EquipCast

Episode 66: Parish Renewal (Part 1)

Episode  |  September 14th, 2021  |  36 mins 34 secs

I’m sure you know… I talk A LOT about how Jesus calls us to be missionary disciples. And I’m also sure you know… parish renewal is HARD. So today, I talk with a friend, Tim Glemkowski, who’s book, Made for Mission, is one of the most practical guides to helping parish leaders wade through this process of renewal. I liked what he had to offer so much that we made this into two episodes! So, once you are done here, check out part 2.

Episode 65: Meetings Stink

Episode  |  September 7th, 2021  |  43 mins 9 secs

I have something to confess. I used to be a (bad) meeting addict. If you know me, you know that I love being around people, communicating with them. So, you'd think meetings led by me would be great!
I'd like to think they are now, but I had to learn a few things first. So, if you've ever been in a meeting that was too long, boring, got in the way of you doing "the real work", or felt generally unimportant, then this episode is for you!

Episode 64: Serving from the Heart

Episode  |  August 24th, 2021  |  39 mins 41 secs

Today I talk to one of my old friends from my time in FOCUS. We've had experience evangelizing in many different contexts, and we agree. The most difficult place to evangelize... is in your own heart. It can be scary to delve into our emotions and to hold our brokenness out to the Lord for healing. But, if we do this, then we can truly serve others from a place of love and relationship with Jesus. So join me in a conversation with Matt Simmons, a man who truly understands that the best expression of faith is to lay our hearts before the Lord and trust that He can heal them.

Episode 63: Discipling Youth in School

Episode  |  August 10th, 2021  |  35 mins 49 secs

Students encounter the Lord at conferences like Steubenville, in adoration, or in retreat settings, but then, they are thrust back into the regular cadence of a secular life. Continuing to live out their faith without a community of support can be very difficult. And so, Skutt Catholic adopted discipleship groups, small groups led by adults who accompany these students. Today I talk to Quinlan Couri as she describes these groups and how she builds up the leaders, both student and adult.

Episode 62: In School with Jesus

Episode  |  August 3rd, 2021  |  38 mins 33 secs

How do you start your day? Like many of you, I try to start mine in prayer and with the Lord in scripture. But teaching our children to do the same can be difficult. Today, I talk to Cheryl Drozd, a teacher who helps her students start every day in prayer and reading the scriptures. And, she says that the results are explosive: "God is working through me. It's His word and His Holy Spirit working. So, it's just a matter of trusting and letting God do His thing." Friends, the Word of God is alive, constantly new and reaching into our hearts. It's a vehicle for God to communicate himself. So it's not surprising that children love it so easily. Even if you feel like "I don't know the Bible well enough to teach", just open the scriptures and let God speak!

Episode 61: Walking with the Youth

Episode  |  July 20th, 2021  |  57 mins 48 secs

The rate of culture change in the last 20 years has been swift. This has created a gap in how well adults are able to relate to the youngest in our communities. And unfortunately, this inability to understand and walk with the youth has also led to many leaving the Church. In fact, the median age that a youth leaves the faith is...13. So how do we accompany Gen Z? Today, my guest, Jodi Phillips, offers a model for youth ministry that advocates discipleship.

Episode 60: The Real Vocations Crisis

Episode  |  July 13th, 2021  |  40 mins 30 secs

This is the first time in a many years that no priests were ordained in our diocese, and it's during times like these that people throw around the phrase "vocations crisis". I'm sure the idea that there is a vocations crisis will come as no surprise to you, but I think the solutions that we propose in this episode will. Today, I talk to Fr. Roza, our Vocations Director, and he suggests that the ultimate solution lies in reviving the faith of the laity.

Skill Demo 4: How to Lead a Discernment Rosary

Episode  |  June 29th, 2021  |  7 mins 35 secs

Growing as a missional community often means taking steps into the unknown. It means opening ourselves to the newness that God desires for us, and this often includes changing our habits, our processes, or even our expectations of what's possible. But sometimes, in our planning efforts, we don't actually make space for the only one who really knows what's going on and what needs to be done in our parishes. This week, Andy Dejka leads us through one of my favorite tools for discernment, the Discernment Rosary.

Episode 59: Freedom for Captives

Episode  |  June 22nd, 2021  |  59 mins 18 secs

Imagine if you were defined by the worst thing you ever did, the worst moment of your life. Jesus came to preach freedom to captives. He offers mercy, healing, and miracles to those who just reach out in faith. For most of us, this means freedom from sin. But my guest on the EquipCast today preaches freedom to literal prisons. Through Alpha, men in our local prison who have never experienced love in their life, are for the first time receiving love with no strings attached. Witness it for yourself.

Episode 58: Man on Mission

Episode  |  June 15th, 2021  |  55 mins 24 secs

We talk a lot on this podcast about evangelization and mission. I can cast vision all day long, but the reality is…actually going on mission is scary. How do I recognize the people in my life that are ready to hear the Good News of Jesus? How do I get over the fear of stepping outside of my comfort zone to share my faith? There’s no one answer that will work for every person. But today, I want to hold up for you the story a parishioner in this Archdiocese. Michael Doerneman is unassuming, and so is his story. But I think there are powerful lessons to be learned. Tune in to hear the simple story of a man on mission.

Living Ordinary Mercy

Episode  |  June 8th, 2021  |  53 mins 22 secs

catholic, catholic ministry, catholic social teaching, ministry, ministry leaders, mother theresa

When you imagine yourself Living Mercy, what comes to mind first? Do you think of the saints who gave up everything for a life of poverty or service to the sick? Does that seem impossible or very far from reach? Today, I talk to Dcn. Omar Gutierrez about Catholic Social Teaching and the lay person’s role to live ordinary mercy. He tells us, “All teachings of the Church start and end in the same spot: know Jesus so you can love him and so that you can be with him now and forever.” The daily care for those in need starts with caring for those whom the Lord puts in our pathway. But what does this look like practically, and how do we get started?

The 4 Types of Parishes

Episode  |  June 1st, 2021  |  1 hr 24 secs

On a scale of 1-10, how missional would you say your parish is? In October 2020, the Archbishop launched the Big Goal that “Each parish in the Archdiocese of Omaha would become missional by the end of 6 years”. Implicit in that goal is the recognition that none of us are there yet. So, I invite each of you to ask, “Is my community dying, declining, swelling, or growing?” While these categories sound depressing, an honest conversation about where we are at is designed to help us receive the grace of pastoral conversion and to be invited deeper into the mission of the Church.