The EquipCast

This week, we celebrate one of the richest traditions in the Archdiocese of Omaha, our Catholic Schools. And we do it by ...sending our children to class in their pajamas. But really, while the celebrations may at times seem a bit silly, Catholic Schools are more often than not the primary expression of the parish's mission to make disciples. Unfortunately, the fact that the parish and the school...

Do you ever feel like a stranger in your own parish community? The larger our parishes grow, the harder it can be to feel known. If our goal is to continue to bring people to Jesus, and thus, to grow our parishes, we have to start asking, "What's next? What does my parish provide for people after they encounter Jesus?" There are many things that a growing disciples needs to encourage them in the f...

If you have been listening to the EquipCast for a while, you know that the Clear Path to Discipleship is one of the Key Characteristics of a Missional Church. Even though I've talked about this characteristic a lot, I still find that there are misconceptions about it. So I ask Andy Dejka, one of the Coaches on the Parish Support Team, to break it down in 10 minutes. (Well, actually it took him 13,...

Adam Ybarra was far from the prefect evangelist when, as a newly initiated FOCUS missionary, he inherited Curtis Martin's bible study group. In fact, much of his personal story involves being "under construction" while still being an instrument for the Lord. Today, I set out to talk with Adam about the Habit of Invitation, but what I got instead was so much more. While he does walk us through the...

If the title of our podcast, the EquipCast, wasn’t obvious enough, I think it is incredibly important to equip lay people as leaders for mission. But have you ever tried to teach someone a new skill and had them fall flat on their face? You may even have thought that person had great potential only to be disappointed. Oftentimes, it’s not the lack of potential or enthusiasm that was a fault. It’s...

It's not popular to be Christian. And I don't know about you, but sometimes that makes it hard for me to be vulnerable. Sharing my beliefs and inviting others into my very Christian life takes some holy boldness...some courage. So, today is our third deep-dive into one of the habits form the 2021 Pastoral Conference: Invitation. Pat Dempsey walks us through the ways he finds occasions for invitati...

I feel like God is constantly calling me to a deeper level of reliance on Him. As I seek to grow as a missionary disciple, so often, I think "I don't know what I'm doing!" And so, what does a missionary disciple do when they want to do the will of God but they don't feel entirely ready? Pray! Be in conversation with Jesus. Again, I want to bring you into a deeper conversation with one of our guest...

Recently, the Archbishop hosted the 2021 Pastoral Conference. There he commissioned us, the people that he shepherds, to live out four habits of discipleship: Prayer, Compassion, Friendship, and Invitation. Today, I want to do a deep-dive with you on one of those habits: Friendship. What can a ministry of Friendship look like? Does it have to be complicated, or can it be simple, clear, and easy? C...

I don't know if you have ever had the chance to visit St. Benedict the Moor. It's a very unassuming parish in North Omaha, but it has the distinct honor of being the only Black Catholic parish in all of Nebraska.  When I visited with my family, we were perhaps the only white people in the room, and so it was obvious that we were new. The welcome that we were given was incredible. We were imme...

I've noticed a trend over the past few years. People who are hungry for a vibrant parish community are consistently discerning themselves into small groups. There really is something about a small group that helps people to encounter the Lord in a powerful way and to connect with parishioners on a deeper level.  The Holy Spirit is moving His Church toward renewal, and I'm willing to bet that...

In a previous EquipCast episode, we talked about the difference between having a ministry and an apostolate, between working for the Church and living out your own personal call to holiness. Today, I bring you an example of someone who has learned to integrate her faith with her profession. Teresa Kenney works as a Women's Health Practitioner, and she is known for her holistic approach to this oft...

A Skill Demo about how to meet new people might seem like a incredibly simple subject to tackle. Most of us probably feel like we this one in the bag. But did you know that the average American has not made a new friend in the last five years? And so, now is the moment for Catholics to step into that gap. As we seek to build missional communities, one of the best ways to start is by building relat...

