Unfortunately, in today’s world, parish jobs are often seen as simple, walk-in-the-park vocations. People often imagine that they are for individuals interested in doing something that is a little more challenging than a hobby, but not as intense as a corporate position. But the truth is, to be able to get a parish job and be successful in meeting all its demands, you need a rich set of skills. Let’s look at five indispensable skills you need to get a Catholic parish job and do it well.

Understanding the Stakes

A parish is not the same as an NGO, a secular non-profit, or community organization. It is in the business of saving souls. Rather than think of a parish as a low-stakes way to do some vague good, you need to understand that it is more like working as an EMS or as a doctor in the ER.

To work in a parish is to go to work every day trying to save souls for Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important than the salvation of souls, and parishes are charged with taking care of the day in and day out tasks that make that happen.

When you interview for a Catholic parish job, you will likely be interviewing with the Pastor of the parish. He will be acutely aware of the weight of parish responsibilities. The ability to clearly articulate and embrace the stakes of parish work will be a huge aid. It will also allow you to be better prepared for taking on the challenges of parish ministry with zeal if you do get the position.

Living the Spiritual Life

There is no better way to get a Catholic parish job than to be living a vibrant spiritual life. Working in a parish is all about leading others to encounter Jesus Christ and helping them to form a deep relationship with Him. If you don’t regularly encounter Him or if You do not have a deep relationship with Him, then you won’t be able to give this.

So, evaluate your prayer life. Do you receive the sacraments regularly, especially Confession and the Eucharist? Do you daily have one-on-one conversations with the Lord? Do you try hard to pursue Him every day the

best you can and run to Him when you fail?

It’s very easy to tell the difference between someone who truly knows Jesus, and someone who is faking it! A true, living relationship with our Lord speaks for itself and will be one of the best aids in helping you to get a Catholic parish job. Plus, it will help you avoid ministry burnout!

Understanding the Spiritual Life

For the person who wants to work in a parish, it isn’t enough to just live the spiritual life. It’s also important to understand the ins and outs of having a relationship with Jesus. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a PhD in Spiritual Theology! It just means that you need to understand the different challenges and joys that come with following Christ. A great place to begin understanding the spiritual life is to pursue a living knowledge of self and of God.

Remember, getting a Catholic parish job is about showing that you can help the Pastor save souls. And this requires a working understanding of how to love the Lord in the good and tough times—that is, how to respond to His different promptings and invitations.

Communication

In order to get a Catholic parish job, good communication skills are a must. Every job seems to demand this, but it is especially important in the parish context. We have discussed living and understanding the spiritual life, but if you can’t communicate these things to others, then it will be very difficult to find success in a parish job.

Being able to communicate well in a parish demands a unique ability. It requires the skill to take deep, sometimes complicated truths and simplify them in a way that anyone can understand. This is a craft that takes time to hone. As part of your preparation for interviewing, be sure to take time to think through how you can talk about and teach the most relevant mysteries of the Faith in a way that anyone can understand. This will give you a big leg-up in getting a Catholic parish job.

Humility

Ministry is hard. And, the truth is, you will probably fail … a lot! But that’s okay. Remember, many people walked away from Jesus, so we should expect that we will often be met with failure. The important thing is to be at peace, knowing that every failure is an opportunity for two things. First, it is a chance for growth. By humbly going to the Lord in times of weakness and failure, He will help you discover how to grow. Becoming more humble will be a true aid in your pursuit for a Catholic parish job.

Second, it will allow you to become more dependent on God. Jesus told us that without Him we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). The more we learn to rely on Him and the less we think it is all up to us, the more prepared we will be for ministry.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Knowing and meditating on your limitations, weaknesses, and inevitable failure will sober your heart, bring you closer to God, and show to anyone interviewing you that you have a realistic, Christ-centered mindset in ministry. People hiring for ministry positions are often on the lookout for naive individuals who think they can save the world. By embracing humility, you will set yourself apart, and, most importantly, draw closer to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

If the Lord is calling you to a Catholic parish job, then it is incredibly important to follow that call and find Catholic professional work. Knowing these five skills will be a crucial help in getting a Catholic parish job. Plus, it will help you be successful in that job. Remember, if you understand the stakes, authentically live the spiritual life, understand the spiritual life, can communicate well, and strive for humility, then you will set yourself up well for getting a Catholic parish job.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

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I was asked last week: “how do I know if I’m called to start a business – let alone a Catholic business?”

Funny enough, I personally don’t know anyone who planned everything out when starting a Catholic business. Rather, God put the call on their hearts, even though they felt completely unprepared and unqualified.

Sound familiar?

It’s possible to resist for a while, however, God will be persistent, and for those of us who have given in, we feel incredibly blessed to have been chosen for this crazy ride.

If you’re here because you got that not-so-subtle tug on the sleeve from God, congratulations! He’s chosen you to do great work, and trust me, if our not-so-subtle God called you here, He’s surely got a plan.

