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    <title>The EquipCast - Episodes Tagged with “Mentor Couples”</title>
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    <description>The EquipCast is your weekly playbook for practical evangelization and parish ministry tools. Hosted by Jim Jansen and powered by Everyday Evangelization, this show is built for diocesan directors, parish leaders, and everyday Catholics who are ready to stop the programmatic noise, break through the grind, and build a clear path to discipleship that actually changes lives. We’ve been talking about the New Evangelization for thirty years, yet church renewal often feels like an endless cycle of empty activity while generations continue to lose their faith. If you are tired of managing decline and spinning your wheels in the messy middle of ministry, you don’t have to carry the weight alone. Every week, we break the default of "doing more" to deliver honest conversations and real stories from people who are finally seeing their faith communities thrive. Hit subscribe, head over to EverydayEvangelization.org to grab your free tools, and discover how to leave your ministry better than you found it.</description>
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    <itunes:summary>The EquipCast is your weekly playbook for practical evangelization and parish ministry tools. Hosted by Jim Jansen and powered by Everyday Evangelization, this show is built for diocesan directors, parish leaders, and everyday Catholics who are ready to stop the programmatic noise, break through the grind, and build a clear path to discipleship that actually changes lives. We’ve been talking about the New Evangelization for thirty years, yet church renewal often feels like an endless cycle of empty activity while generations continue to lose their faith. If you are tired of managing decline and spinning your wheels in the messy middle of ministry, you don’t have to carry the weight alone. Every week, we break the default of "doing more" to deliver honest conversations and real stories from people who are finally seeing their faith communities thrive. Hit subscribe, head over to EverydayEvangelization.org to grab your free tools, and discover how to leave your ministry better than you found it.</itunes:summary>
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  <title>Episode 205: Witness before Wisdom: What Couples Need When Preparing for Marriage</title>
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  <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
  <author>Jim Jansen | Everyday Evangelization &amp; Parish Ministry Tools</author>
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  <itunes:episode>205</itunes:episode>
  <itunes:title>Witness before Wisdom: What Couples Need When Preparing for Marriage</itunes:title>
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  <itunes:author>Jim Jansen | Everyday Evangelization &amp; Parish Ministry Tools</itunes:author>
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  <itunes:duration>56:22</itunes:duration>
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  <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How can we expect couples to live a sacramental marriage when they’ve never seen one lived?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;So many of the couples who walk into our parishes today aren’t rooted in the life of the Church. Nine out of ten aren’t attending Mass, many have simply “slid” into the relationship, and most have never witnessed a joyful, vibrant Christian marriage up close. And yet—we hand them content, classes, and checklists and hope it changes their lives. In this conversation with Ryan Verret, we dive into why that model is breaking down and why the real answer isn’t more information, but more relationship. Ryan shares the deeply human insight at the heart of Witness to Love: that authentic conversion only moves at the pace of a friendship… and that the simplest act—having someone waiting for you in the pew—can open the door for grace to take root.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever wondered how to truly draw couples into the heart of parish life, this episode will encourage you. Take a listen.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;[01:13] Ryan Verret's Background and Upbringing&lt;br&gt;
[09:35] State of Marriage Preparation in the Church&lt;br&gt;
[18:11] Witness to Love: Vision and Approach&lt;br&gt;
[26:19] The One Change That Made a Difference&lt;br&gt;
[29:39] The Need for Comprehensive Faith Formation&lt;br&gt;
[32:45] The Mentor Couple Model&lt;br&gt;
[40:38] The Impact of Witness to Love&lt;br&gt;
[44:29] Personal Reflections and Broader Implications&lt;br&gt;
[53:02] Connecting with Witness to Love &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Check out &lt;a href="https://witnesstolove.org/" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;Witness To Love&lt;/a&gt;, or connect with Ryan by emailing &lt;a href="mailto:connect@witnesstolove.org" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;connect@witnesstolove.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;For more practical advice and experiences from real people sharing their mission with the world, go to &lt;a href="https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow noopener"&gt;https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha&lt;br&gt;
Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com) &lt;/p&gt;
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  <itunes:keywords>marriage preparation, Catholic marriage, witness to love, mentor couples, parish renewal, evangelization, discipleship, sacramental marriage, church community, trust and relationships</itunes:keywords>
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    <![CDATA[<p><strong>How can we expect couples to live a sacramental marriage when they’ve never seen one lived?</strong></p>

