For elder boards
Support your pastor with a coach you choose together.
Boards often see the weight of the work before anyone names it. Coaching can help, when it starts from a shared purpose and the pastor is part of the decision.
A respectful way to begin
Agree on the purpose
Name the work ahead in a sentence the whole board can sign. Describe the season, not a problem with the pastor.
Talk with your pastor
Offer support and ask what would be useful. The pastor’s own goals become the heart of the request.
Start a request
Share your role and the kind of support you are exploring. The pastor’s contact details are not required.
Choose together
The pastor meets proposed coaches and decides. The board agrees on scope, payment and reporting before coaching begins.
Who sees what
A sponsoring board supports the work; it does not receive the pastor’s private conversations.
| Pastor | Coach | Board | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals and timeline | Sets them | Works toward them | Agrees to them |
| Session conversations | Yes | Yes | No |
| Progress updates | Writes or approves them | Supports them | At agreed points |
| Fees and scope | Yes | Yes | Yes, when the board pays |
Talking about budget
No fees are set by us
Fees are agreed directly with the coach. A budget range in your request helps the review match practical expectations.
Decide who pays early
Whether the church, the pastor or both pay, write it into the agreement before the first session.
Begin as a board member.
Start the request with your own details. The pastor joins the decision before anything begins.