The EquipCast

Episode 212: Can you afford to say yes to God? How to fund the mission.

Episode  |  April 28th, 2026  |  1 hr 5 mins

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Can you afford to say yes to God? I know that question might make you uncomfortable—because it’s made me uncomfortable. We talk a lot about trust, about saying yes to the Lord, about living on mission… but when it comes to finances, security, and taking care of our families, it can feel like the cost is just too high. In today’s episode of The Equip Cast, I sit down with Peter Levesque Xavier to talk honestly about what happens when we stop asking, “Can I afford this?” and start asking, “Lord, do I trust You?” This conversation is about freedom, healing our relationship with money, and discovering that God is already providing a way for His mission—and your yes—to be possible.

Episode 211: What Would You Do for Your Child? The Story of Tom Vander Woude

Episode  |  April 21st, 2026  |  53 mins 33 secs

archdiocese of omaha, catholic, catholic ministry, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, making disciples

Today on the Equip Cast, I sit down with Chris Vanderwoude to tell the story of a quiet, faithful father who answered that question with his life. Tom Vanderwoude wasn’t famous. He wasn’t flashy. He was a husband, a dad, a farmer, a Navy pilot—and a man who spent his life showing up in ordinary ways. Until one extraordinary moment, when he gave everything to save his son Joseph. In this conversation, you’ll hear how a hidden life of prayer, love, and fatherhood prepared Tom for heroic sacrifice—and why his story is stirring hearts around the world today, even to the point that the Church is considering opening a cause for canonization. This is a story about love, courage, faith, and what it really means to live your life as a gift.

Coach’s Corner 29: A Book Review of Spousal Prayer by Deacon James Keating

Episode  |  April 14th, 2026  |  11 mins 53 secs

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Can love in marriage really last? I believe it can—and not because we’re strong enough or compatible enough, but because God meets us there. Staying in love isn’t something we just grit our teeth and manage. It’s something we learn through prayer. Prayer with the Lord shapes our hearts, and that same habit of prayer teaches us how to truly behold, listen to, forgive, and love our spouse. In this Coaches Corner, I review the book Spousal Prayer by Deacon James Keating. It’s a small, powerful book that connects marriage and prayer in a way that’s both deep and incredibly practical. We talk about why young people fear staying in love, how prayer brings us into the reality of love, and why marriage itself can become a living, breathing prayer. Whether you’re married, preparing couples, or walking with families in ministry, this episode is meant to equip you—and remind you that lasting love is not only possible, it’s sacramental.

Episode 210: Life as an Evangelization Coordinator: How Accompaniment Transforms a Community

Episode  |  March 24th, 2026  |  54 mins 9 secs

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Today, we begin a series where I talk to Evangelization Coordinators from across our archdiocese. You’ll hear the honest stories, hard-won wisdom and quiet ways God is moving through the people helping to lead parish renewal from the ground up. In this first episode, Renee Eames of the St. Joseph Family of Parishes, shares what the role looks like day-to-day. Her warm wisdom reminds us that evangelization isn’t about big programs or perfect strategies—it’s about people. It’s about staying close to Jesus in the small moments, letting your heart be softened, and choosing unity when division would be easier. Her story reveals how simple everyday faithfulness—prayer, presence, and quiet accompaniment—can quietly renew a community. This conversation is a reminder that God works through every relationship, every interruption, and every act of love toward the person right in front of you.

Inside Jim’s Inbox – Q&A 1

Episode  |  March 17th, 2026  |  12 mins 17 secs

archdiocese of omaha, catholic, catholic ministry, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, making disciples

Welcome to the very first episode of Inside Jim’s Inbox, a new Q&A series where I open up the real questions you send—about faith, fear, evangelization, ministry, and everything in between—and we walk through them together. In this kickoff episode, I’m sharing the questions I hear most often: What even is evangelization? Do I know enough to share my faith? How do I deal with the fear of rejection? Along the way, I’ll offer simple, hopeful ways to see evangelization not as expert level work, but as sharing what God has done in your life one honest, hope-filled conversation at a time.

Episode 209: OCIA - Rediscovering the Heart of Parish Life

Episode  |  March 10th, 2026  |  1 hr 3 mins

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What if the ancient way of welcoming seekers is exactly what we’re missing? When Dr. Chris Burgwald, Chancellor for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, and I dug into the roots of OCIA, it struck me how much wisdom we’ve left sitting on the shelf. The early Church knew how to walk with people—slowly, personally, lovingly—and somewhere along the line, we traded that for efficiency. Dr. Burgwald shows why returning to this ancient, relational way of forming disciples isn’t nostalgia; it’s the key to helping people truly encounter Jesus and find a home in His Church again.

Coach's Corner 28: Why do we keep trying silver bullets?

Episode  |  March 3rd, 2026  |  13 mins 8 secs

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What do you do when the strategy, the program, or the plan just isn’t enough? Because I’ve been there—and in this episode, I talk about why our “silver bullets” so often fail us. We love quick fixes, big programs, and shiny solutions, but real renewal—personal or parish-wide—only happens when we stop trying to use God and finally turn to Him with honest hearts. In this conversation, I walk through one of my favorite (and most surprising) stories in Scripture and share the uncomfortable but hopeful truth it reveals: God isn’t asking us for better strategies. He’s asking for conversion. If you’ve ever felt discouraged, overwhelmed, or tempted to chase one more magic solution, this episode will help you breathe, refocus, and remember that God has a plan—not a gimmick—waiting for you.

Episode 208: The Shift That Revives a Parish: A Great Catholic Parishes Webinar

Episode  |  February 24th, 2026  |  1 hr 15 secs

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What if everything changes when people finally feel seen, known, and accompanied? In this republished conversation from the Great Catholic Parishes podcast, I join host John Poitevent to unpack why this simple shift lies at the very heart of parish renewal. People don’t grow because we tell them to—they grow because someone offers friendship, listens without judgment, and walks with them patiently. I unpack how accompaniment transforms not just individuals but the entire culture of a parish, unlocking a sense of belonging that leads people to recognize that God sees them the same way. Together, John and I try to paint a hopeful picture of what becomes possible when a parish truly commits to walking with people in love…and how everything can change from there.

Episode 207: Holy Simplicity: When Clutter Competes With Your Calling

Episode  |  February 17th, 2026  |  1 hr

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Episode 206: Dying Well: A Catholic Neurosurgeon's Insights on Life and Death

Episode  |  February 10th, 2026  |  51 mins 19 secs

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What does it mean to face death well? In this conversation, Steve and I talk about the healing that comes when we confront our mortality and the immense dignity that every person deserves at the end of life. Steve shares the story of his father in law’s beautiful passing, the principles every Catholic should understand about end of life care, and the spiritual posture that transforms fear into hope.