Common Reasons Why People Leave the Church

Be Unashamed of the Gospel: Do you find making a good first impression to be awkward? Have you ever tried to say something inspiring but ended up saying the wrong things? Is the mere thought of evangelization too nerve-racking to even contemplate? Welcome to the Every Knee Shall Bow podcast where hosts Michael Gormley and Dave VanVickle discuss ways you can bring God’s kingdom to earth, so his will may be done as it is in heaven. Every week they will answer questions, explain Catholic teachings, and give you five practical takeaways, all centering around bringing people to Jesus Christ. Today, Mike and Dave explain what Season One is all about—being unashamed of the gospel. The world desperately needs the love of God, and who else will bring it to them except you? by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

20 min listen

The History of the Kerygma and the Power of the Gospel by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

35 min listen

You Can’t Evangelize Unless You Regularly Read Scripture: It’s difficult to spread the gospel if you haven’t read it. Dave “Too Hot to Handle, Too Cold to Hold” VanVickle and I talk about why it’s vital to regularly read Scripture and how to immerse yourself in the Word. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

39 min listen

Evangelizing and Morality: Birth Control and Same-Sex Attraction: We tackle the biggest, most complicated, stickiest moral issues–contraception and same-sex attraction. How is a Catholic evangelist to approach such a minefield when proclaiming the gospel? In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” So we know that we have to tell people about moral issues, but we need to make sure we’re doing it in a way that actually helps. We talk about when, how, and why to bring these issues up, and examples of times these strategies have actually worked (we promise we’re not using you as guinea pigs). We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment–or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

42 min listen

Tools for the Newly Converted: We have a great show today. Not that we don’t usually, but today is especially good. We start with a question from a parish leader about intercessory prayer groups (Dave’s group is #goals). Then we cover what individuals and parishes can do for the newly converted and what tools we have for someone after their initial “yes” to Jesus. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

39 min listen

The Art of the Invitation to Christian Life: When evangelizing, there comes a moment in time when you will invite someone to completely give their life over to Christ and begin living a Christian life. How do you know what moment is right? What does the invitation look like? Why is an invitation to Christian life so important? Using Scripture, contemporary faith formation tools, and personal experience, Mike and Dave explain the sometimes subtle art of inviting someone to live a fully authentic Christian life. Snippet from the Show: “If you read the Gospels, you are going to see constantly that the one man who could have demanded, is constantly instead inviting.” by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

36 min listen

Introducing Every Knee Shall Bow: Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast: Learn about a new Ascension podcast that will help you share your Catholic faith with your family, friends, co-workers, and even total strangers. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

1 min listen

Evangelization in a Post-Christian Society: The Purpose of the Church: Do you want to evangelize in a post-Christian society? There are a few things you need to know. We all proclaim the same gospel, but we all need to use different methods. The methods that St. Paul used in Athens or Rome and the approach of a missionary in India, Southeast Asia, or parts of Africa will be different than someone who lives in a post-Christian society. There are, however, universal principles that stand the test of time. Today, Mike and David go through three ages of evangelization, explain how to overcome four hurdles in evangelizing, and also three different types of evangelizing. Snippet from the Show: “No matter how opposed someone is to Christianity, you have to understand that deep down, it is what they want. It is what they most desire. It is the answer to all their questions.” by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

48 min listen

How to Give Your Testimony: Giving testimony is one of the most important parts of the Christian life, but putting your conversion story into words can be a daunting task. We should always be prepared to give testimony to what God has done in our lives. So today, Mike and Dave talk about the central importance of testimony, why it's important, and practical tips on how to actually do it. Grab your Bible, a pen, and a piece of paper and get ready to write your testimony. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

38 min listen

The Reality of Religious Conversion: Stories, Failures, and Tips from Catholic Evangelists: What does it look like to help others move from placing a basic faith in Jesus Christ to having him as their Lord, the center of their life? Every religious conversion is unique. There is no step-by-step guide because, ultimately, it is God who changes their life. However, by listening to other evangelists’ stories, failures, and tips, you can better equip yourself to be an instrument in revealing God to others. Snippet from the Show: What we are getting into now is an era of time where people are totally comfortable with their children and grandchildren not being evangelized in any way whatsoever. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

34 min listen

Ask a Catholic Evangelist: How Can I Share the Gospel with My Family, Parish, and Community?: Mike and Dave answer your questions about how to get programs going at your parish, how to share the gospel with fallen-away family members, and how to invest in Catholic evangelism as well as catechesis when funds are short. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

