Coaching for Leadership - Overview

Coaching for Leadership:
A New Program for Clergy at SFTS

Who hasn’t wished for stronger pastoral leadership skills in some key area?  No one can excel equally in preaching, strategic planning, communication, pastoral care, conflict management, mentoring lay leaders, stewardship and supervising programs and personnel.  In one day you may be called upon to fix the oven in the church kitchen, help a grieving family plan a service, provide guidance to a visioning committee and mediate a conflict between the music director and office manager.  You reduce others’ stress levels, but how is yours?  You lead others to living water, but is your well pretty dry?

Having a coach as an ally can make all the difference in managing your current challenges and honing your pastoral leadership skills.  The field of coaching arose in business to assist executives and entrepreneurs to identify and achieve goals and objectives.  In recent years, the coaching model has been applied to members of the clergy. Coaching is not psychotherapy. Nor is it mentoring.  It is a one-to-one alliance with a person, trained in leadership development, who will assist you to identify your ministry goals and offer resources and guidance as you take progressive steps toward meeting those goals.

We all know the challenges for religious leaders today.  Declining membership, changing demographics, and high expectations from the congregation threaten work-life balance, physical and mental well-being, and personal spiritual renewal.  Yet most clergy are dedicated, faithful servants, who seek to fulfill their call to serve God and their congregations.  Ministers are looking for opportunities to develop new ways of doing ministry and increasing the effectiveness of current programs.  In recent years, coaching has become a cost-effective, helpful, and individualized tool for shaping skills and developing as a leader.

San Francisco Theological Seminary, with a long and rich history of preparing women and men for ministry, is pleased to offer clergy a new way to do continuing education, using the coaching model.  We call our program “Coaching for Leadership” because it reflects our long standing commitment to prepare “Whole leaders for the whole church.”

The Lloyd Center’s Program

Among the several clergy coaching programs available today, The Lloyd Center program, “Coaching for Leadership” is unique in the following way: 

• We will focus on leadership, developing in you, the minister, the skills necessary to be an effective pastoral leader.
• We are going to define “success” or effectiveness not just in terms of programs and numbers, but also in terms of personal mental, spiritual and family well-being.
• Our program will combine both a retreat component and a core one-to-one coaching relationship.
• Our program will be deeply rooted in the theological tradition of the Reformed Faith and the strong emphasis upon Christian spirituality here at SFTS.

Professional Fees
Even though this program is being underwritten by San Francisco Theological Seminary and a grant from the Longbrake Family Foundation, each participant will be charged tuition of $1,800.  The fee for this program will cover both your retreat time and a full six months of coaching.  You pay only for transportation and phone use.  Normally, such expenses are a very good use of a pastor’s continuing education budget and study leave.

Upcoming Classes
Our next class for “Coaching for Leadership” is scheduled for mid February, 2009 with a retreat on Thursday, February 19th and Friday, February 20, 2009, here at the Lloyd Center on the campus of SFTS. The retreat is followed by six months of coaching. Applications will need to be received by January 3, 2009.

Early Bird Special
If you register early, you will receive an Early Bird Discount of $300. We must receive your completed application and your $200 deposit by December 1, 2008. With your Early Bird Discount, your total cost for the retreat and a full six months of professional coaching will be just $1500. Act now and save!

An Invitation
Certainly every minister could use a coach from time to time.  You may need some extra assistance during a particular phase of ministry -- first year at a new congregation, first experience as head of staff, developing a strategic plan for a struggling congregation, or developing a new and previously untested program.  You may need some extra support during a time of personal challenge, such as dealing with a chronic illness, discerning afresh your call to ministry, or prioritizing life goals.  Whatever your need or reason, we believe that you will find great benefit from a coaching relationship.

Download Coaching for Leadership Application Form

 Download Coaching for Leadership Brochure

 Coaching for Leadership Application