Divine Renovation Podcast

On our second last podcast of the season we’re joined by someone that's been integral in the development of our ministry. Church Consultant Brent Dolfo joins Dan O’Rourke, Father James Mallon, and Rob Currie to discuss how to help people move forward and survive the difficult and important path of parish renewal. Director of the Leadership, Brent worked with Father Mallon in the early days of Divine Renovation and his insight into building up leaders through teams was very important to the formation and growth of our ministry. We discuss how to build complimentary teams and give them the space to do their best. Brent offers some insight into some of the patterns he sees among pastors in the Catholic Church, how we can build on what works, and address what doesn’t. As a leader, pastor or otherwise, this is an excellent conversation for those looking to build great teams within their parish.

This week on the podcast, Dan O’Rourke leads a conversation with Ron Huntley and Father James Mallon on the topic of leadership, especially as it relates to ministries within the parish. The team explains the surprising reasons that delegation might not always be the best thing for a parish team and how to make sure you’ve got the right people in the right places. The team also offers insights into how to help leaders take ownership of their ministry. Whether you’re a ministry lead trying to understand your role or a pastor trying to do the same, this is a great, actionable conversation.

This week Dan O'Rourke, Rob McDowell and Father Simon Lobo are joined by the founder of the Havard Virtuous Leadership Institute, Alexandre Havard. Alexandre's books, “Virtuous Leadership”, “Created for Greatness” and “From Temperament to Character” have been translated into 20 languages and he brings this wealth of knowledge to the podcast in a candid conversation around leadership through the lens of virtues. Alexandre helps us define the difference between a leader and a manager, explains why when it comes to virtues there really is no such thing as "too much of a good thing", and helps us understand how to measure (or not measure) success. We discuss the difference between being made and being created and ask whether leaders are born or shaped. To learn more about Alexandre, his books, and his work, visit the Havard Virtuous Leadership Institute.

This week on the podcast, Dan O'Rourke is joined by Father James Mallon and Ron Huntley to take a closer look at leadership through the lens of virtues. They talk about why being told you're doing a bad job is a gift if you look at it the right way. If you want to know what driving a low to the ground car on a country road has to do with leadership, this is the episode for you. Whether you lead a business, a parish, or a family, this conversation is going to change your life.

This week on the podcast Dan, Rob, and Mike are joined by Steve Foran, author of "Surviving to Thriving: The Ten Laws of Grateful Leadership". Steve answers last week's question, "what is the opposite of gratitude", while helping the team understand the importance of gratitude. From personal stories of growth and development to successes in practice, Steve explains why gratitude is the key to successful leadership the world over and how we can all work to be a little more grateful. gratitudeatwork.ca

This week we're minding on our manners. Dan O’Rourke, Rob McDowell, and Mike Tanner take a few moments to talk gratitude. The team tries to recognize the things they are grateful for and explain why a focus on gratitude is so important? If you’ve ever held the door and had trouble holding your tongue when no one says thank you, this is a good conversation to listen to. Do you have an intentional gratitude practice or do you know what an intentional gratitude practice is? Thank you to everyone for taking the time to listen this week.

This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Jeff Lockert, the President of Catholic Christian Outreach, a university missionary organization. Jeff shares the story of how he discerned his calling with CCO and what it’s meant in his life. Jeff unpacks the reasons that university campuses are one of the most important places for us to undertake mission and why forming leaders at this stage in life is so key. The story that Jeff weaves of leadership, opportunity, and the future is something truly special and how those stories weave together is awe-inspiring. This is an uplifting conversation on leadership development as it relates to mission. Be sure to check out Catholic Christian Outreach to learn more.

This week on the podcast Father James Mallon, Ron Huntley, and Mike Tanner do some idea pruning and planting around leadership. The team talks about the new logo and what each of the keys mean as it relates to parish renewal. They discuss icebergs, cornerstones, and trees in an effort to get to the root of their understanding of leadership principles and explain why you can't open a door with just one key. This conversation branches in some really interesting ways, so don't leaf without catching the whole thing.

Why are rinks full and churches empty and does one have anything to do with the other? This week Ron Huntley, Mike Tanner and Matt Vaughan are joined by Andrew Pepper, a Hockey Ministries International Chaplain with the Halifax Mooseheads. Andrew shares the mission and the impact of HMI and digs into what he’s seen change in these young men through ministry. Whether you’re a hockey fan or an evangelization evangelist, game on.

This week on the podcast we get a little social. We’re joined by Mike Tanner, Communications and Digital Marketing Specialist for Divine Renovation. We dig into how parishes can use digital marketing as a means to move forward in mission. We also talk about the ways in which the church has directly been called by The Vatican to use things like social media to share the Good News. Stephanie Potter and Rob McDowell join Dan O’Rourke in the discussion with Mike, focusing on the positive impact that social and traditional media can have on a church. If you are looking for the easiest way to access all of our content including the podcast, blogs, events, news and more, check out our app. https://tithely.app.link/divine-renovation-ministry

What's the good word? This week on the podcast we speak with Jeff Smith, President of The Word Among Us. We've worked with WAU on our last two books but the connection with Divine Renovation is so much deeper. Father James shares the impact The Word Among Us had on his faith formation and we talk about how we came to work with them. Jeff shares some insights on why they believe that they're just one of the resources available to help people connect with scripture and where they think we are right now in the eyes of God. This is a great conversation for those looking to grow in their faith and in their community.

