Do you know who is discipling and personally investing in the pastor of your church?
Statistics show that an alarming rate of pastors are expressing burnout and considering leaving their role in ministry, and the numbers reporting so have risen in recent years since the pandemic.
Pastors and other ministry leaders are continually pouring themselves out to others in their community, but few have someone regularly coaching and building them up as they strive to disciple others.
To disciple well, leaders need the security and encouragement generated in supportive relationships saturated with grace.
Developing Workers was founded around the recognition of this deep need.
We exist to mobilize Christian ministry leaders for their work in the harvest.
Hear firsthand about the impact of DW’s coaching and mentorship in the life of a local pastor and friend.
The Impact of Life on Life
Can you explain some of the value the leadership coaching has added to your ministry and care from Leadership Coaching & Development?
“When I’ve received coaching from Michael through Developing Workers, he has done a really good job of keeping me grounded, making sure in the ups and downs of ministry, I have a solid base of wisdom. That has allowed me to weather some of the low of ministry. During the highs of ministry, it has defined perspective.
Having this level of accountability has pushed me to the Lord in ministry, providing a voice of wisdom and reason.
It’s nice to have someone outside your church and ministry to take a look from the outside and offer wisdom – Having a voice from someone who I’m not trying to pastor, who can look in with an outsider’s eye to bring perspective.
You get in the throws of ministry, and it’s hard to see the forest from the trees and say things like “hey that’s common” or “let’s take a step back and look a little closer at that here.”
What are some challenges or hurdles you’ve had to walk through in which Developing Workers’ coaching has been helpful to you?
“COVID. [My coach] Michael was helping me through that the whole time, trying to help bring some perspective and understand what were the main things that need to be focused on as I bounced thoughts around on him.
When I was thinking about planting a church, there was a lot of unknowns and fear for me. Honestly I didn’t know if I wanted to step into something that felt that fearful and scary.
Michael’s encouragement for me during that time was one of the main reasons I decided to just go for it. His ability to cheer me on and affirm the Lord was in it was an invaluable piece. I’m not sure I would have ever felt that way on my own as a very calculated person. He saw more in me than I saw in myself. He was able to speak into me those things I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
What’s the impact in your life and/or ministry that has come through having the outside resource of a DW coach?
“Pastors a lot of times don’t have friendship readily available, and he has brought a level of care. I count him as a good friend who I can laugh with and spend good time with. It’s invaluable for me.
It’s really important to have a coach like Michael, for anyone, to have someone who can coach you through ministry life. If you don’t you’re probably being affected by it negatively and you don’t even know it. You don’t know what you don’t know. You don’t know what you’re not seeing.”
– Jason, Arizona pastor
Giving Tuesday Tribute
Our community showed up this Giving Tuesday!
Thank you to each and every one of you who gave financially to support the work of Developing Workers on or before Giving Tuesday.
Because of your generosity and eagerness to partner together, we are more than 50% of the way to our year-end generous giving goals!
We still have more ground to cover to continue the work ahead in 2024, but we are so close!
If you’d like to be a continued part of seeing Developing Workers thrive next year and beyond, there’s still time to utilize your charitable year-end gifts by donating to an area of our ministry.
We are sincerely grateful for your commitment to Developing Workers.
If you’ve chosen to partner with us today by offering a tax-deductible financial gift, thank you. God provides for our work through your generous giving, and we couldn’t do it without your investment in the ministry.
Thank you for joining the ripple effect and supporting discipleship!
