132. The Hidden Bottlenecks Killing Parish Engagement

In this episode, Jon and Thai break open the real reason parish engagement feels flat or unpredictable: bottlenecks. Not spiritual weakness. Not apathy. Bottlenecks.

From confusing workflows to unclear ownership to scattered communication, most parishes are trying to grow while dragging dead weight behind them.

We walk through the most common bottlenecks, why they matter, and how they quietly block parishioners, volunteers, and even staff from moving deeper into mission.

You’ll also learn a simple, practical process for mapping your current systems, identifying the real friction points, and redesigning your workflow so engagement becomes predictable instead of accidental.

We also introduce a free tool — the Workflow Mapping Worksheet — that will help your team name the problem, build the solution, and start moving with clarity.

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TAKEAWAYS

• Engagement breaks down at the bottlenecks, not the margins.
  
  

• Most parishes lack a shared definition of what “good engagement” looks like.
  
  

• The highest-leverage fix is mapping the workflow behind one engagement metric.
  
  

• Bottlenecks become obvious when steps and owners are written down.
  
  

• Engagement increases when leadership alignment replaces guesswork.