Andy Lesnefsky

Getting to the Finish Line

October 22, 2019 by Andy Lesnefsky Leave a Comment

God is good! It is great to see how much progress has been made in the past two days towards our goal of $24,100 – as I am writing this, we are over $17,400 committed almost 75% of the way there!!

There’s a couple of days left, so now is the time to donate (http://kck.st/2nEbHlr), pray, and share if you haven’t yet.

I wanted to mention there’s a special perk for people who back the project will get (along with our awesome Monthly contributors who donate at Patreon.)

Starting next week, you’ll get a simple weekly reflection in the weeks leading up to Advent. Remember though this a special perk for those who donate.

Donate today at http://kck.st/2nEbHlr

God bless,

Andy

Don’t forget to give and be a part of our Advent and Lent project before Sat, Oct 26, at 9:44 PM.

I wasn’t expecting this.

October 17, 2019 by Andy Lesnefsky 6 Comments

Today is my birthday.

I realize that is a funny thing to tell people, but I feel like it is a day like every day that I hope to give to Jesus for his glory.

As we continue on with our Kickstarter campaign, I want to share a new video with you on our website called “I wasn’t expecting this.” It’s about the greatest of presents I have received in terms of our past series. I hope you watch it.

Second, I wanted to ask you for a small birthday favor. Will you please say a memorare or rosary for the final stretch of our Kickstarter campaign? I would be very grateful.

As we head into the last week of the campaign, today is also a great day to donate if you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity (Here’s the link – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redeemedonline/faith-made-simple)

Lastly, I would like to pray for you today. What can I be praying for?

Andy

PS. If you don’t know it, here is the Memorare:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

5 ways to fight for the Church

October 15, 2019 by Andy Lesnefsky 2 Comments

Last week’s article set off a flurry of passionate responses and I loved hearing from you!

I think I have always feared being in a fight and not knowing what to do or how to react. In my last blog, my thesis, if you will, was that Christ is calling us to fight for his church because that is exactly what he did.

The article last week wasn’t meant to be a deep expose on the problems in the church. It was meant to be a personal rallying cry.

The looming question is, how do we fight?

All of my top five tips can be boiled down to one concept:

Holiness.

This might seem like the churchy answer and maybe you want something more. There was a time when I wanted some new initiative, a book to read, or a quick solution, but I’m more convinced every day that fighting starts with holiness. To be holy means to be who God created us to be, set apart for a specific reason or purpose.

The spiritual battle is about claiming Christ’s victory in the world today. My friend who helps with exorcism ministry always says the worst exorcists are those relying on their own power. We need to stop trying to fix the church with a novel idea before praying (please note I am speaking to myself first and foremost.)

I think the concept of holiness and conversion tells us we are made for this fight and in Christ we have everything we need in him.

With holiness as the overall concept here are my top 5 tips for fighting:

Daily surrender. If you want to be a good fighter, recommit to the love of Jesus Christ in your life. Give him your whole self each and every day. Pray in front of a crucifix each morning.
Daily prayer. Without time in prayer, we can’t enter into the battle. It would be like being a starving baker. How is your prayer life? Is it alive? Is it growing in time and intensity?
Monthly confession. Most people don’t wake up and decide to do terrible things. They let sin creep in slowly over time. They cross boundaries. They let their guard down. They justify things that they used to detest. Christ calls us deeper, invites us to turn away from sin, and offers us a chance to start again. Monthly confession is a beautiful opportunity to start over on a regular basis.
Consider and pray about your gifting. How God has made you unique. You are unrepeatable and in a particular way you were created to unique reflect who God is to the world and for the church. Too often people aren’t given the opportunity to use their gifts in the Church. Find a way to use what God has put inside of you for the betterment of the Church.
Discern your calling. What is God calling you to do with the gifts he has given you? Start small, but ask big things of God.

These five things are a start. I know we also need fighting that includes repentance, accountability, transparency, and faithfulness to the gospel. I am convinced though on a personal level that God wants each of us fighting for personal holiness and our individual vocation.

What would you like to add to this list? Please comment below or shoot me an email.

But does it make a difference?

I don’t know if you have ever asked the question, does it make a difference?

Everywhere we look there is a need, new project, a gofundme, a neighbor knocking on our door.

To me the question of do I give or do I get involved comes down to three questions:

Is this going to make a difference?
Does it matter if I give or not? In other words, can I make a difference?
Lastly, is the Lord calling me to get involved?

I wanted to hopefully help you answer these questions with our KICKSTARTER. Our Advent and Lent programs have touched numerous lives and anticipate reaching millions more in the coming seasons. Secondly, the heart of what we do in our funding comes from a broad base of people. It typically takes us about 300-400 people in our crowdfunding campaign to hit our goal. Will you be one of those today? Lastly I’d ask you to ask the Lord if this is something you should be financially committed to. We’re excited about all that God is going to do and invite you to be a part of it.

Donate today at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/redeemedonline/faith-made-simple

Is the Church Worth Fighting For?

October 7, 2019 by Andy Lesnefsky 25 Comments

It is a question that sadly needs to be asked, is the Church worth fighting for? Why? And what does this mean for me?

At some point, you’ve either been this guy or this girl in this situation or witnessed a good friend in this situation: A romantic relationship came to a crashing a halt, and you must decide do I hold out hope that this relationship can be restored? Is this relationship worth fighting for? Or is it over?

Many Catholics over the last few years have sadly felt like their relationship with the church has gone up in smoke or that they church the fell in love with looks so very bruised and broken. Some feel disillusioned with the Church on a broader level. Even more people have experienced the brokenness of the church on the local parish.

So, do we fight for the church? Why? And what does this look like?

Many of you know that my full-time job is the President of Vagabond Missions, a Catholic ministry to inner-city kids. Our amazing missionaries work alongside our mission partners to reach out to unchurched kids. In the cities we serve, we partner with the diocese and a local area parish church. The partnerships are a big part of how we operate and we are blessed that several of our youth centers are in buildings owned by a parish partner.

About a month ago, I was feeling frustrated. I don’t even remember what the specifics were, but I began to think maybe it would be easier to operate a non-profit that didn’t have to deal with the politics of church life.

I realized I was grappling with the question. Is the Church worth fighting for?

It may seem like an oxymoron, but I felt like the Lord spoke to me in a way that was both subtle and loud. His answer in my prayer was also both direct and indirect.

“I died for the church.”

I contemplate Jesus dying for me sometimes in prayer. Sometimes I may even spend some time praying about how Jesus died for the Church. He was not only fighting for the big “C” Church, meaning the Church he wanted to establish, but I felt like he was saying so much more to me.

He fought for his bride radically. He laid down his life that his bride might live. I felt like he was saying to me that he didn’t do this for a theological concept, but for the local church as well, “the parish.”

To the world, it looked like he gave up, but we know that isn’t the storyline. We can be tempted to give up on the broader idea of the church or on its expression in our local community, but we need to remember the love of the cross is his love of the church.

We can’t give up. The world needs the church. You need the church. I need the church.

She’s beautiful. She’s broken. She seems to be a mess, but we can’t stop fighting for her.

“In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.” – Saint Boniface

The church needs you.

Let’s fight. Let’s recommit to following Christ, knowing that means taking up the cross day after day. Don’t give up on the church because Jesus didn’t. Don’t give up because Jesus didn’t give up on you.

Christ didn’t merely forfeit his life. He suffered. He endured excruciating pain.

The fight isn’t going to be easy. The fight means tough conversations. It involves exposing the darkness to the light. It means accountability and a new transparency.

The new ardor, new method, and new expression of the new evangelization are needed desperately today.

But let’s be perfectly clear. What the Church needs most of each of us, is simply what Christ asks of us: our entire lives. Our response to his love must be holiness. We need a generation of people striving to be saints who love the bride of Christ as he did who are willing to die to ourselves each day and pick up their cross.

Let’s pray. Let’s fast. We need the church, and the church needs us.

I’d love to know what you think. Please comment below or shoot me an email.

We need your help. We’ve got big plans for our Advent and Lent video series, but can only do it with your help. We are more than 1/3 of the way to the Advent series minimum of $12,500 and 1/5 of the way to our total goal of $24,100 for Advent and Lent. These series will reach millions of people with the good news through video and social media. Only your support brings this project to life. Donate today at kickstarter.com/projects/redeemedonline/faith-made-simple

Two Marks of Prayer

June 6, 2019 by Andy Lesnefsky 1 Comment

“St. Jane Frances de Chantal used to say, ‘The best method of prayer is not to have one, because prayer is not obtained by artifice’—by technique, we would say today—’but by grace.’ There is no ‘method’ of praying, in the sense of a set of instructions or procedures that we merely have to apply in order to pray well. Though true contemplative prayer is a gift that God gives freely, we do need to understand how to receive it.” -Fr. Jacques Philippe