Advancing Our Church

With the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) approval of the Bitcoin Spot ETF in January 2024, Catholic institutions now have the opportunity to make Bitcoin part of their investment portfolio. Mark Yusko is a highly respected and sought-after voice on Bitcoin. He is a devoted Catholic, and he spoke at the 2022 Catholic Crypto Conference. Mark answers many questions CEOs of Catholic institutions need to be asking, like, What is the value of Bitcoin? How does it bring truth? How does it align with the Church's values? What percentage of my portfolio should be in Bitcoin? Mark shares his personal journey in Bitcoin and discusses these questions in great detail during this interview. Whether you're a "Bitcoin bull" or a "newbie" to this space, this conversation sheds light on the Bitcoin adoption that is happening worldwide. Mark W. Yusko is the Founder, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Morgan Creek Capital Management, LLC. Prior to forming Morgan Creek in 2004, Mr. Yusko was President, Chief

Lisa Hough joins Jim Friend for an expansive conversation on a variety of Bitcoin topics, including social justice, national security, preserving energy that is unalterable, and Bitcoin's compliance with our values as Catholics. She begins by giving an overview of the case for Bitcoin and offers some advice on how Catholic institutions can understand Bitcoin's value and how it aligns with our faith. During the conversation, Lisa referred to the 2024 Bitcoin Policy Summitt, which took place in Washington, D.C., on April 9th, 2024. If you're interested in learning more about Bitcoin, please join us for this conversation. Lisa stated during the conversation that she's always happy to connect on LinkedIn and Twitter and help educate others about Bitcoin. Lisa brings a background as a Commodities Trader and a unique perspective and expertise that drives the convergence of Energy and Bitcoin. Lisa's knowledge of Bitcoin mining has earned her the respect of fellow professionals in the field, and she was recentl

Dave Baranowski rejoins Jim Friend for a conversation about working in parish Stewardship in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. Dave discusses how parishes are working together to regionalize ministries and create more opportunities for all parishioners. As a result, parishes are becoming more creative, collaborative, and welcoming than ever before. Dave also talks about how he trains disciples (not volunteers) in parishes to use their gifts and shares some tips for supporting your pastor. We discuss all this and much more in this very informative conversation. If you enjoyed this conversation with Dave, he also appeared on episode 23, episode 57, episode 75, and episode 76 of Advancing Our Church. Do you have a suggestion on a guest? Send Jim Friend an email or contact him on social media. Watch the full video presentation of this conversation https://youtu.be/AUHKfaW-R5k Recorded: March 2024 Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses” Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their fa

Fr. Allen Hoffa is on the Leadership team for Integrity Restored, a ministry to help restore the integrity of individuals, spouses, and families that have been affected by pornography and pornography addiction. In this episode, we learn more about how this ministry provides education, training, encouragement, and resources to break free from pornography, heal relationships, and assist parents in preventing and responding to pornography exposure, which is so devastating in the lives of our children. To learn more about this important ministry, please visit please visit https://integrityrestored.com/ Integrity Counseling Services: If you’re struggling with life’s challenges and need professional help to improve your mental health, please visit https://www.integritycounselingpa.com/ If you are struggling with this addiction or would like more information about Integrity Restored, you can reach Fr. Allen Hoffa at 610-207-3441 or frhoffa@integrityrestored.com Watch the full video presentation of this conv

Will Murley is a Financial Advisor who specializes in helping Catholics make a holistic financial plan, give to charitable organizations, and invest according to USCCB guidelines. Will shares his experience of being a missionary and how he used to raise money. He also shares how he helps Catholic families choose investments that align with the Church’s teachings and values. Learn some of the common obstacles that Will sees to financial planning for Catholic families and how to overcome them and how he counsels families in making decisions about their philanthropy. Will is originally from Central Florida. After college, Will was a Catholic missionary and worked in ministry for four years. As a husband and father, Will enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and deepening his relationship with the Lord through his Catholic faith. Disclaimer: Professionally, Will Murley is a Financial Advisor with Equitable Advisors, L.L.C., a broker-dealer and FINRA and S.I.P.C member firm. Will Murley is also an inv

