Perhaps you’ve started a new role and could use some support as you gain traction. Or, maybe you’re experiencing a period of expansion and need to manage the growth. If you feel stuck or stalled in your role you may be searching for that boost that will get you back on track. Sometimes life pulls in all directions and we can benefit from an anchor to pull us back to ground and balance the weight of it all. Coaching for pastors can be that anchor. Wherever your experience lands on this continuum from burnout to boon, pastoral coaching can help you to restore balance to your life and role as pastor.
Pastors who chose to engage in coaching are embarking on a path that equally prioritizes personal and professional development. Therefore, contributing to sustainability within the role and an effective work/life balance.
When coaching approaches professional development, it can help to assimilate new leaders and expand or develop leadership skills. Assessments can provide insight into areas of strength and aspects that could use improvement. Pastors will learn to interface more effectively with the Board of Elders, to build a stronger team and to refine preaching and speaking skills.
The leadership skills grown with coaching can impact every other area of life. According to Clergy Burnout and Resilience: A Review of the Literature in the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, the establishment of peer/mentor relationships is one of the key factors related to burnout and resilience among clergy. With a safe confidant and accountability partner, pastors have access to important insight and receive the support they need to thrive. Marital, familial or career-based challenges can be addressed confidentially and effectively. Leadership coaching for pastors promotes the self-awareness that is critical to every aspect of growth. Pastors who commit to this type of training are on the path to being stronger leaders within their ministries and within their own lives.