Listening Partner Support Network
I want to start with something someone said in one of our listening sessions.
"I am not a minister, but I do a lot of pulpit supply, and I definitely feel alone when I'm doing that. It's a loner role. You put your hands up, and then you get called, and you go and you do, and that's it. No feedback, no communication, no interaction. I don't even belong to a presbytery... it's a lonely journey."
That hit me hard.
And they weren’t alone in saying it.
Another person shared about their father… a rural pastor who had to handle a suicide in his congregation.
Alone.
No one to process it with.
No one who understood.
Ministry is a calling filled with joy and purpose. But it can also feel isolating and overwhelming.
When I get invited to visit congregations as a pulpit guest, I’m often asked if I’d stick around afterwards and talk with some key leaders. For the most part, they simply want to share their story, their questions, their worries, with someone who is willing to listen. I regularly describe my work in these situations as part cheerleader, part comforter, and part wonderer… as I share with them (you guessed it): “You know, I hear this a lot… you are not alone as you struggle with this or that.” Or add, “You need to know, you are doing great! You are asking some fantastic questions. You are experimenting with some amazing stuff here!” And then, when invited to do so, I might offer a few wondering questions - “I noticed this about your neighbourhood, have you ever considered this?” or “As I’ve listened, I can tell that this is really a concern for you… what is that about for you? What might you need to say out loud to each other to acknowledge the proverbial elephant in the room?”
Holding space for another person is so very meaningful. We all know what it feels like to be heard… and to yearn to be understood and acknowledged.
This is something I’m honoured to do as a guest… but here’s a question that kept coming up in our conversations: Who do you turn to when you need to process challenges, share a celebration, or seek wisdom?
For many to whom I’ve spoken, the honest answer is: I don't know.
Whether that be for individual ministry leaders or congregational leaders…
You see, it seems that our traditional support systems aren’t working very well - maybe they never did. Sometimes they feel evaluative rather than supportive. Sometimes your peers are also your colleagues, and the politics get complicated. Sometimes you're in a rural context and there's literally no one nearby who gets it. Sometimes you just need someone who will listen — really listen — without trying to fix you or judge you or tell you to "buckle up, that's ministry." Or in the case of ministry teams, you just don’t have the resources to “pay for it”… for that consultant to come and write a report. Sometimes you just want to think something out with an impartial, yet experienced, dialogue partner.
So we're building something different: the Listening Partner Support Network.
Here's what it is — and what it isn't.
It's not therapy
We're not training counsellors, and we're not offering clinical services. If you need therapy, you should absolutely get therapy. This isn't a replacement for that
It's not coaching.
We're not going to tell you what to do or help you set goals or hold you accountable to action items.(and yes, I hear you, COACHES… there is SO much more to coaching than what I’ve expressed in a sentence - I see you!) A coach can be incredibly helpful. If you can swing it, get yourself a coach… and if you are looking for one, reach out to us - we can likely point you in the right direction.
It's something else.
It's a trained person who will hold space for you. Someone who will ask questions, not to bring an opinion, but to bring out conversation. Someone listening for the words that show a need, express a fear, or uncover a longing… and then gently saying, "I'm hearing this. Can we talk more about that?"
One person in our listening sessions called it "compassionate conversation." I love that.
Here's what we aspire to animate over the next five years:
A Network of Trained Listening Partners
We'll recruit and train people in active listening and trauma-informed practices. These aren't professional counsellors — they're ministry leaders just like you… they might even be YOU… they may be retired clergy or experienced ones who have a desire to share of themselves and are willing to make some time for this transformative ministry… they could be lay people with gifts in this area who want to support others with their experience both in ministry and just life itself.
Confidential, On-Request Support
When you need someone to talk to, you'll be able to reach out and connect with a listening partner. No cost to you. No strings attached. Just a confidential space to process whatever you're carrying.
Congregational Discernment Support
It's not just for individual leaders. Sometimes a session or board is facing a complex situation and just needs someone from outside to help them think it through. Not a consultant with a proposal — just a listener who can help you hear yourselves.
Ongoing Training and Community
Our listening partners won't be left on their own either. We'll provide continuing education, supervision sessions, and a Recognition and Learning Gathering where partners can connect with each other and keep growing in their skills.
Why does this matter?
Because when ministry leaders feel supported, they make better decisions. Authentic peer relationships strengthen personal resilience. And when leaders thrive, the entire church ecosystem flourishes.
But there's something deeper here too.
One of the things we heard in our listening sessions was this sense that ministry leaders are "running around trying to do their best... and they're being forgotten." The people who serve are somehow left out of the serving. There's a divide between the work of ministry and the care of the ministers.
This initiative exists because we believe that divide shouldn't exist. You deserve to have someone in your corner. Someone who will hold space for you the way you hold space for everyone else.
Interested in being a Listening Partner?
We'll be recruiting and training partners as this initiative develops. If you have gifts in listening, a heart for supporting ministry leaders, and a willingness to be trained in trauma-informed practices, we'd love to hear from you.
Need a Listening Partner?
We are just getting the lay of the land here and are no where near to fully operational yet, but we hope to get there soon. In the meantime, if you're in a season where you really need someone to talk to, please reach out. I can't promise we'll have a perfect match, but I can promise we'll try to connect you with someone who cares.
Because ministry was never meant to be done alone.
And neither were you.
And in the spirit of modeling that sentiment personally…
I can’t do this all on my own either!
So that’s why I’m so excited to share that we will be bringing on Heather Powers as our Innovation Animator. Heather was a huge help to me as a conversation partner when I was working on our application to the Lilly Endowment. Her experience, good questions, and gentle nudging along the way got me to the finish line… she also had to bear witness to a few rants and laments from time to time when the end seemed a goal to far to reach. As our Innovation Animator, Heather will be supporting the work of the Centre in various ways but most specifically, she will be taking a lead on this particular initiative and on the one I’ll be sharing more about in the coming week - Communities of Practice for Next Generation Ministries. I’ve invited Heather to share a little bit about herself here.
Welcome Heather! (some of you may have met Heather last month as she led our Ministry Forum Webinar on Hope!)
Heather Powers RSW, MSW
Innovation Animator and Evaluations,
Impact Assessment Specialist, Ministry Forum
Heather Powers is a Registered Social Worker, Family Therapist, and Organizational Consultant. She has worked in diverse non-profit spaces since 2009 including churches, para-church organizations, grass roots community programs, and large international development organizations. She currently has the pleasure of supporting non-profits in Canada and globally as they navigate growth and transition. With a deep background of program development and facilitation, as well as leadership development and coaching, Heather is excited to support ministry leaders across Canada by developing programing that is supportive and connecting.
Hi Everyone! Heather here, I am so happy to join Ministry Forum and this community as we embark on the adventure of this next chapter! Something that particularly excites me about contributing to the building of these four initiatives is the focus on connecting leaders. We need community, no one can do ministry alone. Woven through all four of these initiatives is the idea that we all have something to contribute, and as we come together we all become stronger. I am so excited to come alongside leaders across Canada to build networks, develop and share resources, and support each other.