First Witnesses
Stagione 1
di Zachary Coyle, Amy Johnson, Shannon Linder
Spoiler alert: we aren't called to a vacation from our vocation, but vocation well lived doesn't need a vacation! Join long time St. Vincent parishioners, Terry and Teri Coonan, who are beacons of hope to many in the St. Vincent community and have an inspiring witness to share!
Join St. Vincent couple Jason and Stephanie Nees (and St. Vincent educator), who inspire others by giving witness in our parish community in many service initiatives. Serving can become a powerful way to lead our children to encounter the Lord!
Join Mrs. Kamy Schreck and Ms. Maggie Castleman, with your cohosts, for reflections on the use of morning in particular for prayer and growth in our walk with the Lord. Parents in particular can make great use of this time and set up their family for great days!
Join your cohosts with St. Vincent's parishioners and 2nd grade teacher, Danielle and Derek Parr, great examples of first witnesses to their children!
Join St. Vincent parishioners Ann and Nick Gray (Ann serves as our school staff as well), who reflect on their journey as first witnesses to their children.
Join parishioners and school family Dan and Gina O'Brien for great tips on how to joyfully live family life as domestic church.
Join your cohosts for a two part series on the domestic church. Here, join guests Sarah and Dan Nielson, St. Vincent parishioners, who joyfully live out domestic church in their family!
If you can pray with and for your kids, protect your kids, and connect regularly with your kids, then when you teach them, they are ready to listen. Join cohosts Shannon Linder, Amy Johnson, and Zac Coyle as they discuss 10 things to teach their own children. Get some great ideas to do the same in your family! Zac's Top Ten: 10 Things to Teach: 1. Teach identity (behavior follows identity) – loved children of God 2. Teach Jesus really is who He says He is -everything else we worship consumes us -authentic freedom makes us more alive – not less alive – the fruits of the Holy Spirit vs. addiction/attachment 3. Teach how to pray and how to have silence – use the Oratory! (or a good space wherever a family lives) 4. Teach how to encounter God: nature, prayer, sacraments, scripture, lived experience (virtues) 5. Teach discernment – consolation vs. desolation -Fr. Mike Schmitz has a great 4m video on Youtube on this: is this a good door (moral)? Is this door open? Is this wise for me (requires self- knowledge)? Do I want this door? -discernment over friends and relationships 6. Teach God gives us vocation – has a plan for us that matters! -vs. you can be anything - actually a scary reality for a child / overwhelming 7. Teach TOB – love must be free, total, faithful, fruitful. Otherwise, it is the opposite – using -pornography is a great evil, hurting all involved in it, and children need to be taught that 8. Teach a rightly ordered life – God, family, work / others, play 9. Teach impulses should always be checked first – considered and connected (with family input) – then acted 10. Teach effects of sin: darkens intellect, disorders passions, weakens will Teach by example more than by instruction – prayer, silence, service, generosity, patience, gentleness, etc. Shannon's Top Ten: 1. Your identity lies in who you are, not what you do. 2. The Creator of the universe deeply knows you. 3. You are infinitely loved by God, and there is nothing you can do to change that. 4. Nurture your relationship with your Guardian Angel. 5. Invest in personal growth. 6. Stay close to the sacraments 7. Only Jesus can truly satisfy. 8. Live in gratitude. 9. Pay it forward. 10. True freedom is found in obedience. Amy's Top Ten: God-family-friends: in that order Marriage: being on a team and putting marriage before kids. Happy marriage requires growing in faith both independently and together: foundation is in Jesus, job is to get each other to heaven. Kids: feel unconditionally loved, security in that: being together is our favorite thing. Vocation: not your job; the life God calls you to; we all have a universal call to holiness To whom much is given, much is expected; God has a plan and you need to use the gifts He has given you Habit of prayer; must be daily; pray all through the day; see Jesus with you all throughout the day Travel: make great memories, visit religious sites, always go to Mass; visited SO many churches Money is a tool; not what we strive for Spirituality is different for everyone, and all kinds are good: meet people where they are; see Jesus in everyone “What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?” Service to the poor and community. You can’t live in this world and not realize how people are suffering.
Join St. Vincent parents Liz and Scott Arnold to reflect on this aspect of witnessing our faith to our children, connecting with them intentionally. They have many great ideas and practices to share!
We're thrilled to feature St. Vincent de Paul School dad, Sgt. Dave Klein of the FWPD, with great reflections on our role as protectors of our children, in both real time and digitally.