Congregational & Clergy Renewal Services
Equipping and Supporting Pastors and Congregations In the Renewal Process
Daniel Smith
Speaker, Consultant, Trainer, Coach
Daniel Smith brings a variety of services to denominations, congregations, and pastors in support of congregational renewal.
- Keynote Speaking
Want to challenge laity and clergy to step into a renewal process? As a keynote speaker in the context of a district, diocesan, or conference gathering, Dan brings that challenge along with information about what renewal requires of a congregation and how to begin the process. Whether a one hour presentation or a mini workshop of 2 to 3 hours, people will leave informed and challenged to open themselves to God’s vision for their church. Cost: $600 plus travel
- Consulting
Need someone to help your leaders think through a strategy and plan to address congregational renewal in your region? Dan will consult with your team and lead you through designing an approach that responds to your needs and vision. This consultation is offered for the cost of travel but without a fee for a one day consultation. A more extensive consulting and strategic planning process is available at the cost of $900 per day plus travel.
- Workshops for Congregational Renewal
- Pathway to Renewal: An Introduction for Clergy and Congregations
1-day workshop for clergy and laity
Congregational renewal is more than re-tooling your mission statement or adding new programs. It requires a complete change of heart for the congregation - a renewal of people's understanding of their relationship with God, their relationship with their community and their sense of calling.
Using the principles and processes found in the book Pathway to Renewal, this 1-day workshop for clergy and laity provides tools for assessing a congregation’s current reality regarding health and decline. The workshop provides a framework for understanding and addressing the deep cultural shifts facing the people of a congregation during congregational renewal.
Participants come away with an understanding of:
- Marks of health and indicators of decline
- The 3 sequential phases of renewal
- Practical steps for addressing each phase
- The big challenges of congregational renewal
- What the congregation needs from clergy and lay leaders to move through renewal
Cost: $900 plus travel
- Pathway for Leaders: Expanded Course for Clergy and Laity
2-day workshop for clergy and laity
This 2-day workshop covers the material in the introductory course in more depth and then leads congregational teams in working collaboratively and creatively. Among the tasks and challenges addressed are:
- Aligning the congregation’s focus with God’s aims
- Working creatively with resistance and conflict
- Establishing accountability structures to keep the movement forward
- Forming key leadership teams for the renewal phases
- Understanding where congregation get stuck and what to do
Cost: $1,800 plus travel
- From Mission & Vision to Plans & Actions
1-day workshop for clergy and laity
Clarity of mission and vision provides the anchor and compass for the congregation’s future. Plans and actions turn dreams and intentions into the reality God and the people want. Congregations often, however, do visioning and name goals without the follow-through that brings change.
This 1-day workshop designed for laity and clergy teams equips participants to develop specific and measurable goals and turn them into concrete realities. Teams will:
- Learn the 9 practical steps of team planning
- Practice using the process in designing a specific goal and action plan
- Be trained to teach the planning process to other teams in their congregation
- Receive materials to use in the back home setting
Cost: $900 plus travel
- Workshops for Pastoral Renewal
- Aligning Your Life with Your Calling: A Renewal and Life Planning Experience for Clergy
1-day workshop for pastors
Renewal of the congregation begins with clergy renewal. Through revisiting and anchoring in their calling, pastors remember what is important and can lead themselves and others in achieving important results. By first addressing health in their own lives, they are equipped to create a healthy congregation.
Designed for pastors who find themselves overwhelmed by multiple demands and who seek centeredness and better balance in life, this workshop teaches skills and gives practice in:
- Clarifying your deep values and calling
- Naming your desires and dreams for your ministry
- Identifying the specific results that honor God’s call
- Developing strategies for achieving those results
- Taking actions that increase ministry effectiveness and personal fulfillment
A 30 minute complimentary telephone follow-up coaching call is offered to each participant as part of the workshop.
Cost: $900 plus travel
- Pastoral Transition Workshop: Ending Well and Starting Right
An overnight retreat for pastors moving to a new appointment – Designed especially for United Methodists
Moving to a new appointment can be a hectic, stressful time for pastors. The external change of moving, however, provides an excellent time for pastors to stop and reflect on their life and ministry. In addition to providing a setting for pastors to think through how to say good “goodbyes,” the overnight retreat gives pastors the opportunity to:
- Reconnect with their calling
- Evaluate and adjust the patterns that guide their life
- Choose how they want the next phase of their life and ministry to be
- Think through and plan their first 6 months in the new appointment.
The retreat equips pastors to make wise choices for creating the future that serves their calling, deepens personal fulfillment, and increases effectiveness.
Cost: $1,350 plus travel
- Extended Training and Support for Congregational Renewal
18 Month Academy for Congregational Renewal
Training and Support for Congregational Teams Leading Renewal in their ChurchesCongregations recognize the need for renewal. Members may enthusiastically support a new initiative – frequently a new or revamped worship service. Seldom, however, does a congregation have a clear picture of what renewal requires, or an understanding of the practical steps to take to move into renewal.
The 18 Month Academy for Congregational Renewal:
- Trains a church’s leadership team in the renewal process
- Equips the team to engage the congregation in the practical steps of renewal
- Alerts them to the challenges encountered in the renewal process
- Provides support to the team in addressing the challenges encountered
- Creates a structure for the congregation to use in holding itself accountable for continued movement forward
Components of the 18 Month Academy for Congregational Renewal:
- Four Training Workshops for Local Church Teams:
- Teams of 5 to 12 laity plus the senior pastor from each church will participate together in 4 workshops during the 18 months.
- The first training workshop will start with an evening session and will extend through the next day. The remaining 3 workshops will each last one full day.
- Coaching for the Senior Pastor:
- Although renewal truly is the work of the people, the pastor is a key person. Without the pastor’s wise and steady leadership renewal efforts falter. Although trained and skilled in pastoral work, few pastors are trained and skilled in leading change.
- Telephone coaching sessions are held twice a month. Each session lasts 40 minutes.
- Coaching for Leadership Teams:
- Each congregation’s leadership team receives support through 4 telephone conference call coaching sessions. Each will be a 60 minute call.
- With the help of the added eyes of an outside person, the team coaching calls are a time for accountability, assessment of progress, and adjustment of plans.
- Onsite Visit:
- The Academy leader makes an onsite visit to each participating congregation. The timing and focus of the visit is determined according to the needs of the individual congregations.
- Additional visits and work with an individual congregation can be negotiated by the church at an additional expense.
Cost: For one congregation - $7,650 ($425 per month) plus travel; for each additional congregation - $3,150 ($175 per month). Up to 5 congregations can be included in the Academy.
- Leadership Coaching for Pastors
As a certified coach, Dan Smith also offers leadership coaching for individual pastors. Contact Dan for a brochure and more information.
All costs are in US dollars. Dan arranges his own travel, securing the lowest airfares available at the time of booking and the most reasonably priced lodging. In addition to air and lodging, travel costs also include car rental and parking.
Contact Dan Smith at 206-618-5369 or DanielP322@aol.com to further discuss an event or to arrange for individual coaching.