Ron Huntley - Unlocking Your Parish: Making Disciples, Raising Up Leaders with Alpha

Praise for Unlocking Your Parish

This excellent book provides a very practical and inspiring account of the impact Alpha has had in forming missionary disciples at Saint Benedict Parish, Canada. Ron Huntley and Fr. James Mallon share their experience and wisdom with a passion that is both engaging and compelling. I highly recommend Unlocking Your Parish.

Nicky Gumbel, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, London and pioneer of Alpha

Jesus said you judge a tree by its fruit. Mallon and Huntleys experience is mine: Alpha, used as a tool, a part of a larger strategy for parish renewal, is hands down the best thing Ive seen for leading people into a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

Fr. John Riccardo, Pastor, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Plymouth, Michigan

Unlocking Your Parish is a goldmine of practical wisdom for transforming a parish into a community of missionary disciples. Drawing on years of experience, Ron Huntley and Fr. James Mallon explain why Alpha is a powerful tool for evangelization and how to navigate the challenges involved in changing a parish culture. Together they consider the full spectrum of questionsfrom the appropriateness of Alpha in a Catholic setting to how to choose an Alpha emcee. From beginning to end, this book is engaging, inspiring, and challenging to our preconceived ideas about parish renewal. I will be recommending it everywhere I go!

Dr. Mary Healy, Professor of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Heart Major Seminary

For the last few years, as the pastor of multiple parishes, each with a with different culture and history, Ive been challenged by Pope Francis to create a common space for a renewed personal encounter with Christ. Alpha has been for us one of the greatest tools in bringing people together and, even more importantly, focusing us on making disciples. Unlocking your Parish offers great wisdom about building a culture of encounter through Alpha. Using their own prayerful experiences and passionate hearts, Fr. Mallon and Ron also share practical insights: pitfalls to avoid, along with simple steps to help plan, start, maintain, and grow Alpha as a tool to raise up leaders and create an outward-focused community intentional about making disciples. Truly a blessing.

Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Jaskot, Pastor, Pastorate of Saint Francis-Saint Mary and Holy Family, Maryland

This book is essential for any Catholic parish considering Alpha. As I read it I kept saying to myself, I wish I had had this book five years ago when we started our Alpha journey! But Gods timing is perfect and he has generously placed this book in my hands just as we are starting to realize how Alpha fits into the overall strategy and vision for evangelization and discipleship in our parish. Thank you, Ron Huntley and Fr. Mallon, for this amazing guide filled with practical steps and encouragement.

Anne Cook, Coordinator of Adult Formation and Evangelization, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Marblehead, Ohio

You will want to make room on your bookshelf for this timely resource if you are passionate about the Great Commission and serious about parish renewal. Fr. James Mallon and Ron Huntley have gifted the Church with an important book seasoned with experience, wisdom, and practical advice, answering common questions many have about Alpha and its extraordinary potential to transform lives and parishes. Whether youre new to Alpha or running your hundredth Alpha, I highly recommend this insightful work.

Mary Guilfoyle, Evangelization and Discipleship Director, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and Alpha USA Hub Director

After serving in sixteen Spanish-speaking Alpha sessions (so far) as a helper, cohost, host, and session leader I have seen how Alpha has helped form new friendships, restore families, and inspire participants to serve in ministry with a new heart. Unlocking Your Parish answered all the questions and concerns I have had while being involved with Alpha. I am forever grateful to Fr. Mallon and Ron Huntley for this gift.

Suling Cheaz-Laposa, Alpha Session Leader-Spanish, St. Ann Catholic Parish, Coppell, Texas

Ron Huntley works internationally with church leaders to build passion and get results. Rons love for Jesus, people, and the church drive him to make a difference in the lives of pastors, priests, and ministry leaders everywhere. Ron Huntley and Fr. James Mallon worked side by side to bring about the Divine Renovation at Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax, Canada. Rons work has expanded to parishes around the world through international speaking engagements, the Divine Renovation podcast, and the Divine Renovation leadership coaching network, through which he raises up and supports coaches, and mentors pastors who seek to bring their parish from maintenance to mission.

Fr. James Mallon is the part-time Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal and Leadership Support for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Although now former pastor of Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax, he is still very much part of the faith community.

Fr. James is the author of the bestselling book Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission and the Divine Renovation Guidebook.

The message of Divine Renovation has resonated in the hearts of tens of thousands of pastors and the laity throughout the world. To answer their needs, the Divine Renovation Ministry was created. Fr. James serves the Archdiocese with half of his time and serves in the Divine Renovation Ministry with the other half of his time.

We would like to thank Deacon Keith Strohm for his support in bringing this book to completion.

Unlocking
Your Parish

Making Disciples,
Raising Up Leaders with Alpha

Ron Huntley & Fr. James Mallon

Copyright 2019 Ron Huntley and Fr. James Mallon

All rights reserved.

Published by The Word Among Us Press

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Frederick, Maryland 21704

wau.org

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ISBN: 978-1-59325-365-3

eISBN: 978-1-59325-535-0

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America, Second Edition, copyright 1997, by the United States Catholic ConferenceLibreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Papal and other Church documents are quoted from the Vatican website, Vatican.va.

Cover design by Faceout Studios

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the author and publisher.

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