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.

Snippet from the Show
“The life of a professional traveling speaker is not what most people think it is.”

SHOWNOTES
Money and Guilt

• Charging for a talk isn’t about making money off the gospel, it’s about providing for time spent away from family.

Family Values

• Being on the road makes your spouse temporarily a single parent. It’s a huge strain on the family and the spouses are the ones who really have it hard.

Missional Continuity

• What is the mission with the audience? The speaker is there to continue the work that is already happening, not to have a singular affect that probably won’t stick.

Five Practical Takeaways

1. Pray for your favorite Catholic speaker.
2. Read Marcel’s article, “Why You Probably Don't Want To Be A Catholic Speaker!”
3. Evaluate your most recent event and ask yourself about the impact it had weeks later.
4. Critically examine your money and fame motives.
   
5. Community: try to learn something new about someone already in your life. Try Patrick Lencioni’s opening question: what life event from your childhood affected you the most?