Churches

“Strengthening churches to be their best”

A church can only ever be as healthy as the mental & emotional health of its leaders and culture.

“Emotional health is the Achilles’ heel of the church” – Richard Black

“It’s impossible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature”  - Peter Scazzero

It is my passion and ministry to serve the church.  I want to meet the specific needs of your church by tailoring what I offer to fit your exact situation.

Services for churches

1. Audit
   This is an emotional needs analysis (ENA) conducted by surveying a core portion of your church to determine the prevalent emotional and relational needs that exist.  The ENA helps give a reliable, objective guide to the emotional health and issues within a church rather than relying on a subject’s perceptions.  It gives an insight into unspoken issues more than just those that come to a pastor’s attention.
   • Cost is $300 (includes survey and strategy)
2. Supervision
   Naturally speaking leaders are the greatest resource within a church and as such need to be well maintained.  I strongly recommend every leader is supervised more than just mentored, to keep them functioning well and to head off any potential pitfalls.  I provide a proactive form of supervision that not only enables a leader to reflect on their ministry but also helps strengthen their emotional resources and safeguards them against the liabilities of their blind-spots.Cost $80/session

   For larger churches I offer a decreasing rate i.e. $80 first leader, $70 second, $60 third, and $50 for every additional leader.

3. Counselling
   I provide counselling for individuals and couples at $80 per session.  When referred by leadership a fee reduction is possible for those for whom the cost is prohibitive.  For people connected with WINZ, funding can be sought by gaining a referral from their GP under the “alternative therapies” classification.
4. Staff Chaplaincy
   It might seem strange to offer chaplaincy to church staff but this can be very beneficial for a number of reasons:
   a. Chaplaincy helps strengthen the staff members
   b. There is great benefit in having trusted advice from outside the situation
   c. Often the pastor is also the boss.  Having a chaplain to connect with the staff can pre-empt potential issues or grumblings.
   .• Cost $80/hour (this includes travel time and petrol).
5. Seminars
   The seminars I offer can be adapted to best suit a church’s need.  They can be used:• To support other ministries by leading into them.  For example the Strengthening Parents  seminar can be run prior to a Toolbox course and be used to promote that course; similarly Strengthening Relationship DNA can be run prior to Enrich or The Marriage Course.

   • As an outreach or blessing to your community.  The seminars hit real life issues that many in our communities are struggling with.  By hosting a seminar you can reach out to those in your community addressing real needs.

   • As an in-house strengthening tool.  The seminars can be run in a way to strengthen couples, parents, leadership, men’s sexuality, emotional issues etc, in your church.

6. Schools
   These are excellent at “debugging” the minds of your people and your leaders.  Some churches wisely require all their leadership to complete a school intensive.
   Churches who send their leaders to a school receive a discount of $50.00.
7. Group talks
   I am able to give tailor-made talks to different groups in your church: men’s, women’s, leadership, and youth groups etc
8. Preach
   I am an inspirational speaker and can present a counselling related topic as a sermon or speak on any ministry topic.

How you can utilise Living Wisdom

The Living Wisdom services above can be used by your church casually or I can be contracted to oversee the emotional health in your church or a part thereof at a discounted rate.  Contracts are for a minimum of 4 hours per week at $50 per hour and can include:

• providing supervision

• counselling

• leadership meetings

• working with leaders to establish an appropriate system of pastoral care

• debriefing with small group leaders

• implementation and follow up of an emotional needs analysis of the church

• the use of any of my skills for the benefit of the church (e.g. preaching, strategising, etc).

It would not include seminars and schools, and the intellectual property of any Living Wisdom created material would remain with Living Wisdom.

Link: The Achilles’ Heel of the Church