What happens when a parish team comes to the Rebuilt Conference, takes time to dream together, and then chooses to act on what God is stirring?
In this episode, Melissa Wilkinson talks with Chris Kozlowski from St. Isidore Parish in Michigan about how his parish and family of parishes came to the Rebuilt Conference in 2025, invited Tom Corcoran and David Makela to lead a strategic offsite, and eventually entered Rebuilt coaching. Chris shares the intentional steps their team took, the leadership rhythm they are building, and the early signs of growth they are already seeing.
Want to be part of what’s next? Join the Rebuilt Conference insiders list at rebuiltparish.com/conference to be the first to hear about early bird pricing, speaker announcements, event updates, and everything you need to start planning who from your parish should be in the room.
If your parish feels stuck, encouraged but unsure where to begin, or ready to move from inspiration to action, this conversation offers a clear and hopeful path forward.
In This Episode
Why St. Isidore wanted to move from “good” to “great”How 10 leaders from a family of parishes came together for Rebuilt ConferenceWhy the road trip became part of the team’s formationWhat stood out at the conference, from volunteers to hospitality to message seriesWhy the team invited Rebuilt to lead a strategic offsiteHow coaching helped create accountability, rhythm, and momentumThe measurable growth St. Isidore has seen through message seriesChris’s encouragement for parish leaders who feel stuckChapters / Timestamps
00:23 St. Isidore’s parish context
01:28 Why “good” was not enough
02:11 Coming to conference as a family of parishes
04:47 Making the road trip intentional
06:21 Seeing the Rebuilt model come alive
08:02 What stood out in the sessions
09:52 Debriefing and dreaming on the ride home
11:36 Inviting Rebuilt to lead a strategic offsite
13:23 Building a leadership rhythm
15:54 The value of one-on-one conversations
16:53 Moving from offsite to coaching
17:26 How coaching creates accountability
20:27 Early growth through message series
22:29 Building toward small groups
23:54 Advice for parishes that feel stuck
26:10 How God has been at work
28:45 Closing encouragement and next steps
Key Takeaways
Bring your team, not just one person.
St. Isidore brought 10 leaders from across their family of parishes to the Rebuilt Conference, which helped create shared vision and energy.
Use travel time intentionally.
Chris turned the road trip to and from the conference into a time for honest conversation, dreaming, and debriefing.
Conference inspiration needs a next step.
After returning home, the team knew they needed more than a great experience. They invited Rebuilt to lead a strategic offsite.
An outside voice can help unlock momentum.
Tom and David helped the team identify priorities, build action steps, and establish a leadership rhythm.
Coaching creates accountability and alignment.
Meeting every other week with David and Adrian has helped the team celebrate wins, name challenges, and keep moving forward.
Small steps can lead to measurable growth.
St. Isidore saw roughly 12–13% year-over-year growth at their Sunday evening Mass after introducing a message series.
Renewal takes discipline.
Chris compares parish renewal to becoming a professional athlete. Vision matters, but so do sacrifice, hard work, coaching, and intentional practice.
Call to Action
Ready to take a next step like St. Isidore?
To learn more about bringing Rebuilt to your parish for a strategic offsite, email [email protected].
To join the Rebuilt Conference insiders list and be the first to hear about early bird pricing, speakers, and event updates, visit rebuiltparish.com/conference.
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Catholic parish renewal, Rebuilt Parish, parish coaching, Rebuilt Conference, Catholic leadership, parish strategic planning, parish offsite, St. Isidore Parish Michigan, Catholic parish growth, message series, small groups, parish leadership team, discipleship, family of parishes, Church of the Nativity, parish transformation, Catholic evangelization, Catholic parish podcast
