00 - Vision for Big Events and Planning

42:48 - Training for Welcoming Hospitality Teams

45:09 - Perseverance in Parish Growth