36 min listen

Kerygma and Parish Touch Points: Calling all DREs, catechists, youth ministers, and parish volunteers! Have we got a show for you. (Yes, that was a VeggieTales reference.) We start off today answering some tough questions about the kerygma, and then pivot to ways you can infuse evangelization into programs your parish already has like baptism prep, marriage prep, and religious education. Our advice isn’t the only way to do it, but it is a (pretty darn good) way to do it. How do you evangelize at your parish? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

39 min listen

Spiritual Warfare in Everyday Christian Life: Spiritual warfare is more than just an analogy. It is a reality. Quite literally, it is a struggle between two kingdoms—a battle between man and that which draws man away from God. This fighting and resisting evil is a common experience, yet many don’t believe they are at war. Therefore they come unprepared to fight the battle. Today Mike and Dave approach this topic from the viewpoint of evangelists. They discuss the Church Fathers’ understanding of spiritual warfare, the context behind the Church’s teachings on the subject, and practical ways you can resist evil and equip yourself with the best possible resources. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

40 min listen

Christ and Culture: How to Be in the World but Not of the World: What does it mean to be in the world but not of the world and how does this affect evangelization? Many people assume there are two ways to approach this notion. On one side is the thought of Christ against culture—that to be loyal to Jesus or the Church I need to run completely away from the world. On the other side is the Christ of culture—that Jesus is the peak and pinnacle of all culture’s greatest desires, aspirations, and hopes. Which one is right? What balance should we strike? Today, Mike and Dave take these two basic concepts and break them down into practical, real life situations. They explain what we should do in regards to the world around us and stress the importance of finding the distinctive Christ element that sets your life apart. We walk a delicate line being in the world and not of it, but Mike and Dave make this line a bit easier to see. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

45 min listen

Understanding the Personal and Ecclesial Dimension of Our Catholic Faith: Church teaching is an important part of our Catholic Faith. Today, Mike and Dave are going to show you how to incorporate the church into the kerygma. They explain how fellowship is not socializing and why the Church comes before the individual in the plan of God. “Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.” (CCC 166) Snippet from the Show: You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. (CCC 166) by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

40 min listen

Physician Heal Thyself: How Prayer Creates a True Catholic Evangelist: The phrase “Physician heal thyself” (Luke 4:23) references the often forgotten truth that one must solve their own problems before attempting to fix the problems of others. Becoming a true Catholic evangelist requires more than just knowledge of the Faith, a certain style, or even success. Your life must reflect the fact that Jesus Christ is active, makes a difference, and has healed your heart. As an evangelist, you are held to a higher standard and your personal life needs to be a fitting witness to your evangelization. How can you do this? The answer is simple: prayer. Prayer creates a true Catholic evangelist because the Holy Spirit is the cause of conversion. Today Michael and David share ways you can incorporate prayer into your daily life and how that prayer will make you a true Catholic evangelist. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

35 min listen

Becoming an Activated Disciple (with Jeff Cavins): We’re talking to the one and only Jeff Cavins, Catholic speaker and author of the new book, The Activated Disciple. We’re pumped to interview him about discipleship and sharing the Faith (and so are our moms). Jeff’s book really gets to the heart of discipleship. It gives us a practical roadmap to a path of discipleship and explains what it actually means to be a disciple. We also get Jeff to give us his practical tips for evangelization. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

38 min listen

Evangelization FAQ’s: Plan B, Skipping Mass, and Non-Catholic Family Weddings: You’ve got frequently asked questions, we’ve got infrequently given answers. We tackle questions about what to do when you encounter someone purchasing the Plan B pill, what to do when people (especially family members) give dumb reasons for why they don’t go to church, the role of Mary in evangelization, and talking to family members about having a sacramental wedding when they’re angry with the Church and you’re long distance. (Whew.) by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

45 min listen

Easter, Discipleship, and the Resurrection: Hallelujah! It's the Easter Octave and I for one am glad Christ rose from the dead. This week it's just me, Mike "Gomer" Gormley, your humble co-host of EKSB. I wanted to offer you fine folks an Easter message on discipleship and the Resurrection. Our regular show will return next week! Happy Easter! by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

