The Clergy Program

The Clergy Program is a unique, five-day comprehensive personal assessment that includes continuing leadership skills for clergy and church professionals of all faith traditions.

Participants work with experienced consultants who provide tools to build stronger resilience, health, and wholeness. Our faculty have high levels of experience, education, and training with—and for— clergy.

The Clergy Program is designed as an opportunity for church professionals to sustain faithfulness to their vocation as well as discern options during times of transition, sabbatical, and retirement.

Program Schedule

(The program continues to be a 4-day until 2022)

The morning sessions begin at 8:00 a.m. and schedules are individualized for each day. Afternoon group consultations typically conclude around 4 p.m., and evenings are free to explore the area, have a leisurely dinner (often with other participants), or have time to reflect and relax. On Friday, lunch is provided and the program is adjourned in early afternoon (typically 1:30 p.m.). Throughout the program, participants receive:

• Daily individual consultations with a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • Consultants are state-licensed, have served in parish ministry, or have extensive experience counseling pastors, and bring a faith-based perspective.
  • Consultants focus their work using systems analysis, cognitive behavior, and positive psychology. Positive psychology emphasizes the development of personal agency, self-efficacy, learned optimism, mindfulness, and hope.
  • In these consultations, clergy assess their emotional health and develop short- and long-term goals to initiate positive changes.
• Afternoon Seminars
  • Build on individual consultations and are led by specialists in the areas of stress management and resiliency, systems dynamics, secondary stress, personal call to service and maturity, and forming a plan with specific goals.
• Individual Physical Assessments
  • Personal Fitness Evaluation and personal fitness training
  • Individual consultation with a nutritionist
• Individual Spiritual Direction
• Goal-Setting Consultations

Follow-up Services

On the last day of the program, the participant meets with a Professional Coach to discuss his or her goals. The Coach then helps the client to set out a specific plan that will include:

• Two months of follow-up coaching after the initial session
• Telephone or email consultation with any of the consultants upon request, and availability to contract additional sessions with any of the consultants.