Our Services
Leadership transition will not look the same for every church. For this reason, Mark will customize the approach he takes for each church. He will work with the pastors involved, staff, the board, and sometimes the congregation to make sure he's providing you with the services you need. With that in mind, there are many elements to what he has to offer. They fall in three main buckets as described below.
Pastoral Leadership Transition
According to William Vanderbloeman and Warren Bird, authors of “Next,” one of the best books on this topic, there are five common denominators when it comes to pastoral leadership transition:
-
It will be messy.
-
It will be unpredictable.
-
It won’t take the time you think—it will be longer!
-
The process is almost always healthier when you bring a third party into it.
-
Pastoral transition is not over when you think it’s over.
Having been through this on a very personal level and having walked with many others through this, Mark could not agree more. But while all of this is true, you DO have Jesus on your side! He is fully aware of your situation and will not be taken by surprise by all of this. Mark will remind you of this frequently as you go through your process. And Mark will walk with you along the way as well.
Coaching/Consulting
One thing is absolutely certain about pastoral leadership transitions: There is no one-size-fits-all plan. There is no list of the next top ten things you need to do. Every single church and situation are completely unique.
It’s for this reason, that Mark can help. He is the “third party” that Vanderbloemen and Bird have referred to. He will walk alongside you in the process. He will listen carefully to you and all the people that are a part of these discussions. Having someone as a coach who has a heart for pastors and who has experienced this personally at his church, is a true blessing.
Mark offers his coaching at many levels…phone calls, zoom meetings, but especially helpful are on-site visits. After each on site visit, Mark provides a coaching report that includes his observations and recommendations for possible next steps.
Guest Preaching
When it comes to Pastoral Leadership Transition, there are times when a guest preacher can say things that the local and presiding Pastor cannot. Mark has provided messages for these kinds of occasions and has even preached for one congregation for the “baton passing” celebration. While this is certainly a preaching topic that some may want, most of Mark’s preaching is on other topics such as worship, prayer, spiritual renewal, leadership, stewardship, and others. Mark is regarded by many as a powerful Gospel preacher and has a special knack for communicating in a conversational and personal style. While you can expect to find yourself, both crying and laughing when you hear Mark preach, more than anything you will be drawn closer to the love and grace of Jesus. Mark is available for guest preaching for any church - not necessary to be going through a leadership transition.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.