Living Leadership, a ministry supporting Christian leaders around the UK and Ireland to live in Christ joyfully and serve him faithfully, has announced major plans for expansion.
The organisation wants to quadruple its number of ‘Associates’ who provide ministry, hire an extra employee, and offer more training seminars and courses.
Growing need
Two years of a global pandemic, with an increased pastoral-care burden and challenges of navigating restriction changes, coupled with the growing awareness and impact of high-profile leadership abuses, have left many Christian leaders disheartened and exhausted. Some are close to burnout and many lack the encouragement they need to persevere with joy and faithfulness. That is where Living Leadership comes in.
‘Spiritually healthy leaders are vital for the health of our churches and ministries, but so often leaders are left to fend for themselves, with little support for them, or their spouses if they are married,’ comments Paul Coulter, Living Leadership’s Head of Ministry Operations. ‘We expect 2022 to be a year in which the sort of help we offer will be more vital than ever.’
‘We want to help restore those who burn out, but we also want to prevent people reaching the point of despair. Through our Refresh Network Online and One to Ones, we now have concrete and accessible ways to provide leaders and spouses with regular encouragements and space to share their burdens. Much of this is made possible by our wonderful growing team of Associates.’
Growing team
Living Leadership currently has 24 Associates around the UK and Ireland and is in the process of recruiting an additional employee to enable this work to expand further.
‘Our bold vision is to grow to 100 Associates in the next few years,’ continues Paul. ‘We’re hoping an additional staff member will join us in the Spring of this year to enable us to grow the number of Associates, care for them well and connect them with those needing support’.
Growing support
In 2022, Living Leadership also plans to expand its ministries with additional Refreshment Days (including its first in the Republic of Ireland) and further training seminars and courses in pastoral care and leadership teams.
Paul Coulter concludes that ‘It’s an exciting year for us as a ministry, and we’re prayerfully trusting God for what He will do through us and the people He will bring to partner with us. But our simple message for ministry leaders and spouses is that we’re here for you, so please reach out!’
