Webinars

Listening in Diverse Contexts and Cultures

Presenter: Darius Villalobos
Air Date: January 14, 2026

Listening is an important pastoral skill for any parish leader. But developing the skill of listening becomes essential when you are working across cultures. Cultural diversity can be ethnic and racial differences, but there are lots of cultural differences to consider when working in a parish. From urban, suburban, and rural realities to socioeconomic differences, to different liturgical norms, and many more characteristics, every parish has a unique culture. This webinar will explore the basics in understanding cultures, look at the differences in how cultures communicate, and will explore best practices to make sure that you can listen to all the members of your parish and to make sure everyone feels heard.

About the Presenter:

Darius A. Villalobos serves as a ministry consultant for local and national Catholic organizations with a special focus on intercultural ministry. He is a consultant to the Pathways Project and NCCL’s Catholic Families Project.

He has served on the staff of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) as the Senior Project Manager for Diversity and Inclusion; and in a variety of ministry roles including youth ministry, young adult ministry, and catechesis in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is a graduate of DePaul University (B.A.) and Catholic Theological Union (MA intercultural ministry). He has served as a parish RCIA director, liturgical music minister, retreat director, catechist, and youth minister.

Bringing a Pathways Plan to Life:
The STELLAR Implementation Approach

Presenter: Jim Merhaut
Air Date: February 11, 2026

When we are working through a planning process, we need to work the entire process to get impactful results. It’s not enough to envision a good idea. It’s also not enough to design a good idea. We also need to implement the good idea. Implementation skills are quite distinct from visioning and designing skills. This workshop will focus on sharpening our implementation skills by learning about and applying the STELLAR implementation model developed by Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva, the “Reinvention Guru” who has done multiple Ted Talks and has been featured in Forbes Magazine and the Harvard Business Review. We will apply her STELLAR model to church project implementation.

About the Presenter:

Jim Merhaut is an award-winning author, national motivational speaker, internationally-known leadership trainer, and ICF-Certified Coach. He holds a Master of Science degree in Education from Duquesne University with an emphasis in adult formation. Jim has authored and co-authored several books and published dozens of articles and essays on leadership and relationships. Jim is a Pathways Facilitator in the Pathways Project and the Coordinator of Consultants in NCCL’s Catholic Families Project. Jim’s website is coachingtoconnect.com.