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With the Milwaukee Brewers making an incredible run to the World Series, all eyes are on the diamond. But behind the microphone, how does the play-by-play voice of the team keep his soul grounded in a high-visibility, high-stress career? This week, Jim Jansen sits down with Brewers broadcaster Lane Grindle to solve a problem every busy Catholic faces: how to stop separating your "work self" from your "faith self". Lane shares real-world wisdom on navigating a grueling travel schedule, surviving the intense culture of modern youth sports, and maintaining the daily disciplines needed to remain an intentional husband, father, and man of faith. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction: Meet Lane Grindle [03:36] – Lane’s journey into the Catholic Church. [06:14] – The Grace of the Reset: Why Lane goes to Confession once a week. [07:20] – Life in the Broadcast Booth [12:59] – Learning how to leave work at work. [16:47] – How sending of gratitude letters transformed Lane's spiritual life. [22:36] – How relationships build real trust in professional clubhouses. [28:59] – Athletes that Inspire Lane. [32:24] – Surviving Youth Sports: Practical advice for parents on teaching kids to dream big while keeping Mass the priority. [41:44] – Small daily habits and making holy decisions. Check out more episodes of The EquipCast at EverydayEvangelization.org! Our Trusted Partners Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries (FFLCM) helps Catholic parishes and dioceses transform fragmented faith formation into an integrated, family-centered pathway of lifelong discipleship. Through the Pathways Formation suite, practical resources, leader formation, and ongoing accompaniment, they equip leaders to engage families, build sustainable teams, and cultivate faith that is lived at church and at home. ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Are you like me? You try everything you know to share your faith with the ones you love, only to feel like you hit a brick wall. Today, I want to share with you the framework that changed my approach. I sit down with Doug Schaupp, the ministry leader who co-developed the Thresholds out of his own period of deep ministry burnout. He shares so candidly about coming home, getting in the shower after another failed conversation, and feeling completely defeated. But the beauty of Doug's story is that our fruitlessness doesn't mean God has stopped working. It’s actually an invitation to trade our rigid assumptions for true, humble accompaniment. When we stop trying to "slay people with apologetics" and instead learn to listen, ask better questions, and honor where they truly are on their journey, the weight falls off our shoulders. It turns evangelization from a high-pressure sales pitch into a joyful, relational walk toward Jesus. Episode Timeline: [00:00] - Introduction [02:09] - Doug's Personal Story and Ministry Roots [07:03] - Hitting the Brick Wall and Shower Defeat [08:27] - Mapping the Journey: The Origin of the Five Thresholds [10:30] - The Unexpected Impact of the Thresholds [16:59] - Breakdown of the Five Thresholds [24:04] - Trading Rigid Assumptions for True Accompaniment [30:40] - Pathway Thinking and Creating On-Ramps for Seekers [43:27] - How to Get Started [48:19] - Ecumenical Friendship and Future Collaboration Resources Mentioned I Once was Lost DougSchaupp.com/ Episode 94: The Thresholds of Conversion and Discipleship The Thresholds Game Our Trusted Partners Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries (FFLCM) helps Catholic parishes and dioceses transform fragmented faith formation into an integrated, family-centered pathway of lifelong discipleship. Through the Pathways Formation suite, practical resources, leader formation, and ongoing accompaniment, they equip leaders to engage families, build sustainable teams, and cultivate faith that is lived at church and at home. ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Diocesan offices have operated for decades with the best of intentions: launching youth rallies, running marriage retreats, and generally, drawing people to events at centralized locations. While well meaning, these events can unintentionally usurp the work of the parish. They draw people away from their faith community rather than helping them build deep relationships and make disciples in their own neighborhoods. So what if a diocese made the bold choice to stop running programs and start supporting the work happening in the parishes? Fr. Gary Kastl joins me to talk about how the Diocese of Tulsa tore down its traditional department walls to build a Parish Support team focused entirely on the parish front lines. Because a diocese shouldn't compete with its parishes for people’s time; it should equip parishes to thrive. Episode Timeline: [00:00] - Introduction and welcome [01:28] - Fr. Gary Kastl on rural Oklahoma roots and meeting