EquipCast

Reviving a Dying Parish: How Embracing a Culture of Invitation Breathed Life into St. Frances Cabrini

Episode  |  March 7th, 2023  |  54 mins 15 secs

belonging, building connections, community engagement, emotional intelligence, invitation, personal invitation, relationship with the holy spirit, reviving catholic parishes

St. Frances Cabrini, one of our oldest and most historic parishes, was dying. And if its story followed the usual pattern, it would be closed. Instead, the parish is not only growing, but its people are thriving. How did this community reinvent itself in less than 7 years? The parish leaders embraced a relationship with the Holy Spirit, allowing the him to guide their initiatives. Then, they started small, fostering intentional relationships, recognizing and inviting people to participate, and They now have a culture of invitation. Every parishioner knows they should be reaching out to others, drawing the community together and to the person of Christ.

Coach's Corner 3: When Events Don't Make a Difference

Episode  |  February 28th, 2023  |  10 mins 18 secs

40-20-40rule, and eventsuccesstips, archdioceseofomaha, childcareforevents, equipcast, eventdesign, eventeffectiveness, eventfollowup, eventimpact, eventmanagement, eventplanning, eventstrategies, podcastepisode, spiritualgrowth, transformationalevents

Ever poured your heart into planning an event, only to see the enthusiasm fade away soon after it ends, leaving you wondering what could have been done differently? Let's dive into the art of event planning and execution together, unveiling five simple yet impactful tips to create events that resonate and nurture spiritual growth.

Episode 113: How to Accompany Someone Through the Intersection of Faith and Gender Identity with Fr. Sean Kilcawley

Episode  |  February 21st, 2023  |  57 mins 50 secs

catholic church and gender issues, challenging traditional beliefs, church teachings and gender, conversations about faith and belonging, faith and gender identity, faith-based perspectives on gender, integration of faith and personal identity, love and acceptance in the church, navigating gender identity and spirituality, overcoming fear of scandal

How do we share the love of Jesus with someone who finds our beliefs contrary to their way of life? Accompaniment can be particularly tricky when we find ourselves called to walk with someone whose behaviors may not align with Church teachings. But we know the transformative power of God’s love and should not keep it to ourselves. So how do you walk the fine line between accompaniment and accommodation with someone like this? Today, I talk with Fr. Sean Kilcawley of the Diocese of Lincoln. Over the years, the Lord has called him into ministry with people who struggle with addiction and/or question their identity. He has made a career out of answering the question: What would it be like to make it safe for people to name the difficult things in their hearts? Specifically, we dig into the topic of gender identity, encouraging empathy, love, and understanding when dealing with complex issues related to faith, gender, and identity.

Episode 112: Intentional Accompaniment: How to Share Your Faith Boldy and Fruitfully with Michael Hall

Episode  |  February 14th, 2023  |  52 mins 55 secs

accompaniment, building relationships in evangelism, catholic, catholic christian outreach (cco), catholic ministry, evangelization techniques, faith-sharing strategies, focus ministry, growing in faith and mission., holy spirit guidance in evangelism, intentional accompaniment, mentorship in evangelization, michael hall, ministry leaders, sharing faith authentically, sharing my faith

I hear so many people these days saying things like, “I feel the Lord calling me to share my faith with others.” But for so many of us, evangelization is new and daunting. So today, I invited Michael Hall, an expert in accompanying people through conversion, to share his insight. Michael authored the book, "Intentional Accompaniment", and he works for Catholic Christian Outreach, a ministry in Canada that is similar to FOCUS. He has taken their tools and techniques for evangelization and applied them to the everyday settings of parish and family life. And, he makes it easy! Michael provides some fantastic baby steps for sharing one’s faith more boldly and fruitfully.

Coach's Corner 2: Closing Churches

Episode  |  February 7th, 2023  |  8 mins 16 secs

archdiocese of omaha, catholic, catholic church, catholic faith, christian witness, church building preservation, church closures, church growth strategies, church leadership, closing churches, community engagement, cultural transformation, equipcast, faith renewal, missionary identity, new evangelization, pastoral vision, worship renewal

Did you know that in July of this year more than 20 parishes in our diocese will cease having Sunday Mass? Maybe one of these parishes is your own. The cessation of Sunday Mass will be one of the hardest events for faithful Catholics to process. It feels like the death of a loved one. However, this is not the first time God's people have had to deal with their worship in a particular place coming to an end. I’d like to offer lessons from the past. Why is this happening and what should our response be?

