Heroic Leadership Starts with the Gospel
Jeff Lockart’s Mission to Raise Men Who Evangelize
Jeff Lockart isn’t flashy. He doesn’t speak with bravado or drop leadership clichés. But spend five minutes listening to him, and you’ll know—this man is a spiritual force.
As president of Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) for over two decades, Jeff has spent his life forming young leaders for the Church. He talks about Jesus like He’s someone real, someone close. He leads like a man who knows the cost of mediocrity—and the reward of mission.
In this episode of Heroic Hotline, Jeff joined us from CCO headquarters in Ottawa, Canada. He opened up about the core of the Gospel (the kerygma), the spiritual hunger of young men, and how ordinary guys can become world-class evangelists.
This conversation wasn’t about being loud. It was about being clear. And courageous.
1. The Gospel Is Simple. That Doesn’t Make It Easy.
From the jump, Jeff didn’t dodge the big words. He leaned right into the kerygma—that Greek term you hear tossed around in theology classes but rarely broken down for regular guys.
“The kerygma,” Jeff explained, “is the core of the Gospel. It's the reality that we were created for a relationship with God, but through sin, that relationship was broken. Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again so that relationship could be restored.”
He laid it out plainly. No theology degree required. No ecclesial vocabulary quiz.
“You don’t need a Master’s in theology to share this,” he said. “It’s simple, but not simplistic. It’s for everyone—kids, adults, the highly educated, the guy working construction.”
“Our faith is expressed in a person—Jesus Christ. And all of us can have a beautiful, connected, intimate relationship with Him. And we can share that with others.”
It’s a message the modern Church needs to relearn: the Gospel doesn’t need to be complicated to be compelling. It needs to be lived. And proclaimed.
2. Young Men Are Hungry for Greatness
Jeff’s fire really caught when we shifted gears into young men. Because this is where his passion lives.
“Young men have a longing,” he said. “A desire for purpose, adventure, and significance. They want their lives to mean something. They want to leave a legacy.”
It’s not just theory. Jeff’s seen this play out on campuses and retreats across Canada for years. And it’s why CCO has built its whole approach around clarity, challenge, and mission.
Referencing St. John Paul II—a giant of his own youth—Jeff reminded us of the Pope’s call to high ideals: “Live lives of character, virtue, and sacrifice.”
“Meekness is not weakness,” Jeff said, with conviction. “It’s strength under control.”
In a world of soft expectations and ever-moving goalposts, Jeff calls men back to the grit of spiritual maturity.
He recounted advice from a parenting seminar that stuck with him:
“You’re not raising children. You’re raising adults. So cast a vision for who they’re becoming—and treat them accordingly.”
This, he argued, is the spiritual deficit of our age. We’ve coddled men into extended adolescence. The antidote isn’t shame—it’s vision. “Maturity is the goal,” Jeff said. “Because in sacrifice and self-gift, there is joy and freedom.”
3. Your Testimony Is Your Most Powerful Weapon
The best part of the conversation? When Jeff got practical.
He doesn’t just talk about evangelization. He equips people to do it. One of the ways CCO trains men and women to share their faith is through a small tool called The Ultimate Relationship booklet.
“We created it because people were telling us, ‘I want to share my faith, but I don’t know how.’” The booklet breaks down the Gospel clearly, briefly, and accessibly. It’s been translated into multiple languages and distributed at World Youth Days.
You can also find it as a free app at cco.ca.
But the core of evangelization, according to Jeff, is something even simpler: your story.
“One of the most impactful tools any man has is a clear, compelling testimony. You don’t have to debate dogma. You can say, ‘This is what Jesus has done in my life.’”
He challenged us—every man listening—to ask: What’s your testimony?
What would you say in an elevator? What would you say to a stranger who asks: “Why should I care about your faith?”
That’s not just a sales pitch. It’s soul work. And it might be the most heroic thing a man can do: speak vulnerably and boldly about what Jesus has done in his life.
The Road to 2033: From Rome to the World
In the final stretch of the conversation, Jeff shared about two major initiatives CCO is involved in:
The Jubilee of Youth — At the end of July, over a million young adults will descend on Rome for a “mini World Youth Day.” CCO is helping lead a pilgrimage through sites connected to young saints like Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Global 2033 Movement — A worldwide initiative preparing for the 2000th anniversary of the Resurrection of Christ in the year 2033. It's a call to global evangelization, with groups like CCO and Heroic Men leading the charge in their regions.
“We believe Canada has a destiny as a missionary nation,” Jeff said. “We have so much to offer the world.”
And that offering, Jeff reminded us, includes our men. Our stories. Our strength.
Final Words: The Call of St. Joseph
Before closing, Jeff spoke of the patron of Canada—St. Joseph. Not just as a gentle carpenter, but as Terror of Demons and Defender of the Church.
“He’s not just a nice statue. He’s our model. A man of silence, strength, and protection.”
That’s the kind of man Jeff is trying to raise through CCO. That’s the kind of man we’re all called to become. Not perfect. But present. Strong. And surrendered.
If you want to know more about what Jeff and his team are building, check out cco.ca or global2033.org. And if you’re ready to start living your story out loud, download The Ultimate Relationship booklet. Start there.
Because the world doesn’t need more noise. It needs more clarity. And courage.
“The Gospel is for everyone. And it’s waiting to be shared by you.”