Coaching
Coaching support available at no charge to help you renew your parish — and your hope.
You're not alone.
But as a priest, it can certainly feel like it.
Someone always needs something, so you’re exhausted. Seminary only prepared you for part of your job, so you’re struggling to make sense of the rest of it. Old methods don’t resonate with today’s culture, so your parish is declining.
It can be and it will. We’d like to show you how.
Imagine a parish where...
- Lives are transformed as people encounter Jesus in a very personal way.
- Parishioners are discipled to grow into their missionary identity.
- New people come, bringing new passion and energy to the parish.
- Priests can share the responsibility of leadership with a dedicated parish team.
- A strong leadership culture empowers volunteers to step up.
- Everyone has the opportunity to serve out of their individual gifts and strengths.
Unlock radical change in your parish.
The Holy Spirit makes evangelization possible, and leadership provides the essential guidance.
By living out the Three Keys to Parish Renewal, parishes around the world are bearing fruit like they’ve never seen before.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, transformative renewal happens and parishes come to life.
The Primacy of Evangelization
When evangelization is the focus and people encounter Jesus, parishes grow.
The Best of Leadership
When parish leaders serve out of the best leadership principles, parishes thrive.
Start your coaching journey.
Group and 1-to-1 coaching from trusted guides in parish renewal plus self-paced learning resources.
Mission Inspired Prayer
Forming & Casting Vision
(Re)Planting an Evangelization Initiative
Building a Leadership Team
Enhancing the Sunday Experience
Becoming the Leader that You Are
Rest
Here's what priests are saying...
But will this work for my parish?
And other common questions...
Every parish is unique. However, we have found that the principles of renewal are applicable across diverse parish settings. We coach into these principles and help parishes apply them in their own context.
We do not offer a one-size-fits-all-program. Rather, we seek to support each parish individually as they apply these principles of renewal. This journey includes online and in-person events, multimedia resources, coaching and connection to other missional parishes. Regional Guides will help you navigate your journey. Learn more and connect here.
Each parish is in a unique financial situation, and we don’t want payment-for-service to be a barrier in helping you achieve renewal in your parish. Divine Renovation is a donor-funded ministry that relies on financial support to make our resources available at no fee.
Please prayerfully consider partnering with us through a monthly or special gift to make this kind of support possible for all parishes. Click here to find out more.
Divine Renovation supports the ministerial priesthood within the hierarchical structures of the Catholic Church. While the priest remains the ordained leader of the sacramental life of the parish, we promote sharing in their structural leadership without abdicating it. This is a shift we are helping both the priest and the laity embrace in a balanced and healthy way.
Though our coaching is directed through the pastor, it does include his leadership team members which may be lay leaders or other clergy. Each region hosts in-person and online events, as well as other opportunities targeted at supporting key parish leaders whether lay or clergy.
YES! Divine Renovation operates from the unique giftings of the Body of Christ and is not based on a certain personality type. No one has all the gifts (Fr. James very much included), so that only out of a team can we achieve the mission.
Just as Jesus relied on the apostles to carry out His great commission, you will require fellow disciples to lead change. Divine Renovation is here to help you unpack the many approaches to team formation and help you raise up leaders in your parish.
Click here to read stories of other priests and parishes around the globe implementing the Divine Renovation renewal principles.
Divine Renovation principles are applicable in many different contexts and through many different types of leaders. We’ve seen God bear fruit in parishes around the world through priests and leaders of varied backgrounds, cultures, personal spirituality, leadership styles, and gifts.
Divine Renovation can be applied in other ministerial contexts, and we welcome you to explore that. As an example, our resources on Leadership could easily apply to any ministry.
However, our mission is to inspire, connect and equip priests and their teams to renew the church. Thus, our coaching and resources are focused on parishes.
It’s not about fitting something in, it’s about changing how you use your time, gradually shifting the time spent on maintenance activities into missional activities.
Coaching will help you figure out how to prioritize your activities so you can focus on what truly matters to your parish.
Our goal is to bring the very best research and coaching tools forward to empower and equip pastors and their teams for success, be it around leadership, evangelization or reliance on the Holy Spirit. In addition to our own experience and tools that have originated throughout the Church world, we also recognize that some of the tools from the business world can be applied as well. In fact, many of the principles applied in a business setting have roots in scripture.
The reality is that for sustainable change to happen in your parish, it must be led by the pastor. Continue to share opportunities with your pastor to learn more, such as reading the Divine Renovation book, attending an open house event, etc. In the meantime, praying for your pastor and the parish is the most important thing that you can do.
To learn more about some ways you can encourage and influence your pastor, watch this webinar: “My Parish Isn’t Missional!”: How to lead When You’re Not in Charge.
For any number of reasons, this is a reality many parish priests face. Ultimately, we stay committed to both the parish and the pastor if there is a desire to continue with the support that Divine Renovation offers.
We also encourage regular communication with your bishop around the parish renewal efforts taking place so the culture and leadership structures of the parish may be considered in future assignments.
Our coaches have been there and done that.
You don't have to do it alone.
Divine Renovation leadership coaches include priests and laypeople who’ve been right where you are: longing for more for the Church but unsure how to get there.
Inspired by Fr. James Mallon’s book Divine Renovation and following the example of missional parishes, we’ve come to understand what’s necessary to turn parishes around. And since 2016, we’ve learned and shared our experience with parish leaders around the world so they can bring their parish from maintenance to mission.
We can’t wait to see what God does through your parish.
Transformation is happening now.
Divine Renovation is a donor-funded ministry.
Money should never be a barrier to the pursuit of renewal. Thanks to our generous supporters, we’re able to come alongside priests and parishes at no charge.
Renewal is closer than you think.
Ready to see your parish come alive? Here’s what you need to do:
Get connected and apply for coaching.
Connect with a regional guide to explore your next best steps — in your parish, in your context.
Get inspired and make connections
Journey with other priests who share your passion for renewal and bringing people to Jesus.
Transform your parish.
See your church come alive as you orient your parish towards mission.
Divine Renovation
Bringing hope to priests, life to parishes, and people to Jesus.
The Three Keys to Parish Renewal
Get 3 practical principles you can begin to use this week to move your parish from maintenance to mission.
