EquipCast

Episode 95: The Impact of Live Lent Together

Episode  |  August 23rd, 2022  |  41 mins 37 secs

I know…I know! Talking about Lent in August feels like it should be in one of those “It’s too early for Christmas” memes. You guys know, I get really excited about the impact small groups can have on a parish, so I just couldn’t wait to share this story with you! Sacred Heart, a parish in Omaha, was able to use their Live Lent Together initiative to both bring parish leaders together and to reach the peripheries. After listening, I hope you consider growing Live Lent Together at your parish.

Episode 94: The Thresholds of Conversion and Discipleship

Episode  |  August 16th, 2022  |  46 mins 31 secs

The buzz phrase "Meet people where they are!" has been around for a while now. Pope Francis often concretizes this in a call to go out and be with those who are suffering. While many of us are no stranger to caring for the physical needs of others, we know that the spiritual poverty of the United States is where the greatest need lies. So, how do we meet people where they are when the need is intangible? One tool that my team, The Parish Support Team, has found to be very useful is the Thresholds of Conversion and Discipleship. These Thresholds give us a common language for evangelization and help us to identify where people are at on their spiritual journey. Join me for the conversation!

Episode 93: Hearing the Voice of the Lord

Episode  |  August 9th, 2022  |  46 mins 3 secs

This week I talk to a friend in the Diocese of Houma Thibodaux. If you couldn't tell by the hard to pronounce spelling, that's in Louisiana. There, they also have a Parish Support Team tasked with helping pastors and parishes become missional communities. I've looked to them for more than a year now as an example for my team. One of the most surprising things we've learned? How to pray more intentionally about the work that we do. Tune in to hear some really practical advice for hearing the voice of the Lord.

Episode 92: Creating Cultures of Generosity

Episode  |  August 2nd, 2022  |  48 mins 58 secs

As much as I would like them to, our episodes on stewardship do not do as well as our episodes on evangelization. We are so used to thinking about stewardship as just giving money to keep the lights of our parish on. While this kind of generosity is good, a cultivating a Culture of Generosity takes so much more. In fact, we know, through parables such as the rich man and Lazarus, that generosity is one of the keys to sanctity. So, I encourage you to give today's episode a chance. Dave Baranowski from the Archdiocese of St. Louis talks about how to gather and form leaders for generosity, and I promise, it's more than a pitch for money!

Episode 91: How to Talk About Abortion

Episode  |  June 28th, 2022  |  46 mins 24 secs

abortion, abortion dialogue academy, catholic, catholic ministry, dialogue, katherine burow, ministry, ministry leaders, pro-life, pro-life in 7 minutes, roe v. wade

The end to abortion is here! ...Legally...at the federal level. While we should celebrate a major victory in the fight against abortion, the work has really just begun. If we want to end abortion, not just make it illegal, then we have to change minds and hearts. Today's guest, Katherine Burow, tells us "A lot of people are pro-choice because they've never heard a compelling secular argument." Katherines work as the Executive Director of the Abortion Dialogue Academy is to end abortion by changing the culture. They spend much of their time on Nebraska college campuses changing hearts on the topic of abortion through the use of a 7 minute argument. She shares some of her wisdom with us today.

Skill Demo 11: How to get stuff done

Episode  |  June 21st, 2022  |  7 mins 48 secs

Let's talk about productivity. There is this lie that is a two-edged sword in the Christian world. For some, getting tasks done does not come naturally, and so it can rob them of the peace that comes with a relationship with God. On the other hand, we often deeply feel the urgency that comes with a call from God causing us to "over produce" or to work ourselves to the bone in order to "achieve" His will. Neither is good. Growing in skills of execution can help us be productive without falling into either lie. Thus, I want to offer you an 8-minute skill demo. Nothing too deep, just some tips from one of the executors on my team.

Episode 90: Myth Busting: Clear Path of Discipleship

Episode  |  June 14th, 2022  |  45 mins 27 secs

The Archdiocese's Big Goal, each parish in the Archdiocese of Omaha will be a missional community, has three characteristics: collaborative leadership, a clear path to discipleship, and a culture of generosity. I believe we can't talk about these enough. So today, I have another episode on the clear path to discipleship for you. In many ways, the clear path isn't a new idea; it's just a new expression of something that is as old as the Church. Thus, people don't respond negatively to it, but I have encountered quite a few misconceptions that seem to trip people up. They think the clear path is just the newest buzzword, a quick fix that puts people on an assembly line and cuts all ministries out of a parish. If you've thought these things (or if you know someone else who has), let me mythbust for you!

Episode 89: You might be a missional community if...

Episode  |  June 7th, 2022  |  36 mins 50 secs

With the Journey of Faith underway, the words “flourishing” and “missional community” have become buzzwords in our diocese. Many good people have been asking, “Wait…ARE we a missional community? What does it even mean for an entire parish to be missional?” We have a definition: an outward looking group of disciples, under the care of a pastor, sent by Jesus to make disciples. However, a definition is only a starting point for understanding, so today, I bring you You Might Be a Missional Community If… Calvin Mueller and I discuss some indicators of a missional community so that you might know if you are or not.

Skill Demo 10: How to Set a Real Time Agenda

Episode  |  May 31st, 2022  |  12 mins 25 secs

Making the shift towards becoming a missional community, whether that's in a parish or a ministry, often means taking steps into the unknown. It means opening ourselves to new the things that God desires for us, and as silly as it might sound, good meetings are important to discerning the steps to following his will. But, have you ever had the experience of going to a meeting, having good discussion, getting through the entire agenda only to discover that you didn't actually talk about the most important topics. Today, I'm going to teach you how to set a real time agenda to help ensure you and your team have the most productive meetings.

Episode 88: Bringing Catholics Back

Episode  |  May 24th, 2022  |  40 mins 20 secs

As the archdiocese goes through the pastoral planning process called Journey of Faith, I'm sure you've heard some of the statistics. One of the most striking is: Since 2003, Mass attendance in the archdiocese has declined by 42%.  This is more than a number; it's souls. Who comes to mind when you think about that reality? A friend? Neighbor? Siblings or children? We all have someone who has left the Catholic faith, and I hazard to guess that this causes all of us some grief. We want to know why people walk away, and where they go. We want some way to talk to them and to, hopefully, bring them back. Today's conversation is about just that.

Episode 87: Why Programs Don't Work

Episode  |  May 17th, 2022  |  40 mins 39 secs

I’ve got a program this is going to change hearts and transform lives! It builds relationships, causes conversions, and could be a real blessing to your parish, BUT there’s a catch…

Program’s aren’t silver bullets, and they can’t survive in a vacuum.

A program that works has:

• a goal for success
• a target audience that isn’t defined by age or state of life
• a support system of ongoing relationships
• disciples who are working together to shift parish culture

All this may seem like a lot, but today’s episode provides some easy first steps for fostering good programs that flourish.

Episode 86: Scruffy Hospitality

Episode  |  May 3rd, 2022  |  32 mins 51 secs

One thing the pandemic taught me is that people are starving for friendship. It is unfortunately easy to go through life making surface level connections with people but not to form the deep bonds of true friendship. We can be surrounded by people and yet feel so very alone. And so, today I bring you Austin Casselberry, a person that I like to call a “prophet of friendship”. He offers wisdom on how to intentionally cultivate friendships with true depth.