Description

Today’s episode is a new kind of episode. I plan during Season 3 to add Article Reviews and Book Discussions. Today is a solo episode where I share my three main takeaways from an article by Christian Smith, Sociologist at University of Notre Dame, on “Improving Catholic Homilies”.

Here’s a link to the Article: Improving Catholic Homilies, Part 2: Less Moralism, More Gospel

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

When it comes to speaking to Catholic audiences where does one BEGIN when preparing a talk? Where do you begin? I know too often I begin with: “have I given a talk on this topic before?” or “whats inspiring me lately?”. Again, nothing wrong with either of these, but are either of these the most important place to start? Well my guest today has some convictions around this question, and you’ve got to stick around to hear all about it.

Chika Anyanwu is a Catholic evangelist, former Confirmation coordinator/youth & young adult minister, and the author of "My Encounter: How I Met Jesus in Prayer" Her love of God and neighbor enthuses her to share the gospel through testimony, scripture, and honest conversations about the difficult realities of faith and life. She’s had the opportunity to evangelize at NCYC, Given, Steubenville youth conferences, FOCUS SEEK conferences, and The Catholic Feminist France pilgrimage. She’s also a contributor to Blessed Is She as well as “Connected” and “Venture: the Bible Timeline” by Ascension Press. Chika is a part of a beautiful Nigerian family, loves her coffee black, and desires sainthood for herself and you, although bad drivers challenge her sanctity!

Connect with Chika:

At her website: www.chika.church

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chikasworld?igsh=ZndkMXRycW9odWZo

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

Description

A powerful theme emerged throughout this conversation which was “how do you know when to pivot” from what’s been planned. AND HOW EXACTLY do you do it? This is one of the hardest skills to master for people new to giving talks in Catholic settings…and there are no hard/fast rules. In each instance…there is a judgment call made, sometimes in just a few seconds to STAY the COURSE or to PIVOT.

Brian Greenfield and I dig deep into this question. As you’ll see, it takes a whole lot of prayer, preparation, and humility to be confident in making a bold move in the middle of a talk - to go a different direction. Stick around..this is a good one.

Brian Greenfield was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and attended Seton Hall University and then attended Franciscan University of Steubenville. Brian later returned to Seton Hall to finish his studies in theology, receiving his MA in theology and another master’s degree in education leadership. Brian currently lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Genevieve, and three beautiful children. In addition to giving talks around the country at conferences large and small He serves at Jesuit High School, where he is the assistant principal for Discipline.

Connect with Brian’s speaking page here - https://willingevents.com/?profile=brian-greenfield

And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mission116/?hl=en

And X: https://x.com/mission116

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

Description

Today is episode 71, Quick Reactions from the Eucharistic Congress with Ennie Hickman.

So I was on the prowl from the moment I landed in Indianapolis until this morning, that was like 10 days ago, I was dead set on connecting with my guest today, my first ever guest on the podcast, any Hickman. And so I brought my stuff to Indianapolis, but that didn't work out to connect up our schedules were.

Wild and we didn't even see each other until the last night at about 11 PM. Um, so then we said, Hey, maybe we'll jump on the phone tomorrow. Can we record a podcast on a phone? Neither of us knew I found out that wasn't going to work very well. And so, and he's like, well, Hey, I'm going to Guatemala, uh, for the pilgrimage to beauty.

I'm like, that sounds amazing. He's like, but I'm not sure about the wifi. I'm like, well, that doesn't sound amazing. But anyway, we figured it out. We made it, there's no YouTube today. But, uh, Annie and I, after like five or six takes and some internet crashes and all of that, , we have cobbled together a great conversation.

And I've titled it quick reactions from the Eucharistic Congress, because it's just the quick reactions. There's nothing definitive here. In fact, I even love Annie's approach to this, this is way too early to begin to assess. And man, I, that's such good . Pushback because I am such a guy trying to analyze in the moment what's going on and what is it all gonna mean.

Maybe that's how you feel too, this was a landmark moment in the church, and I think it's gonna be one of those things that we look back at over many years and count it as. a turning point of sorts, uh, for the church as well in America. So love to hear your thoughts, love to connect on Instagram at Better Preach.

Please reach out to me at my website, ryanohara.org/BetterPreach. If you have any ideas or thoughts about the Congress, I'd love to hear what was your take.

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

Description

This has come up over and over again. You know, talking with people who experience a call and a desire to do more speaking in Catholic settings, either because it's part of their job in ministry with young people or their directors of faith formation, or their priests or deacons or whatever it might be.

