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 catholicministryprofessionals.com/culture.

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 catholicministryprofessionals.com/timeaudit.

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 bring it to your next team meeting — catholicministryprofessionals.com/team

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 this week count for something or did we just get through it?

Want help building a leadership rhythm that changes lives? Visit catholicministryprofessionals.com.

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 volunteers. It burns them out. Structure is an act of charity.

Try it at your next meeting. One week. Every decision. See what changes.

Download the free Parish Team Alignment Checklist and bring it to your next team meeting — catholicministryprofessionals.com/team

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 vocation-producing parishes have in common, and why programs and posters aren’t the solution.

The conversation gets practical. At the center of it all is one simple truth: vocations don’t come from strategies. They come from a lived, visible, joyful faith.

If you want more vocations, you don’t start with recruitment. You start with culture.

Download the free 5-Minute Ministry Examen and end today differently than you started it — catholicministryprofessionals.com/examen

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 one block of time each week, and evaluate recurring meetings to decide whether they should be condensed, cut, or improved.

Key Takeaways

Your calendar reveals what you truly prioritize in ministry.

When the calendar dictates parish life, discipleship becomes optional.

A daily rhythm of prayer and planning helps leaders act intentionally.

Many meetings can be shortened, eliminated, or improved.

Download the free Ministry Time Audit and reclaim time for discipleship — catholicministryprofessionals.com/timeaudit