The EquipCast
Practical Evangelization & Parish Ministry Tools for Catholic Leaders
Displaying 8 items of The EquipCast with the tag "clear path to discipleship".
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Episode 204: How to Break Your Clear Path (Part 2)
Episode | January 20th, 2026 | 44 mins 11 secs
accompaniment, archdiocese of omaha, building disciples, catholic, catholic evangelization, catholic ministry, catholic parish culture, church ministry strategy, clear path to discipleship, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, making disciples, missionary discipleship, parish leadership, parish renewal
What happens when we start trusting programs more than we trust people? Discipleship slows down—because programs don’t accompany anyone. People do. Programs support the mission, but people are the mission. In part two of this conversation on what really breaks a clear path to discipleship, we talk honestly about why great programming isn’t enough, how over commitment burns out your best leaders, and why accompaniment and simplicity matter more than adding one more initiative.
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Episode 203: How to Break Your Clear Path (Part 1)
Episode | January 13th, 2026 | 39 mins 5 secs
alpha evangelization, archdiocese of omaha, building disciples, catholic, catholic discipleship, catholic ministry, clear path to discipleship, conversion first leadership, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, evangelization strategy, making disciples, missionary discipleship, parish discipleship, parish leadership, parish renewal
Why do discipleship efforts that start with so much hope sometimes stall—or fall apart? In this episode, I sit down with coaches from our Parish Support Team to talk honestly about how Clear Paths to discipleship can break down—often before we even realize it’s happening. We walk through five common ways parishes unintentionally derail discipleship—and what faithful leaders can do differently. We talk about slowing down to listen to the Holy Spirit, why conversion has to come before strategy, and how real fruit grows through relationships, not just programs.
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Episode 196: The Quiet Crisis in Our Pews: Why Saving Marriages will Save the Faith
Episode | October 14th, 2025 | 1 hr 2 mins
catholic family life, catholic marriage support, catholic podcast, clear path to discipleship, communio, divorce prevention, equipcast, evangelization through relationships, marriage ministry, parish growth strategies, parish outreach, parish renewal, quiet crisis in parishes, relationship enrichment, skills-based relationship ministry
What if saving a marriage could save a soul? In this episode, I sit down with Jared Smyth from Communio a consultancy helping parishes build thriving marriage ministries. We talk about the quiet crisis unfolding in our parishes—and the incredible hope breaking through. Parishes that invest just a few hours into helping couples build stronger relationships are seeing renewal from the inside out: healed marriages, thriving families, and faith coming alive again.
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Episode 194: When Missionaries Stall-out: My Clear Path Talk at SEEK 2025
Episode | September 23rd, 2025 | 28 mins 37 secs
archdiocese of omaha, catholic community, catholic evangelization strategy, catholic podcast, church culture change, church leadership, clear path to discipleship, equipcast, evangelization, faith formation, focus missionaries, jim jansen, making disciples, missionary discipleship, parish renewal, parish transformation, personal apostolate, seek conference, small group ministry, spiritual growth
What happens when a parish full of on-fire missionaries still stalls out? I saw it happen—and it taught me something big: even the most passionate disciples need a clear path and a culture that supports mission. In this episode, I share why real change is worth the discomfort, and how parishes can shift from “cruise ship mode” to “fire station mode”—where mission is normal and conversion is celebrated.
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How to Choose (Part 3): Faith Formation
Episode | August 19th, 2025 | 56 mins 53 secs
adult faith formation, archdiocese of omaha, catechesis, catholic, catholic coaching, catholic discipleship, catholic leadership, catholic ministry, catholic podcast, catholic small groups, church ministry tools, clear path to discipleship, discernment rosary, disciples, equipcast, evangelism, evangelization, faith formation, kerygmatic catechesis, making disciples, missionary disciples, parish ministry, parish renewal, small group ministry, spiritual growth
What if your parish’s faith formation is creating consumer Catholics instead of disciples? In this episode of EquipCast, I sit down with my team to unpack what faith formation is really supposed to do—and why so many parishes get stuck. We talk about the difference between just teaching information and actually forming hearts and habits. You’ll hear why small groups matter, how to spot a healthy ministry, and what it takes to move people from simply learning their faith to living it—and then going on mission. We talk about launching apostolates, forming others, and becoming the kind of disciples who don’t just consume content but live it out with joy and purpose. Plus, we share some honest stories, practical tools (like the Discernment Rosary), and plenty of laughs. If you’ve ever wondered how to choose the right ministry for your clear path to discipleship—or how to fix the one you’ve got—this one’s for you.
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Phase 2: Discernment – How to Build a Clear Path of Discipleship
Episode | April 9th, 2024 | 42 mins 46 secs
catholic, catholic ministry, christian community building, church leadership, clear path to discipleship, community engagement, disciples, discipleship journey, evangelism, evangelization, faith-based storytelling, hospitality culture, making disciples, mission-driven strategy, parish renewal, prayerful leadership, spiritual discernment
What does the Lord say about the plans you have for your parish? As you seek renewal for your parish community, are you intentionally asking for the Lord’s input? While many of us are prayerful individuals, praying collectively with a team about the strategy for becoming mission-oriented probably feels like uncharted territory. However, if we want to succeed, we must invite the Lord to be part of the process. In this second episode of the series How to Build a Clear Path of Discipleship, Fr. Damian Zuerlein, Dcn. Doug Lenz, and Ann Lenz from St. Frances Cabrini discuss how as they brought change to their community, they remained open to God's direction and surrendered to His will, even when faced with challenges and uncertainties. Their experiences reflect a deep sense of faith and openness to the Holy Spirit's guidance in their parish life.
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Phase 1: Assessment – How to Build a Clear Path of Discipleship
Episode | April 9th, 2024 | 43 mins 9 secs
building clear paths, catholic, catholic ministry, church community assessment, clear path to discipleship, disciples, discipleship journey, evangelism, evangelization, evangelization efforts, faith formation programs, making disciples, parish growth strategies, parish ministry, parish outreach initiatives, pastoral conversion, phase of assessment, spiritual renewal
Does your parish’s current list of ministries help your people evangelize? It’s likely the answer is no. Most parish ministries were built during a time where people flocked to church. But the culture has changed, and our ministries need to as well. So today, I bring you the first episode in the series How to Build a Clear Path of Discipleship. Rachel Gifford, Director of Catechesis & Evangelization at St. Mary’s Parish, highlights her parish's journey through the phase of assessment. She shares how they examined existing programs to identify gaps in reaching newcomers and building up disciples for the work of mission. Challenges included resistance to change and feeling overwhelmed, but the parish found support in prayer, coaching, and revisiting their mission. Despite the difficulties, they saw positive outcomes, with new families registering and a renewed sense of faith in the community.
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Trailer: How to Build a Clear Path to Discipleship
Episode | April 8th, 2024 | 2 mins 41 secs
build your clear path, catholic, catholic ministry, clear path to discipleship, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, making disciples
Imagine if your parish provided a place for you to build relationships of trust with nonbelievers. Or if it had a ministry that proclaimed the Gospel and fostered conversions. What if your parish taught you how to evangelize and it gave you a space to celebrate and commiserate with others trying to do the same? Around here, we’d say that parish had a Clear Path to Discipleship. So how do we get to this ideal? If you want to hear real stories of parishes who have built a clear path, join us for our series "How to Build a Clear Path to Discipleship".