EquipCast

Episode 20: Redoing Religious Education - A Family First Approach

Episode  |  June 29th, 2020  |  53 mins 52 secs

Imagine with me a parish where Religious Education is no longer simply content found in a book, a subject to be picked up once a week on Wednesdays. Imagine instead a parish where Religious Education is centered around the formation of each person’s faith life.

Gone would be the days of begging for catechists and of struggling to engage tired students. Gone would be the days of sacramental “graduations” where families disappear after confirmation. And gone would be the days of the pastor introducing children that he doesn’t know to the Archbishop.

I know that these fruits (and many many others) follow, because I had the joy of sitting down with Fr. Loseke and Jackie Schuler from St. Charles Borromeo. Over the past few years, they have transformed the way their parish does Religious Education, and by doing so, they have transformed the lives of their parish families.

Episode 19: The Clear Path to Discipleship: Step 2 (Start Your Engines: The Driving Force of Conversions)

Episode  |  June 23rd, 2020  |  57 mins 14 secs

Have you heard a compelling presentation of the gospel that transformed your life? The power of our own conversions has led us to the belief that every parish needs a Conversion Engine. Join Andy Dejka and I (Jim Jansen) as we tell a little of our own stories and converse about questions such as: Why do we need a specific program or ministry for conversion if evangelization is everyone’s job? And, If our parish does decide to adopt a Conversion Engine, what should it look like?

Episode 18: New Era, Old Strategies: Engagement Tips from the Apostles

Episode  |  June 15th, 2020  |  52 mins 11 secs

Pope Francis once said, “We are not living in an era of change but a change of era”. We think that this new era looks a lot like the Apostolic Age. Jen Moser takes us through the parallels, and offers some strategies based on the actions of the Apostles themselves.

Episode 17: School Tuition - Are Catholic Schools Worth the Cost?

Episode  |  June 8th, 2020  |  54 mins 27 secs

Episode 16: Not a 'How to' but a 'Who through' - The Holy Spirit on Mission

Episode  |  June 1st, 2020  |  54 mins 45 secs

We are living in a unique moment in Church history, the transition into a post-Christendom era. It is disorienting and new. While the mission of the Church has not shifted, the way we fulfill the mission to bring the Gospel to the world must change. We need the Holy Spirit to be the inspiration and guide. Pause with Jim Jansen and Fr. Lorig to reflect on the Holy Spirit and to pray that He moves in our lives.

Episode 15: Digital Church

Episode  |  May 26th, 2020  |  49 mins 34 secs

One thing is for sure, the digital church is not going away. Many have tasted its potential and while our buildings begin to open up, our online churches should not be shutting down. For those who want to take full advantage of the potential that digital church offers, it will require more strategy, more thought, and more planning than merely pointing a camera at your in-person events and services. Fr. Lorig and Jim Jansen offer answers to questions like "Which metrics matter?" and "How do we reach the unchurched online?"

Episode 14: Church Money - Raising Givers

Episode  |  May 18th, 2020  |  48 mins 4 secs

As a young associate, Fr. Lorig asked Fr. (now Bishop) Hanefeldt, “As a priest, am I supposed to tithe?” Fr. Hanefeldt responded, “You know? The more I give, the more I receive.” While he didn’t directly answer the question, he got to the heart of the issue. Money influences our relationship with God, and it’s in a competition with Him for our hearts. Most of us in ministry hate to touch the topic of money, but if we want to raise disciples, we have to also start raising givers. Jim Jansen and Fr. Lorig discus what he is going to do differently after reading the book ChurchMoney: Rebuilding the Way We Fund Our Mission.

Episode 13: 5 Myths of Evangelization

Episode  |  May 11th, 2020  |  59 mins 12 secs

Evangelization has been a buzzword in the Church for the past few decades, but many of us still don’t know what it means. It conjures up images of knocking on doors and standing on street corners. We know it’s necessary to do. After all, weren’t we commissioned to “Go and make disciples of the nations”? But, for some reason it’s hard to begin.

In today's EquipCast, Fr. Lorig and Jim Jansen discuss the hang-ups that many of us have when it comes to evangelization, and they leave us with a few tips to get started.

Episode 12: The Ideal Parishioner

Episode  |  May 4th, 2020  |  46 mins 1 sec

Sometimes the consumer culture of the United States creeps into our parish life. When this happens, the ideal parishioner becomes the loyal customer who shows up to all the events or the person who “does their time” volunteering. Fr. Lorig and Jim Jansen suggest that the ideal parishioner is instead the person who comes alive because they are engaged in the mission of the Church. The ideal parishioner thrives because they say yes only to the things that give them life. Tune in for some tips on discernment and for ways to draw others into the mission.

Discipleship - What it looks like in real life.

Episode  |  April 22nd, 2020  |  20 mins 47 secs

Whenever Jesus calls someone to be a disiple, he doesn't stop at "follow me", he says, "and I will make you fishers of men." We cannot separate the call to be a disciple and the call to be a missionary. But how does one create missionary disciples? Jim Jansen spoke at SEEK 2020 unpacking the everyday experience of forming others for mission.

Episode 11: Don't Be a Hero. Be a Hero Maker!

Episode  |  April 21st, 2020  |  54 mins 42 secs

Doing leadership doesn't mean doing everything, and delegation doesn't mean giving away tasks. Leadership means giving your superpowers to someone else.

Episode 10: Why Best Practices aren't the Best

Episode  |  April 20th, 2020  |  46 mins 49 secs

Everyone is crazy about best practices. Conventional wisdom says if you want to be successful at anything, particularly in ministry, you need to implement best practices, but they don't always lead to success. Join Jim Jansen, Director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, as he shares his insights on the topic of best practices.