The Church Podcast

In this episode, Chris and John break open ideas on how we can still evangelize and catechize our communities even when extraordinary events, like Covid-19 (Coronavirus) happen. More specifically, we talk about your communication strategies, online giving, continuing formation, and pastoral outreach during this unprecedented time.

In this episode, John and Chris interview Joshua Miller, Executive Director for the Inscape Center for Personal Vocation. Josh shares with us why exploring our core motivations is essential to understanding and nurturing our personal vocation. You can check out this resources shared on our podcast episode by clicking on the links below: Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person...

Ministry leaders need to be intentional about setting goals for their ministry. In this episode, John and Chris share how that looks in parish ministry and how it is connected with growing your parish and planning the budget. In this episode, we refer to these previous podcast episode: The Joys of Budgeting

We are all broken people. And God mends all brokenness. In this episode, Chris and John explore the role of brokenness in our lives, how we can embrace it, and how we can use our brokenness in our ministry to help heal other broken people.

“Good youth ministry leads to readiness for Confirmation. Confirmation does not lead to involvement in youth ministry.” In this episode, Chris and John explore the intersection of youth ministry and the sacrament of Confirmation, and how effective comprehensive youth ministry prepares young people well for Confirmation. In this episode, we refer to these previous podcast episodes:   Rebuilding the...

In this episode, Chris and John break open the National Certification process for Lay Ecclessial Ministers in the United States and explore it’s pro’s and con’s. Find out more about the National Certification Process by checking out this page on the USCCB website . In this episode, we also refer back to Episode 41: Is Getting a Graduate Degree Worth It?

John and Chris debate how to best tackle the email problem many in ministry have. John suggests that we should all respond to emails within 24 business hours and Chris pushes back, naming that not all emails take priority. In this episode, they share strategies about how to effectively manage your email and be responsive to the needs of your ministry.

Do you have an idea? A vision? A way to do ministry differently? And you wonder, is your pastor supportive? In this episode, Chris and John share a 4-step strategy to get your pastor’s support about how to move your ministry forward.

In this episode, Chris and John delve into the question of parish staff working on Sunday. Sunday is when our parishes impact the most people. There is an argument to be made that Sunday needs to be a work day for parish staff. John and Chris dive into some things to consider when making a decision about this important question.

In this episode, special guest, Katherine Angulo, shares what thriving ministry looks like and how we can prepare our young lay leaders and priests to be successful in ministry and to have longevity in their roles.  Katherine is the Program Director for Thriving in Ministry Initiatives at the McGrath Institute at Notre Dame University. She also shares about her experience leading the Bishop D’Arcy...

All too often, parishes look like a revolving door of staff members being hired and then moving on. Turnover of staff is of tremendous concern and thwarts effective ministry. In this episode, John and Chris share how parish leaders and pastors might go about stopping the constant turnover that can often plague parishes. In this episode, we refer to 2 previous podcast episodes: Hiring In Ministry M...

Sherry Weddell, in her great book Forming Intentional Disciples , suggests that we have raised Catholics who are “sacramentalized, but not evangelized.” Wow! Powerful statement! In this archived episode, Chris and John begin the first episode of a series looking at sacramental preparation programs and how we can evangelize as well as sacramentalize. At the center of this conversation is this idea...

Do people feel welcome in your church? That is a question that all ministry leaders need to ask themselves. In this archive episode of The Church Podcast, Chris and John explore strategies for being intentional about developing a ministry of hospitality.

At the heart of Diocesan ministry is service to their parishes and schools. In this episode, Chris and John discuss the role of Diocesan ministry and how they can best support parishes and schools. At the same time, we share ideas for parish and school leaders on how to connect with their Diocesan structure.

Parish leaders often bemoan the lack of giving, mass attendance, volunteerism, or ( insert other expectation here ). We complain because we have expectations of parishioners that parishioners don’t have of themselves. In this episode, John and Chris talk about the importance of developing and communicating clear expectations of what it means to be a member of our Catholic parish.

Nothing can affect the morale and culture of your parish staff than not effectively managing underperforming staff. In this episode, Chris and John break open how to address the underperformance of your staff and how to guide and coach your team to meet and exceed expectations. In this episode, we reference two previous podcasts which will be beneficial to implementing these strategies:   Effectiv...

In part 2 of this Facebook Live episode, Chris and John continue to talk with Neighborhood Evangelist and Youth Ministry Leader Tony Vasinda as he shares his journey of faith and how he has been led to evangelizing in a different way with his family. He specifically shares how ministry, if it’s beautiful and true, but it doesn’t work in our parishes, then we should reconsider it. You can find out...

In part 1 of this Facebook Live episode, Chris and John talk with Neighborhood Evangelist and Youth Ministry Leader Tony Vasinda as he shares his journey of faith and how he has been led to evangelizing in a different way with his family. He specifically shares how ministry, if it’s beautiful and true, but it doesn’t work in our parishes, then we should reconsider it. You can find out more about T...

Saying “no” is an essential part of being a leader in ministry. In this episode, Chris and John share their experience of saying “no” and how to effectively discern what we say “yes” to and what we say “no” to. For more resources on this topic, check out the Monk Manual or visit the Marathon Youth Ministry Store and check out “Time Savers” and the “Annual Self Assessment.”

In this episode, special guest Klarissa Chichioco shares about Theology of the Body. She delves into what it is and how to implement it into your ministry. To learn more about Klarissa and her ministry, visit Echoes of Worth . For more information about Theology of the Body, visit the Theology of the Body Institute .

Your staff and ministry organizational structure should be evaluated to make sure it matches the needs of your parish and allows you to achieve your ministry goals. In this episode, Chris and John explore some of the common traps or mistakes we fall into and share some ideas how we might reconfigure our staff structure to allow for more effective ministry.

In this Facebook Live episode, Chris and John address your questions. This week, we delve into how we can implement change in our parish and how we go about making non-Catholics feel welcome when the are invited to our parish youth ministry events. Facebook Live episodes can also be found at the YM Transfer Facebook Page. Stay tuned for more Facebook Live episodes in the future.

Youth ministry can’t grow unless the entire parish grows. Children’s ministry can’t grow unless the entire parish grows. Yet, too often, we sometimes put all of our efforts in our ministry without the understanding that what we do is collaborative. In this episode, John and Chris share ideas and resources about how we go about breaking down ministry silos and working together as a whole to grow ou...

At one point or another, we’ve all said that we don’t have enough resources to do ministry. That is likely to be true, and we need to be intentional about how we go about asking for resources, both from God and from our ministry leader. In this episode, Chris and John explore this question and give practical guidance on how to move forward when we feel we don’t have enough resources in our ministr...

We often begin developing faith formation opportunities in our parish without thinking through what it is we hope participants will gain from being involved. In this episode, Chris and John start with the end in mind and encourage leaders to discuss the spiritual habits they hope participants will develop in formation programs and use that as the starting point for developing your faith formation...