Clergy Consultation and Coaching
We provide both group consultation and individual coaching for clergy and other leaders of faith-based organizations to deal effectively with organizational and relationship issues, such as increased performance, skill development and career planning. A variety of assessment tools are used as part of the coaching and consultation process. Among services offered are:
Team Development
We can help church staffs and other work groups function together more effectively and plan more efficiently through team development that can include:
Congregational Consultation and Development
We can assist congregations in church wide planning using modelities, such as Appreciative Inquiry, Natural Church Development and other processes for discerning a congregation’s call to fullfilling its mission. This can include:
Clergy Assessment
The Ministry Assessment Program (MAP) helps church denomination leaders and ministry committees in the Mid-Atlantic region select and train candidates for church vocations. We also assist leaders and committees in making decisions in dealing with clergy experiencing difficulties, and assist lay and ordained ministers with mid-career vocational guidance.
For additional information regarding MAP, please click here.
Circle of Life
The Circle of Life group coaching program is used within congregations by clergy, professional staff, health ministry teams and others. It can be used to enhance small group ministry by incorporating structured elements of support and accountability. Most often conducted as a 6-8 week group series, it can also be adopted for use in a retreat setting where participants are introduced to the process.
In Circle groups, participants evaluate twelve areas of their lives ranging from nutrition and exercise to life purpose and spirituality, then select one area on which to focus. Next, participants assess their “readiness” for change, design a blueprint for change, and take action steps to achieve their goals. Wellness practices are incorporated into each gathering because at the center of the Circle is SELF CARE, which encourages us to be good stewards of our lives and health.
Using the tools of the Circle system, asking for God’s help, and having group support, we can make healthy and meaningful changes in any area of our lives, using small steps to achieve radical victories!
Circle groups can be conducted at your facility for your team or group. Open enrollment Circle groups are also available at the Samaritan Counseling Center for anyone wishing to participate. For additional information regarding CIRCLE OF LIFE, please click here.
Ministries of Health
Ministries of Health are those components of a congregation’s life that promote health, healing and wholeness of individuals, families, congregations and communities. A Health Ministry refers to those activities whose explicit purpose is to promote physical, mental, and spiritual health and well being. Health, healing and wholeness may be a by-product of any ministry of the congregation that has as it’s main purpose something other than health promotion; such as, worship, prayer, faith-formation or education. Among other things, a Health Ministry stimulates resilience and disease-preventive responses; promotes self-care via screening, health fairs, and education; fosters connections between one’s faith, worship and health/healing; increases effective use of the health care system; and utilizes congregational strengths in ministries of health. Our mission is to promote, strengthen, educate and equip congregations to integrate ministries of health into their congregational life.
For more information on the Congregational Ministries of Health, contact Ruth Stoll at 717-560-9969, extension 236 or rstoll@scclanc.org.
Safe Church
Our churches are to be holy places of sanctuary where people of all ages can gather for worship, study and service with assurance they are safe and secure in the community of faith. Yet child sexual abuse and domestic violence are tragic realities in our communities, and our congregations are not exceptions to the alarming statistics: One in four girls, and one in six boys, is sexually abused before the age of 18. One in three women is impacted by domestic violence during her lifetime. Churches behave as relatively trusting organizations, and too often fail to take steps to reduce risk, prevent abuse, and learn how to respond appropriately when it occurs. When both victim and offender are congregants, churches struggle with the tension between extending hospitality to all who desire to be part of the fellowship while protecting vulnerable children and adults.
Our Safe Church initiative through the Walking Together program offers an array of resources to judicatories, clergy and congregations to prevent abuse, respond to victims and perpetrators, reduce risks, and create environments characterized by inclusiveness and safety.
For more information on these services, contact James Hanna at 717-560-9969, extension 224 or Linda Crockett at 717-560-9969, extension 226.
1803 Oregon Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-560-9969 · 1-800-400-7789
Fax 717-560-9553