<p>So many of the couples who walk into our parishes today aren’t rooted in the life of the Church. Nine out of ten aren’t attending Mass, many have simply “slid” into the relationship, and most have never witnessed a joyful, vibrant Christian marriage up close. And yet—we hand them content, classes, and checklists and hope it changes their lives. In this conversation with Ryan Verret, we dive into why that model is breaking down and why the real answer isn’t more information, but more relationship. Ryan shares the deeply human insight at the heart of Witness to Love: that authentic conversion only moves at the pace of a friendship… and that the simplest act—having someone waiting for you in the pew—can open the door for grace to take root.</p>

<p>If you’ve ever wondered how to truly draw couples into the heart of parish life, this episode will encourage you. Take a listen.</p>

<p>[01:13] Ryan Verret's Background and Upbringing<br>
[09:35] State of Marriage Preparation in the Church<br>
[18:11] Witness to Love: Vision and Approach<br>
[26:19] The One Change That Made a Difference<br>
[29:39] The Need for Comprehensive Faith Formation<br>
[32:45] The Mentor Couple Model<br>
[40:38] The Impact of Witness to Love<br>
[44:29] Personal Reflections and Broader Implications<br>
[53:02] Connecting with Witness to Love </p>

<p>Check out <a href="https://witnesstolove.org/" rel="nofollow noopener">Witness To Love</a>, or connect with Ryan by emailing <a href="mailto:connect@witnesstolove.org" rel="nofollow noopener">connect@witnesstolove.org</a>.</p>

<p>For more practical advice and experiences from real people sharing their mission with the world, go to <a href="https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow noopener">https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/</a>.</p>

<p>A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha<br>
Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com)</p>]]>
  </content:encoded>
  <itunes:summary>
    <![CDATA[<p><strong>How can we expect couples to live a sacramental marriage when they’ve never seen one lived?</strong></p>

<p>So many of the couples who walk into our parishes today aren’t rooted in the life of the Church. Nine out of ten aren’t attending Mass, many have simply “slid” into the relationship, and most have never witnessed a joyful, vibrant Christian marriage up close. And yet—we hand them content, classes, and checklists and hope it changes their lives. In this conversation with Ryan Verret, we dive into why that model is breaking down and why the real answer isn’t more information, but more relationship. Ryan shares the deeply human insight at the heart of Witness to Love: that authentic conversion only moves at the pace of a friendship… and that the simplest act—having someone waiting for you in the pew—can open the door for grace to take root.</p>

<p>If you’ve ever wondered how to truly draw couples into the heart of parish life, this episode will encourage you. Take a listen.</p>

<p>[01:13] Ryan Verret's Background and Upbringing<br>
[09:35] State of Marriage Preparation in the Church<br>
[18:11] Witness to Love: Vision and Approach<br>
[26:19] The One Change That Made a Difference<br>
[29:39] The Need for Comprehensive Faith Formation<br>
[32:45] The Mentor Couple Model<br>
[40:38] The Impact of Witness to Love<br>
[44:29] Personal Reflections and Broader Implications<br>
[53:02] Connecting with Witness to Love </p>

<p>Check out <a href="https://witnesstolove.org/" rel="nofollow noopener">Witness To Love</a>, or connect with Ryan by emailing <a href="mailto:connect@witnesstolove.org" rel="nofollow noopener">connect@witnesstolove.org</a>.</p>

<p>For more practical advice and experiences from real people sharing their mission with the world, go to <a href="https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow noopener">https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/</a>.</p>

<p>A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha<br>
Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com)</p>]]>
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