The EquipCast

Episode 140: Neighbors In Need: How to Leverage the Resources and Compassion Within Your Local Community

Episode  |  March 5th, 2024  |  53 mins 28 secs

addressing social isolation in omaha, building empathy in local communities, catholic, catholic ministry, christian service and compassion, community outreach strategies, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, jed mullenix ceo interview, love and compassion in omaha, making disciples, omaha church initiatives, omaha community engagement, spreading kindness in omaha, within reach organization

Did you know that only 8% of the people in our church pews can claim that they know the names of their 8 closest neighbors? As Christians, we aught to be on the front lines of the fight against what the Surgeon General calls and “epidemic of loneliness”. Omaha itself, , with all its strengths, grapples with mental health issues, people feeling isolated, and disparities in education and opportunities. So, in today's podcast, I sit down with Jed Mullenix, the CEO of Within Reach. He works to unify our local church communities around these issues. Together we can address community needs and spread the love of Jesus. He highlights the significance of pursuing proximity with neighbors, cultivating empathy, and committing to long-term relationships built on genuine care and compassion.

Coach's Corner 12: Renewing Our Church Through Communal Repentance

Episode  |  February 27th, 2024  |  7 mins 46 secs

biblical precedents, catholic, catholic ministry, church leadership, church mission, collective responsibility, communal renewal, community dynamics, corporate repentance, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, faith community, grace and forgiveness, implementing repentance, making disciples, personal spirituality, relationship healing, spiritual growth, theological foundations, transformation through repentance.

Have you ever found yourself saying sorry for something you didn't actually do? Like when your kid makes a mess in a store, or your team had to run extra laps in high school because of one teammate's mistake? The concept of taking collective responsibility isn’t foreign to us, but sometimes, we struggle with the idea of personally owning up to the mistakes of past generations. Today, I'd love to chat with you about the concept of communal repentance. It's about recognizing that even if we didn't directly cause a specific problem, we're all part of the same community and share in the work of seeking forgiveness and renewal together. When we come together and repent as the Body of Christ, we recognize the transformative power of God’s grace to heal relationships, restore communities, and guide them towards a more faithful and righteous path.

Episode 139: Fruitful Evangelization: How Love Leads to Conversion with Dan Burke

Episode  |  February 20th, 2024  |  53 mins 46 secs

catholic, catholic ministry, catholicism and love, christian discipleship, compassionate actions, dan burke interview, disciples, embracing faith, encountering jesus, evangelism, evangelization, gospel message, love and conversion, making disciples, selfless service, spiritual transformation

How well do you love your neighbor? Love has this amazing power to change hearts and bring people closer to Jesus. Genuine love, expressed through compassionate actions and selfless service, has the ability to break down barriers, dissolve fear, and inspire individuals to open their hearts to the message of the Gospel. Today, I have the privilege of talking with Dan Burke, the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation. He shares with me some incredible stories about how people showing him profound love opened him up to encounter Jesus and eventually led to his conversion to Catholicism.

Episode 138: Pathways to Renewal: Strategies for Effective Faith Formation with Fr. Tim Donovan

Episode  |  February 13th, 2024  |  1 hr 1 min

catechumenal ministry, catholic, catholic faith formation, catholic ministry, change management in parishes, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, integrated faith formation, making disciples, parish catechesis, parish community engagement, parish culture revitalization, parish leadership development, religious education transformation, vibrant faith communities

Do you feel like your religious education efforts are stuck in a rut, merely churning out sacramental milestones? Do you wish your families would experience true conversion and stop disappearing after confirmation? I know how difficult it can be to transform our most institutionalize programs, so I sat down with Fr. Tim Donovan, a priest who’s vision is reshaping the landscape of catechesis and cultivating thriving, fruit-bearing communities.

Episode 137: Making Missionary Disciples in a Parish - A Clear Path

Episode  |  February 6th, 2024  |  51 mins 13 secs

catholic, catholic church strategies, catholic leadership, catholic ministry, church growth, clear path of discipleship, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, impactful ministry, jim jansen interview, making disciples, ministry alignment, parish development, parish transformation, spiritual community

Many of you listen to the EquipCast because you want to feel confident sharing your faith. We try to provide practical tools for this, and so we talk a lot about small groups, prayer, evangelizing adults, etc. But these are just tools, parts of a larger strategy to build flourishing parish communities. So, what does it take to actually transform the culture of a parish, to begin witnessing lives changed and to see more people in the pews? A Clear Path to Discipleship. Today, I bring you an episode from the Huntley Leadership Podcast. Ron Huntley, a man who coaches bishops, priests, and ministry leaders all over the world, asked me to be a guest on his podcast to talk about my book: A Clear Path. I want to share this episode with you in order to draw back the veil on some of the big picture work my team and I get to do with your parishes.

