EquipCast

Coach's Corner 4: St. Thomas & The Power of Belonging

Episode  |  March 28th, 2023  |  11 mins 30 secs

belonging in faith, catholic church teachings, christian community engagement, christianity, discipleship, evangelization, faith transformation, religious inclusivity, spiritual encounter, st. thomas the apostle, welcome

Why wasn’t St. Thomas with the other apostles when Jesus appeared? I used to imagine that he was doing some mundane task like buying groceries. But, if we read the passage carefully, it’s likely he was absent because he didn’t want to be with the other apostles. Jesus could have appeared at any time; if Thomas was only “gone to the store”, he could have waited. Additionally, Thomas’s response to the news of the resurrection is stubborn (and maybe a tad obnoxious) disbelief. In today’s Coach’s Corner, I ask the question: How do we help those in the same place as St. Thomas, the stubbornly disbelieving? Tune in to hear how helping a person belong can also help them to believe. The goal is to make non-believers feel accepted and engaged in the community, creating a path toward embracing faith and living a life of discipleship.

Episode 116: The Power of Charisms in Evangelization: The Archdiocese of Omaha Mentorship Program

Episode  |  March 21st, 2023  |  54 mins 57 secs

accompaniment, adult evangelization, charisms in christianity, christian spiritual growth, discerning opportunities, effective evangelism strategies, encouragement in faith, evangelization, holy detachment in ministry, mentor, mentorship in faith, mentorship program, personal prayer life, relational prayer, sharing faith

What keeps you from sharing your faith with others? Not enough time, knowledge, or energy? Perhaps it’s a fear of failure? Or maybe you imagine someone who evangelizes as having a skillset that you don’t. We know Jesus wants us to “go and make disciples”, so it stands to reason that he wants us to go just as we are. Today, I talk with Kelly Peklo and Matt Keller, graduates of the Archdiocese Mentorship Program. They share their journey to understand God’s call to evangelize and how they made that call fit into their lives. They talk about learning to pray and to hear the Lord’s voice. And he wasn’t asking them to share their faith like a famous tele-evangelist or door-to-door salesman. He was calling them to use their unique strengths, to share His love with others, by simply being themselves.

Fr. Flanagan: Lessons in Love and Kindness from Boys Town

Episode  |  March 14th, 2023  |  43 mins 6 secs

advocacy for vulnerable youth, boys town, catholic, child care revolution, compassionate caregiving, educational reforms, father flanagan, father flanagan's legacy, historical child care practices, inspirational leadership, social justice advocate

Father Flanagan, a Catholic priest, defied the norms of his time, founded Boys Town, and challenged the conventional approach to child care. His dedication and vision led to the creation of a space where children could come to live as a family, receive education, and be guided with love and compassion. The impact of Boys Town reverberated across America and the world, influencing child care systems and emphasizing kindness, equality, and love. This episode not only recounts Father Flanagan's journey but also explores the ethos of Boys Town and its transformative effect on the lives of children. From facing societal opposition and standing up against racial discrimination to advocating for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II, Father Flanagan exhibited extraordinary compassion and resilience.

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.