Deacon Ed Shoener returns to Advancing Our Church to talk about how the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministry has grown over the past two years since we last met with Deacon Ed on AOC in Episode 110. Deacon Ed also speaks about his recent trip to the Vatican for the first Vatican-sponsored Catholic Mental Health Conference. The goal of Deacon Ed's organization is to accompany people who struggle with mental health challenges so that they know that God has not forgotten them and that God's Church is with them. Deacon Ed's vision is that this ministry will be common in parishes across the United States and the world. The Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers was born out of a need for education, resources, and servant laymen and women to respond to mental health crises. Deacon Ed will share that he was inspired to join with other dedicated people to establish the Association after his daughter Katie died by suicide in 2016 after a long battle with bipolar disorder.  The response to his d

Jim Friend is joined by Colleen Scariano, one of the founders of SoulCore, a movement born from the desire to nourish body and soul through prayer and core strengthening and functional movements. The story of SoulCore began with a devastating loss that led Colleen to a deeper devotion to the Blessed Mother and eventually to the conception of SoulCore. Jim and Colleen discuss the creation of SoulCore and the tremendous response they have received working with a variety of Catholic organizations and people of all ages. Learn more about how prayer, combined with movement can strengthen the mind, body and soul. Many thanks to our sponsor, Changing Our World Watch the full video presentation of this conversation https://youtu.be/7VhChAQi-xs February 21, 2024 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 t

This is not a headline that we're accustomed to seeing in Catholic Education; the "Diocese of Venice has grown Enrollment by 30%" in the past year. Fr. John Belmonte, S.J., Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Venice, has waiting lists at most of his schools, and now the diocese is planning for expansion. Fr. Jeff Putthoff, S.J. serves as a strategic consultant for the Diocese of Venice, and the two men have brought new innovation to Enrollment through technology, marketing, scholarships and meeting today's generation of parents where they are through texting. Learn how their marketing system works and how Florida's Tax Credit program plays a significant role through scholarships. https://youtu.be/opqj4nVlzgk 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 Gospel and Reflection.” Jim and Kristin offer the daily Gospel and Reflection along with the Rosary and Catholic Prayers of the

The report, Why Catholic Schools in Florida Are Growing: 5 Things to Know, aims to amplify the success of Florida’s Catholic schools and offer lessons for Catholic education everywhere. Lauren May and Ron Matus from Step Up for Students join Jim Friend on today's episode to discuss this remarkable data and why Catholic Schools throughout the state of Florida are growing enrollment and expanding their mission. With the recent expansion of universal choice in multiple states, the time couldn’t be more right for Catholic schools to flourish. Many thanks to our Sponsor: Changing Our World Watch the Video Presentation of the Episode https://youtu.be/I-4UXkcakmo Recorded September 2023 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 P

The back-to-school season was once filled with exciting anticipation as children embarked on a new learning adventure. However, in recent years, schools have become ground zero in an attempt to fundamentally transform America. Traditional academics, like reading, writing, and arithmetic, have been replaced with agenda-driven curricula to reform the values of our youth and less to provide them with the critical building blocks of a liberal education. California-based nonprofit organization Protect Our Kids (POK) is a coalition of parents, community leaders, attorneys, physicians, pastors, and teachers united in the belief that public schools today have co-opted education to advance ideological and political narratives. Join Katie McCarthy, Director of Marketing for Protect Our Kids, as she discusses a new document, "Back to School Questions Every Parent Should Know." Many thanks to our Sponsor: Changing Our World https://youtu.be/LojdtPkmx-Q Recorded: September 2023 Don’t miss our sponsor’s podcast:

Today, we are joined by Rob Faughnan, CFRE, who will share some of his recent research on parish giving and some strategies to enhance offertory and increase engagement. Rob is a seasoned organizational leader with 20+ years of fundraising and operations management experience in the nonprofit sector. He is recognized for demonstrating a natural aptitude for managing effective major gifts, annual giving, and direct mail fundraising campaigns. Rob was recently the VP of Philanthropy at CommonSpirit Health Texas Division, where he managed all philanthropic and revenue activities across 16 hospitals and multiple Texas-based sites. He also introduced federal grant strategies generating $2.1 million and supplied major gift assistance, resulting in $2 million in philanthropic revenue.  Rob is the former Director of Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. He is currently a Senior Consultant at the Giving Collaborative and the Principal at the Blue Philanthropy Project. Many thanks to our S

