1LB, well put, especially -- "What so-called 'faith' is----is often a list of doctrines that don't do a thing to 1) change people's lives".  Someone else in this thread referred to this as a "package". A book of questions and answers and a code of laws do not change folks' lives. 

In the Army we had a practice of "ministry of presence"-- ministering to the soldiers by being with them and doing what they were doing, being available to them. We were with our soldiers no matter what, same living conditions, fears, etc. You get a different view of life doing this. Jesus did the same. People are attracted, or not attracted, to the Gospel by watching how folks who claim to be christians really live. Another way of putting it might  be teaching and leading by example.

There are a number of good pastoral bishops, although why they let themselves be tarred by the same USCCB brush in all this mess today is beyond me.