Put your books away and tune in because this week it's all about the written word. This week on the podcast, Dan O'Rourke, Father James Mallon and Ron Huntley pick up The Good Book... and then a few others. The team talks about how we can use books to change the way people think and act, how they impact leadership, and why we write books through the ministry. They touch on the various ways that people learn, including the written word, as a way different kinds of learners can come to know Jesus. They also speak into some tactical ways that they've used books to impact parishes. https://divinerenovation.net/inspire#books

This week on the podcast, Dan O'Rourke, Rob McDowell, and Mike Tanner are joined by the National Director for Catholic Context at Alpha USA, Josh Danis, Josh joins us to discuss the ways Alpha is being used in the USA and beyond to bring people to Jesus Christ during times of strife and challenge. Josh shares stories of changed parishes and changed lives through the experience of Alpha, how churches are using Alpha effectively in their communities and the need to push forward with evangelization through a tool that is more common that different throughout Christian traditions.

This week on the podcast Dan O'Rourke is joined by Rob McDowell and Mike Tanner as they lean into the role of scripture in our everyday lives. The team discusses both traditional and modern means of engaging with the Bible and the reasons people can have for reading scripture. They talk about how we use scripture at the Divine Renovation office to move our ministry forward and introduce some ways in which you can work as a community to approach the word. Make sure you follow along with our Lenten 1,2,3 on Facebook and Twitter as we help develop some scripture practices for Lent. Links: https://dwellapp.io/ https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/ Facebook.com/divinerenovation twitter.com/divreno

This week we're joined by Roxana Kreklo, National Director of Alpha for Prisons. Ron Huntley, Rob McDowell, and Mike Tanner sit down to talk with Roxana as she shares the story of how she came to offer Alpha in prisons. Roxana describes the incredible impact Alpha has on both those who are incarcerated and the communities they return to. The statistics on reoffending are staggering in Canada but the results that Alpha for Prisons have are even more astounding. Programs like this change the direction of lives, providing hope and a new start for inmates. Come meet this amazing leader, as she takes us behind iron bars and shows us just how unstoppable the Holy Spirit is. https://www.alphacanada.org/prisons/ https://harvestprisonministries.org/

This week Ron Huntley, Rob McDowell, and Mike Tanner discuss the ins and outs of Alpha. We discuss the difference Alpha makes for both the churched and un-churched, why even “really good Catholics” can benefit from Alpha and why Alpha as a course is ok but Alpha as a culture is unbeatable. Whether your parish has been running Alpha for years, is just getting started, or are simply looking for the right tool for Evangelization, this episode of the podcast is a great jumping off point for the discussion. Links: Unlocking Your Parish - http://bit.ly/DRUnlock

This week on the podcast it's all about feedback. Dan, Ron, and Fr James speak with Melanie Smollen of Faith Perceptions, an organization that provides "mystery guests" for parishes. Imagine what 10,000 mystery guests would have to say about churches in North America if they came to visit your parish and recorded what they experienced. This can be a challenging experience for churches to go through but it can also be an incredible opportunity for churches to move forward. This is a great discussion about the things we can change in our churches and the things that we can't. The insights into what people experience when they come to church is staggering. The real question is, what do you think people would say about your parish through this process? You can learn more about Faith Perceptions at www.faithperceptions.com

Go where absolutely no one knows your name. This week on the podcast the Divine Renovation Team sit down to talk about church hospitality. How to welcome new faces without ignoring familiar ones, how "church" language can create a barrier to entry, and ensuring that the parish understands who's responsible for creating a welcoming environment are all on the table. This is a great conversation for parishes looking to be more invitational in nature and ensure that those that come, come back.

This week on the podcast we speak with Darlene Bonang, Office Administrator at Saint Benedict Parish about what it means to work within an invitational parish. Darlene challenges our understanding of what she does as ministry and speaks about recognizing gifts, understanding people, and developing relationships in a large parish. Darlene was in on the ground floor of the development of Divine Renovation Ministry and her insights on leadership from her position and beyond are a map for priests looking to build a team around them and for individuals wishing to do more within their parish.

This week we're joined on the podcast by Montreal's tweeting Bishop, Bishop Thomas Dowd. Bishop Dowd speaks with us about how he's used social media to engage with both those that believe and those that dissent. He discusses the need to have open and difficult conversations on a multitude of platforms, what leadership and community look like for a Bishop, and the importance of assessing and evaluating the success of programs within the Church. Bishop Dowd speaks on the need to provide the vision and opportunity for individuals to become more engaged with the Church in an effort to combat clericalism. This is an open and honest conversation and if you've ever wanted to know what a Bishop thinks about parishes, parishioners, and passion, this is a great opportunity.