Other Studies and Data with Hans Plate, Josh Packard, and Fr. Joe Gibino
Religion To Reality
Other Studies and Data with Hans Plate, Josh Packard, and Fr. Joe Gibino Quick Summary In this insightful episode of Religion to Reality, hosts Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich step back from theory to examine the hard data behind Catholic discipleship and faith formation. They explore surprising findings from their comprehensive discipleship study and discuss what the numbers reveal about modern spiritual practices, evangelization comfort levels, and the changing landscape of faith in America. Featuring interviews with three leading voices in faith research, Hans Plate (Vinea Research), Josh Packard (Future of Faith), and Fr. Joseph Gibino (Diocese of Brooklyn), this episode bridges the gap between data and pastoral practice. Discover what Gen Z really thinks about God, why 100% of people with spiritual directors found them through a spiritual community to which they already belong, and how the Synod on Synodality is reshaping the Church's approach to listening. Key Takeaway: Data isn't just for businesses—it's essential for understanding how to meet people where they are in their faith journey and creating meaningful pathways to deeper discipleship. In This Episode, We Explore: [00:00:00] Opening Reflection "Listen and silent share the same letters" - the importance of silence in listening [00:01:00] Why Data Matters for the Church How businesses use data to serve customers Applying data-driven insights to church ministry Understanding where people stand in their faith journey [00:02:00] Surprising Study Findings Both physical and digital prayer aids are used across all generations (only 6% use exclusively one type) 100% of people with spiritual directors found them through their parish or faith community Prayer apps correlate with increased prayer frequency The challenge of measuring interior spiritual life [00:04:00] The Omnichannel Approach to Faith Why multiple touchpoints matter in spiritual formation The integrated life as the ultimate goal Different seasons require different spiritual resources [00:06:00] Interview with Hans Plate (Vinea Research) Majority of respondents pray over an hour daily 76% are comfortable evangelizing; 56% are proactive about it High interest in learning more about evangelization The need to understand what "evangelization" actually means to people [00:09:00] Rethinking Evangelization