Jim Friend talks with Fr. Joe Laramie, S.J., National Director for the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. Fr. Joe became the national director in 2020. He lives in Milwaukee and travels widely to offer talks and retreats for this ministry. He is also a National Eucharistic Preacher for the Eucharistic Revival. Fr. Joe was ordained in 2011 and he previously taught at all-boys high schools in Kansas City and Colorado and served as a college campus minister in St. Louis. He also served at Mayan villages in Belize. He is featured on the Hallow app, EWTN, Busted Halo, and America magazine. Fr. Joe is the author of two books: "Love Him Ever More: a 9-Day Personal Retreat with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola [Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, 2022] and Abide in the Heart of Christ: a 10-Day Personal Retreat with St Ignatius Loyola, based on the Spiritual Exercises [ 2019]. Many thanks to our Sponsor: Changing Our World https://youtu.be/NC6VgpzCvEo Recorded: July 2023

Join Jim Friend and this expert panel for a conversation about giving to Catholic parishes, dioceses, and other organizations. Our panel includes Bevin C. Kennedy, Cabinet Secretary, Development and Communications for the Diocese of Manchester, Joseph M. Gillmer, CFRE® CSPG CAP, Executive Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC and Scott Whitaker, Secretariat Director of Stewardship and Development for the Diocese of Austin. The panel discusses giving to their Diocesan Appeals/Catholic entities/Catholic Schools, losing donors, IRA Distributions, Major Gifts, Donor Advised Funds, using Artificial intelligence (AI) in Development, and much more. Many thanks to our Sponsor: Changing Our World Watch the full video presentation of this conversation. https://youtu.be/c5byvEhp9zo Recorded July 2023 Don’t miss our sponsor’s podcast: Changing Our World’s FORGING FORWARD Don’t miss the webinar series FORGING FORWARD, a virtual philanthropic conference designed to bring you, nonpro

On today's show, Brian Crimmins and our host, Jim Friend, discuss the recent Giving USA 2023 report. The two discuss why philanthropy and the number of donors in 2022 is down from the previous year and what can be done about it. Join this discussion for insights on how religious and nonprofit leaders can take action to be successful in fundraising in 2023. Brian and Jim discuss relationship building, some macroeconomic factors, and even how Ai is currently being used in Development Offices. Brian Crimmins is the Chief Executive Officer at Changing Our World, Inc. and the Global Managing Partner of ONE HUNDRED. He is a frequent contributor to publications covering the nonprofit sector. Brian has been invited to speak around the world on Catholic Philanthropy, Catholic Education and social impact. Brian is a global leader in social impact. He is a popular public speaker with the world’s foremost speaking agency, the Washington Speakers Bureau. Brian is also the author of The Generosity Crisis: The Case for

Published: August 7, 2023 Join us for a discussion about the relationship between Development and Communications. How do we optimize those roles to work in unison toward the goals of your nonprofit organization? Join Jim and Jennifer Melville Trefelner, APR, CPRC, the Director of Communications and Development for the Diocese of Palm Beach. Jennifer has been a guest on Advancing Our Church many times over the years. She brings a unique perspective and tremendous experience to this conversation. Check out Jennifer's full bio here. This conversation was recorded on July 10th, 2023. Many thanks to our Sponsor: Changing Our World Watch the full video presentation of this conversation. https://youtu.be/FFRiOpmNHzo Recorded: July 10, 2023 Don’t miss our sponsor's podcast: Changing Our World’s FORGING FORWARD Don’t miss the webinar series FORGING FORWARD, a virtual philanthropic conference designed to bring you nonprofit experts from around the country. Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on

Published: May 14, 2023 Today 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 com

Published: May 01, 2023 Today 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 Ministr

Published: April 10, 2023 We’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

Published: March 26, 2023 We 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 World Watch the video presentation of this discussion. https://youtu.be/YCKIPKAJh6g Recorded March 7, 2023 Don’t miss Changing Our World’s FORGING FORWARD Don’t miss the webinar series FORGING FORWARD, a virtual philanthropic conference designed to bring you nonprofit experts from around the country. 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 Kri

Published: March 12, 2023 A 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 World Watch the video presentation of this discussion. Follow the link on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXcXKJUs3kw Recorded: February 15, 2023 Don’t miss Changing Our World’s FORGING FORWARD Don’t miss the webinar series FORGING FORWARD, a virtual philanthropic conference designed to bring you nonprofit experts from around the country. Daily Spiritual Reflection and Prayers on “Kristin’s Crosses” Join Jim and Kristin Friend and their family on Kristin’s Crosses Yo