Advancing Our Church

Published: July 14, 2019

Making an impact on a Diocesan Development program takes time and expertise. How can spending more time out of the office help build a development strategy? What relationships should Diocesan and parish development officers cultivate? How can technology assist in development? This week, Jim Friend is joined by Scott Whitaker from the Diocese of Austin to discuss these questions and much more.

Additionally, Jim chats with Diana Curran, Senior Director for Changing Our World. Diana shares her background in educational advancement and the work she’s doing in the Diocese of Albany. We also learn about her 120-mile adventure through Zion’s National Park in Utah. Diana was recently named a CASE D1 Faculty All-Star and has received awards for creating innovative stewardship and fundraising programs and for her leadership. She speaks at conferences on many topics, including stewardship; fundraising; generational giving preferences and habits; negotiation; and women’s leadership. 

Scott Whitaker joined the Diocese of Austin in 2003 and is the Secretariat Director for Stewardship, Development, and Communications and Executive Director for the Catholic Foundation – Diocese of Austin. He oversees all areas of stewardship and development in the diocese. Scott’s focus areas are supporting parishes and schools in conducting capital campaigns, major gifts, planned giving, and endowment management. Scott is an active volunteer at his parish, St. Vincent de Paul, and his children’s schools.

Scott is a current board member of the Association of Former Yell Leaders at Texas A&M University, and he previously served on the International Catholic Stewardship Council Board of Directors and Hand to Hold, a non-profit that serves families enduring infant prematurity or loss. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and loves Aggie football. He and his wife, Kathryn, have six children, all attending Catholic schools in the diocese. If you have questions for Scott, he encourages you to contact him at (512) 949-2441, [email protected]

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Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: July 07, 2019

Summer Development Planning is an important time of year. What can your organization do differently for the 2019-20 fiscal year to raise more funds and meet the needs of your mission? Today, Jim Friend talks with Vanessa Dickerson and Fred Roberts, two of Changing Our World’s expert consultants, who share their experiences and recommendations. Some of the topics covered in our conversation include:

We hope today’s conversation on summer development planning will inspire you. Fred, Vanessa, and Jim enjoyed the opportunity to explore ideas to help your mission.  If you have any follow-up questions or comments about today’s discussion, you can leave them in the comments below or email [email protected].

Today’s guests: Fred Roberts is a Senior Director at Changing Our World. Fred brings over 20 years of fundraising experience to Catholic institutions nationwide. Vanessa Dickerson is a Director at Changing Our World. Prior to coming to CW, Vanessa was a Director at Ellis, Partners in Management Solutions, and a project manager for America Online.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: June 30, 2019

In this episode, Brian Crimmins (CEO of Changing Our World, Inc.) and Jim Friend travel to the Diocese of Rockville Centre. They meet with Bishop John Barres, Mark Ackermann, and retired business executive Larry Bossidy.  The conversation begins with strategic planning and focuses on how Catholic business people are needed to share their gifts with the work of the Church. The discussion includes how the principles of Larry’s best-selling book, “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” have been successfully adopted into the business of Church operations and planning. Lastly, we think you’ll enjoy the personal stories and dialogue that happens when each of the men shares something about their faith journey.

On December 9, 2016, Pope Francis named Most Reverend John Oliver Barres the fifth Bishop of Rockville Centre.  Bishop Barres came from the Diocese of Allentown, where he served since May 2009.

Mark Ackermann was recruited as the first President and CEO of the Catholic Community Foundation of Long Island in 2018. In his role, Ackermann is tasked with inaugurating the operations of the new Foundation. He is also tasked with establishing fundraising, investment, and distribution of its philanthropic resources for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Larry Bossidy is a Catholic businessman and retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Honeywell International Inc. Bossidy’s distinguished five-decade career includes executive positions at General Electric and as CEO of AlliedSignal. In 2002, Larry co-authored the best-seller “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” with Ram Charon. In the business world, Larry’s experience speaks for itself, but what we think you’ll find even more powerful is his commitment and service to the Church. 

