What might be a typical Thursday afternoon trip to the grocery store for some people is, for Fr. Jack Knight, something more: an encounter.
“Okay, Lord,” he prays, “Who do you want me to encounter? How can I be your eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet out in the world?”
This shift — from seeing parish life as something contained within church walls to something lived out in everyday places — changes everything. For Fr. Knight, discipleship means going where people already are: gyms, gas stations, coffee shops, and other everyday spaces. And as a pastor, he knows his role is not only to serve, but to model that way of life for his parish.
That kind of leadership is a response to grace, self-reflection, and accompaniment.
In 2025, Fr. Knight and his parish, St. John Vianney in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, entered a new iteration of Catholic Leadership Institute’s Next Generation Parish service — one designed for the Church navigating a rapidly changing cultural landscape. The shift reflects something deeper than a program update. It reflects a renewed apostolic urgency.
“The parish has to be sent,” shares Leadership Consultant John Smestead, who is part of the initiative in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “We can’t wait for people to come to us anymore.”
That outward movement is at the heart of the renewal. The Church is leaning more confidently into her apostolic identity, proclaiming the Gospel not only within parish campuses, but through lives lived visibly and intentionally in the world.
For Fr. Knight, this shift became personal through the addition of discipleship practicums, where parish staff and key leaders are trained to enter public spaces with a missionary mindset. “It opened my eyes,” he said, “to see the hunger for God in the people we encounter every day.”
What began as a change in mindset is becoming a way of life — one that extends far beyond a single parish or diocese.
This is only the beginning.
In a rural Oklahoma town in the Diocese of Tulsa, Next Generation Parish at St. Brigid Parish is bearing fruit in a different but equally powerful way.
When Fr. David Medina began the process three years ago, he set a clear priority:
“I wanted the members of the community first — and most importantly — to fall in love with Jesus Christ. Then they will desire to serve God by serving others.”
The results have been transformative.
Growth in sacramental participation and spiritual renewal is unmistakable. This Easter alone, 16 catechumens entered the Church — double the number from the previous year. Through the Disciple Maker Index, parishioners report increased confidence in Church teaching.
Even more striking, young men in the parish are now discerning the priesthood — something the parish has never seen before. In fact, prior to renewal, 76% of parishioners reported they had never invited a man to consider a priestly vocation.
Programs, too, have been transformed into places of encounter.
Feed My Sheep is a weekly parish initiative that invites those in need to sit at the table and be served with care by parents alongside their children. “There is no difference — no skin color, no language, no background.” Fr. Medina said, “Everyone comes together.”
Miguel, a local restaurant owner, offers his resources to support the ministry, seeing it as a way to share the blessings he has received. Service is not an obligation; it is a response. Whether donating meat and other supplies or helping provide what is needed for the weekly meal, Miguel has become an important part of the ministry’s work. “If we have the opportunity to share, why not?”
What is happening in Tulsa looks different from what is happening in Atlanta. The contexts are different. The people are different.
But the movement is the same.
Next Generation Parish, in its renewed form, is built for exactly this reality — not for one type of parish, but for the Church as she is today. It meets parishes where they are and invites them not to stay, but to go.
It begins with a simple but urgent question: where is the Spirit calling us now?
In her work with Next Generation Parish, Leadership Consultant Manager, Stephanie Bosse, is seeing parishes take this question further: “Who are we serving? Who aren’t we serving? And how do we make those two meet up a little bit better?”
When parishes are formed to encounter Christ deeply, they become communities that go out, find others, and bring them to Him. “At its heart, this is what we’re doing: helping people move from head to heart, learning how to reflect, respond, and ultimately lead themselves and others more intentionally in discipleship.”
Next Generation Parish is a two-year experience that transforms the future of the Church and helps parishes meet the challenges of our time through visionary models that foster spiritual maturity, share leadership, offer a vibrant Sunday experience, and embrace a missionary impulse.
Learn more about Next Generation Parish.
Our President & CEO Daniel Cellucci's weekly email, the DIAL: Discerning Insights About Leadership.
CLI serves Church leaders, helping them rediscover their potential and forming them to be more intentional with those they serve.
CLI provides vision and hope about the future of the Church with a humble, yet strategic approach.
News and updates from Catholic Leadership Institute that highlight announcements within the organization, our team, or our partners.
