Advancing Our Church

In celebration of Vocation Awareness Week, Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend invited Fr. Michael Zimmerman, who currently serves as assistant Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Boston and as an adjunct Scripture Professor at St. John’s Seminary. With the heart of a teacher, Fr. Michael was inspired to create a systematic discernment program for young men drawing from the wisdom that he received as part of his own formation. During the pandemic lockdown in May 2020, Fr. Michael scripted 27 episodes which are now part of a video series called Scivias. Filmed in a way that captures many of Fr. Michael’s own interests such as rock climbing, track and field, art, drawing, and of course the city of Boston. Fr. Michael hopes others can identify with his journey and recognize how pursuing God’s plan for their lives will fulfill their greatest desires.

Scivias

Know the Ways of the Lord is a one-of-a-kind video series that serves as a vocational discernment guide for men considering the priesthood. The series is written and narrated by Fr. Michael Zimmerman, Assistant Director of the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Boston. Designed to help young men recognize how pursuing God’s plan for their lives will fulfill their greatest desires, the 27-episode series was released in April 2021.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT SCIVIAS

“Thank you Father, this series has really helped me discern.”

“These videos are great. Thank you, and keep up the good work.”

“I am now exactly 10 years into my priesthood, praise be to God. I loved your video and will be looking forward to more. Subscribed!”

“I am a teen who’s leaving high school next year, and I hope this series will help with my discernment. Thank you!”

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Recorded: November 5, 2021

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious, and visionary team of consultants that strive to impact our Church and our world. We provide philanthropic counsel to parishes, Catholic Schools, Dioceses, and all types of Catholic nonprofits. Our work is a vocation, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information,

What are your year-end giving strategies? How will you close the calendar year and capitalize on the giving season? Jim Friend is joined by Lisa Quist, the new Executive Director of Mission Support and Chief Development Officer for the Franciscan Friars of Atonement. As the Executive Director, Lisa provides strategic leadership for their comprehensive multichannel fundraising program, which generates revenue that supports the ministries of the Friars. Prior to joining the Friars, Lisa served as the Chief Development Officer of the Edmundite Missions located in Selma, Alabama, where she led all of their philanthropic strategies that supported the Mission’s transformative life-saving and life-changing programs. Lisa is relatively new to her role and she also discusses what to focus on first as a new Development Director. Please join us for this informative discussion.

Friendly Notes

Friends,

Lisa Quist always brings great experience and knowledge to our conversations, I really enjoyed having her on the show this week. In my intro, I referenced Phillipians 2:6-8. The Word of Fire did an article that references John Paul II’s Law of the Gift “where we receive back true freedom and happiness when we give ourselves away in service and love” I think you’ll enjoy that article. I wish you blessings his week!

Best,

Jim

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious, and visionary team of consultants that strive to impact our Church and our world. We provide philanthropic counsel to parishes, Catholic Schools, Dioceses, and all types of Catholic nonprofits. Our work is a vocation, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information, please visit us at www.changingourworld.com.

This week we travel back to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to talk with Michelle Brown, the Chief Development Officer for the Independence Mission Schools (IMS). Michelle is responsible for raising more than $15M annually and overseeing communications, marketing, and public relations for the organization. Michelle brings 21 years of non-profit leadership experience in both fundraising and operational capacities, Michelle joined IMS in October 2019. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of Development at Mastery Charter Schools. AT MCS Michelle was responsible for overseeing fundraising strategy and implementation for a network of 24 urban public charter schools.

Independence Mission Schools (IMS):

IMS is an independent network of 15 Catholic schools providing a transformative Catholic education for students. IMS provides children of all faiths across the city of Philadelphia the opportunity to learn in a college preparatory environment. They assist students to grow in a culture of love, setting them on the path to a promising future.

