What is LeadFresh?
LeadFresh is the leadership component of our Clergy Formation & Wellness Department. Within LeadFresh there are groups and events that gather with their own unique goals and contexts. LeadFresh communities meet online and in person. There are currently 3 groups that are either underway or will begin soon:
FreshStart: an encouraging spiritual community for pastors, offering support for them to be proactive about their own soul care. It is focused on helping CBAC pastors recover, heal, and start fresh in the midst of COVID and beyond, prioritizing personal recovery, healing, and refreshment. See more about FreshStart
Sozo Journey: An online spiritual community involving spiritual practices, Spiritual Direction and retreats, experiential learning, reading, and reflecting. It provides tools to support you in your own healing and transformation. It will also equip you to become an instrument of God’s healing and transformation for others, including your church. See more about Sozo Journey
Resilience Journey: a formation process and community for pastors to increase our resilience as spiritual leaders, using online sessions and spiritual retreats as learning venues. Each February, a cohort of pastors begin the journey by taking part in online gatherings, spiritual direction, retreats, and reading assignments. We have seen God use the Resilience Journey to build the faith, wellbeing, and resilience of our leaders. See more about Resilience Journey
Barna in their “2017 State of Pastors study” named three areas of risk for pastors: burnout risk, relational risk and spiritual risk. Other research has identified mental health and physical health as also areas of risk.
Areas of pastor risk for pastors can be summarized in 5 risk areas:
1. Spiritual risk
2. Emotional/ psychological,
3. Relational risk
4. Physical risk
5. Vocational risk (burnout)
Our belief is that if we reduce pastoral risk and increase pastoral health and wellbeing we will have healthier and more resilient leaders.
We believe the source of healthy wellbeing for spiritual leaders begins with their relationship with God, nurtures the soul and then overflows into relationship with others.
LeadFresh components are focused on reducing risk for pastors and increasing health, wellness and resilience for spiritual leaders.
FreshStart
FreshStart’s kickoff has changed to January 2022—space is limited so please register soon!
All pastors need spiritual and personal support, and that need has been felt deeply since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The FreshStart community will gather for monthly online check-ins, and members are invited to take part in learning modules for 6-8 sessions.
FreshStart has 3 membership options that run for 12 months. All memberships include the monthly check-ins, learning modules, and more.
Fresh Basic: 2 sessions of Spiritual Direction — $50
Fresh Choice: 1 Spiritual Retreat or 7 sessions of Spiritual Direction — $200
Fresh Complete: 1 Spiritual Retreat and 7 sessions of Spiritual Direction – $350
The retreats will be hosted November 8-11 and November 15-18 at Bayside Camp (Nova Scotia).
FreshStart Membership includes:
• One on One sessions with a spiritual director, coach or mentor (see membership levels above)
• FreshStart community monthly check-ins
• Online group learning modules in spiritual formation, wellness and leadership development
• Special events
• Spiritual retreats
• Self-assessment tools
• And more resources
Sozo Journey
“Sozo” is a Greek verb that means “to save, rescue, heal and more, especially in the sense of making one whole and complete, lacking nothing.”
Sozo means the renewal and restoration of our lives to the fullness of our salvation that can only be found in Christ.
The Sozo Journey is a guided walk along pathways that lead to greater wholeness and healing for ourselves and others, including our churches.
The Sozo Journey is online spiritual community. It involves spiritual practices, including Spiritual Direction and retreats, experiential learning, reading, and reflecting. It provides tools to support you in your own healing and transformation. It will also equip you to become an instrument of God’s healing and transformation for others, including your church.
Sozo Journey 2021 is already underway! We are already excited for Sozo Journey 2022, and we’ll open registration in May 2022.
Resilience Journey
The Resilience Journey is a formation process and community for pastors to increase our resilience as spiritual leaders, using online sessions and spiritual retreats as learning venues.
Each February, a cohort of pastors begin the journey by taking part in online gatherings, spiritual direction, retreats, and reading assignments. We have seen God use the Resilience Journey to build the faith, wellbeing, and resilience of our leaders.
Want to hear more about Resilience Journey? Reach out to Cheryl Ann Beals today (contact information below).