Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Should our Equipped session be only for moms at our parish or moms in the area?

We attend one of the largest Catholic churches in the country, but we have always opened up Equipped to moms in the greater metropolitan area. This has ensured that we have enough new moms to fill an in person session, 2-3 times per year, plus this has opened up the volunteer pool of potential people who can help. We still do registration through the parish we attend, but moms from all over can attend. We recommend discerning what is best for your community, but highly suggest opening Equipped up for any new mom that God is calling in to your ministry. 

Where is Equipped typically hosted?

We have found that the best place for the Equipped is to be hosted is in a home. It is more comfortable with the couches, places for the babies, and it also has been a more neutral gathering spot for moms who are away from their Catholic faith, or aren’t even Catholic! We suggest having some extra supplies for moms like diapers and a change of clothes for babies- this is easier to keep at a home from week to week over 7 weeks.

This is not to say that you can’t host it at your church, we just suggest keep the comfortable and a non formal experience in mind as this is an evangelizing opportunity too. Couches, carpet for babies to crawl and play on, and a homey feel can play a key part of letting new moms' guards down and having open and honest conversations!

Do I need someone to help lead it?

You can definitely do it by yourself, but life is a lot more fun with a friend and it makes it less of a burden on you when you can split the duties. 

Am I required to utilize the videos provided or can I find my own speakers to speak on the 7 specific topics?

Feel free to do whatever best suits your community- you can even do a mix! If you know a great mom who has a lot of wisdom to share, use her! Ideally, women who are participating in Equipped can get to know your speakers to have resources within your own parish if they have future questions or need support. We have included basic outlines for each talk with important points for the moms to hear, and then they can fill in their own stories, experiences, and flair!  But if you can’t think of anyone or maybe want to start simply, just use the videos provided. That is what they are there for and you can always change it in future sessions!

What dates do you recommend to start and end on? Are there any weeks we should take a break because of holidays or school holidays for the volunteers? Is it best to meet in the morning or at night?

Equipped is a 7 week series. Ideally it is run two to three times a year to allow moms on maternity leave to attend and to make sure that you only have moms with babies within the 0-12 month range. There may be a week that you need to “skip” because of a holiday, but we don’t recommend skipping more than one week a session. On that skipped week, it is a great idea to encourage the moms to get together outside of Equipped at a coffee shop, someone’s house, a playground, etc. We have found 9:30-11:30 am to be the best time to host Equipped, but do what works best for your moms and volunteers! Sometimes this is a mom’s first outing outside the house with her new baby, so you want to make it convenient for her to attend. 

What do I need to get started?

You need this leader handbook and the new mom handbook, speakers or videos to use, volunteers, a marketing mindset to intentionally invite new moms, and a love for new mamas and helping them develop community. 

How much should we charge?

Here is a sample budget based on what we use to cover our costs (group registration fee, handbooks, etc). Feel free to make it work for you! Typically we ended up charging $35 and it always evened out in the end. Equipped is truly a ministry, so we ask people to donate the food for breakfast alongside other items to help us get started. If you don’t have that option, make sure you factor that into your budget. 

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