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Advancing Our Church
Advancing Our Church episodes
- 1. A Rebuilt Parish
Published: April 16, 2017
It’s our first episode! Join Jim Friend as he visits with parishioners at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland, and their pastor, Fr. Michael White, and the Director of Finances, Brandon Hollern. In 2013 Fr. White and Michael Corcoran wrote the very popular book Rebuilt: The Story of a Catholic Parish. Since then, their story has captured the imaginations of parishes all around the country who are learning how this parish of 1,200 turned into a parish that serves 4,000 people on the weekend and how they raised over $12 million towards a major expansion project to serve their congregation.
This is part one of our two-part episode, which includes interviews with Fr. White, Brandon and parishioners Tony, Beth, Jen, and Elizabeth. Jim was so grateful and inspired to attend Mass and participate in what they call the “weekend experience” during Ministry Weekend.
Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”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.
30 min - PreviewOur Preview Episode!
Published: April 06, 2017
Please enjoy this brief Preview Episode of our new podcast, which includes clips from various interviews conducted in recent weeks. Please subscribe on iTunes and watch for our premiere episode on April 17, 2017. Our mission is to support the Catholic Church by providing stewardship and advancement content. We envision a Catholic community that is fully engaged in the life and mission of our Church and helped through an abundance of resources that promotes Jesus Christ in the world. Advancing Our Church will focus each season on a particular success or even a challenge in the field of Stewardship or Advancement. We aspire to speak with leaders in Arch/Dioceses, parishes, Catholic schools, foundations, benefactors, and many more. Guest hosts will join the show to bring their expertise, experiences, and perspectives on topics that promote the growth of the Catholic Church.
Our show will share best practices, success stories and spark the imagination of those who are attempting to engage the Church. By sharing best practices, we all learn from each other and together we will advance the mission of our Church.
Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”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.
5 min - 137. U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human TraffickingToday we welcome Katie Boller Gosewisch, the Executive Director of the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, which was founded in 2013 by a group of Catholic Sisters who were committed to ending human trafficking and supporting survivors. They’ve created a national network of resources and support made up of 110 congregations of women religious, and another 70+ individuals and groups spread throughout the United States. They are also a member of a much larger global network, Talitha Kum, which is an international network of consecrated life working to end human trafficking.Katie brings over 20 years of experience and great skill to her role, having served as the Executive Director for two Minnesota-based nonprofits: Living at Home Network and WeCab, both of which focused on serving vulnerable populations with important access to resources like transportation, safe and affordable housing, and medical care. I think you’ll find during this conversation that Katie is a committed and vision-driven professional. She holds a Master of Arts in Systematic Theology from St. John’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and History from St. Mary’s University.During the show, Katie shares about the Bark App, which monitors text messages, YouTube, emails, and 30+ different social networks for potential safety concerns, so busy parents can save time and gain peace of mind.Many thanks to our show’s sponsor, Changing Our World.Watch the Video Presentation of this DiscussionRecorded: May 11, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and his family 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.37 min
- 136. Tom Quinlan – Parish EvangelizationToday we will be talking about Evangelization with our special guest Tom Quinlan. As Catholics, we are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel and share the love of Christ with others. This is what evangelization is all about, and it’s a crucial aspect of our faith. Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of evangelization, calling on all Catholics to be missionary disciples and to go out to the peripheries to share the joy of the Gospel. But what does evangelization mean, and how can we do it effectively in our modern world? In this episode, we’ll explore these questions and more as we discuss the vital role of evangelization in the Catholic Church. In this episode, one resource that Tom discusses is Divine Renovation. Here is a link to their ministry.Tom Quinlan has served in parish, diocesan, and national catechetical leadership roles for nearly 30 years. He has served on Catholic boards: National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, Paulist Evangelization Ministries, and now, Alpha in a Catholic Context. He has spoken in dioceses and conferences throughout the country, including at Franciscan University and the LA Religious Education Congress. Tom is the author of three books, two on the Eucharist and one on catechetical leadership (Excellence in Ministry: Best Practices for Successful Catechetical Leadership). His style strives to bring spirituality, theological reflection, and pastoral application into synergy. He lives in the Des Moines (Iowa) area with his wife and two boys, where he directs the St. Joseph Evangelization Center and serves 24 parishes in the region. Tom welcomes hearing from Church leaders and can be contacted through LinkedIn or via email.This episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldA big thank you to Podastery Studies for producing this episode.Watch the video presentation of this discussion.Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and his family 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.50 min
