Why work with a consultant?
At our best, our parishes are places that gather people in, renew them in their baptismal identity and purpose, and send them into the world to be God’s presence. They are in touch with their unique reason for being while remaining connected to and expressive of Anglican ethos and character. They respond to opportunities and challenges. This takes ongoing effort and creativity, as well as specific knowledge and skills.
Our consultants are trained in organization and congregational development, and can come alongside parish leaders to help build capacity regardless of parish size, condition and location. Sometimes it really helps to work with someone who is outside the parish but who understands us, and who wants the best for us.
What consultants do
Basically, our consultants are problem-solvers. We start by having conversations with the people who know: the lay and ordained leaders of the parish. Together, we identify the concern or opportunity, gather more information, and suggest possible next steps. Next steps might be
- Meeting facilitation
- Goal-setting
- Parish-wide visioning or discernment
- Mutual ministry review
- Change process/redevelopment work
- Training in small group facilitation
- 1:1 coaching in specific areas such as conflict, developing new ministries, etc.
- Parish Council retreat
- Anglican identity work
- Parish-wide town hall
- Consultants can also help canonical committees gather values and hopes for the parish profile.
How it works
The parish pays the consultant $50 per unit (where a unit is a morning, afternoon or evening). The Diocese covers the cost of travel (diocesan rate for mileage). Consultants are compensated for planning meetings and any other preparation time.
If you are interested in working with a consultant, contact Tasha Carrothers, Ministry Resources Associate. She will work with you to develop a sense of what a consultant might do, and find the right fit for your parish. Once you know who you are working with, the next step is to have a planning meeting with the consultant to figure out the details.
Who are the consultants?
All of the consultants are graduates of the Diocesan School for Parish Development and have taken part in consultant training. They include people with extensive experience in parish leadership and expertise gained from the secular work world.