Synergy Church Consultants

Sometimes, the Senior Pastor or church staff just need an outside look to maybe just confirm what they already know. An outside set of eyes and ears can see and hear what the resident staff no longer sees because of familiarity.

So, an experienced church consultant can be very beneficial in assisting the team to formulate their vision and strategic plan.

When Synergy consultants come in, we generally look at the following issues:

- Is the senior pastor confident in the vision and direction for the church?

- Is this vision communicated clearly, understood and embraced by the congregation?

- Are the paid pastoral/ministry staff members unified and productive?

- Are the official non-paid key leaders of the church unified and productive?

- Are new leaders are being cultivated and developed?

- Are the current leaders are being trained on a regular basis?

- Are the primary leaders of the church open and receptive to change?

- Are committees and or teams well organized without any "bottle-necking" blockages from primary leadership?

- Does the organizational structure allow the important issues to be resolved and implemented quickly?

- Do the key leaders, paid and non-paid, place a heavy emphasis on prayer?

- Does the primary leadership hold Biblical leadership as a top priority?

- Does the primary leadership model servanthood with a joyful spirit?

- Are the primary leaders trustworthy?

- Are the primary leaders courageous and willing to take risks?

- Does the pastoral/ministry staff communicate genuine care and concern to the people?

- Are the primary leaders positive and full of faith?

- Is there an intentional effort to identify and include new leaders?

- Do the primary leaders freely empower others to lead and do the work of ministry?

What would we find in your church or state?

Pastors With A Sixth Sense - Discernment

In consulting with a pastor or a church, we look at tracking rhythms in the life of an organization. The first move is to look at trends (people in groups, # of people serving, # of leaders, attendance, giving levels, # of guests, etc…).

But also, God puts something in a leader akin to a sixth sense or a gut-level awareness of the movement of the organism. It is an area where natural and supernatural co-exist, contradict, and compliment.

Sometimes, you have to wipe away the data and listen to the sixth sense, the gut, or that internal pause that is speaking. The Holy Spirit can speak through data and trends and realities. But, how often does He speak through that still, small voice? I’d say pretty often. The bothersome thing is when that gut is checking you to do something that doesn’t make sense or is inconvenient.

Listening to that counter-intuitive voice doesn’t always make sense. But, developing an ear to recognize it is key to strong leadership.

An even bigger challenge to hearing it is articulating that gut intuition so that others can understand and follow.

[Idea from Travis Johnson]