Christ [04:35] - Finding a priestly vocation and asking hard questions [12:46] - Why the church exists and keeping our eye on the mission [17:18] - The problem with waiting for someone upstream to tell you what to do [22:23] - Why central chancery programs can draw focus away from local parishes [26:14] - Measuring spiritual return on investment with the widow's mite [30:32] - OCIA as the primary health metric for making new disciples [34:44] - How Tulsa dismantled office silos to build a Parish Support Team [38:50] - Shifting from asking pastors to do one more thing to offering help [44:16] - Overcoming programmatic habits through real accompaniment Resources Mentioned The Diocese of Tulsa Parish Support team Our Trusted Partners Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries (FFLCM) helps Catholic parishes and dioceses transform fragmented faith formation into an integrated, family-centered pathway of lifelong discipleship. Through the Pathways Formation suite, practical resources, leader formation, and ongoing accompaniment, they equip leaders to engage families, build sustainable teams, and cultivate faith that is lived at church and at home. ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

We spend a lot of time searching for the next best practice or ministry tool, but what if our efforts are stalling because we have skipped the most essential step? In this hot take, I give my thoughts on why genuine renewal requires turning back to God. JD Flynn, co-founder of The Pillar, joins me to discuss why authentic evangelization flows from converted hearts. And why a collective, public witness of contrition could be precisely what unifies and revives the Church today. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [00:36] – Why best practices are not enough without repentance [01:46] – Evangelization ad gentes versus calling God's people home [02:46] – What public and corporate repentance could look like [04:24] – Reimagining Lent as a collective witness to our neighbors [05:24] – The power of a penitential revival in the Church today Our Trusted Partners Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries (FFLCM) helps Catholic parishes and dioceses transform fragmented faith formation into an integrated, family-centered pathway of lifelong discipleship. Through the Pathways Formation suite, practical resources, leader formation, and ongoing accompaniment, they equip leaders to engage families, build sustainable teams, and cultivate faith that is lived at church and at home. ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Today, I talk to Bishop William Joensen of the Diocese of Des Moines, IA. I wanted to step past the formal title so you could get to know the man behind the pectoral cross, and he certainly didn't hold back. Bishop Joensen gives us a transparent look into his life and faith, sharing how a pre-med path in Iowa unexpectedly led to the priesthood and what it was like taking the helm of a diocese just months before the pandemic hit. From some fun banter about Iowa-Nebraska rivalries to his honest reflections on leadership missteps, this episode offers a rare and refreshing look into the heart, humor, and wisdom of a bishop shepherding his flock with humility. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [04:14] – Pre-Med, Family Roots, and Discerning the Priesthood [14:07] – Friendly Rivalries and the State of the U.S. Church [22:09] – Pastoral Planning and 18 Months of Humble Inquiry [28:40] – Offering the Unvarnished Truth of the Gospel [34:01] – Respecting Subsidiarity in Parish Renewal [40:28] – Navigating Demographic Shifts and Rural Reality [47:56] – Episcopal Leadership, Prayer, and Learning from Missteps Resources Mentioned Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Our Trusted Partners Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries (FFLCM) helps Catholic parishes and dioceses transform fragmented faith formation into an integrated, family-centered pathway of lifelong discipleship. Through the Pathways Formation suite, practical resources, leader formation, and ongoing accompaniment, they equip leaders to engage families, build sustainable teams, and cultivate faith that is lived at church and at home. ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

God is at work in the hearts of the people around us. His Spirit is everywhere and perfectly working long before we show up. In fact, our job is simply to ask, "Holy Spirit, what are you doing?" We get to ask, listen, and participate in what He is already doing in the lives of others. That is why I decided to sit down with Eric Chow, Director of Ministry and Outreach for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. He is a seasoned missionary with extremely practical advice for parish hospitality and personal mission. And today, he encourages us to recognize the “proximate periphery”, the mission field hidden in our daily routines, workplaces, and families. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction to Eric Chow [01:32] – Eric's personal conversion [04:50] – Lessons from Catholic Christian Outreach [05:46] – Understanding the mission field in Vancouver [11:29] – What parish hospitality could look like [17:07] – The origins and mission of the Proclaim movement [20:22] – Reaching the proximate periphery right in front of you [27:09] – Prophetic listening and partnering with the Holy Spirit [29:35] – Why outreach to the furthest away comes first [32:51] – Balancing personal mission with the call to holiness [36:31] – Living as a radical disciple while working professionally for the Church [42:49] – Passing on a missional mindset to our children [47:02] – A hopeful vision for the future of the Church [49:16] – Simple steps to start praying for and reaching your mission field Resources Mentioned Proclaim ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Seeing the people we love walk away from Jesus is one of the hardest parts of living the faith today. So I sit down with David Spesia, Executive Director for Evangelization and Catechesis at the USCCB, to talk about the massive shift happening across the country as the US bishops unite around one single priority: seeking and saving the lost. We dive into the quiet fruit of the Eucharistic Revival and talk about how to keep your eyes fixed squarely on Jesus, even when human flaws and institutional friction threaten to pull you off track. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [02:41] – Personal Encounters and Intellectual Conversion [07:45] – Lessons from Teaching High School Religion [16:12] – Navigating Diocesan Leadership and Building Collaboration [22:00] – Behind the Scenes of the National Eucharistic Revival [33:40] – Measuring Long-Term Fruits of Spiritual Renewal [40:01] – The USCCB Mission Directive to Seek and Save the Lost [44:03] – Evangelical Discernment and Evaluating Ministry Fruitfulness [51:41] – Loving the Church as Christ's Body Amidst Human Brokenness Resources Mentioned Living as a Missionary Disciple (PDF) Companion to the Handbook on the Catechetical Accompaniment Process ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Parish renewal can feel like trying to assemble a massive puzzle without having the picture on the box to reference. Bringing your parish back to life isn't about running another program. It's an act of loving accompaniment, and Jesus is already in the work with us. Christina Semmens joins me today to talk about how putting the right leadership pieces in place creates a simple, relational way to wake up our parish communities and make disciples who thrive. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [02:00] – Christina’s Journey from Military Leadership to Parish Renewal [10:00] – What Discipleship Culture Actually Looks Like in a Parish [15:00] – Moving Beyond Event-Based Evangelization [19:00] – Customized CPR and Holistic Formation [25:00] – Waking Up the Walking Dead in Our Pews [28:00] – Best Practices vs. Quick-Fix Silver Bullets [34:00] – Eliminating Communication Blind Spots & Building Two-Way Dialogue [44:00] – A 4-Step Apprenticeship Model for Coaching Leaders [52:00] – Practical Steps to Begin When You Feel Overwhelmed Resources Mentioned The Catholic Leadership Puzzle ChristinaSemmens.com ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Adam Stephenson, our guest from the episode "Knocking on Doors", joins me for a walk where he gives his hot take on evangelization: you should stick to the parish in your own backyard. He argues that parish shopping keeps us at arms length from the real work of evangelization, while staying local invites us to love the people God has placed right in front of us. And I agreed with him…for the most part. Tune in for a mini-sode on why you should (or shouldn’t) belong to the parish whose geographic boundaries you live in. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [00:32] – The Hot Take: Geographic Parish Boundaries [00:56] – Why Proximity Matters for Loving Your Community [02:29] – Modern Disorientation and the Loss of Neighborhood Faith [04:29] – Valid Exceptions for Stepping Away from Your Local Parish [06:49] – Accompanying "Dying" Parishes and the Mission Field [09:21] – How to Supplement Your Spiritual Life Outside Parish Walls ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

You leave work at five, but your brain stays parked at the office. You sit with your family, yet mentally you carry the entire parish on your back as if saving everyone depends on you. When evangelization becomes a task we tackle with our own strength, we burn out, our programs flop, and our homes suffer. This week, Hannah Keisling, Evangelization Coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul in Omaha, joins me to share how putting God first, family second, and ministry third gave her the freedom to stop forcing outcomes. We unpack why no program works without real accompaniment, how to surrender the urge to carry it all yourself, and what happens when you let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [06:39] – Transitioning Roles and the Grief of Leaving Youth Ministry [18:38] – Why Programs Fail Without Real Accompaniment [22:52] – Parish-Wide Programs vs. Personal Apostolates [34:27] – Recognizing the Warning Signs of Ministry Overload [41:08] – Rebuilding Mental Boundaries Between Work and Family [50:45] – Grounding Your Daily Mission in Scripture and Named Prayer Resources Mentioned St. Vincent de Paul Church - Omaha ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

Imagine a standing coffee date with a friend who talks at you the entire time, looks at their watch, and then says, “Gotta go! This was great!” You’d walk away feeling pretty unsatisfied. The level of intimacy we can reach is limited when conversation remains one-sided. But, too often, we treat our prayer lives the exact same way. We focus on how well we said our prayers instead of stopping to listen to what God wants to say back. This week, Jonna Schuster, author of Hearing God's Voice, joins me to talk about listening prayer. We dive into its theological foundations, the four primary "languages" God uses to communicate, and how learning to hear His voice shifts our daily mission from a heavy burden into a rest-filled collaboration. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [01:21] – Jonna's origin story [08:34] – What inspired Hearing God's Voice [14:00] – The scriptural foundation for listening prayer [18:00] – The 4 languages of God: seeing, hearing, feeling, and thinking [24:41] – Receiving God in the mode of the receiver [27:58] – Physical vs. emotional feelings in prayer [35:01] – Asking God for practical solutions and wisdom [39:33] – Overcoming the biggest obstacles to hearing God [46:56] – How listening prayer complements Catholic devotions [50:50] – Moving from performance anxiety to rest and intimacy [53:02] – What church renewal looks like when prayer becomes the norm [59:01] – Where to begin and how to find Jonna's work Resources Mentioned CatholicRevivalMinistries.com Hearing God's Voice ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

What happens when a priest in a cassock and a layman with a clipboard start walking their neighborhood boundaries? Join me, Jim Jansen, as I sit down with Father Jeff Loseke and Adam Stephenson from St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Gretna, Nebraska, to talk about how they took on neighborhood outreach. Instead of waiting for people to walk through their church doors, they exported their parish database into Google Maps and started showing up on front porches. From active parishioners and homebound seniors to those who haven't set foot in a church in decades, they found that personal connection opens doors to healing old wounds and bringing people back to the sacraments. Whether you're responsible for every soul within your parish boundaries or you simply want to be a better neighbor, this conversation will help you turn a walk down the street into an encounter with Jesus. Episode Timeline: [00:00] – Introduction [00:01:46] – Guest Introductions & St. Charles Borromeo’s Rapid Growth [00:07:59] – Moving from a "Mega-Parish" Mindset to Neighborhood Ministry [00:12:46] – Mapping Parishioners and Neighborhood Boundaries with Simple Tech [00:18:34] – The Routine: Door-to-Door Walks, Prayer Booklets, and Door Hangers [00:24:53] – Balancing Introversion vs. Extroversion in Doorstep Evangelization [00:29:54] – Training Parish Missionaries and Mobilizing Intercessors [00:32:30] – Starting the Fuse: Non-Threatening Bridges and Low-Barrier Invitations [00:44:31] – Fitting Neighborhood Outreach into the Overall Parish Mission & Clear Path [00:51:40] – Vision for the Future: Empowering Lay Responsibility and Local Presence [01:00:27] – Final Encouragements for Pastors, Staff, and Introverted Leaders Resources Mentioned St. Charles Borromeo Sent Evangelization The Art of Neighboring by Dave Runyon ⭐️ Enjoying the Show? If The EquipCast is helping you navigate the realities of parish leadership, please take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your review helps other tired ministry leaders find these tools and realize they don’t have to walk this path alone! Connect & Take the Next Step: Grab Your Free Tools: Get the playbook that actually changes lives at EverydayEvangelization.org. Bring This to Your Parish: Discover strategic training and accompaniment at Anchor Consulting. Read the Book: Order your copy of A Clear Path: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish. The EquipCast is powered by Everyday Evangelization in conjunction with Anchor Consulting, delivering practical evangelization strategies and parish ministry tools to help you leave your ministry better than you found it. Copyright © 2026 Anchor Consulting. All rights reserved.

The EquipCast is back! After a few months away, I am excited to kick off a new chapter for The EquipCast. In this quick 3-minute teaser, I share a bit of my own story from this past spring, express my deep gratitude to the Archdiocese of Omaha, and share where we are heading next. Moving forward, The EquipCast is an independent production powered by EverydayEvangelization.org. While the platform is new, our mission remains exactly the same. We are here to give you practical tools, honest conversations, and encouragement for the messy work of parish renewal. You don't have to carry the weight of ministry alone. 👉 Resources & Tools: Visit EverydayEvangelization.org to access specialized tools to help train your team and guide your church renewal strategy. Note: The EquipCast is an independent production powered by EverydayEvangelization.org and is no longer affiliated with the Archdiocese of Omaha.

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 talk honestly about what happens when we stop asking, “Can I afford this?” and start asking, “Lord, do I trust You?” This conversation is about freedom, healing our relationship with money, and discovering that God is already providing a way for His mission—and your yes—to be possible. [02:55] Peter’s faith journey [04:15] Facing support raising [06:03] Providence and stewardship [10:11] Trust dividends in mission [13:11] Healing through partnership [16:47] Economic downturn resilience [19:10] Biblical roots of support [22:19] Church history and laity [28:11] Apostolic times today [28:57] Why start Xavier Mission Fund [31:49] Spotting the Need [33:08] Launching Xavier Mission Fund [33:55] Growth and New Partnerships [35:29] Catholic Schools Vertical [38:09] Fair Pay for Teachers [42:25] Parish Roles and Admin Hurdles [46:14] Success Stories Fight Club Catholic [50:51] New Ministries and Priest Support [57:50] What Church Leaders Should Know [01:01:18] Call to Mission and Next Steps [01:03:58] How to Connect and Closing Check out Xavier Mission Fund. For more practical advice and experiences from real people sharing their mission with the world, go to https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/. A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com)

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. Until one extraordinary moment, when he gave everything to save his son Joseph. In this conversation, you’ll hear how a hidden life of prayer, love, and fatherhood prepared Tom for heroic sacrifice—and why his story is stirring hearts around the world today, even to the point that the Church is considering opening a cause for canonization. This is a story about love, courage, faith, and what it really means to live your life as a gift. [01:45] Chris’s faith journey [04:23] Introducing Tom Vanderwoude (Chris’s father) [09:00] Joseph is born (Down syndrome) [11:59] How Joseph changed the family [15:32] Cultural reflection on special needs & abortion [16:22] Tom’s philosophy: no limitations on Joseph [17:34] Tom gives his life for Joseph [23:20] Community response & funeral [26:17] Long term impact of Tom’s story [29:21] Possible cause for canonization [39:52] The Tom Vanderwoude Guild [44:21] How Joseph has been affected [45:51] Tom’s hidden life: prayer & marriage [50:44] Encouragement to take a leap of faith [51:41] How to connect & learn more Check out the Tom Vander Woude Guild. For more practical advice and experiences from real people sharing their mission with the world, go to https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/. A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com)