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Coaching for Church Leaders
In congregations using Raising the Roof resources for learning, discernment and planning, leaders sometimes contract with Alice Mann for a series of telephone coaching conversations. Coaching can be helpful for:
- The senior (or sole) pastor alone
- Senior and associate pastor together
- A small clergy-lay team giving leadership to size transition efforts
Telephone coaching is most effective as a follow-up to a Raising the Roof workshop or seminar.
Leaders usually covenant with Alice for six coaching sessions at a time. While the schedule can be adjusted to the pace of work in the congregation, telephone conversations usually occur monthly and last an hour.
The first coaching conversation is designed to get acquainted and to clarify the leader(s) goals for the work. In advance of that first conversation, the leader(s) provide the coach with a package of materials describing any study, self-assessment, discernment or planning that has occurred to date, using Raising the Roof or other resources.
Two days in advance of each subsequent conversation, the person(s) being coached email to Alice Mann about a page and a half with:
- Updates on any projects or decisions arising from a previous session
- Information about emerging issues the leader is experiencing
- A suggested focus for the upcoming coaching session
For more information about coaching services from Alice Mann, or other Alban Institute consultants, please contact Rowena Martineau in the Consulting Department at 800-486-1318 ext.283 or via e-mail at rmartineau@alban.org.
Transition in Leadership Style
Clergy accustomed to leading pastoral-size congregations often struggle to see exactly how their own behavior would need to change in order to be more effective in a transitional church. Having identified those specific changes, they must answer a second question—“Would such change be congruent with my gifts and calling?”
A special coaching program is available to clergy who wish to address these organizational and vocational questions. Based on insights from the Blanchard Situational Leadership model, this telephone coaching program provides:
- Self-assessment, using a respected leadership inventory
- Conceptual clarity about what others really need from the pastor to succeed in their staff or volunteer roles
- Practical guidance about leadership choices in specific situations
- Sustained support to integrate new understandings and behaviors
Clergy usually covenant with Alice Mann for six coaching sessions at a time. While the schedule can be adjusted to the pace of work in the congregation, telephone conversations usually occur monthly and last an hour.
The first coaching conversation is designed to get acquainted, clarify the pastor’s goals for the work, and provide conceptual background about leadership choices. In advance of that first conversation, the pastor completes a leadership inventory and emails the results to the coach. Two days in advance of each subsequent conversation, the pastor emails a page and a half with:
- Updates on any projects or decisions arising from a previous session
- Information about emerging issues the leader is experiencing
- A suggested focus for the upcoming coaching session
For more information about Leadership Style Coaching services from Alice Mann, or other Alban Institute consultants, please contact Rowena Martineau in the Consulting Department (etc, etc.)
Congregational Workshops and Consultations
Some congregations using Raising the Roof resources come to a point where they feel that presentation or facilitation by a consultant on-site would be the most beneficial step. The length and content of such a consultant visit depends on the particular situation and needs of the congregation.
For more information about a workshop or consultation related to size transition issues with Alice Mann, or with another Alban Institute consultant, please contact Rowena Martineau in the Consulting Department at 800-486-1318 ext.283 or via e-mail at rmartineau@alban.org.
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