But there's also this idea that what if additionally there may be other talks that I might be able to give in particular settings locally, nationally, regionally, again, whatever that might be. And how do I get started? This comes up all of the time. And in fact, it's something that we talk about quite a bit here on the podcast.

And so today I want to share some wisdom that I've learned along the way. This has been a 20 to 25 year journey for me. And just now, let's say like. After 25 years or so, I finally gone pro, like this is my job, podcasting, speaking, all that stuff. And, and so I have a little bit of experience to share about that.

I'd love to talk about my own experience, but I'm also really trying to bring the wisdom that I've encountered from the podcast around this question.

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.

Description

With every new generation, evangelists, preachers and teachers MUST ADAPT if we hope that this new generation will HEAR THE GOOD NEWS and wholeheartedly RESPOND to it’s promises. This week I sit down with someone who is serving, teaching, and preaching on the front lines at one of reaching Gen-Z.

Dr. Andrew Swafford is professor of theology at Benedictine College, where he teaches courses on Scripture, St. John Paul II, and the moral and spiritual life. Among his publications are his most recent, Gift and Grit: How Heroic Virtue Can Change Your Life and Relationships, AND A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament, What We Believe: The Beauty of the Catholic Faith, and Spiritual Survival in the Modern World: Insights from C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. He is an avid student of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and lives with his wife Sarah and their six children in Atchison, KS.

+ Check out Dr. Swafford's Website

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

Description

This week’s episode is a dream come true. From the first time I pressed record on the podcast till now, I have hoped to support everyday people working in the Church with giving talks - YMs, DREs, Deacons, Campus Ministers, etc.. And it’s happened! Today is proof positive. Not long after I started this Podcast, my guest today Nick Longo reached out to share his appreciation for the show and the growth in giving Catholic talks that he was seeing in his ministry.

And a few months back he said “I’d love to come on the show and talk about the impact it’s had on me!” And I was like - “heck yeah, let’s do it.” It was a fantastic conversation - in large part because of how honest and real Nick was about his growth as a speaker and digging in to what was really holding him back. I bet you’ll relate.

Born and raised in Central New York, Nick is a proud husband and father of three. By day, he is a director of evangelization and youth ministry in the Diocese of Syracuse, NY, and by night he is a Catholic speaker, podcaster, and writer. Listen to Nick’s podcast, This Catholic Life and follow on social @nickjameslongo.

He and his wife are also the founders of “Sent Parish”, a Catholic non-profit aimed at equipping Catholic leaders to make disciples. In fact, if you want to download his free e-book “Overcoming the Seven Deadly Sins of Parish Evangelization”, a link will be included in the show notes.

Social Handle: @nickjameslongo

Sent Parish Website: sentparish.com

Download the FREE E-Book: “Overcoming the Seven Deadly Sins of Parish Evangelization”

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

Description

Today is a special episode, because in the last year, about 12 months to be exact I took the biggest leap of faith of my life. It all came to pass at a four-day silent retreat last summer where Jesus invited me to “feed his sheep”, to leave SPO and the comfort of a steady paycheck, and GO full-time, preaching and teaching. Here were the words that I believe Jesus spoke to me that put the final nail in the coffin, of my discernment. “If you love me and for only as long as you love me, and only because you love me, feed my sheep and tend my lambs.”

Of course this was an invitation to two things, first primarily, was to be in close intimate relationship with JESUS, and then (and only then) would I be able to ‘feed and tend’; to speak, teach, and preach. But it wasn’t just a call “preach and teach” from a microphone, it was a call to care deeply for people in poverty, to literally feed the hungry, and tend to their very practical needs.

So today, I talk again with my good friend Connor all about it. Please note: We recorded this episode last December so if any of the time references seem off - that’s why!

Connect with Ryan’s Speaking page here - ryanohara.org/catholictalks

Links

For more information about the Better Preach Podcast visit: www.ryanohara.org/betterpreach

Better Preach Podcast is now on YouTube. Here’s a link to the channel.

Better Preach is a proud member of Spoke Street, a Catholic Podcast Network that amplifies the voice of the Creator through fostering content that invites.

Check out Ryan’s FREE course on “sharing your faith as a Catholic.”

Follow Ryan on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook

Join the Better Preach email list.

I made this podcast with help from Riverside FM. Want to try it out for your podcast? Here’s a link to get you started.