"Am I safe here?" LeaderWise has been hearing this question in every corner of our work: Am I safe to bring my full self here? Is it okay here to question or disagree? If I share with you my real thoughts, will it be counted against me? Will I be marginalized or cast out? Is LeaderWise a safe place, given that so many spaces today are unsafe? We want to assure you that LeaderWise is committed to helping all clients feel safe.
Find LeaderWise's Welcome and Inclusion statement here

We at LeaderWise have noticed how bombarded we all are with bad news. Organizations losing necessary resources. Faith communities divided. Another house of worship closing. In spite of the news, LeaderWise witnesses good news stories all of the time. As consultant Becca Fletcher reminded us, there are congregations seeding and harvesting little slices of heaven in every corner of our world. We just don’t hear about them often. This year LeaderWise wants to change by sharing the stories of hope we are seeing. 

Today, we travel to Eau Claire, Wisconsin…

Regular sessions of Reflective Pastoral Supervision (RPS) have been a game-changer both for my sense of well-being and my practice of ministry. My reflective supervisor is trained in processes that help me reflect in creative ways on my experiences, emotions, challenges, and commitments in my ministry. We look at how my work is impacting others…and how it’s impacting me. I meet with her monthly for a deep-dive exploration of some aspect of my ministry practice that I’d value getting some insight into. It might be navigating the various expectations at play in a situation or exploring the dynamics of an encounter that felt a bit off. This month I explored ways I might support the learning and growth of someone I’m mentoring. I decide what I want to explore, and my reflective supervisor and I then figure out how to approach the topic in a way that can surface assumptions, spur new lines of thinking, and generate new and helpful insights. We listen for God’s voice in the here-and-now of the session and for the movement of the Spirit in the there-and-then of my ministry setting.

Beginning with Spiritual Direction in the midst of a conflictual situation helps to create a sense of perspective from which we understand that we as leaders are God’s vessels to help accomplish the work of healing that needs to be done in a conflictual context. [Photo by Attentie Attentie on Unsplash]

Creating meaningful connections to others might feel as though it is one-more-thing. Yet, connecting to other humans is helpful and beneficial for our well-being. [Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash]

Monthly 3Practices Circles give faith leaders both practices and principles for listening across our differences, building trust, and discovering community. These Circles provide safe and fair containers for practicing a disciplined curiosity with one another.

If you practice mindfulness, then you stand the chance of noticing when your body is going into fight or flight mode and you can grab control, slow it down, and choose your response. LeaderWise offerings include opportunities for you to work on your emotional intelligence (which can help with self-awareness and self-regulation) and your conflict skills (on February 25th!) or you can enter into a 1:1 relationship through reflective pastoral supervision, coaching, or therapy. [Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash]

My LeaderWise colleagues and I have worked with many, many churches across the country who are desperate to reverse the trend of declining membership and dwindling budgets. They are constantly searching for the perfect program or offering that will bring people streaming through their doors. This is what’s known as the attractional model – believing that they can create a program, a worship service, or an outreach program that will be so valuable or interesting that people will be drawn to the church and will return it to the glory days when the building was full to bursting on a Sunday morning. [Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash]

Ministry contexts also have a life cycle. The times of transition within ministry and/or society, for that matter, can cause people to feel fearful and anxious, anticipating an upcoming loss. The anxiety of “not enough” becomes prevalent. Some are experiencing diminishing resources in their denominations, ministry contexts, churches, etc. (think finances and people). The lack of resources has produced a sense of fear about the survival of their particular ministry and the church at large. As is common, the decline becomes the focus; clinging and grasping become the tools used to try to assuage the fear of the looming possible outcome.

I wonder how ministry contexts and faith communities might shift their perspective to view the resources they have as “enough.”

When it comes to building connection, it's valuable to know how much solitude and connectedness will energize you. [Photo by Milan Popovic on Unsplash]

We don’t have to experience the LA fires firsthand to feel like we are a part of a world on fire. Both literally and figuratively. People are coming through the many doors of our different ministry contexts. They want a harbor, somewhere safe for a moment to relieve their anxiety, to know that they aren’t alone, to make meaning of it all, and to renew their vision of a hopeful future. How do you create such a sanctuary when the world is on fire? How do you show up for those who need you? [Photo by Emad El Byed on Unsplash]

Four steps we can take as spiritual leaders to shift from anxiety to a more constructive mindset.

In this video interview with LeaderWise's emilie boggis, spiritual director Susan Miller shares how everyday life is a spiritual life.

Next time your body tells you it’s time for connection, instead of pushing away the emotion, try one of these proven activities. They don’t take much time at all, and they are antidotes to loneliness and isolation. [Photo by jaikishan patel on Unsplash]

Sweet Darkness - Visiting a poem in practice of embracing the tension and complexity of what this season holds.

We live in an age where there is most certainly a tyranny of choice. Want a good book to get lost in? Interested in listening to a podcast on your commute? How do you choose? We asked LeaderWise staff about their favorite reads and audio dives of 2024. What’s clear from the recommendations is that books help us face what needs to be faced while podcasts emerge as practices of resilience. 

An Interview with LeaderWise spiritual director John Lee.

The varied backgrounds, traditions, and expertise of LeaderWise staff contribute to our strength and enable us to work collaboratively and with care for our communities (you!) and each other. And so with grateful hearts we have welcomed new staff members to our team, and we’re happy to introduce them to you!

Resilience is a practice. During the summer of 2023, we shared a series that included eleven tangible steps that helping professionals can take to support their own resilience. We wanted to remind you of these tools and resources so that you can continue to serve those who need you. [Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash]