CALLED to Spiritually Renew the Church

Challenge

In today’s highly digital age, communication is everything. How much time we spend listening to or watching media content is directly correlated to how much perceived value it has in our lives. One of the primary reasons why so many people are dissatisfied with church is the lack of relevancy and practical application found in homilies. This combined with the absence of trust that many have with priests and preachers themselves because of scandal indicate that a renewal is in order to articulate what it means to be a person of faith in the 21st century.

What could a path forward look like for our ever-changing church communities? CALLED believes that cultivating the preacher-listener relationship is central to renewal because BOTH are called to participate in a life of faith. As a fruit of this relationship, the preacher deepens his or her ability to listen to the longings of a person desiring to be spiritually fed. Preaching is more than a “marketing tool” or a performance to behold. Preaching is a genuine action of the Spirit that generates healing and liberation in the life of the preacher and in the lives of those who receive the message.

Sunday to Sunday: CALLED

Research

Many studies have found that ineffective preaching is the main reason why people are either dissatisfied with church or have stopped going all together.
2022

Online Services Appeal to Americans, but Going in Person Remains More Popular

2011

Faith In Flux:
Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.

2023

This just in: Catholic churches have the worst preaching and music in the US

2023

Pope Francis and the Search for Solutions to the Bad Sermon Phenomenon​

Resources

There are a good deal of recent books, articles, podcasts, and programs that are trying to make sense of the problem and offer examples of effective preaching.

Preachers

Clearly good preachers do exist and dynamic faith-based communities and parishes can be found. Sunday to Sunday has explored and featured some of them.

Spiritual Life

We are all CALLED to cultivate better preaching by deepening our spiritual lives and fully embracing our unique vocation in the world! 

Sunday to Sunday: CALLED