We want to hear from you! There are many great stories of people and institutions advancing the mission of our Church today. Drop us a line and let us know about the excellent work you’re doing in Catholic Stewardship, Leadership, and Advancement. Email [email protected] or contact us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: June 23, 2019

Kolbe Academy will open in the fall of 2019 as the nation’s first Catholic high school for students battling addiction. The Diocese of Allentown announced the opening of Kolbe Academy on September 7, 2018, at a press conference at St. Francis Center for Renewal, Monocacy Manor, Bethlehem. In this episode, Jim Friend interviews Bishop Alfred A. Schlert, Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, Dr. Brooke Tesche, Chancellor of Education, and John Petruzzelli, the principal of Kolbe Academy.

The school is the brainchild of Dr. Tesche, who proposed the idea to Bishop Schlert. “Our goal is to do whatever it takes to give them the services they need,” said Tesche. “They need to learn how to live without drugs and alcohol in their lives. Faith is the critical element for their success. A key element in recovering is ‘surrendering.’ We can talk about it and explore it in a Catholic high school,” she said.

Update June 2023: Kolbe Academy closed this year due to challenges with enrollment. We believe this does not undermine the good work accomplished by the faculty and staff on behalf of the students they served. We wish them well and thank them for serving these young people.

There are many great stories of people and institutions advancing the mission of our Church today. With this in mind, Advancing Our Church wants to hear from you with the hope that we can share the excellent work you are doing. At the same time, you might also know about someone making a significant impact. Tell us about it by emailing [email protected] or by contacting us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: June 16, 2019

The 2019 Florida Stewardship Conference, which was held in May 2019 in Miami, was a tremendous success and as a result, we had the great opportunity to conduct a series of great interviews. Some of our guests included, but were not limited to Archbishop Wenski, Archbishop of Miami; Julianne Stanz, author and national speaker on Evangelization; and Fr. Leo Patalinghug, also known as the “cooking priest”. This week’s co-host is Anna Vallez, Senior Director at Changing Our World (CW). Anna talks with us about Stewardship and CW’s approaches to Stewardship with the Latino community. Anna’s enthusiasm, coupled with her experience in overseeing Stewardship initiatives, makes this an exciting podcast.

Staff Spotlight: This week, meet Gavan Mooney. Gavan is President and Chief Client Officer for Changing Our World. During Gavan’s interview, we discuss his inspired vision for our podcast and CW’s long and distinguished history of working with Catholic nonprofits, dioceses, parishes, hospitals and much more.

There are many great stories of people and institutions advancing the mission of our Church today. With this in mind, Advancing Our Church wants to hear from you with the hope that we can share the excellent work you are doing. At the same time, you might also know about someone making a significant impact. Tell us about it by emailing [email protected] or by contacting us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: June 09, 2019

This week we visit the home of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at their national headquarters in St. Louis. For over 175 the Society has served millions of people on the front lines through its 4,400 local conferences. The society serves 800,000 members worldwide, known as Vincentians. Their goal is to grow in holiness by building a more just world through personal relationships and service to people. In one year, 100,000 U.S. members in 4,400 local communities provided $3.4 billion worth of service to the poor. St. Vincent de Paul operated 435 thrift stores that produced $150 million in mission-related revenues. And spent $75 million running emergency, transitional and long-term housing programs.

During this episode, you will hear from members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, including Mr. David Barringer, CEO, Mr. Ralph Middlecamp, National President and Mr. Joseph Manogue, Chairman of the National Foundation. We know you’ll enjoy learning more about their amazing story.  

For more information about the St. Vincent de Paul Society, please visit their website at www.svdpusa.org. Please consider visiting their YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/user/SVdPUSA for some great video content. 

We are back! Today, Advancing Our Church relaunches as a podcast sponsored by Changing Our World! During our episode, we interview Mr. Brian Crimmins, CEO of Changing Our World and learn more about this exciting announcement.