Friendly Notes

I enjoyed speaking with Michelle this week and learning about her role at IMS. Next week, we’ll be talking more about year-end giving strategies with our guest, Lisa Quist. Also, happy All Saints and All Souls Day. I will remember your loved ones in my prayers this week. If you need prayer, please join our Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook. Click here to request to join. Also, if you would like to suggest a topic or guest for Advancing Our Church, please click here to send me an email. I’d love to hear from you! May God bless your ministry, Jim

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious, and visionary team of consultants that strive to impact our Church and our world. We provide philanthropic counsel to parishes, Catholic Schools, Dioceses, and all types of Catholic nonprofits. Our work is a vocation, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information, please visit us at www.changingourworld.com.

Catholic Healthcare Systems serve a unique mission in the community and never has the mission been more important than during the pandemic. Join our host, Jim Friend, and his special guest, Jim Choma, Vice President for Catholic Mission and Chief Development Officer for Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. Mr. Choma shares stories of community partnerships and the incredible outpouring of generosity that continues to support their mission through the pandemic.

About Saint Peter’s Healthcare Sytem

Keeping faith with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and guided by the Bishop of Metuchen, Saint Peter’s University Hospital is committed to humble service to humanity, especially the poor, through competence and good stewardship of resources. Saint Peter’s ministers to the whole person, body, and spirit, preserving the dignity and sacredness of each life. They are pledged to the creation of an environment of mutual support among their employees, physicians, and volunteers and to the education and training of healthcare personnel. They are witnesses in their community to the highest ethical and moral principles in pursuit of excellence and patient safety.

Friendly Notes from Jim: In today’s intro, I mentioned the titles of Saint Joseph and I challenged you to reflect on the one that speaks to you. I have listed those titles at the bottom of this page, so just scroll down. Send me a message and let me know the one that speaks to you or join our Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook where we have a poll posted in the group. Click here to request to join.

Also, if you would like to suggest a topic or guest for Advancing Our Church, please click here to send me an email. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for your continued prayers for our show!

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious, and visionary team of consultants that strive to impact our Church and our world. We provide philanthropic counsel to parishes, Catholic Schools, Dioceses, and all types of Catholic nonprofits. Our work is a vocation, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information, please visit us at www.changingourworld.com.

Titles of Saint Joseph

* Renowned offspring of David* Light of Patriarchs* Spouse of the Mother of God* Chaste guardian of the Virgin* Foster-father of the Son of God* Diligent protector of Christ* Head of the Holy Family* Joseph most just* Joseph most chaste* Joseph most prudent* Joseph m...

The Permanent Diaconate is a vital support to parish ministry. The Church calls men to serve as Ordained Deacons to be a sacramental sign of Christ to the world. Today we meet representative members of the Formation class in the Diocese of Allentown. They talk about the Deacon’s ministry, the process of Diaconate Formation, and how it has impacted their lives. Join Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend with guests Fr. Gene Ritz, Deacon Rick Lanciano, Von George, Bo Riley, and Pat Alba for this conversation.

Notes from Jim: In today’s intro, I mentioned the Kristin’s Crosses prayer group on Facebook. Click here to request to join. Also, if you would like to suggest a topic or guest, please click here to send me an email. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for your continued prayers for our show!

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious, and visionary team of consultants that strive to impact our Church and our world. We provide philanthropic counsel to parishes, Catholic Schools, Dioceses, and all types of Catholic nonprofits. Our work is a vocation, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information, please visit us at www.changingourworld.com.

Father Christopher Walsh, Pastor of Saint Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church, in Philadelphia joins this week’s podcast to discuss identifying and overcoming racism within ourselves and in our parish communities. Fr. Chris shares his experiences of providing pastoral service to a primarily black community and how together they have formed a vibrant and inclusive community. Fr. Chris also touches upon the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter, “Open Wide Our Hearts, the enduring call to love” and he discusses practical examples of how our minds and hearts can be converted. We invite you to join Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend for this important conversation.

