The Keenly Podcast

Most ministry leaders didn't get into this work because it was easy. They got into it because it mattered. But somewhere between the vision and the reality, things get complicated, and the questions get harder to answer.

The Keenly Podcast is built for that tension. Hosted by Chad and Jason, each episode dives into the questions ministry leaders are actually sitting with... about impact, growth, perception, and whether the story you're telling lines up with the mission you're living. These are the conversations happening in staff meetings, board rooms, and quiet moments of honest reflection across ministries everywhere, and this podcast is where they happen out loud.

Whether you're a pastor, a team leader, a creative, a volunteer, or a student exploring a calling to ministry, each episode is designed to give you perspective, designed to give you perspective, language, and tools for the moments that actually keep you up at night; whether that's a staffing decision, a shrinking congregation, or a mission that's drifted from where it started.

Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform so you never miss an episode, and visit keenly.org to learn how Keenly works directly with ministries ready to move forward.

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The Keenly Podcast

Who are we?

April 10, 2026 • Keenly • Season 2 • Episode 1

0:00 | 30:52

We recorded a full season of a podcast about ministry health, leadership, and doing better ministry… and never actually told you who we are or why we're qualified to speak into any of it. That's a perception problem, and it's exactly the kind of thing we're going to be talking about this season.

So before we go any further, Jason and Chad hit pause to introduce themselves, and their stories are about as different as they get.

One grew up in a pastor's home, watching ministry up close from the inside. The other grew up outside the church entirely, spent years in college trying to disprove faith, and found his calling in the last place he expected. But both arrived at the same conviction: ministry deserves more than looking healthy. It needs to actually be healthy.

In this episode, you'll hear:

How two very different backgrounds shaped a shared passion for honest, effective ministry
Why Jason's upbringing gave him a unique lens for spotting the gap between how ministry looks and how it actually functions
How Chad went from studying evolutionary biology to leading a youth ministry, and and how that outside-in journey shapes the way he sees and speaks into ministry today
What's driving Keenly and why "better ministry everywhere" means getting to the root, not just the surface

If you've ever wondered who's behind the mic and whether they get what you're actually dealing with, start here.

Visit keenly.org to learn more or connect with the Keenly team.