Changing the Culture: Two Simple Habits That Can Transform 

Culture is what people repeatedly experience and come to expect – it is “how we do things around here.” Over time, those patterns can become so familiar that we hardly notice them. We can continue doing something simply because that’s how we’ve always done it, without stopping to ask whether it is still helping us become the parish God is calling us to be. The ways of parish life that have served us faithfully for many years are not necessarily wrong, but they may not be enough for the mission in front of us today. If we want different results, we need different experiences that shape different beliefs. That means being willing to notice our habits, question what we have come to take for granted, and try something new – even when the change seems small. For the rest of this year, I’d love us to focus on two simple habits that can help create a missionary culture in our parish. They cost nothing, but they have the power to change the experience of every Sunday. 

The first is Turn Up Earlier and Stay Later. For many people, Mass can become something they arrive at just before – or even after – it starts, and leave as soon as – or even before – it finishes. But church was never meant to be a place where strangers quietly share a room for an hour. Imagine if every parishioner arrived 10–15 minutes early. Instead of silence and rushing, there would be smiles, conversations, names remembered, and new people welcomed. Imagine staying 10–15 minutes afterwards to chat over a coffee, meet someone new, or simply ask, “How has your week been?” 

These small experiences teach a new belief: “I belong here, and other people belong to me.” Welcome and Hospitality aren’t just the role of volunteers. They are the responsibility of every baptised person. Someone’s experience of Christ may begin with a handshake in the driveway long before it begins in the pew. There’s something deeply Christian about this. Jesus rarely encountered people in a hurry. He stopped. He noticed people. He asked questions. He ate with them. He made time for them. When we make time for one another, we are doing more than making our parish friendlier – we are creating the kind of space in which people can encounter the person of Jesus through the people of his Church.

The second habit is Create a Culture of Testimony. This second habit is even more important because we become a parish that talks naturally about what God is doing in our lives. So often we speak about sport, work, grandchildren, holidays, or the weather – but rarely about Jesus. Yet throughout Scripture, God’s people continually tell the story of what God has done. A testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be as simple as, “I’ve been praying about my family this week, and I’ve really experienced God’s peace.” Or, “God answered my prayer.” Or even, “I’m finding it hard at the moment, but I know Jesus is walking with me.” 

When we share these stories, faith becomes visible. We encourage one another, we discover we’re not alone, and we begin expecting God to be at work in ordinary life. We also give one another permission to talk about the most important relationship in our lives. Imagine if speaking about Jesus became as natural as speaking about our children, our work or what happened during the week. 

If people experience genuine welcome and hear ordinary people speaking about God’s work in their lives every weekend, our parish culture will change. Visitors will notice it. Children will grow up expecting it. Faith will become something we share, not something we keep private. 

This is really about our mission: to be a vibrant community that actively accompanies people to encounter Jesus. We can’t simply tell people that our parish is welcoming, relational and missionary. They need to experience it. And those experiences are created by all of us – not just by priests, staff, pastoral leaders or those rostered onto a ministry. 

So this weekend and in the weeks ahead, I have two invitations for everyone: First, arrive 10–15 minutes early and stay 10–15 minutes after Mass. And second, share one story of what God has been doing in your life with someone. You might think these are insignificant things but that is precisely the point. Culture isn’t transformed by one big event; it is formed by small things that we do repeatedly until they become normal. Small habits, repeated week after week, become culture – and culture shapes who we become. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us become a parish where people don’t simply attend Mass, but truly encounter Jesus through one another. 

With peace and love, Fr Josh