What do you think?
Rate this book
Reclaiming the Great Commission: A Roadmap to Parish Health
Jesus’ last words to his disciples were “Go . . . and make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19–20). Unfortunately, many parishes are struggling to follow this commandment. In Reclaiming the Great Commission, Fr. Evan Armatas offers a roadmap to help us get back on track. Relying on his 20 years of parish experience, Holy Scripture, and insights from research and his visits with churches across the US, he discusses how you and your community can implement changes that will transform, revitalize, and renew your parish. You’ll learn how to diagnose and remove the barriers you face, deal with resistance to change, define what a healthy parish looks like, lead with purpose, and create a Parish Health Plan. Written for clergy, council members, ministry leaders, small groups, and all committed parishioners, this book will help any church in its journey to reclaim the Great Commission.
- GenresChristian
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2022
22 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 21, 2023
Excellent introduction and overview on how to revitalize your parish to move from an inward community focus, from maintenance to mission!
November 17, 2022
Fr. Evan, in his concise and cogent manner, shares thoughtful and practical wisdom to parishes seeking to recapture our Lord's command to make disciples and train them in the ways of Christ. He tackles the concept of "parish health" in an impressive approach that encourages and ensures a community's vibrancy and growth.
As his parishioner and as a ministry leader, I am privileged to experience Fr. Evan's exxceptional leadership skills and our resultant healthy and thriving community. As a professional psychologist, I am amazed to observe his deft implementation of principles of organizational development, communty psychology, and healthy relationship functioning, paired with significant doses of compassion, humility, and love.
As his parishioner and as a ministry leader, I am privileged to experience Fr. Evan's exxceptional leadership skills and our resultant healthy and thriving community. As a professional psychologist, I am amazed to observe his deft implementation of principles of organizational development, communty psychology, and healthy relationship functioning, paired with significant doses of compassion, humility, and love.
December 29, 2023
Earlier this year I read Fr. Evan’s “Toolkit for Spiritual Growth: A Practical Guide to Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving.” I appreciated the discussion questions and reflections in that book and likewise the format of this newest book.
Fr. Evan has done an excellent job of laying out steps a parish can take to improve it’s spiritual health. I will be purchasing copies for my priest and parish council members (I am a Church School Director) as I believe it will help us especially as we are recovering from the trauma of separation during the pandemic.
Fr. Evan has organized this book just like a roadmap; with steps, directions, resources, and discussion questions to best help leaders improve their communication and decide the purpose of the Great Commission in their own parishes. Through this “Parish Health Plan” readers are encouraged to start with our own spiritual improvements and reflections before we move to a group discussion on matters that will most likely raise hairs. Yet, these discussions must happen in order to provide the clear and healthy direction that parishes need to take to maintain the mission of the Gospels to spread the love of Christ to all peoples.
Matt 28:19-20 serves as the final destination spot of this book and in order to reach it Fr. Evan lays out some pit stops that we need to carefully fulfill first. Chapter 1 gives tips on how to choose what is most important to your parish, Ch. 2 has five essentials of starting the journey, Ch. 3 gives tips for parish health (commitment to the gospel, relationship building, and organization are some). Chapters 4 and 5 discuss common barriers or “road blocks.” Ch. 6 lays out the aspects of healthy leadership (humility is key). Chapter 7 lays out a parish health plan, making sure your parish is on the right track by forming a committee to make sure communication and follow through happens. Few things are more frustrating in a leadership group (such as a parish council) than inefficiency and a lack of follow through with commitments that the group makes.
Ultimately, this book is an excellent resource that all parish leadership should consider using in order to create a healthy and communicative environment that the Gospel can be lived out under. I recommend this book for anyone in religious leadership and appreciate Fr. Evan’s conclusion to “take things one step at a time” or to continue our roadtrip analogy “one pit stop” at a time.
Fr. Evan has done an excellent job of laying out steps a parish can take to improve it’s spiritual health. I will be purchasing copies for my priest and parish council members (I am a Church School Director) as I believe it will help us especially as we are recovering from the trauma of separation during the pandemic.
Fr. Evan has organized this book just like a roadmap; with steps, directions, resources, and discussion questions to best help leaders improve their communication and decide the purpose of the Great Commission in their own parishes. Through this “Parish Health Plan” readers are encouraged to start with our own spiritual improvements and reflections before we move to a group discussion on matters that will most likely raise hairs. Yet, these discussions must happen in order to provide the clear and healthy direction that parishes need to take to maintain the mission of the Gospels to spread the love of Christ to all peoples.
Matt 28:19-20 serves as the final destination spot of this book and in order to reach it Fr. Evan lays out some pit stops that we need to carefully fulfill first. Chapter 1 gives tips on how to choose what is most important to your parish, Ch. 2 has five essentials of starting the journey, Ch. 3 gives tips for parish health (commitment to the gospel, relationship building, and organization are some). Chapters 4 and 5 discuss common barriers or “road blocks.” Ch. 6 lays out the aspects of healthy leadership (humility is key). Chapter 7 lays out a parish health plan, making sure your parish is on the right track by forming a committee to make sure communication and follow through happens. Few things are more frustrating in a leadership group (such as a parish council) than inefficiency and a lack of follow through with commitments that the group makes.
Ultimately, this book is an excellent resource that all parish leadership should consider using in order to create a healthy and communicative environment that the Gospel can be lived out under. I recommend this book for anyone in religious leadership and appreciate Fr. Evan’s conclusion to “take things one step at a time” or to continue our roadtrip analogy “one pit stop” at a time.
December 5, 2022
I am quite fond of Fr. Armatas' writing and when I first heard about this book I honestly thought, this may be one I pass because I'm not on our Parish counsel and really didn’t think it would speak to me so. But oh how I was wrong ( and I am so glad I was). Fr. Armatas took a topic I was wholly uneducated in and made it easy to understand and read, and with that I was able to realize that this is not just a parish counsel concern but a Parish as a whole concern. Fr. Armatas takes the concern of Evangelism, the health of a Parish, and Outreach and makes it easily understandable and shows how it can be attainable. It gives you active, practical steps the parish can use to become a healthy parish. So fantastic. I will be giving a copy to the parish council and our priest as a gift. In my humble opinion, this is a must-read for anyone of the Orthodox Faith.
March 23, 2023
A good start. I want it to be a more robust study some day. For now, a great start, especially since some converts I know are skittish about evangelism, which they associate with the Great Commission. They don't want a map of tracts, door to door, awkwardly invite those who aren't asking - types of "Go ye therefore into all the world."
February 25, 2023
Fr Evan brings his unique inter-personal style to this book that both encourages church leaders and gives them practical advice. For those Orthodox Christians looking to move your parish away from the “country club” model, this is a good place to start that journey.
November 12, 2022
This book was amazing and will be a continual and extremely helpful reference for me!
December 23, 2022
Excellent road map to rejuvenating a church parish. The only caveat is that it seems geared towards parishes that are already large and have the manpower to execute the plans entailed within.
May 19, 2025
Great information and a framework to build off of.
Not dictating the exact plans which I think is good because you can then tailor the plan to fit your parish.
Not dictating the exact plans which I think is good because you can then tailor the plan to fit your parish.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews