“I go back to the Gospels a lot . . .the more I encounter Jesus in the Gospels I encounter someone who is certainly not afraid of conflict and not afraid of tension because He saw it as an opportunity for growth.” –Kristin Bird
Episode Summary: Deacon Keith, Executive Director of M3 Ministries, and Kristin Bird, Executive Director of Burning Hearts Disciples, and Rachel Espinoza, Editor and Liturgical Training Consultant at LTP, explore the reality of conflict within parish life and discuss ways to navigate through it and strategies for creating an environment for healthy, instructive conflict.
Key Topics:
Catchup (0:56)
Vatican Website Hacked (6:55)
Introduction to the Topic of Conflict (11:30)
Conflict in Parish Life (13:13)
Conflict as Misalignment of Expectations (15:17)
Healthy vs Unhealthy Conflict (16:54)
Examples of Healthy Conflict (29:40)
Self Knowledge & Team Awareness as Tools for Healthy Conflict (39:42)
Creating Environments for Healthy Conflict (50:06)
Need to Talk?
If you have an ongoing conflict at your parish that you would like to talk to us about, or if you have questions about evangelization or parish renewal, just reach out to us:
“You are never going to fail if you do something that builds trust.” —Rachel Espinoza
Episode Summary: Deacon Keith, Executive Director of M3 Ministries, and Kristin Bird, Executive Director of Burning Hearts Disciples, and Rachel Espinoza, Editor and Liturgical Training Consultant at LTP, discuss how to help walk with others through the thresholds of pre-discipleship conversion. They explore each of the thresholds, discuss what folks at each threshold might need, and share some practical advice on how to help others move through these key moments in their journey toward an intentional relationship with Jesus.
Key Topics:
Spring Sports in Wisconsin (Timestamp 1:14)
Introduction to the Pre-Discipleship Thresholds (6:19)
What are Thresholds? (11:30)
The Threshold of Trust (19:47)
The Threshold of Curiosity (38:12)
The Threshold of Openness (49:55)
The Threshold of Seeking (62:00)
Implications of Thresholds for Parish Life and Evangelization (73:00)
Need to Talk?
If you have questions about evangelization or parish renewal, just reach out to us:
“We have to ask ourselves this question: Am I as passionate about this person’s spiritual fullness . . . as I am excited about what they can do in all these areas of ministry I am involving them in. —Rachel Espinoza
Episode Summary: Deacon Keith, Executive Director of M3 Ministries, and Kristin Bird, Executive Director of Burning Hearts Disciples, and Rachel Espinoza, Director of Family Faith Formation & Evangelization for St. Clement Parish talk about how to nurture the disciples that you have in the parish–especially in the early days of parish renewal when this small band of men and women get called on to handle a disproportionately large amount of the work necessary to move forward with renewal.
Key Topics:
Visiting Othewr Parishes (Timestamp 6:30)
Introduction to Topic (10:21)
Critical Distinction Between Engaged Parishioners and Disciples (16:05)
Causes of Disciple Burnout (25:25)
Importance of Charism Discernment to Avoid Burnout (34:05)
Obstacles to Creating Shallow Entry Points for Parishes (42:20)
Examples of Leadership and Disciple Discernment (49:00)
Warning Signs of Burnout (58:29)
Investment and Accompaniment to Prevent and Deal with Burnout (61:09)
Need to Talk?
If you think you are burning out and need someone to talk to, just reach out to us:
“If we are honest . . . we don’t love people enough! —Rachel Espinoza
Episode Summary: Deacon Keith, Executive Director of M3 Ministries, and Kristin Bird, Executive Director of Burning Hearts Disciples, and Rachel Espinoza, Director of Family Faith Formation & Evangelization for St. Clement Parish explore the critical importance of “shallow entry points,” ways in which parishes can help those who are disconnected from Christ and His Church be introduced to Jesus and the Christian community in non-threatening and welcoming ways.
Key Topics:
1000 Hours Outside Update (Timestamp 6:48)
Meeting People Where They are at as a Parish—Shallow Entry Points (10:21)
Shifting to a More Individualized Approach (16:40)
What Do Shallow Entry Points Look Like? Examples. (25:25)
Changing Perspective: Shallow Entry Points Shouldn’t All Be at the Parish (37:50)
Obstacles to Creating Shallow Entry Points for Parishes (42:20)
Breaking Through the Obstacles (48:55)
What are Some of the Fruits of Using a Shallow Entry Point (52:00)
Resources Mentioned
Sustainable Children’s Ministry: From Last-Minute Scrambling to Long-Term Solutions: https://amzn.to/2RspRFL
“All of us are charged with that. It’s not a committee’s job; it’s not your pastor’s job. Everyone of us has to be a person of radical hospitality” —Jane Angha
Episode Summary:
In this episode Rachel, Kristin, and Deacon Keith explore the nature of radical hospitality with Jane Angha, Executive Director of Ministry Blueprints, an apostolate that works with parishes and dioceses to help them live and minister in a more hospitable way. Want to learn how your parish can embrace radical hospitality in practical ways? Then tune in!
Key Topics:
How Jane Got Started Focusing on Radical Hospitality (Timestamp 9:20)
What Do We Need to Get Started on the Radical Hospitality? (14:09)
Why is Radical Hospitality Essential in Parish Life? (16:45)
Growing a Heart for the Outsider (31:19)
Helping Parishes Get Through the Overwhelm in Starting (39:15)
Connecting Secular Best Practices of Hospitality to Jesus (52:18)
Jane lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and is the Director of Ministry Blueprints. Jane has mentored and trained youth and young adult leaders for 20 years. She has a bachelor of science in secondary education and religious studies from the University of Wisconsin, and a Master in Theology from St. Norbert College, DePere, Wisconsin. Jane has worked with non-profits, congregations, and dioceses to create new models of ministry and provide innovation workshops and processes to schools and faith communities. In her spare time, Jane loves to write hike, cook, and try out Pinterest DIY projects.
“If the only time that people participate in the works of mercy is in the four walls of the parish, then we are not living our life as parish correctly!” —Kristin Bird
Episode Summary:
Deacon Keith, Executive Director of M3 Ministries, and Kristin Bird, Executive Director of Burning Hearts Disciples, and Rachel Espinoza, Director of Family Faith Formation & Evangelization for St. Clement Parish try to cut through the buzzwords and talk about what parish renewal really looks like? How can we tell if our parish is truly being renewed? How can we avoid dead ends and wasting our time?
Key Topics:
Rachel’s Experience in Ministry and Parish Renewal (Timestamp 10:00)
Single Biggest Obstacle to Parish Renewal—Rachel’s Perception (22:40)
Brief Discussion on the Pastor’s Role in Parish Renewal (25:00)
