The EquipCast

Hey friends, the EquipCast is hitting pause early for a summer reset. We’re stepping into a break starting in May… because something new, bold, and exciting is coming your way. Rest up, enjoy the summer, and get ready. We’re back in August with fresh formats, global voices, and next‑level connections. Stay tuned!

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 t...

What would you do if the person you loved most was in danger—and there was no time to think? Today on the Equip Cast, I sit down with Chris Vander Woude to tell the story of a quiet, faithful father who answered that question with his life. Tom Vander Woude 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. Unt...

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 C...

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 evange...

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 reject...

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 r...

* 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 thr...

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...

What if your home isn’t just messy… but actually pulling you away from God’s call? I know—that question stopped me in my tracks too. In this week’s episode, I sit down with simplicity consultant Katie Sciba, and she helped me see something I honestly never connected before: the state of our space deeply affects the state of our soul. Here’s another one: Are your possessions shaping you into a disc...

What does it mean to face death well? When I sat down with Dr. Stephen Doran—a neurosurgeon, deacon, and man who’s walked intimately with suffering—I felt my own fears and assumptions around death get exposed. There’s something powerful about hearing someone who has been at the bedside of so many people say, with deep conviction, that death isn’t just an end… it’s a moment meant to be lived well....

What if the biggest thing parents want from us is to know they belong? When I listen to parents—really listen—I hear something deeper than frustration about busy schedules or kids who can’t sit still at Mass. I hear an ache. Parents want to engage. They want their kids to love the faith. They want to grow spiritually themselves. But so many of them carry this quiet fear that they or their kids don...

How can we expect couples to live a sacramental marriage when they’ve never seen one lived? 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 check...

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, a...

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...

How do you keep the Gospel alive and at the center of your work? Start with the quiet, world-changing truth that Jesus loves you. He gave His life to save you. And He is with you today—right now—to enlighten, strengthen, and free you. When we put that message at the heart of everything—our conversations, our ministries, our families—it changes everything. In this episode, I’ll share why this matte...

Is the ideal of priesthood stuck in the past? I love the saints—especially guys like St. John Vianney—but trying to imitate their circumstances can leave today’s priests feeling defeated before they even begin. In this episode, Fr. Scott Traynor and I get honest about how different our world is now, and why that’s not a problem to mourn but a mission to embrace. We talk about the heart of priestho...

Feeling stuck and longing for clarity? I invite you to take a moment to pause, pray, and discern where God is calling you. Today’s guest, Lisa Kelly, leadership coach, author of The Spiritual Path, and expert in Ignatian spirituality, shares an Ignatian-inspired process that helps you slow down, notice what’s stirring in your heart, and make choices with clarity and peace. If you’ve ever wondered,...

What’s on Pope Leo’s Christmas list—and can you fulfill it for him? He’s not asking for gifts wrapped in paper and bows. His wish is for a Church renewed in mission, united in love, and bold in proclaiming Christ first. Imagine communities that listen deeply, care tenderly for the least, and engage the world with courage and hope. That’s the heart behind his six desires—and together, we can make t...

What do you do when silence feels safer than the truth? Rely on God to give you the grace and courage to do what your strength can’t: turn difficult moments into opportunities for honesty, deeper trust, and real healing. In this episode of EquipCast, I sit down with Mari Pablo—a fearless, bilingual evangelist who isn’t afraid to step into the topics most people avoid. Together, we talk about how t...

What if the secret to transforming your parish isn’t doing more—but praying more deeply and trusting God to lead? We’ve seen it happen. The Diocese of Green Bay started small, rooted everything in prayer, and asked the Holy Spirit to guide them. The results were beyond what they imagined: seminarians doubled, schools flourished, and parishes once half-empty now overflow. In this episode, I talk wi...

* Why isn’t “promoting vocations” enough to help young people discover God’s call? * Because so many can’t even hear Him right now. Their faith feels distant, the noise of the world is loud, and what they crave most isn’t another program—it’s a real encounter with Jesus and people who truly care. In this episode, I talk with Fr. Scott Schilmoeller, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Omaha,...

When the mission feels massive, how do you take the first step? We all feel the pressure. With souls on the line, it feels like we need big plans, big programs, big results. But what if the most fruitful thing you could do today was simply to take one small step? In this episode, I share four strategies that have helped me and others start small, build momentum, and trust that God will grow what w...

Imagine standing among thousands of faithful Catholics, voices lifted in prayer and praise. In that moment, you can feel the Church fully alive—young, reverent, and on fire for mission. In this short bonus episode, I share a personal story from my family and three compelling reasons why SEEK might be exactly what your heart’s been longing for. Whether you’re craving hope, community, or a deeper se...

What does it really mean to love your neighbor—not just in theory, but in their mess? In this episode, I sit down with Austin Habash from Sent Evangelization, and we talk about what happens when we actually step out and meet people where they are. How knocking on doors leads to praying with strangers, and how helping with small needs opens the way for grace. Austin shares stories that are raw, bea...