There are many great stories of people and institutions advancing the mission of our Church today. With this in mind, our Podcast wants to hear from you with the hope that we can share the good work you are doing. At the same time, you might also know about someone who is making a big impact. Tell us about it by sending an email to [email protected] or contact us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: November 26, 2017

Today we focus on this idea of Catholic Social Entrepreneurship. A Social Entrepreneur uses the techniques of a start-up company to develop, fund, and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. Why not use those same techniques to tackle the issues of today’s Catholic Church? One great example of this concept is some of the work that is currently revitalizing Catholic education. We have to be open to the practices of the world in order to engage others in this mission. By engaging the laity in a healthy, constructive, and respectful way, we can find business solutions that further our ecclesial work. I hope you will join me for this very brief reflection.

I want to hear from you…

Please leave a comment!  Send me a quick email to [email protected]  or use the SpeakPipe app on this page and leave me a voicemail.

If you’d like to support the show, retweet our show or repost our episodes on Facebook.  You can follow our show on Twitter @AdvancePodcast or join our Facebook Group. Thank you for your support and prayers!

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: November 19, 2017

The Parable of the Talents

This week’s Gospel is the Parable of the Talents.  The Master of the house gave his three servants talents to share and grow while he was away. We know the story and how it fundamentally serves to remind us of the basic theology of Stewardship.  Everything we have is a gift from God, and we are called to serve each other and Him by sharing those gifts.

We all want to receive the same praise that the wise servants received from their master “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Sometimes God has a plan for us that we don’t fully recognize until we spend some time in prayer and discernment.  Today, I share a little personal reflection on my own career.  God called me to share talents that I didn’t expect.  Sometimes the life of a steward isn’t glamorous.  I have been called to haul trash, paint walls, and scrub floors in my ministry career.  All of this was necessary in order to advance the mission of our Church.

More to Come!

Please leave a comment!  Send me a quick email to [email protected]  or use the SpeakPipe app on this page and leave me a voicemail.

Please follow our show on Twitter @AdvancePodcast or join our Facebook Group. Thank you for your support and prayers! 

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: September 24, 2017

A Brief Stewardship Reflection
Today’s Podcast is a little different in that I reflect on humility and Stewardship.  This episode is about the fact that our focus on sharing our time, talent, and treasure should be about the mission and not “Who Gets the Credit.”  How many times in our lives have we felt as though we weren’t getting enough credit for something?  It’s an aspect of our humanity that we all deal with, and sometimes it can come out during stressful times.  Today’s reflection focuses on this week’s Gospel Reading which can be found on the USCCB website here. I also tie in a great story that Bishop Robert Barron shared on his podcast this week, which you can listen to it here.  Bishop Barron’s Podcast episode that I refer to is called “The Privilege of the Mission.“

I enjoyed everyone’s feedback last week as I introduced you to Faith in the Future.   I would love your feedback on today’s format and if you like what you heard.  Please leave a comment!  Send me a quick email to [email protected]  or use the SpeakPipe app on this page and leave me a voicemail.

Please follow our show on Twitter @AdvancePodcast or join our Facebook Group. Thank you for your support and prayers! 

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.

Published: September 19, 2017

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia signed a historic management agreement with the Faith in the Future Foundation in 2012. The contract granted oversight of 17 Catholic High Schools and four schools of Special Education.  Archbishop Chaput’s bold move engaged the laity in this first of a kind partnership that captured the attention of the entire country.  This episode visits Faith in the Future 5 years after the signing of the agreement. The podcast will offer an update on the progress, the challenges, and the road ahead.  Today’s show will offer various perspectives on this important milestone. You will hear from Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, Ed Hanway, Casey Carter and more. For more information about Faith in the Future, please visit their publications page.

July 2023 Update: After 10 years of service, the management agreement between Faith in the Future and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia ended in 2023.

Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the day. Click here to visit the YouTube Page and subscribe. If you would like to join the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook, click here to request to join.