I was in a meeting with other ministers this week where I introduced myself as the senior consultant for The Center for Congregational Health, which is my full time job. But then I mentioned, since this was an ordination council for my local association, that I also serve very part time as an interim pastor at a Methodist church. Everyone was suddenly interested and seemed impressed. This happened recently at a denominational event. Multiple people stopped by my table to comment on the social media post I’d made months before announcing my start in this very part time interim position. I fully know that everyone was being supportive and championing me having opportunities to use my gifts in ministry.
But here is what I also know, many do not understand the ministry of coaching and consulting. I have gifts, training and experience that make me a great coach and consultant. Someone starting out in ministry asked me about my passion in ministry just this morning and I said that it was coming alongside a congregation in transition and helping them to name what is next. That is often a church that is looking for its next strategic way to live out its mission and purpose, one that is rooted in calling and is practically grounded in their gifts and the resources available. Sometimes it is a church that is in conflict. I walk with them as they attempt healthy conflict, something every congregation and minister experiences! Sometimes it is helping a congregation that is in the liminal space between full time pastors where the congregation has to decide who they are without a leader. They have to clarify their unique expression of the body of Christ.
Last week in our weekly email, we shared the mission, vision and the guiding principles that shape our work. As a full time employee of the center, I thought it would be interesting to share what these look like for me. How is this work ministry?
I believe there is power in coming alongside a congregation in their liminal space moments. A liminal space is a transitional area or stage that bridges between two distinct states, locations, or phases. Because of the heightened change happening in our culture, every new season in the life of the church provides an opportunity to explore, clarify, and to engage a holy curiosity about their future. These are seasons in our congregations where an outside voice is helpful. We are a skeptical society these days and trusting an outside voice is challenging. It disrupts the system, which is not a bad thing. An outside perspective allows me to see and call out the strengths I see in a congregation that the congregation just sees as normal. An outside perspective allows me to speak into the hard and challenging issues that need to be addressed. I want to bring an honest and loving perspective in these liminal spacesthat encourages and challenges at the same time.
I believe there is power in process consulting and not expert consulting. The truth is no one is an expert on what is happening in our congregations today. We can be educated on what the statistics say. We can learn the best practices coming out of the social sciences. We can read all of the articles about what other “experts” say is needed but change is happening so fast. Each congregation and community are unique. There is no blanket method to helping every congregation the same. There is no program that is going to work in every context. Experience is good but methods that worked in one place are not guaranteed to work in another. I love the process of working with a congregation to take the building blocks of our consulting work and shape it to create a unique consulting process for a congregation.
I believe there are specific gifts needed to be a good coach and consultant. You need to be able to hold the attention and space in a room. A good consultant is able to host a meeting, moving it in one, healthy direction, while holding space for the participants to be the ones driving the conversation forward. A good consultant and coach knows when is the right time to ask hard questions, to be the cheer leader, to stand up and say the hard thing, all while not making these moments about the consultant but about the work we are doing together.
I believe in the work of The Center for Congregational Health which is an intersection of the best of social science mixed with the best congregational practices. We have a unique history and a unique perspective on the work of consulting. I feel grateful to be doing this work rooted in such a history, grounded in healthy practices and alongside a team of exceptional colleagues.
My deepest calling is this consulting and coaching work and I feel grateful to be doing that every day.