Jim Jansen
Host of EquipCast
Director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis
Jim Jansen has hosted 127 Episodes.
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Coach's Corner 7: Discover the Power of “Less is More” for a Fulfilling Faith Journey
Episode | September 26th, 2023 | 8 mins 19 secs
busyness, catholic, create stronger connections, faith, less is more, overwhelming life, simplicity, spiritual growth
In this fast-paced world, who doesn’t feel overwhelmed by busyness? There’s nothing quite so American as the stress we put on (and really, the stress caused by) doing more and thinking bigger. That’s why, today, I want to talk about a transformative insight that I just came up with: Less is More! All joking aside, this is an aphorism that has been thrown around for almost a century now, and yet, it seems that simplifying our lives is easier said than done. So, let’s delve into the beauty of simplicity and how it can enhance all areas of your life. By focusing on what truly matters, we can experience deeper connections with our loved ones, a clearer path to spiritual growth in our parishes, and a more balanced and fulfilling life.
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Episode 125: Match Your Gifts to Your Mission: How Charisms Have the Power to Change Everything!
Episode | September 19th, 2023 | 42 mins 19 secs
charisms, equip for mission, gifts, intentional disciple, it's not work
How life-giving is the volunteer work that you do for your parish? Is it draining or invigorating? Hopefully, some of you responded, “Invigorating!” But if you find yourself drained by the work of being missional, you are not alone. So many of us say yes to the work because it is good, or necessary, or because “Father asked me to”. Rarely are we asked to first discern our charisms and then to volunteer in a mission field that matches our gifts. And so, I invited Mandy Busch and Amanda Pfeifer to talk about how they are helping parishioners find fulfillment in their mission. They focus first on helping parishioners to understand their God given gifts (charisms) and to notice where the Lord’s gifts are bearing fruit. In their own words: “This is an essential item you need in your toolbox as an intentional disciple. Knowing what your charisms are and the ways in which the Lord moves in you to do his work, changes everything. Because when it’s his work, it’s not work.”
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Episode 124: How to Lead Using Your Personal Gifting & The Power of Hospitality with Fr. Simon Lobo
Episode | September 12th, 2023 | 1 hr 25 secs
leadership, leading with my strengths, learning to lead, not a stereotypical leader, personal gifting
The call to evangelize has been consistent and increasingly urgent from our Church leaders for the past fifty plus years. When you hear that call, have you ever felt like you aren’t enough? Like you don’t have the appropriate strengths or the right leadership qualities to offer? Well, you’re not alone. Fr. Mallon, author of Catholic pop-culture phenomenon Divine Renovation, was the pastor at St. Benedict Parish in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He turned the parish around and created a truly missional community. His strengths were clear and his leadership was bold. So today, I talk to…his successor. Fr. Simon Lobo became pastor of St. Benedict Parish, and it was immediately clear that his gifts and his weaknesses were very different. Tune in to hear how he succeeded without the stereotypical leadership strengths.
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Episode 123: How to Teach Your Kids to Pray
Episode | September 5th, 2023 | 44 mins 44 secs
discipling children, model prayer, personal relationship with jesus, prayer, praying as a family, teach children to pray
Raise your hand if you feel confident that you can help your children develop a personal relationship with Jesus. If I could see you all, I bet there would not be many hands in the air. We know how to teach rote prayers, but helping our children truly connect with Jesus feels a tad outside of a parent’s control. The reality is that the Lord gives us everything that we need to model a real and personal relationship with Jesus. Today’s guest, Becky Deaver, teaches us from her experience as a wife and mother of eight.
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Coach's Corner 6: How the Mass and the Eucharist Can Help You Evangelize
Episode | August 29th, 2023 | 9 mins 23 secs
eucharist, eucharistic community, evangelism, evangelization, jesus, mission, missional, source and summit
Why is sharing the source and summit of our faith rarely the first step to take when evangelizing? I want others to know and love Jesus. I know and love Jesus in the Eucharist, so why shouldn’t I jump straight to inviting non-believers to mass or adoration? While the Eucharist isn’t our opening act, we should by no means forget it entirely. The Eucharist is our headliner! On today’s Coach’s Corner, I make the case that the Eucharist is in fact missional. It is missional because it is the source of our life, because we are sent on mission from Eucharistic communities, and because the mass itself commissions us to, “Go out and proclaim the gospel with your lives!”
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Episode 122: Why Small Groups for Men are so Powerful in the Catholic Church
Episode | August 22nd, 2023 | 44 mins 11 secs
accompaniment, bible study, catholic, catholic men's group, evangelize men, ministry for men, sharing faith, small groups
We are all called to evangelize, but have you ever felt limited, feeling like you don’t have much to give? Perhaps you only have 1-2 free hours a week. Or you are only around “hard cases”, people who seem unlikely to want to talk about faith. Perhaps, you feel like your only sphere of influence is your own parish. But those people don’t need evangelizing…do they? This week, I talk to Greg Doring, a personal friend who used small groups as a tool to reach other men. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to evangelize wherever the Lord plants you and how miraculous things can happen even when you only have a few hours to give.
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Episode 121: Where You Can Find Hope & Joy in Pastoral Planning
Episode | May 23rd, 2023 | 41 mins 27 secs
catholic pastor, disciples, family of parishes, hope, hope for the catholic church, journey of faith, making disciples, pastoral planning
July 1st is just around the corner, and with that comes a new experience of parish life for every person in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Many of us will experience a reduction in mass times at our parishes, new uses for our parish structures, and interruptions to the routines that many of us hold precious. This disruption can be difficult to process, so today, we welcome Fr. James Keiter, a pastor who has shepherded his people through these changes already. Fr. Keiter shares his experience of how, again and again, the Lord has provided everything he and his parishioners need to manage their new reality, despite the upheaval. He also provides some surprising advice on how to rediscover the joy of being Catholic while continuing to grow the Church. If you’ve been feeling uncertain about the changes in your parish, this episode is here to offer you a bit of reassurance in the Lord.
