GROUP COACHING

It’s better when we go together.

Making sustainable change and meaningful transformation is possible when people gather in accountable community around a common purpose. Because NEXT Church values this kind of impact, we offer coaching cohorts as part of our NEXT Steps Coaching initiative.

Coaching cohorts are a combination of scheduled group cohorts gathered around a particular topic led by teachers and experts, along with individual coaching sessions to accompany those cohort meetings with trained/certified coaches to help you apply and wrestle with the topic for your particular context.

No cohort model is exactly the same because we believe each topic lends itself to thoughtful pedagogy that will lead to transformative impact, so please read each description carefully!

“This has been one of the best continuing education experiences and formats. The leadership was excellent and the format was accessible and engaging.”
“I am the happiest I have been at my call in 3 years because of the practices, pitfalls, and self-care I learned through this coaching cohort.”
“This whole experience has completely encapsulated my mind and body, and I can’t see anything without this antiracism lens.”
“The coaching cohort exceeded my expectations!”

COACHING COHORTS – FALL 2023

Antiracism and the Intersection of our Ordination Vows

Ruling Elders are the heartbeat of their congregation and the most effective change-makers within it. Guided by our ordination vows, come join a group of Ruling Elders from across the denomination who are committed to dismantling racism, deepening their leadership skills for the work, and curious about how they might affect change from within a congregation.

Time: Mondays @ 7:00-8:30pm ET (4:00-5:30pm PT)

Dates: October 2, November 6, December 4, January 8, February 5, and March 4

Enneagram and Leadership

The Enneagram is a personality type system that illustrates the interconnections between nine core archetypes. Each of us comes into life with a personality we use to make our way in the world. Sometimes it works well for us, and at other times we get in our own way. In conversation with the Enneagram, we can celebrate the gifts God has given us, identify our personality challenges, and put deeper self-understanding into action.

Time: Wednesdays @ 2:00-3:30pm ET (11:00am-12:30pm PT)

Dates: September 6, October 4, November 1, December 6, January 3, February 7

Where Do We Go From Here?

This cohort is for pastors who have been in ministry for 5+ years and are discerning a shift in their role, setting, or focus – from changing the type or location of ministry, shifting the leadership approach within their current context, to considering retirement. Using the metaphor of a journey, this cohort will guide participants through a series of exercises and practices intended to expand the imagination of what is possible, and through one on one coaching create an actionable plan to live into what is next.

Time: Thursdays @1:00-2:30pm ET (10:00-11:30am PT)

Dates: October 5, November 2, December 7, January 4, February 1, March 7

REFUND POLICY

Because cohorts are limited to small numbers, registrations are only 50% refundable prior to 21 days of the cohort’s first meeting. Once within the 21 day window, cohorts are non-refundable.

EQUITY FUNDS

Equity funds are available in recognition of resource imbalances, especially for small churches, leaders of color, students, and lay leaders. Some partial stipends for cohorts are available on a first come, first served basis.

PREACHING FOR CHANGE COHORTS

NEXT Church believes leaders and the ground on which they serve must be tended in order to bring about change and transformation. We know that Christian leaders who respond to the needs around them require the cultivation of growth and change, both in themselves and others.

Through our Preaching for Change Initiative, self-formed cohorts engage a two-year process geared for discernment, growth, and experimentation around preaching and worship. Cohorts can be either colleagues or within a congregation.

Transformative Leadership the Lasso Way

“Be curious, not judgmental” as we take a playful yet thoughtful look at Apple TV+’s beloved Emmy-winning show, Ted Lasso. The show will be a jumping-off point for topics such as courageous leadership, power dynamics, the perils of toxic positivity, accountability and repair, cultural humility, and the elements of teamwork amid expansive diversity.

Time: Wednesdays @ 2:00-3:30pm ET (11:00am-12:30pm PT)

Dates: September 21, October 5, October 19, November 2, November 16, and November 30

Antiracist Practices for Faithful Leadership

Whether your leadership has been centered in racial justice for decades or you are yearning to take steps to embody antiracist values in your ministry, this cohort will offer a space to learn, explore, and practice bringing racial justice to the core of your leadership. The goal of this cohort is to equip participants with an awareness of our own complicity with white supremacy, and expand our tools to embody antiracist leadership.

Time: Wednesdays @ 2:00-3:30 pm ET (11:00am-12:30pm PT)

Dates: September 21, October 5, October 19, November 2, November 16, November 30

Cultivating Disruption: Antiracist Leadership in the Church

In this cohort, participants will maintain accountability and dig deeply into the necessity of an antiracist leadership posture in the Church. Participants will take the Intercultural Development Inventory as a tool for learning and growth, engaging in the individual work they must do to disrupt patterns and systems of white supremacy as well as analyze the systems and structures in which they find themselves.

Time: Tuesdays @ 1:30-3:00pm ET (10:30am-12:00pm PT)

Dates: January 18, February 1, February 15, March 1, March 15, and March 29

Surviving & Thriving for People of Color

In this cohort we will unpack historical framing, why we assimilate, what it means to decolonize our thinking, and reconcile and repair ourselves in order to thrive. The cohort is led by and for People of Color.

Time: Thursdays @ 1:00-2:30pm EST (10:00am-11:30pm PST)

Dates: February 10, February 24, March 10, March 24, April 7, and April 21

Antiracist Practices for Faithful Leadership (for People of Color)

This cohort is led by and for People of Color to learn, explore, and practice bringing racial justice and anti-oppression lenses to their contexts. Participants will consider the white dominant structures they are required to navigate and process in both group and individual settings to disrupt patterns of white supremacy.

Time: Thursdays @ 1:00-2:30pm ET (10:00-11:30am PT)

Dates: April 28, May 12, May 26, June 9, June 23, and July 14