Episode 136: Discover the Power of Authentic Connection

Episode  |  January 30th, 2024  |  43 mins 22 secs

authentic relationships, building community, catholic, catholic ministry, deepening connections, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, global community impact, guatemala outreach, making disciples, missionary experiences, missions in guatemala, presence beyond projects, solidarity and connection, spiritual transformation

Have you ever found yourself yearning for deeper connections and genuine togetherness in a world that often feels isolated? Our latest episode is all about uncovering the transformative power of missions in Guatemala. Join us as we explore the significance of presence, beyond just projects, and learn why authentic solidarity is essential in today's culture. In this episode, Charlie Petro shares insights on moving beyond surface-level connections to truly listen, connect, and love those around us.

Episode 135: Transformative Conversations: How to Fostering Empathy and Understanding with the Abortion Dialogue Academy

Episode  |  January 23rd, 2024  |  43 mins 14 secs

abortion dialogue academy, catholic, catholic ministry, compassionate dialogue, connection through communication, difficult conversations, disciples, effective communication, empathetic communication, evangelism, evangelization, making disciples, navigating heated discussions, pro-life advocacy, transformative conversations, understanding perspectives

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a heated conversation and wondered how it even got there? Or maybe you've hesitated to bring up a sensitive topic, fearing it could spiral into an emotional rollercoaster? In our latest episode, we explore powerful insights on transforming controversial discussions into opportunities for understanding and connection. I had the pleasure of chatting with Katherine Burow, Executive Director of the Abortion Dialogue Academy, and she shared powerful insights on fostering empathy, finding common ground, and approaching conversations with the most charitable interpretation of others' perspectives. Katherine shares valuable strategies for effective communication, drawing inspiration from the teachings of Jesus and the mission of the Academy. Whether you're interested in pro-life advocacy or simply improving your communication skills, this conversation provides practical tips to approach challenging dialogues with understanding and compassion.

Coach's Corner 11: Plundering the Egyptians: How to take the good from secular wisdom and leave the bad

Episode  |  January 16th, 2024  |  9 mins 59 secs

catholic, catholic ministry, continuouslearning, discernmentinfaith, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, faithandlearning, faithfulgrowth, making disciples, missiondrivenlife, podcastinspiration, secularwisdom, spiritualdiscernment, wisdomfromsecularsources

Coach's Corner 10: Why I Hate (and Love) Christmas

Episode  |  December 19th, 2023  |  6 mins 22 secs

catholic, catholic ministry, disciples, evangelism, evangelization, making disciples, ministry, ministry leaders

In this time of preparation for Christmas, do you find it hard to slow down? To appreciate the way Jesus comes to us? Small and humble. Well, I certainly do. I love Christmas, but I’ll be honest, I have conflicting emotions. I want salvation to be bright and loud! I want the world to be all better, and I want it to be all better now. And yet, the Lord asks us, especially during this season, to trust in his slow work and maybe to slow down a bit ourselves.

Episode 134: How to Become a Contagious Catholic with Marcel LeJeune

Episode  |  December 12th, 2023  |  1 hr 1 min

catholic, catholic ministry, catholic mission, church transformation, contagious catholic, disciples, discipleship, evangelism, evangelization, faith and spirituality, inspirational christianity, making disciples, marcel lejeune, ministry, ministry leaders, parish involvement, prayer life

Have you ever met a contagious Catholic? I'm not talking about cold and flu season here – I mean meeting someone whose faith is so vibrant and inspiring that it makes you want to deepen your own spiritual journey. Well, today, I had the joy of chatting with one such individual. Marcel LeJeune helped create the world’s largest campus ministry at Texas A&M, and he spills his secrets on infusing your faith with contagious enthusiasm. One of his gems from our conversation: “Your inadequacies to the task at hand that you want to accomplish are nothing in the hands of a God who is infinitely powerful. All He has is messed up, sinful, insufficient people for the task that he wants to accomplish, and He laughs at us. All He asks is us to give Him a little bit of room and a small yes, and then get out of His way. Because here's the thing. I am neither the most talented, the smartest, certainly not the best looking of any of the people that I know, even in my local community. I'm not the best evangelist. I'm not the best theologian. I'm not the best writer or speaker. I'm not the best person to have a conversation with. I'm not the best listener. I'm not best at any of those things. And yet, God can still do big things through me, and you because God is bigger than I am and bigger than you.”