- 135. Dr. Laura Sicola – Speaking to Influence in our ChurchWe’re pleased to have Dr. Laura Sicola on the podcast this week because communication is a common thread in the work of Advancing Our Church. Laura talks with us about communicating through storytelling, using common and accessible language with our audiences, and she touches on crisis communications. Laura also speaks about the importance of aligning our verbal messaging with our nonverbal cues, how to motivate and mobilize a board through your meetings (telling the story of the numbers), what vocal fry is, tips on Lectoring, tonality, the importance of using the right microphone and much more.Laura Sicola is a leadership communication and influence expert, speaker, and author of Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice. Laura is the founder of Vocal Impact Productions in Philadelphia, PA, and is known for her coaching and live on-camera training that turns executives into confident, inspiring leaders, whether on stage, on camera or just on the phone in order to get the results they want and make a positive, lasting impact. Check out Laura’s podcast “Speaking to Influence” on iTunes, YouTube or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.Vocal Impact Producations: https://speakingtoinfluence.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drlaurasicola/Twitter: @laurasicolaThis episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldWatch the video presentation of this discussion.Recorded: March 20, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and his family 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.45 min
- 134. Andy Lesnefsky – Vagabond MissionsWe welcome Andy Lesnefsky, the President of Vagabond Missions, a national organization that shares the Gospel with inner-city teens by equipping young adults to serve as Catholic missionaries. Since 2018, Vagabond Missions has quadrupled its footprint by opening missions in 4 new cities. Vagabond has staff serving inner-city teenagers in Pittsburgh, Wichita, Steubenville, Mobile, Oklahoma, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Greenville, NC.This episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldWatch the video presentation of this discussion.Recorded March 7, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and his family 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.27 min
- 133. COVID-19’s Impact on U.S. Catholic Parish GivingA partnership between ACS Technologies and Villanova University’s Center for Church Management in the Villanova School of Business examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on church giving. With over 1000 U.S. Catholic parishes participating nationwide, the findings were revealing. Join Jim Friend and ACS Technologies’ Terry Poplava to learn about the far-reaching implications for our Church. For more information, download the full report.This episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldWatch the video presentation of this discussion.Recorded: February 15, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and his family 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.27 min
- 132. Dr. Matthew Whelan – Caldwell UniversityJim Friend speaks with Dr. Matthew Whelan, the ninth president of Caldwell University and the first male lay president in Caldwell’s history. Prior to joining Caldwell, Dr. Whelan served as Vice President for University Enrollment Strategy and Relationship Development at Stony Brook University, where he held a variety of key leadership roles in undergraduate and graduate admissions, financial aid, registrar, enrollment management, student services, fundraising, facilities and, strategic planning for several campuses. President Whelan has expansive experience leading administrative and faculty teams at Catholic and public higher education institutions, including St. John’s University, Hofstra University, William Paterson University, and Mercyhurst College.Dr. Whelan has held a number of positions on national higher education boards and associations; he has presented nationally and internationally on issues impacting higher education, coached a women’s soccer team to an NCAA Division II Final Four appearance, and taught graduate students in higher education administration. He holds a master’s degree from William Paterson University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Dowling College in Shirley, New York. Today, we’ll talk about his native home of Denville, New Jersey, where he grew up in a family of eight children. Dr. Whelan and his wife, Kathy, have three daughters and a three-year-old border collie named Lucy.This episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldWatch the video presentation of this discussion.Recorded February 10, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers.” Jim and his family 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.34 min
- 131. David Savage, Executive Director of The Papal FoundationJim Friend speaks with David Savage, Executive Director of The Papal Foundation, whose mission is to serve the Holy Father and the Roman Catholic Church through faith, energy, and financial resources. In this role, David leads the organization’s focus on addressing Pope Francis’ priorities to build the Church, educate and prepare leaders, and care for the most vulnerable people, young and old, around the world. Dave brings his business acumen and, most notably, his passion for his Catholic faith to this critical mission. Founded in 1988, the Papal Foundation has awarded more than $190 Million in grants and scholarships to underserved communities and dioceses worldwide.This episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldWatch the video presentation of this discussion.Recorded January 31, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers”. Jim and his family 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.27 min
- 130. The Four Ways Forward, Becoming an Apostolic Parish in a Post-Christian WorldAn increasingly post-Christian world is forcing parishes to re-envision how they “make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). Jim Friend speaks with Susan Windley-Daoust, theologian and director of missionary discipleship for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in southern Minnesota, who provides a roadmap to pastors and parish staff to make sense of it all through her new book, The Four Ways Forward, Becoming an Apostolic Parish in a Post-Christian World. The book describes how Pastors and lay leadership must pivot to building up mission-first parishes equipped to proclaim the Gospel to those who have not heard it — all while the numbers of practicing Catholics fall with increasing speed.This episode is sponsored by: Changing Our WorldWatch the video presentation of this discussion.Recorded: January 16, 2023Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses”Join Jim Friend and his family on Kristin’s Crosses’ YouTube Channel for “Today’s Catholic Prayers”. Jim and his family 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.47 min
About Advancing Our Church
From the publisher's feed
The Advancing Our Church Podcast was established in 2017 to contribute to the ongoing dialogue around best practices and education on Catholic Stewardship, leadership, and Advancement. Since then, the…
podcast has evolved into topics such as evangelization, finance, and even Bitcoin. The podcast’s mission is to advance the mission of Jesus Christ in all ways we serve Him as a Church.