Resources discussed in this episode:

Open Wide Our Hearts, the enduring call to love – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Saint Raymond of Penafort’s YouTube Channel

Just Faith Ministries

Fr. Christopher Walsh

Follow Fr. Chris on Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / LinkedIn

Father Chris is the Pastor of St. Raymond of Penafort Church in Philadelphia where he has served for 13 years. He is a professional consultant with the Saint John Vianney Center providing religious workshops and convocations for Clergy and Religious across the country. He serves priests throughout the United States and Canada in leadership formation through the Catholic Leadership Institute, he provides regular reflections on his parish’s YouTube Channel which is viewed throughout the country and he provides Spiritual Direction.

Prior to St. Raymond, he was the School Minister at Archbishop Wood High School as well as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Ransom. Raised in Chester County, he is a graduate of Bishop Shanahan High School, he has a B.A. in Sociology from Temple University and an M. Div.; M.A. in Systematic Theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Father Chris received training in the Spiritual Exercises at the Jesuit Center at Wernersville and has preached retreats and days of recollection throughout the country.

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated,

Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend speaks with Fr. Jim McDermott, SJ, a Jesuit priest, a writer, and editor for America Magazine. Fr. Jim writes about pop culture and our faith in Christ. During this conversation, Fr. Jim discusses his career as an editor, writer, and screenwriter and his experience of writing an op-ed this year about his life as a gay priest and the support he received from readers and his community after he wrote this article.

Father Jim McDermott, SJ is a writer from the suburbs of Chicago. Before coming to Los Angeles Jim did magazine journalism and improvisational comedy in New York; he also worked as an English teacher, drama coach and bus driver on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. While pulling out of a gas station he once scratched a brand new bus so deeply he cut completely through its steel shell. He was named “Bus Driver of the Year” and awarded a can opener by the school. (He wishes he was kidding.) He has also spent the greater part of a year working and wandering in Australia, and is more than slightly obsessed with Australian politics and football.

In addition to past studies in Literature (Marquette, Harvard) and Old Testament and Liturgy (Weston Jesuit School of Theology), Fr. Jim recently completed his MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. For the last three years, he interned in the development department of the AMC network and sold his first TV pilot.

Fr. Jim can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PopCulturPriest and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JimMcDermottSJ/ He writes a weekly newsletter on pop culture and spirituality; sign up at  tinyletter.com/jimmcd.

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Recorded September 28, 2021

Kristin’s Crosses

During this episode, Jim Friend talks about his wife’s ministry at www.KristinsCrosses.com. You can visit her YouTube Channel with over 50 prayer videos, follow her on Twitter or Facebook. Here is a sample of one of her videos, the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. All four mysteries and many more videos are listed on her YouTube channel.

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

How has the pandemic impacted Stewardship for Catholic organizations? What strategies are Catholic leaders implementing to navigate these uncertain times? How have donors stepped up in a meaningful way through the light of their faith? Join Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend as he discusses these questions and more with participants of this year’s International Catholic Stewardship Conference in Orlando, Florida. Jim’s guests include:

Patrick Miller, MPPA, Director of Advancement at St. Patrick Catholic High School 

Dr. Matt Buckley, Principal at St. Patrick Catholic High School

Kimberlee (Rainey) Riley, CAP®, President & CEO at The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida

David DiNapoli, Director of Development, Diocese of Portland

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious and visionary team, the work we do impacts our world – and the collective community within it – each day. For us, our work is a calling, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each one of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information, please visit us at www.changingourworld.com.

Looking to deepen your prayer life?

If your answer is “yes”, then Jim Friend’s wife, Kristin has the prayer channel for you. Visit www.kristinscrosses.com for daily inspiration, quotes, and scriptures. Check out Kristin’s YouTube Channel for daily prayer videos featuring today’s Gospel, reflections, rosary, and much more. Follow Kristin’s Crosses on Twitter and Facebook.

