Coaching for Pastors
Ministry leadership can be difficult to navigate alone. MinistryTogether connects pastors with experienced ministry leaders who understand the realities of ministry, ask good questions, and aren’t afraid to tell you what they actually think.
Choose someone whose experience and perspective fit what you need, and build an ongoing coaching relationship with them.
You Don’t Need Another Leadership Formula
Most of the challenges pastors bring to coaching don’t fit neatly into a book or conference session. A staff member isn’t working out. The church has stopped growing. You’re considering a major change. Your board relationship is complicated. You’re wondering whether the problem is the strategy, the structure—or you.
Sometimes you simply need someone outside the situation who understands ministry, can ask the right questions, and will tell you what they actually think.
What We’ll Talk About
You set the agenda, your coaching conversations focus on whatever is most important in your leadership right now. That might include:
- Staff and team issues
- Leadership and organizational structure
- Church growth, health, and strategy
- Navigating change or transition
- Boards, elders, and difficult relationships
- Multisite, multiplication, and succession
- Your own leadership, family, and health
How Coaching Works
Choose a Coach
Find an experienced ministry leader whose background and perspective fit what you’re facing.
Connect Directly
Each coach sets their own fees, schedule, and coaching arrangments.
Build the Relationship
Bring the matters that most in your ministry and leadership, and work through them with your coach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MinistryTogether coaching?
MinistryTogether coaching gives pastors and church leaders an experienced outside voice. Sometimes you don’t need another book, conference, or leadership model. You need someone who understands ministry, will listen carefully, ask good questions, and tell you what they actually think. Our coaches bring decades of ministry experience to the conversation, but the focus is on you, your ministry, and what you’re facing right now.
Who is coaching for?
Coaching is for pastors and church leaders who could use perspective from someone outside their immediate situation. You might be working through a staff issue, navigating growth or change, facing a difficult decision, thinking about what’s next, or simply carrying leadership questions you can’t easily discuss with the people around you.
How do I choose a coach?
Take a look at the coaches and their backgrounds. Each brings different ministry experience, strengths, and perspective. Choose the person who seems most helpful for the season you’re in. You don’t have to find the “perfect” coach. Start a conversation and see if it’s a good fit.
How often will I meet with my coach?
Most coaching relationships are built around one conversation each month. That gives you enough time between calls to act on what you’ve discussed while maintaining continuity from one conversation to the next. Individual coaches may offer other arrangements as well.
How long is a coaching call?
Most coaching conversations last approximately 45–60 minutes. The goal isn’t to fill an hour. It’s to have a focused conversation about the issues that matter most to you and leave with greater clarity about what to do next.
How much does coaching cost?
Each MinistryTogether coach sets their own coaching fee. You’ll see the cost and any specific arrangements before you begin. MinistryTogether isn’t built around an expensive coaching program or long-term contract. The relationship is between you and the coach you choose.
Do I have to make a long-term commitment?
No. We hope coaching becomes a valuable ongoing relationship, but we don’t believe you should have to sign a lengthy contract to find that out. Start the relationship, see whether it’s useful, and continue for as long as it is helping you.
What happens during a coaching call?
You set the agenda. Your coach will help you think through what you’re facing by listening, asking questions, drawing from experience when it’s useful, and offering candid perspective. The goal is not for your coach to run your ministry from a distance. It’s to help you lead it better.
Is coaching confidential?
Yes. What you discuss with your coach is treated as confidential. There may be limited exceptions involving legal requirements or situations where someone’s safety is at serious risk. Your coach can explain those boundaries before you begin.
Is this counseling or therapy?
No. MinistryTogether coaching focuses on ministry, leadership, decisions, relationships, and the challenges that come with leading a church or ministry. Our coaches bring extensive ministry experience, but coaching isn’t a substitute for professional counseling, therapy, legal advice, or other specialized care when those are needed.
What happens between coaching calls?
You’ll leave most conversations with a few agreed-upon next steps. Before your next conversation, you’ll have an opportunity to review those commitments and think about what’s changed since you last met.That way, each call doesn’t start from scratch. The conversation builds over time.