November 20, 2025

134| Forming Missionary Disciples| ft. Jason Simon, Evangelical Catholic

52 minutes

Jason Simon shares his journey from an evangelical Protestant upbringing to entering the Catholic Church—and ultimately leading Evangelical Catholic. He unpacks what “missionary discipleship” really means (hint: it’s not a buzzword), why true formation begins in communion (small, deep relationships), and how parishes of any size can build a replicable, dialogical process that sends everyday Catholics into mission at work, at the gym, and across their neighborhoods. Jason also offers a powerful “glory story” from Iowa that shows communion naturally spilling over into life-saving mission.

Evangelical Catholic: evangelicalcatholic.org

Contact Jason: [email protected]

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Key Highlights

From Protestant to Catholic: How family witness, Scripture devotion, and one-to-one mentoring opened Jason to the Church.

Mutual enrichment: Why Protestants often mirror back Catholic “impoverishments” (Scripture, preaching, worship) and how Catholics offer sacramental/liturgical depth in return.

Missionary discipleship ≠ cliché: A robust, heroic vision inspired by Evangelii Gaudium—formed laity sent into secular culture with love, zeal, and prudence.

Formation flows from communion: Real formation happens in small groups / micro-groups / one-on-one, not large lectures.

A replicable pathway: Communion → plan/curriculum → dialogical learning → daily prayer → bi-weekly one-on-ones → discern the who before the what.

Glory story (Des Moines): A “baby believer” in a dads’ group reaches out—prompting a conversation that literally saves a life.

Any parish can start: Rural or suburban, staff or no staff—assemble a small formation team and prioritize a repeatable process.

Pastors’ role: Preach to awaken desire (not compulsion), make the “hot” disciples hotter, and trust them to accompany the lukewarm.

Chapters with Timestamps

00:00 — Welcome & guest intro (Jason Simon, Evangelical Catholic)

00:18 — Jason’s story: evangelical roots, Catholic conversion, mentor, and EC leadership

03:27 — Protestant strengths, Catholic riches & “mutual impoverishment”

06:36 — Family witness: lectionary after dinner & proactive evangelizing at home

10:13 — What is “missionary discipleship”? A robust, heroic vision

15:24 — Depth first: relentless relationships, learning the “language” of secular life

19:08 — Formation that starts in communion (small groups & real friendship)

21:30 — Plan + pedagogy + dialogue: why conversation forms people

24:24 — The formation rhythm: weekly meetings, daily prayer, one-on-ones

27:45 — Discern the who before the what—and support the missionary

28:45 — “Glory stories” from Iowa—communion spilling into mission

34:24 — Rural vs. suburban: different constraints, shared opportunity

37:30 — First steps for overwhelmed parishes: build a small formation team

40:20 — Pastors: preach to awaken desire for holiness & mission

43:44 — Preach to the disciples; let them accompany the lukewarm

46:27 — Vision casting: missionary disciples on the pastor’s team

47:27 — How to connect with Evangelical Catholic & closing

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missionary discipleship, catholic small groups, parish renewal, Evangelical Catholic, Jason Simon, Evangelii Gaudium, catholic evangelization, forming disciples, lay apostolate, Rebuilt Parish podcast, parish coaching, catholic leadership, catholic preaching, pastoral strategy

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