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Episode 120: How (and Why) to Evangelize Friends and Family Who Have Fallen Away
Episode | May 9th, 2023 | 46 mins 19 secs
adult evangelization, catholic christian outreach, cco, evangelizing family, faith conversations, fallen away catholics, invitation
All of us have someone in our lives who has left the faith: a friend, sibling, son, daughter, or grandchild. If you are like me, this person (or let’s be honest, people) weighs heavy on your heart. So how do we evangelize adults like this? Today’s guest, Andre Regnier, gives insights from his years of experience as a missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach, Canada’s version of FOCUS. In particular, he says you should never underestimate the importance of a clear and simple invitation to follow Jesus.
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Episode 119: Find Your Spiritual Compass: Navigating Change Using Discernment - Featuring Tod Bolsinger
Episode | May 2nd, 2023 | 49 mins 57 secs
adaptive leadership, canoeing the mountains, discernment in leadership, leadership development, leading through uncertainty, mission and vision, navigating change, resilient leadership, spiritual leadership, transformational leadership
Are you completely satisfied with every aspect of your life? Most people dream about changing some aspect of their life, but we’re often held back by the fear and anxiety that come along with doing so. Change often marks the end of something, and so it brings feelings of loss and uncertainty about the future. Not to mention, living in a time of transition between the old and the new can be disorienting. So how do we keep our sense of stability and direction when the world seems to be shifting under our feet? Today, I welcome Tod Bolsinger, author and experienced leader, to share his experience navigating through the unknown. He emphasizes the importance of discerning one's mission, not being confined to tradition, and understanding that change is inherently accompanied by resistance and even sabotage. He offers valuable advice, urging leaders to form connections with others, embrace learning, and let go of what holds them back.
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Coach's Corner 5: Pruning for Abundance: Nurturing Growth in Your Life and Ministry
Episode | April 25th, 2023 | 11 mins 26 secs
abundance, adaptability, biblicalwisdom, christianity, christianliving, churchcommunity, divineguidance, lifetransformation, ministry, personaldevelopment, productivity, pruning, purposefulliving, selfimprovement, spiritualgrowth
Do you feel like the Lord is calling you to something new, but you simply don’t have the space or time in your schedule? Or are the good and restful parts of your life being neglected because you are hanging on to old habits or commitments? Cutting back to the most essential things can be difficult. This is why in today’s Coach’s Corner I focus on the art of pruning—shedding what no longer serves us to make room for growth and abundance. By drawing parallels between the natural world and our lives, I help you recognize the signs of when it's time to prune, discover the wisdom in knowing what to cut, when to cut, and how to cut. And, I’ll give practical tips for navigating this process. Join me as I explore the biblical foundation of pruning, and with the help of the Holy Spirit let’s prune with reckless abandon so as to make way for new life that is healthier and stronger than it’s ever been.
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Episode 118: Freedom of Body, Mind, and Soul: Integrating Faith through Movement with Christina Diers
Episode | April 18th, 2023 | 43 mins 45 secs
catholic wellness, christian wellness, faith and fitness, holistic health, integrative faith, mind body soul, physical prayer, prayer in motion, rosary meditation, soulcore
I know so many of you who are listening, like me, are trying to serve the kingdom. But how often do our own health concerns keep us from doing the promptings of the Holy Spirit? Sometimes, I feel weak intellectually, spiritually, and even physically. And when I stop to ponder how my physical health affects my mental/spiritual health and vice versa, I’m not surprised. I mean, God made us integrated beings, body and soul. So, let’s talk about what Jesus wants for our health, and let’s find true freedom to live as God wants us to. Today’s guest, Christina Diers, talks about two programs, SoulCore and REFORM, that integrate physical exercise with prayer, specifically the rosary. In SoulCore, the movement is tailored to empathize with the themes of each mystery, creating a unique worship experience engaging all senses. REFORM emphasizes holistic nutrition and physical activity while integrating faith into daily choices. Both the daily practice of praying the rosary, fostering a deeper understanding of the mysteries, and advocating for a lifestyle where faith and health are intertwined, guiding individuals to honor their bodies as sacred gifts from God.
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Episode 117: Resurrection Amidst Decline: The Church's Hope Revealed in the Easter Mystery
Episode | April 11th, 2023 | 39 mins 34 secs
archbishop insights, catholic beliefs, christian spirituality, easter, embracing faith challenges, faith journey, paschal mystery, reflections on easter, resurrection, season of hope.
This year has brought a lot of ups and downs for the Archdiocese of Omaha. We, like many dioceses, are facing the reality of a declining number of people in our pews and a culture that is less and less Christian. With this desolating reality in mind, I keep coming back in prayer to one major consolation: Jesus is risen! The victory is ours! In this Easter episode, I sit down with Archbishop Lucas for our yearly reflection and ask about his hope. We discuss the significance of Easter, delving into the profound mystery of Jesus's resurrection and its impact on faith and life. The archbishop highlights its role in bolstering hope especially in the face of ongoing changes within the Church. He offers an invitation to embrace the entire Paschal mystery, recognizing that both the cross and the resurrection are integral to the Christian journey.