Episode 111: Why Catholic Schools are Still Vital for Educating a New Generation of Catholics

Episode  |  January 31st, 2023  |  59 mins 24 secs

Did you know that since 1990 more than 400 new Catholic schools have opened in the United States? Unfortunately, during that same period there's been a net loss of more than 760 Catholic schools. We now have fewer total students in Catholic schools in the United States then we did in 1930 despite the fact that the Catholic population has tripled since then. I got a chance to sit down with Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB. He served as the secretary for the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome, and so we discuss what the Church teaches about our Catholic schools. We go over the history of how participation in our schools has decreased, the importance of a partnership with parents, and the five essential marks of Catholic schools. Catholic schools have a beautiful mission to evangelize, so for anyone who loves schools and loves the mission of the Church, this episode is for you!

Episode 110: Faith & Hope Amidst Pastoral Planning

Episode  |  January 24th, 2023  |  46 mins 21 secs

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Journey of Faith. This is the archdiocese’s name for pastoral planning, the process by which a diocese tries to properly allocate its resources when faced with changing demographics, population shifts, and the decreasing availability of priests. That all sounds very clinical, but at the heart of it, we know that the people of our diocese will experience loss. So today, I bring you Kathy Slusarski. She is a born and raised Nebraskan, widow, and grandmother of 11, and Kathy has been through pastoral planning three times. This could have left her hardened and bitter, but instead, she views her Catholic faith as something that transcends the physical location of a church and is confident that Jesus is with them no matter where they worship. She has found hope through her faith and community and by embracing the transformative power of Jesus.

Episode 109: Why go it alone when you can Live Lent Together?

Episode  |  January 17th, 2023  |  44 mins 13 secs

I’ve told you before that I’m convinced small faith sharing groups will bring renewal to our Church. One of my favorite ways to get small groups started in a parish is through Live Lent Together. This initiative of the Archdiocese of Omaha allows people who are new to the work of evangelization to take a first step into mission. I’ve also seen it bear great fruit in the lives of participants. Today, I bring you three stories of Live Lent Together small groups and the fruit of shared faith.

P.S. Want to check out a training to see if Live Lent Together is right for you? Go to ArchOmaha.org/Lent

Episode 108: Ministering to Young Mothers

Episode  |  December 13th, 2022  |  46 mins 35 secs

In the world of evangelization, there is a lot of talk about how to reach families because the young family is often the most underserved demographic of our parishes. But how do we catch them when parents are so often busy with work, their children’s extracurricular activities, and all the craziness that just comes with growing a family? The answer: Begin with moms. Over the years, my lovely wife, Kim, and I have found ourselves ministering to mothers. This has taught us that the heart of family is the mother, and she is often staving for connection and community. So today, we tell you stories of connecting with the young, busy moms and how that has led to evangelizing the family.

Episode 107: The Gift in Everyone

Episode  |  December 6th, 2022  |  44 mins 5 secs

Have you ever noticed that the unique story of one person can highlight a universal truth about humanity? I often ponder how the Lord uses the story of someone who is seemingly different from myself to teach me that we’re not so different after all. Today, I talk with Kathy Miklas about her work at QLI, a world-class rehabilitation center in Omaha. She shares with us her story of staring a faith sharing group with her clients and of how, through listening, she has come to the conviction that there are gifts in everyone that need to be shared.

Coach's Corner 1: Getting the Most Out of Mass

Episode  |  November 29th, 2022  |  10 mins 27 secs

I’m trying something new. My team and I have the privilege of working with leaders in parishes as they discern how to move their parish culture toward mission. This has brought a multitude of topics to my attention that could be aired on the EquipCast. And so, today, I bring you the Coach’s Corner where we break down important topics to help equip you and your team for mission in your church, in your family, and in your ministry. This episode’s topic might not immediately scream “equipping disciples”, but it is the foundation of everything we do. Tune in for a 10 minute episode on Getting the Most Out of Mass.

Episode 106: Pray for Your Priests

Episode  |  November 22nd, 2022  |  34 mins 15 secs

If you’ve had a chance to check out the Journey of Faith, you know there are many reasons we’ve entered a season of restructuring in our diocese. One of these reasons is that by 2033, we will have approximately 81 priests, and currently, there are 136 parishes. If we want to keep our priests from the inevitable burnout, something needs to change. But, what is the average layperson to do? Today I speak with Katie Keller, the local coordinator for the Seven Sisters Apostolate. This is a group of women committed to one day a week praying for a particular priest. Now, if you are not a woman or don’t feel particularly called to this ministry, I’d still encourage you to listen to the episode. My guest imparts many bits of wisdom around prayer, such as: How do I persevere when I am tired and feel like I’m running uphill? How do I know what to pray for? Am I interceding for the right things?