9 min listen

Digital Evangelization: Dave “Thunderdome” Van Vickle and I are talking about the importance of digital evangelization. If we are trying to meet people where they are, we need to be online. We cover best practices for parishes and individuals to spread the Word on the web, as well as examples of things we’ve seen work really well (like this podcast). We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

43 min listen

Merry Christmas! by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

3 min listen

Q&A and Resource Recommendations with Every Knee Shall Bow: Mike and Dave, the hosts of Every Knee Shall Bow, take time to answer your questions and respond to your reviews. They also provide resource recommendations such as Alpha, Sherry Weddell, SEEK, and more! At the end of the podcast, they also provide five easy ways to observe effective evangelization in action! Snippet from the Show: The beautiful thing about our Catholic faith is that when you conform yourself to a celebrity...you lose yourself. But what Christ wants in conforming to him, instead of losing yourself, you actually gain yourself back, and become who you truly are called to be. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

32 min listen

Preparing a Talk for High School Students: Public speaking to teens: a favorite pastime of … no one. But somebody has to do it, and with some prayer and preparation, your talk can be a great opportunity to change hearts and minds—just look at the fruits that come from Steubenville Conferences. Dave “Father of Wildlings” VanVickle and I go over how to prepare a talk for high school students that will bring the house down. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

31 min listen

Bringing the New Evangelization to Your Parish: The New Evangelization invites baptized Catholics to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church (according to the USCCB). Started by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, it’s a call for the Church (aka, you and me) to reach out to fallen away Catholics and bring them back to the sacraments. We want to talk about how to bring this movement to your parish and community. Starting with Carole Brown’s Gems for the New Evangelization: Shamelessly Pilfered from Various Treasuries of Church Teaching, we then add some additional points that we’ve discovered along the way. There are a lot of different things you can do, but the important thing is to start. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

31 min listen

How Do You Evangelize an Atheist?: It’s hard to start proclaiming the kerygma, “God loves you and has a plan for your life”, when someone doesn’t believe in God. Dave “All Thriller No Filler” VanVickle and I wade into the world of apologetics as we address a listener's question about how to evangelize an atheist. Our faith is rational. Don’t fear questions about what we believe, because at some point over the past two thousand years, that question has already been asked and answered. We just have to find it. We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

37 min listen

Being a Leader in Evangelization: We need leaders in the Church. If you want ministries at your parish, that aren’t happening (or aren’t going very well) this may be your que to step up as a leader in evangelization. In this episode, we talk about how priests, lay employees, and volunteers can be leaders in their own right, and you don’t have to wait for someone to formally empower you to lead others. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

50 min listen

Culture Minus Religion Equals Politics: Dave “Velvet Fog” Van Vickle and I dive into history, culture, and politics (oh my!). We talk about three types of culture—pre-Christian, Christian, and post-Christian—and what Catholics can do to navigate the current political climate and evangelize in the culture without getting swept up in it. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

34 min listen

Leading When Not in Charge: Today Dave “Open Book, Closed Heart” VanVickle and I talk about extraordinary and ordinary means of fighting the devil, which leads (naturally) into a conversation on evangelization and how to lead when you’re not in charge. Have a question or comment for us? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your story, question, or comment—or if you’ve got a new nickname for Dave. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

36 min listen

The Life of a Traveling Evangelist: There’s a lot more to being a Catholic speaker than what you see. Dave “Extreme Narcissist” VanVickle and I discuss the little-known problems and behind-the-scenes difficulties of people who talk about the Faith for a living. From bringing kids to RCIA to feeling guilty about a paycheck, we talk about balancing family life, parish life, full-time jobs, and time on the road. by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

44 min listen

Is Jesus the Defining Characteristic of Your Life?: Dave “Don’t Fear the Reaper” Van Vickle and I are talking about how to keep Jesus at the heart of your ministry and your life. Today’s totally made up middle name for Dave is brought to you by listener Lina., who also asks the questions that we are answering in this show - thank you Lina! We’re talking about the vine, the branches, and the backyard … (Dave bought a new house). We start with how to open your home to engage the culture and build community and then get to a question from Lina who asks, “What are the practical steps to stay grafted onto the vine when you’ve been sent to work out in the vineyard?” In other words, how do we keep Jesus as the defining characteristic of our life when we feel called to go off and do great things on our own or within our parish? by Every Knee Shall Bow (Your Catholic Evangelization Podcast)

36 min listen

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Common Reasons Why People Leave the Church

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