Thriving in Ministry
Focused on Pastoral Resiliency
We are pleased to help resource our pastors in fulfilling their call to lead our churches and ministries in kingdom endeavors. Pastoral excellence involves holistic Christ-centered development, lifelong vocational and Biblical formation, and regular occasions of renewal and re-visioning that sustain a healthy, enduring ministry. Thriving in Ministry work focuses on pastoral resiliency. It is our purpose to provide an alternative for our pastors, missionaries, and chaplains to isolation and stagnation which are the enemy of thriving and resiliency.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, Thriving in Ministry is working in partnership with our conferences. ministerium and associations to develop cohorts and initiatives to help combat stagnation, address isolation, and solidify and maintain collegial connections.
Cultivating Ministerial Fortitude and Fruitfulness
COMPONENTS
Thriving in Ministry utilizes strategic components working together to deliver a transformational experience for participants. All cohorts include:
- Content: Topics and training that combat stagnation.
- Cohorts: Connection and community to combat isolation.
- Coaching: During and after the cohort, coaches and/or spiritual directors provide strategic guidance and/or companionship for the journey.
- Contribution: New component added for cohort alumni to give back; they can recommend the cohort to others or provide subject matter expertise.
VALUES
- Christ-centered. Focused on Christ and based on biblical principles.
- Healing, supportive, encouraging, and life-giving.
- Challenging, moving towards progress, enabling to bear fruit.
- Instructive, equipping, knowledge – and skills – building.
- Topics and training that combat stagnation.
- Connection and community to combat isolation.
- Accommodates budgets and time schedules of pastors.
TEAM VALUES
Team members practice and encourage:
- Dynamic learning. Engaging, curious, open mindset, listening.
- Compassionate candor. Honesty, balancing truth, and grace.
- Authentic presence. Being together, being real, showing up as your true self.
Cohorts
WHY COHORT LEARNING?
Cohort-based learning is a collaborative learning model where groups of learners move through content together. This approach has been successful in helping our ministers learn new skills and apply them in ministry. It combines the best of new and traditional learning models. Not only does cohort-based learning have a high rate of completion—it also contributes significantly to professional development. Advantages include increased accountability, applied learning, community building, and support.
Coaching
Coaching fosters discovery, insight, and action which leads to hope!
THE PURPOSE OF COACHING
- Developing positive next steps and behaviors
- Making progress towards short-term and long-term goals
- Broadening awareness of self and situation
- Recognizing patterns of thought and behavior
- Helping pastors discern, plan, lead, and collaborate
THE COACHES ROLE
- Ask powerful questions
- Draw out what the Holy Spirit has put in
- Listen for insights, awareness, obstacles, and opportunities
- Help create a vision of a preferred future
- Increase motivation and build commitment toward identified goal(s)
- Establish obtainable and consistent action steps
- Monitor progress and celebrate success
THE CLIENT’S ROLE
- Choose what to focus on in the coaching conversation
- Know why that focus is important to you
- Reflect on what results you want from the conversation
- Be open to creating action steps that fit your context and your calendar
- Expect to be respected as the content expert on you.
- Know the Holy Spirit is working to teach, empower, and guide you
COACHING TIPS
We were never meant to get to clarity alone. A skilled coach can be both a companion and guide for the journey.
FOLLOW THE ARROWS
In the Covenant, we like to think of at least three different types of companion or guide ministries. Each type specializes in a particular primary direction.
- Up: The primary direction of Spiritual Direction is up, to build your relationship with God
- Back: The primary direction of Therapy is back to rebuild foundations and bring healing
- Forward: The primary direction of Coaching is forward. Coaching specifically is designed to create forward action steps that fit your context and your calendar.
All three companion or guide ministries are helpful on your journey. With coaching, you can expect to make forward progress and focus on forward actions steps.
WHO BRINGS THE CONTENT?
Mentoring and consulting, like coaching, can help you develop plans and strategies to move your life and your ministry forward. So what distinguishes coaching from mentoring and consulting? The primary difference is in who brings the content. The mentor and consultant often come to the conversation as the content expert.
In coaching, however, you are the content expert. The coach helps you discover, understand, and pursue:
- What God is doing in your life and ministry
- What gifts, talents, and resources God has made available to you
- How to navigate complex situations and overcome challenging obstacles
- How to develop steps to more fully live out God’s plans and purposes for you
The Coaching Workshop Intensive
ARE you interested in becoming a coach?
- Direct less. Empower more. Multiply your impact.
- The five core coaching skills of Listening, Inquiry, Generating Feedback, Focusing, and Follow-up catalyze any kind of leadership conversation.
Getting trained in these skills will advance your leadership development and will equip you to develop and empower others through coaching.
What to expect?
- Offered every Spring and Fall
- The Intensive gives you 4 six-hour days of highly interactive, engaging learning experiences
- It’s a WORKshop – not a webinar!
- Fully remote online via Zoom
Your official workbook and supplies are included with your registration. Also includes three additional personal coaching sessions following the Intensive for you to schedule at your convenience.
Total fee $195 per person
For more information, contact coaching@covchurch.org
Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Grants
Grants for spiritual direction, coaching, retreats, and sabbatical opportunities
The Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Initiative seeks to strengthen our ministerial community by providing resources to allow them to take time away from day-to-day ministry to participate in holistic Christ-centered development, lifelong vocational and Biblical formation, and regular occasions of renewal and re-visioning that rejuvenate their spiritual lives to sustain a healthy enduring ministry.
