The most common first step
An honest, kind picture of your church, and a plan for the next ninety days.
Most pastors can feel what's going well and what isn't. What they rarely have is someone from outside who will look at the whole church with them, name what's healthy, name what needs attention, and help them decide what to do first. That's what this is.
The pastor, and ideally two or three leaders, each answer a short questionnaire about the church across the four marks of health. About twenty minutes each.
We meet for ninety minutes, in person or online. I ask, I listen, and I'll tell you what I'm seeing as we go.
Within two weeks you receive a written snapshot and a 30/60/90-day plan you can put in front of your board.
A one-page picture of your church across the four marks: reaching your city, making disciples, raising leaders, and multiplying. For each one, what to affirm (there is always more than pastors expect) and what to watch (named constructively, because I've never met a church that improved by being told it was failing).
Two or three coaching questions worth sitting with. A 30/60/90-day plan with a small number of concrete steps. And a short note on the pastor's own health, because the two are never separate.
The tone is revelation, not evaluation. The goal is for you to see what God is already doing, and to know what to do next.
A pastor who wants an outside perspective before making a decision. A board that loves its pastor and wants to give him something clarifying rather than something critical. A church that's grown past what one leader can hold in his head. A network that wants a shared language across its plants.
It's also simply the easiest way to start working with me. After a snapshot, you'll know whether you need a booklet, a coach, an admin arrangement, or nothing at all right now. Many churches do one a year.
A short word about cost
I received everything I know for free. People poured into me when I had nothing to give back, and charging for this work doesn't come naturally to me. But I've learned that serving is healthiest when it's mutual, when both of us bring something to the table.
These prices let me do this well, for many leaders, for a long time. They're a starting point, not a wall. If your church can pay them, thank you, and you're making it possible for me to serve a church that can't.
And if your church can't, please don't let that stop you from reaching out. I would hate for a leader to go without help because of money. Tell me honestly where you are, and I'll explore how I can serve you anyway. Nobody has ever been turned away over money, and nobody will be.
If you're an elder or board member
A snapshot is a good gift for a board to give a pastor, and one of the most clarifying things a leadership team can do together. Here's how.