CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew Church wants teens to know they are not alone.
“(Not) The Only One,” a podcast the Charlotte parish launched during the worst of the pandemic last fall, has taken off – providing a faith connection for teens on an open, vulnerable and Catholic journey.
Each week the 30-minute podcast tackles questions on a topic you may have thought you were “the only one” to wonder about. It has been downloaded 6,500 times, which translates to about 150 listeners a week from around the world.
The podcast is receiving encouraging feedback from the teens it targets – and, surprisingly, from adults who have been listening and learning.
“We want it to be a source of hope,” said Lauren Piercefield, high school youth minister and host of the podcast. “Our goal was to reach high school and middle school teens, but we also have a lot of adults listening to the podcast and finding it nourishing and encouraging. We don’t always know what the impact is going to be when we go in to record an episode. We have a lot of trust that whoever needs to listen to it will.”
Upcoming podcasts will feature a mini-series on what it means as Catholics to be pro-life, with testimony from someone who is attending the March for Life. Others for early 2022 include a Lenten series and a series on identity.
‘A way to connect to our youth’
The podcast launched in October 2020 as a way to connect to teens and families in a pandemic-changed world.
“The idea started to come about over the summer,” Piercefield said. “We were trying to figure out how to reach families still at home and those coming back to the Church. We wanted to reach them physically where they were. A podcast was suggested, and the Holy Spirit worked quick with us.”
The equipment, name, topics and guests fell into place, and it took off quickly, she said.
“It’s been a blessing to reach people, be a voice of the Church and find a way to connect to our youth regardless of where they are. The beautiful thing about our faith is that the teaching is consistent and true, but our faith looks different in every person. We see that in every episode.”
Piercefield said the podcast allows her to expand deeper, explore topics not possible to cover in weekly youth ministry and offer different perspectives.
“It’s a way to continue to teach what does discipleship really look like,” she explained. “Our biggest goal and why we chose the name we did is to let our listeners know that they’re not alone. Especially now, people need to know they’re not alone in trying to live an authentic Catholic life.”
‘A space to use their voice’
The podcast has featured priests, deacons and youth who answer questions and share their testimony.
“It’s a win-win. We can all benefit from hearing from the teens,” Piercefield said. “The teens think personally about their relationship with God and practice discussing their faith, while it boosts their confidence and continues to encourage them as a child of God. This gives them a space to use their voice.”
In the previous 53 episodes, “(Not) The Only One” has discussed many topics, from identity and what it looks like to be “authentic,” to vocations, honoring the Sabbath and Q&As with clergy.
One of the most popular episodes has been on friendships and loneliness, Piercefield said.
“It’s an opportunity to get people’s stories out there and glorify God in a pretty simple way – we’re just sitting around the table talking,” Piercefield said. “It’s been really fun.”
Piercefield said her biggest hope for the podcast is that it continues to push people to take that next step in their faith. The podcast is just one tool, however.
“When the episode ends, spend time in prayer with the Lord, seek the sacraments and continue to grow with God,” she said.
— Kimberly Bender, Online reporter
More online
At stmatthewcatholic.org/podcast-nottheonlyone: Learn more about St. Matthew Church’s “(Not) The Only One” podcast and find ways to listen. New episodes air every Thursday.