EquipCast

Episode 61: Walking with the Youth

Episode  |  July 20th, 2021  |  57 mins 48 secs

The rate of culture change in the last 20 years has been swift. This has created a gap in how well adults are able to relate to the youngest in our communities. And unfortunately, this inability to understand and walk with the youth has also led to many leaving the Church. In fact, the median age that a youth leaves the faith is...13. So how do we accompany Gen Z? Today, my guest, Jodi Phillips, offers a model for youth ministry that advocates discipleship.

Episode 60: The Real Vocations Crisis

Episode  |  July 13th, 2021  |  40 mins 30 secs

This is the first time in a many years that no priests were ordained in our diocese, and it's during times like these that people throw around the phrase "vocations crisis". I'm sure the idea that there is a vocations crisis will come as no surprise to you, but I think the solutions that we propose in this episode will. Today, I talk to Fr. Roza, our Vocations Director, and he suggests that the ultimate solution lies in reviving the faith of the laity.

Skill Demo 4: How to Lead a Discernment Rosary

Episode  |  June 29th, 2021  |  7 mins 35 secs

Growing as a missional community often means taking steps into the unknown. It means opening ourselves to the newness that God desires for us, and this often includes changing our habits, our processes, or even our expectations of what's possible. But sometimes, in our planning efforts, we don't actually make space for the only one who really knows what's going on and what needs to be done in our parishes. This week, Andy Dejka leads us through one of my favorite tools for discernment, the Discernment Rosary.

Episode 59: Freedom for Captives

Episode  |  June 22nd, 2021  |  59 mins 18 secs

Imagine if you were defined by the worst thing you ever did, the worst moment of your life. Jesus came to preach freedom to captives. He offers mercy, healing, and miracles to those who just reach out in faith. For most of us, this means freedom from sin. But my guest on the EquipCast today preaches freedom to literal prisons. Through Alpha, men in our local prison who have never experienced love in their life, are for the first time receiving love with no strings attached. Witness it for yourself.

Episode 58: Man on Mission

Episode  |  June 15th, 2021  |  55 mins 24 secs

We talk a lot on this podcast about evangelization and mission. I can cast vision all day long, but the reality is…actually going on mission is scary. How do I recognize the people in my life that are ready to hear the Good News of Jesus? How do I get over the fear of stepping outside of my comfort zone to share my faith? There’s no one answer that will work for every person. But today, I want to hold up for you the story a parishioner in this Archdiocese. Michael Doerneman is unassuming, and so is his story. But I think there are powerful lessons to be learned. Tune in to hear the simple story of a man on mission.

Living Ordinary Mercy

Episode  |  June 8th, 2021  |  53 mins 22 secs

catholic, catholic ministry, catholic social teaching, ministry, ministry leaders, mother theresa

When you imagine yourself Living Mercy, what comes to mind first? Do you think of the saints who gave up everything for a life of poverty or service to the sick? Does that seem impossible or very far from reach? Today, I talk to Dcn. Omar Gutierrez about Catholic Social Teaching and the lay person’s role to live ordinary mercy. He tells us, “All teachings of the Church start and end in the same spot: know Jesus so you can love him and so that you can be with him now and forever.” The daily care for those in need starts with caring for those whom the Lord puts in our pathway. But what does this look like practically, and how do we get started?

The 4 Types of Parishes

Episode  |  June 1st, 2021  |  1 hr 24 secs

On a scale of 1-10, how missional would you say your parish is? In October 2020, the Archbishop launched the Big Goal that “Each parish in the Archdiocese of Omaha would become missional by the end of 6 years”. Implicit in that goal is the recognition that none of us are there yet. So, I invite each of you to ask, “Is my community dying, declining, swelling, or growing?” While these categories sound depressing, an honest conversation about where we are at is designed to help us receive the grace of pastoral conversion and to be invited deeper into the mission of the Church.

Skill Demo 3 - How to Address Performance Issues

Episode  |  May 25th, 2021  |  17 mins 41 secs

We are back with our monthly Skill Demo! This time, Chris Sommers, Director of Human Resources, gives us practical advice on how to handle performance issues. I know many of you are not managers, but much of her advice is still applicable to those situations where we have to give feedback to a volunteer, friend, or family member.

Episode 55: Dads Who Evangelize

Episode  |  May 18th, 2021  |  1 hr 4 mins

Have you ever struggled to pass on your faith to your children? I know I'm not alone when I say that talking about the faith in an age appropriate way to my children is hard. When they are young, just getting the threenages to sit still at mass is difficult. And when they are older...well...nothing I do impresses the teenagers. While I'm not an expert in religious education, I am a father. So I invited other passionate fathers to join me in a conversation about evangelizing our own children.

Episode 54: How do you discern God's will as a group?

Episode  |  May 11th, 2021  |  1 hr 4 mins

Sometimes the idea of discerning God’s will can daunting. Sifting through the emotions, desires, and the high and low points of each day, and then listening for God’s voice in the midst of it all, can at times be an intimidating task. Now add to this task of discernment, the dynamics of a team. When you have multiple people who bring their thoughts and feelings to the table, discernment can get messy. Today, Fr. Paul Hoesing gives some tips and tricks on how to discern as a team.

Episode 53: How to Bring New Couples to Your Parish

Episode  |  May 4th, 2021  |  1 hr 8 mins

Preparation for the sacrament of marriage used to happen at the dinner table. The best preparation came from the family that you grew up in. Unfortunately, with the changes in our culture, including the very high divorce rate, couples often receive this sacrament without ever seeing a healthy marriage relationship. Today's marriage prep process, while trying to provide what couples are lacking, has regrettably become a check-list, hoops to jump through in order to get to the altar. Rachael Tvrdy walks us through the gaps and offers a vision for marriage prep that drops the divorce rate of couples who go through it to 5% and increases the parish's rate of retaining their couples after marriage to 70-90%.

Skill Demo 2 - How to Do a Weekly Review

Episode  |  April 27th, 2021  |  13 mins

A very real obstacle to changing culture and building a missional church is my own ability to stay organized. I can set all of the lofty goals that I want, but if I never revisit them, I am very likely to never achieve them. In this month's Skill Demo, I outline my favorite method of staying organized, the Weekly Review. It's a time where you can gather all of your thoughts and processes, review the past week, and get ready for the next one.