Last week, my guest, Tim Glemkowski, author of Made for Mission, talked to us about the importance of parish renewal. This week, he gets into the nitty-gritty. He talks practically about building a Clear Path to Discipleship in parishes, setting goals, leadership culture, and organizational health. A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com)

I’m sure you know… I talk A LOT about how Jesus calls us to be missionary disciples. And I’m also sure you know… parish renewal is HARD. So today, I talk with a friend, Tim Glemkowski, who’s book, Made for Mission, is one of the most practical guides to helping parish leaders wade through this process of renewal. I liked what he had to offer so much that we made this into two episodes! So, once yo...

I have something to confess. I used to be a (bad) meeting addict. If you know me, you know that I love being around people, communicating with them. So, you'd think meetings led by me would be great! I'd like to think they are now, but I had to learn a few things first. So, if you've ever been in a meeting that was too long, boring, got in the way of you doing "the real work", or felt generally un...

Today I talk to one of my old friends from my time in FOCUS. We've had experience evangelizing in many different contexts, and we agree. The most difficult place to evangelize... is in your own heart. It can be scary to delve into our emotions and to hold our brokenness out to the Lord for healing. But, if we do this, then we can truly serve others from a place of love and relationship with Jesus....

Students encounter the Lord at conferences like Steubenville, in adoration, or in retreat settings, but then, they are thrust back into the regular cadence of a secular life. Continuing to live out their faith without a community of support can be very difficult. And so, Skutt Catholic adopted discipleship groups, small groups led by adults who accompany these students. Today I talk to Quinlan Cou...

How do you start your day? Like many of you, I try to start mine in prayer and with the Lord in scripture. But teaching our children to do the same can be difficult. Today, I talk to Cheryl Drozd, a teacher who helps her students start every day in prayer and reading the scriptures. And, she says that the results are explosive: "God is working through me. It's His word and His Holy Spirit wor...

The rate of culture change in the last 20 years has been swift. This has created a gap in how well adults are able to relate to the youngest in our communities. And unfortunately, this inability to understand and walk with the youth has also led to many leaving the Church. In fact, the median age that a youth leaves the faith is...13. So how do we accompany Gen Z? Today, my guest, Jodi Phillips, o...

This is the first time in a many years that no priests were ordained in our diocese, and it's during times like these that people throw around the phrase "vocations crisis". I'm sure the idea that there is a vocations crisis will come as no surprise to you, but I think the solutions that we propose in this episode will. Today, I talk to Fr. Roza, our Vocations Director, and he suggests that the ul...

Growing as a missional community often means taking steps into the unknown. It means opening ourselves to the newness that God desires for us, and this often includes changing our habits, our processes, or even our expectations of what's possible. But sometimes, in our planning efforts, we don't actually make space for the only one who really knows what's going on and what needs to be done in our...

Imagine if you were defined by the worst thing you ever did, the worst moment of your life. Jesus came to preach freedom to captives. He offers mercy, healing, and miracles to those who just reach out in faith. For most of us, this means freedom from sin. But my guest on the EquipCast today preaches freedom to literal prisons. Through Alpha, men in our local prison who have never experienced love...

We talk a lot on this podcast about evangelization and mission. I can cast vision all day long, but the reality is…actually going on mission is scary. How do I recognize the people in my life that are ready to hear the Good News of Jesus? How do I get over the fear of stepping outside of my comfort zone to share my faith? There’s no one answer that will work for every person. But today, I want to...

When you imagine yourself Living Mercy, what comes to mind first? Do you think of the saints who gave up everything for a life of poverty or service to the sick? Does that seem impossible or very far from reach? Today, I talk to Dcn. Omar Gutierrez about Catholic Social Teaching and the lay person’s role to live ordinary mercy. He tells us, “All teachings of the Church [on this subject] start and...

On a scale of 1-10, how missional would you say your parish is? In October 2020, the Archbishop launched the Big Goal that “Each parish in the Archdiocese of Omaha would become missional by the end of 6 years”. Implicit in that goal is the recognition that none of us are there yet. So, I invite each of you to ask, “Is my community dying, declining, swelling, or growing?” While these categories sou...