EquipCast

Episode 152: Sanctify the Ordinary with Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, Chance and Lora Unger

Episode  |  May 28th, 2024  |  50 mins 54 secs

catholic, catholic marriage advice, catholic ministry, catholic parenting, catholic podcast, catholic saints and families, christian community, christian family life, christian friendship, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, faith journey, family holiness, holiness in daily life, making disciples, marriage and faith, missionaries of the holy spirit, spiritual growth, surrender to god, theology of the body

Have you ever heard the universal call to holiness, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” and instead of feeling inspired, felt discouraged? Holiness is hard, especially when we strive for it alone. When we rely solely on our own strengths, we often fail. But when we pursue holiness within the Body of Christ, leaning on both our community and God, we are much more likely to succeed. In today’s episode, Chance and Lora Unger, founders of Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in the Family, share their insights on making holy practices a regular part of family life. Our conversation highlights the transformative power of continually surrendering to God and incorporating prayer into our daily routines. The Ungers emphasize the importance of a supportive community to foster holiness in our marriages and families. They show us how holiness can begin with simple, practical steps such as daily prayer and small acts of kindness. They encourage us to embrace our daily challenges and transform these experiences through grace and prayer.

Episode 82: Religious Ed that's Tailored to YOUR Needs

Episode  |  March 15th, 2022  |  1 hr 5 mins

archdiocese of omaha, catechumenal model, catholic catechesis, catholic curriculum, catholic discipleship, catholic education innovation, catholic evangelization, catholic family ministry, catholic parenting, catholic parish leadership, catholic podcast, catholic resources for families, catholic sacraments, catholic small groups, equipcast podcast, experiential catechesis, faith and family life, family faith formation, fr. tim donovan, missionary families, parish renewal, pathways formation suite, religious education reform, sacramental preparation, youth ministry transformation

As a director at the Archdiocese, I'm given free stuff all the time. Typically, we're talking sample materials for the latest evangelization or catechetical program. I pass these along to one of my staff to review, and if it's good, I might see it again.

A few months ago, I received a box that looked beautiful like it came out of a pottery barn catalog, and it said "Mend" on the top. I walked it down to Jodi Phillip's office (our Catechetical Specialist) fully intending to hand it off. But when I realized that it was brimming with hands-on activities that could help me teach my son about the sacrament of reconciliation...I took it home.

Transmitting the faith to our children is so difficult with the culture actively working against us, and this box give me some tools to have intentional conversations with my family.

I tell you this today because Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries provide more than boxes for the sacraments. They really understand what it means to accompany families, and they want to help parishes do this well. They are more devoted to the process of catechesis than they are to a particular program. And so, whether you work for a parish or you are parent wanting a great resource for your children/grandchildren, I invite you to check them out!

45: Ministry or Apostolate?

Episode  |  February 16th, 2021  |  1 hr 3 mins

archdiocese of omaha, catholic apostolate training, catholic culture change, catholic discipleship, catholic evangelization, catholic lay formation, catholic leadership, catholic ministry vs apostolate, catholic mission, catholic outreach, catholic parish renewal, catholic pastoral vision, catholic podcast, catholic small groups, evangelical catholic, faith formation, fr. jeff lorig, jim jansen, lay apostolate, parish ministry, peter andrastek

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a ministry and an apostolate? Until recently, I hadn’t. These words seem like synonyms, and talking about their differences feels a bit like quibbling or semantics. However, because we’ve forgotten the difference, most of the energy in our parishes goes toward building up ministries. But without the apostolate of the laity, the Church becomes a country club, only concerned with serving its members. So what is an apostolate? And how does remembering help the lay faithful evangelize?

Episode 32: Missional Amnesia

Episode  |  September 29th, 2020  |  48 mins 42 secs

alpha program, apostolic age, archdiocese of omaha, catholic culture change, catholic discipleship, catholic evangelization, catholic family evangelization, catholic leadership, catholic mission, catholic outreach, catholic parish leadership, catholic podcast, church growth strategy, divine renovation, equipcast, evangelization strategy, faith crisis, fr. jeff lorig, jim jansen, joy of the gospel, missional community, missionary discipleship, outreach to the unchurched, parish renewal, parish transformation, pope francis evangelization, rcia reform, spiritual renewal, the unstuck church, tony morgan

Have you ever used a Catholic buzz word like missionary disciple or missional church and received blank looks in return? It’s a surprising experience, but the reality is many Catholics still don’t know what the word missional means. It used to be that missionaries were the people who traveled to Africa, and the Church in America grew because Catholics had big families. Our biggest problem used to be caring for all of the people who came to the Church’s doorstep, but now, we find ourselves trying to proclaim the Gospel to a world that doesn’t know much about who Jesus is or what the Church is really about. Many of us even know a family member or friend who has walked away from the faith, but it’s often difficult for us to believe that this is part of a larger cultural trend. However, the reality is that the city of Omaha is among the top 30 most secular or “post-Christian” cities in the US. Collectively, we have missional amnesia. We’ve forgotten that we are called to go and make disciples. We lack an imagination around what a missional church looks likes because, until recently, we haven’t had to be one. So, what do you say to someone who asks what a missional church is? Tune in to hear Fr. Lorig and Jim Jansen's musings on this topic.