In December 2020, Dan Cellucci, CEO of the Catholic Leadership Institute, offered a compelling talk entitled “What If They Don’t Come Back?” What if Catholics who have been away during this pandemic simply do not return to Mass after the restrictions have been lifted? Dan’s predictions and the data collected by the Catholic Leadership Institute were correct. There is a growing apathy in our Church about the sacraments and returning to Mass and many parishioners have simply not returned. Dan’s talk becomes the discussion starter for today’s podcast. Dan offers ideas for identifying the issues and simple strategies to welcome and engage parishioners. The question we will tackle today is, “How Do We Bring them Back?” Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend hosts Dan for this compelling and informative discussion.

About Dan Cellucci

Dan Cellucci is CEO of Catholic Leadership Institute, an apostolate providing leadership training and consulting to more than 250 bishops, 3,500 priests, and over 25,000 deacons, religious and lay leaders in more than 100 dioceses.

Prior to his election as CEO, Dan served as Senior Vice President for Catholic Leadership Institute, working as the primary liaison with bishops and overseeing the apostolate’s marketing and services. Dan is a sought-after advisor, consultant, and presenter for the Church, playing a lead role in projects in the Archdioceses of Miami and Boston as well as the Diocese of Pittsburgh and at the North American College.

Dan oversees research associated with Catholic Leadership Institute’s Disciple Maker Index, a parish survey tool that seeks to help pastors and pastoral leaders focus their efforts toward evangelization. In just five short years, the Disciple Maker Index has reached over 400 parishes and 100,000 Catholics. Working with this incredible data and more than 25 years of field experience, Dan and the team have recently embarked on an ambitious plan to define what the Next Generation Parish looks like in the next 10 years.

Dan and his wife Tricia are the proud parents of four children and live in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Watch the video presentation of this discussion

Recorded September 10, 2021

Changing Our World, Inc.

Changing Our World proudly offers the Advancing Our Church Podcast as an ongoing thought leadership series designed to further the mission of the Catholic Church through evolving discussions on stewardship, leadership, and advancement. We hope you find these podcasts educational and informative.

Who is Changing Our World? We are a dedicated, curious and visionary team, the work we do impacts our world – and the collective community within it – each day. For us, our work is a calling, one through which we pull the common thread of societal change. Each one of us wants to do more good in the world and, for decades, we have been able to do just that through the power of philanthropy.  

For more information, please visit us at www...

Join Changing Our World‘s Jim Friend as we celebrate the 100th Episode of Advancing Our Church with his special guest, Fr. Benjamin Roberts, author of the new book on homiletics, The Voice of the Bridegroom. Fr. Roberts discusses his story of conversion, the artistic renovations made to his parish at Our Lady of Lourdes, Monroe, NC, his new book, and his devotion to St. Dymphna. Fr. Roberts shares his own personal journey on how the priest’s spousal relationship with a parish can create connectivity that impacts a priest’s homily and his ministry.

Fr. Benjamin Roberts is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Monroe, NC, holds a doctorate in preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, he serves as an Adjunct Professor of Theology for Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and the author of the new book, The Voice of the Bridegroom.

You can find Fr. Roberts on Twitter @Fr_benjamin, watch the interview we discussed on the Catholic TV Network where he shares the artistic renovations to his parish or watch his interview on Good Catholic where he discusses his devotion to St. Dymphna the patron saint of anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s, and every other mental illness. Join Fr. Roberts for a tour of the artwork that was installed at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, in English or in Spanish or listen to Fr. Robert’s Homilies by visiting his page on Podbean.

The Book: The Voice of the Bridegroom

Preaching is a relational act. This book explores the relationship between the preacher and the assembly as a spousal relationship. Written by a parish pastor with a doctorate in preaching and rooted in the Roman Catholic notion of the priest as the bridegroom of the church, this work examines characteristics of the spousal relationship between husband and wife and then provides an analysis of the ministerial priesthood through this nuptial lens. This nuptial reflection on the ministerial priesthood is then applied to preaching. This book presents a nuptial hermeneutic or vision for preaching and the implications of this vision for the assembly, the preacher, the homily, and the homiletical method. The appendices include a one-page strategy for preaching summarizing the homiletical method, a rubric for homily evaluation by members of the assembly, and two sample homilies. Buy it on Amazon....