Ascension Roundtable (your Catholic Ministry Podcast)

Jeff Cavins grew up Catholic, but he left the Church at age 18, eventually becoming a protestant pastor. Some years later, he returned to the Catholic faith, bringing with him a lot of practical insight from his time in the protestant community. In this interview, he shares some of those insights, emphasizing how the Catholic Church can better share the fullness of the faith by learning from practical techniques used by our protestant brothers and sisters. He also reminds us never to take the richness of our Catholic faith for granted.

In the third episode of our miniseries on evangelization, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio shares how Christian hospitality and the witness of Catholic community are among the most powerful, yet under-played, instruments of evangelization in the life of the Church. Tune in for tips to help you cultivate a hospitable parish, make space in your life for others, and create community within your imperfect home.

If we want to evangelize, we need to rediscover something that the Early Christians knew very well—that telling stories about how Christ has transformed our lives is what will catch people’s attention. So how do we build a Catholic culture where testimonies play a central role? Tune in to the second episode in our miniseries on Evangelization to hear Dr. Italy’s wisdom on this topic and get practical tips to help you start incorporating more testimony into your ministry.

In this episode, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio (aka Dr. Italy) puts the New Evangelization into the context of the ups and downs of our Catholic story. The early Christians grew from a group of 120 at Pentecost to 10% of the Roman empire in about 300 years. How did they do it? Dr. Italy discusses this and other key times in Church history, explaining how the New Evangelization is and isn’t so new.

Today we interview Brice Sokolowski from Catholicfundraiser.net. He’s going to tell you why you should fundraise (hint—it’s not just about the money), and how you can avoid common Catholic fundraising pitfalls.

Jake Samour worked as rocket scientist. He lived in a big house and drove a nice car. So why did he give it all up to take a job in Catholic ministry? Twenty-five years later, he tells his story. Stay tuned to hear Jake give you the advice he wishes he’d gotten when he was just starting out in Catholic ministry. Thinking of someone who would make a good guest on the Ascension Roundtable? Shoot us an email at ascensionroundtable@ascensionpress.com. And if you have 30 seconds, please rate and review us in iTunes (OK...it might take you a full minute—can you spare it?).

We’ve all heard the complaint, “I could be Catholic if it weren’t for (insert unpopular Church teaching). In this episode, Colin and Marisa break down where this resistance often comes from and discuss how to engage with those people in a disarming and fruitful way. Tune in, and when you're done listening, send us an email at ascensionroundtable@ascensionpress.com to tell us what's worked for you when it comes to tackling tough topics.

Let’s face it— most of us working in ministry don’t have a large operating budget, so we get creative when it comes to executing our missions. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Stay tuned to hear our hosts share different methods you can start using today to address this challenge in your ministry.

In our last episode, Colin and Allen tackled three issues often faced when building a ministry team. In this episode, they’re going to talk about how to develop, disciple, and sustain your team so that you can maximize their potential.

In this episode, Colin and Allen troubleshoot three issues often faced when building a ministry team: 1. “I can’t find anyone to help me” 2. The people who have stepped up aren’t the right people for the job”, and 3. I’ve got a great people, but my team comes across as “clicky” to other people who want to join.”

What do Our Lady of Guadalupe, Apple, and Anthem Philly have in common? In this episode, we talk to Megan and Jacob, directors of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and they tell us why they went through a rebranding process, why they chose a new name, and how this process is rooted in their mission to create intentional disciples. Even if you are not involved in youth or young adult ministry, this interview will help you think about how your ministry builds trust with the people you serve.

We’ve mentioned discipleship in past episodes, but we’ve never fully explained what we mean when we use the term, and we’ve also never made an argument as to why your adult ministry can only succeed when a discipleship model is at its core.

The Easter Vigil Mass is a powerful and exciting time in the life of the Church. But sometimes we can forget that RCIA doesn’t end when the Easter vigil closes—it continues with a special time called mystagogy, where the newly initiated are brought deeper into the sacramental life. It’s essential that we take mystagogy very seriously, because if we don’t, those who are newly planted in the Faith will have a hard time staying rooted. Tune in for tips to take your neophytes to the next level.

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Director of the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth, shares an inside view about his experiences in these ministries. He also tells us how he manages his time according to the demands of his vocation—something I think all of us in ministry could benefit from hearing. In the second part of the show, he talks about how, as a Church, we can do a better job approaching sacramental prep as a valuable opportunity for evangelization. Find the shownotes at http://ascensionpresents.com/ar11. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their view

How can you help people forgive? When do you refer someone to seek professional help to deal with certain psychological suffering? How can the Catholic community better serve those who are hurting? This episode is Part II of our interview with Catholic Psychologist Dr. Greg Bottaro. If you want to understand more about what Dr. Greg means by "Catholic Mindfulness," go to http://mindspirit.com/the-present-moment-a-christian-approach-to-mindfulness/. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their views and not necessarily those of Ascension.

This episode is Part 1 of our interview with Catholic Psychologist Dr. Greg Bottaro. In this segment, Dr. Greg discusses how those in Catholic ministry can approach their work with full presence of mind and a healthy perspective. He also shares tips for evangelization from a psychologist's perspective. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their views and not necessarily those of Ascension.

There are a lot of you out there who haven’t had a chance to learn about Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, or you’ve heard about it, but you’re not sure how it can help you in your ministry. So, we decided to do a show about it, and we invited Jason Evert, an expert on the topic, to join us. In this interview with Jason, he’s going to explain how the TOB is a roadmap we can use to help people discover their purpose in a society that is very confused. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their views and not necessarily those of Ascension.

It’s one things to reach young people in the context of a youth group, where things are more casual and there’s no pressure on them “to perform.” But things are very different in the classroom, when grades and school drama can be at play. Stay tuned to hear strategies that Tom and Colin have used in their classrooms to evangelize their students. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their views and not necessarily those of Ascension.

Have you ever felt like God is trusting you with more than what you can handle? Last episode, Tom and Allen talked about how the cost of being a disciple in ministry can feel overwhelming at times. In this episode, they offer three reasons why God lets us be tested beyond what we think we can handle. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their views and not necessarily those of Ascension.

When you work in ministry, the job is never done. So how do you make yourself hit “pause” on your to-do list and take some time for prayer? Tom, Colin, and Allen share their personal struggles with this inner tension, and then they share what’s worked in their lives to help them ground their ministry work in a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Disclaimer: At Ascension, we are fully committed to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic faith. We also love that while adhering to certain unchangeable truths, Catholics of goodwill can hold and express an abundance of different perspectives and opinions. We want this podcast to be a forum where an open and candid exchange of these views can occur. As such, the views expressed by the guests on our show are their views and not necessarily those of Ascension.