Still, as someone who has been involved in many a ministry over her lifetime, I know a thing or two about how Catholic Businesses do (and don’t!) run. So please, learn from my mistakes!

5 Mistakes to Avoid when Starting a Catholic Business

Don’t – Think you have to go it alone

Nothing like starting a new Catholic ministry to bring on all of the imposter syndrome thoughts, eh? “Why did God call me to this? I don’t know what I’m doing, and I have to do this all by myself. If I accept help, people will know I’m a fraud.”

Seriously, the only one thinking that is you. Everyone else is in awe of your courage and leadership and probably aren’t even noticing your doubts.

The very best thing you can do for your business is to ask for help. Join professional forums or Facebook groups pertaining to your ministry. Search YouTube and blogs, or simply ask for volunteers to help manage some of your responsibilities. No one is meant to be an expert in everything, and no one will think less of you by asking for help. Chances are, they’ll actually respect you more.

Even Jesus asked for help in his darkest moments, so there’s no reason you can’t too.

Don’t – Be afraid to talk about it.

We all have that one friend. You know which one I’m talking about, the one who will NOT stop posting about essential oils, their Etsy shop, or their latest pyramid scheme.

Don’t be that person!

But also don’t be afraid to talk about your ministry. I was out to dinner with one of my best friends a few months ago, and I brought up my business. “You own a business?!” she cried.

Clearly, I haven’t done a great job of telling my friends about my ministry. I don’t want to bother them with it or have them feel pressured to use my services.

But here’s the thing: You’re not trying to sell to your family and friends. You’re trying to sell to their family and friends. 92% of people trust recommendations from family and friends over advertisements. Word of mouth marketing works. So let your family and friends talk about you! They can help you without spending a dime. Encourage them to like your social media posts, share your event or blog information, and leave reviews for your ministry online.

Don’t – Take on extra projects.

I have a really hard time saying no. And that’s a big problem when it comes to ministry.

Because suddenly, you’re saying yes to everything. And before you know it, your small group women’s Bible study is now knitting blankets for the elderly while visiting sick children at the hospital your spaghetti dinner raised money for – and now has no time for actually studying the Bible.

Don’t get me wrong: There are so many efforts worthy of our help. But if your ministry business doesn’t have focus, it will fail. Stick to your thing and say no to anything that doesn’t directly relate to that mission.

Don’t – Give up too soon.

About six months after starting my business, I only had one customer. I was fed up and had a serious conversation with my husband about shutting down. The only thing holding me back was my time of adoration that morning. I felt like God was telling me to keep going. The very next day, I got my first real client.

One of the main things that causes a new ministry to fail is giving up because there isn’t enough interest.

When I was in youth group, my leaders told us about the time they only had one teen showing up every week. It went on like this for weeks until finally someone else showed up and the group took off. Nevertheless, my leaders felt their time and effort was worth it even for one person. This was a lesson I remembered and emulated during my own days as a youth group leader.

There may be only one person God needs you to impact through your ministry business. Isn’t their soul worth it?

Don’t – Let the devil trash talk you.

If you’ve just started a new Catholic business and literally everything is going wrong, then you’re probably doing something right. That’s because there’s nothing the devil wants more than to destroy your ministry, which is bringing people to God.

So don’t let the devil trash talk you. Don’t let him tell you that you aren’t qualified enough or holy enough or whatever enough to do this ministry God has called you to.

Just repeat after Jesus: “Get behind me, Satan.”

So those are a few things you shouldn’t do when starting a Catholic business. What are some things you should do?

3 Keys to Success when Starting a Catholic Business

Do – Learn from others.

Read blogs, listen to podcasts, join Facebook groups. There are so many people out there who have gone through the exact same things in ministry that you have, and you can learn from their successes and failures.

Do – Invest in a planner.

Trust me: I know you think you can keep everything in your head, but your stress will evaporate with a good organizational strategy. Chances are, there’s an online tool directed specifically at your ministry, but even generic options work well. My personal go-tos are my Blessed is She planner, TSheets for time tracking, a Google calendar (which you can sync with other volunteers or employees!), and Google Keep notes.

Do – Pray!

Consider taking up a weekly Holy Hour to pray for your business. You can even bring your work with you to offer up to the Lord (and ask for some divine inspiration!).

Blessings on your new ministry!

About the Author

Emily Ricci is the president of Gloriam Marketing, and works as a marketing content and social media specialist at a Catholic college and previously worked at a church for over 7 years. Her past church titles and responsibilities have included working as a Parish Office secretary, sacristan, Weekend Coordinator (ministry supervisor and event coordinator), youth minister, bulletin writer, coordinator of the baptism program, and Faith Formation teacher and assistant. After years in church work, Emily recognized the need for solid Catholic marketing and promotion, but realized that there were no marketing firms in the area that specialized in faith-based marketing.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

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