Catholic Ministry Professionals

You've watched a group go from twelve people to five to whoever remembers it's Tuesday — you're now in ministry purgatory. Jon and Thai name the three quiet ways new ministries stall out, and the one question that tells you how to fix it.

 The tasks you're holding onto aren't the hard ones — they're the comfortable ones. Your team is waiting for you to let go. -- This episode is brought to you by Ascension Press. For the first time in over 50 years, the Church is praying with a new translation of the Liturgy of the Hours — and Ascension has been chosen by the USCCB as one of the official publishers. Their edition is beautifully des...

You've got an idea for your ministry. You've thought it through, you believe it would work — and you haven't moved. The permission you're waiting for isn't coming. Here's what to do next. Book a discovery call at catholicministryprofessionals.com .

Someone on your team is burning out. You can see it — and you've been waiting for the right moment to say something. That moment doesn't appear on its own. You have to build it.  Book a discovery call at catholicministryprofessionals.com .

We all spend time looking for the right program, the right budget, or the right moment. The lowest barrier to change in your parish is already in your hands — one conversation, one person, one hour. Make transformation actionable.  Download the Three Conversations That Transform Parish Culture for FREE at catholicministryprofessionals.com/culture .

Your parish probably has a mission statement, and nobody knows what it is. Jon breaks down why that happens — and shares a concrete formula to fix it. This is one of our most-listened-to episodes. Download The 3 Conversations That Transform Parish Culture at catholicministryprofessionals.com/culture .

You're making the decisions. You're watching the budget. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, you need to make sure the mission is still driving the ship. Dr. Matthew Draud, President of Brier Cliff University, breaks down how Catholic leaders keep Christ at the center when the pressure to survive starts pulling in a different direction. Download the Parish Culture Assessment tool at catholic...

Find out what it takes to reach the Catholics your parish doesn't even know it's missing. Listen to the full conversation with Shannon McGraw-Carr. Reclaim time for discipleship at CatholicMinistryProfessionals.com/timeaudit

Most parish leaders can name the tension between staff members. It's what we do next that matters. Download the free Parish Leader's Clarity Map and name the one thing you've been avoiding that would change everything — catholicministryprofessionals.com/clarity

Every parish wants more engagement. Few can define what that means. If you can't measure it, you can't move it. Let's break down the three things you need to do to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing real change in your parish.  Download the free Parish Team Alignment Checklist and bring it to your next team meeting — catholicministryprofessionals.com/team

Bulletins inform. Emails remind. But a magazine mailed to someone's home says — we thought about you. Jon Konz sits down with Isaac Summers of Decided Excellence Catholic Media to talk about how one apostolate is reaching the unchurched and unifying merged parishes. Real hospitality starts before they show up. Reclaim time for what matters. Download the free Time Audit at catholicministryprofessio...

Good people. Good intentions. But somewhere between this week's meeting and next — nothing happens. In this episode, Jon and Thai give you three things to fix that: clear expectations, a visible short list, and a predictable check-in rhythm that makes accountability feel like a team — not a trap. Structure doesn't replace love. It protects it. Download the free Parish Team Alignment Checklist and...

If your parish team is working hard, showing up, and doing the things — and nothing is shifting — that's not an effort problem. That's a drift problem. In this episode, Jon names it and gives you three moves to fix it. Name the Drift. Build a Weekly Missional Accountability Rhythm. Lead Like a Father. One question added to your weekly meeting does more than any attendance report ever will: did thi...

Most parish meetings end with conversation. Not decisions. That gap quietly drains your team. Jon gives you three things to fix that: Decide Out Loud. Name the Owner. Set the Date. One clear decision. One person responsible. One firm deadline. Write it down before anyone leaves. And if you think structure doesn't belong in volunteer ministry — Jon addresses that too. Vagueness doesn't protect your...

Most parishes say they want more vocations. But few are building the kind of culture where vocations can actually grow. In this episode, Jon sits down with Fr. Travis Crotty, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Sioux City, to unpack what’s really behind the decline in vocations and what parish leaders can do about it. They explore why the “vocations crisis” didn’t start today, what healthy vocat...

Many parish leaders feel controlled by their calendars. Meetings, interruptions, and constant demands leave little room for the most important work of ministry. If discipleship is truly a priority, it must show up in how leaders schedule their time. In this episode, Jon and Thai share three simple shifts that transform the parish calendar: reclaim each day with a short prayerful routine, protect o...

Many parishes aren’t growing, they’re just trying to survive, and survival mode becomes its own weekly rhythm: urgent issues dominate meetings, important decisions stall, and discipleship gets postponed. Ministry like this is exhausting – parishioners don’t know where to go and leaders feel like they can’t lead. Using Matthew 9:36 (“like sheep without a shepherd”), the episode calls leaders to mov...

Most parish leaders are sincere, hardworking, and prayerful — yet still feel scattered and reactive. In this episode, Jon and Thai unpack why renewed energy isn’t the solution. Clear priorities are. They explore how compassion without direction leaves people disoriented — like sheep without a shepherd. Leadership clarity isn’t a buzzword; it’s an act of charity. This episode walks through a simple...

In this episode of the Catholic Ministry Professionals Podcast, Jon sits down with Amy Jungers, Development Director at Gehlen Catholic High School, to unpack why development is not a necessary evil, but a core expression of mission. Amy shares her journey from corporate marketing into Catholic school development, naming the spiritual fulfillment that comes from uniting relationships, stewardship,...

Jon and Thai explore why parish teams can be faithful, busy, and well-intentioned—yet still stuck. The problem isn’t effort or motivation, but misalignment caused by unclear communication, vague vision, and meetings that don’t lead to decisions. Through concrete parish examples, they show how vague agreement (“yeah, we should do that”) without named ownership or follow-up quietly breeds frustratio...

This conversation explores the gap between seminary formation and parish reality —and why that gap is not primarily about missing technical skills, but about human formation, self-knowledge, and shared leadership . Father Shane Deman explains what seminarians are actually formed to do (preach, sanctify, govern) and why expecting priests to also function as MBAs, HR directors, and marketing experts...

Synodality has become a buzzword that many parish leaders quietly find frustrating or annoying — often because it feels abstract, over-processed, or disconnected from real parish life. In this episode, John Gaffney, Director of Evangelization and Mission for the Diocese of Des Moines, reframes synodality not as endless meetings or committees, but as listening that must lead to action . Drawing fro...

What happens when we stop playing it safe in ministry and start offering real depth? In this conversation, Eric Gallagher shares the heart behind Suscipe and the fruit that has followed a decade of intentional discernment. Drawing from years in parish and diocesan ministry, Eric explains why adults are often hungry for more than “milk,” how deeper formation actually bears fruit, and why apostolate...

In this episode of the Catholic Ministry Professionals Podcast, Jon engages with therapist Justin Derry to explore the integration of mental health awareness within Catholic ministry. They discuss the importance of tough conversations, the impact of conflict avoidance in parish teams, and the necessity of self-care for effective ministry. Justin emphasizes the need for an integrated approach to pe...

In this episode of the Catholic Ministry Professionals Podcast, Jon Konz and Mike Ward discuss the transformative power of pastoral conversations in parish ministry. They explore the importance of being present, listening, and creating a culture of trust within the church community. Mike shares insights from his experience in pastoral ministry, emphasizing the need for intentionality in conversati...