Believe it or not, I’ve been in full time pastoral ministry for 26 years.
That’s a strange revelation. Not only have I been a Pastor for over a quarter-century, I’ve also lived my entire life in either a parsonage or dorm of some type since I took up the family trade. (Thanks Dad!)
When I left Southern Nazarene University in May of 2000, I’d hoped my education and life experience had prepared me for everything a pastorate could bring. SPOILER ALERT: It did not!
Fortunately many churches and laypeople poured into me and helped shape me over the years, but in 2009 I discovered the power of a small group called a cohort.
I had no idea what a cohort was, but it sounded important.
What I learned is that a cohort is simply a small group of three or four leaders who connect regularly to grow together on purpose.
My first cohort was a group of pastors from different denominations who opened my eyes to several forms of encouragement, accountability, and a new pathway of collaborative learning. It was a place to talk about what I was learning, and even more importantly, I wasn’t expected to be an expert or some spiritual guru...I was just allowed to grow. Pastors need that more than you may know.
Our goal is to provide a similar learning pathway to the leaders of our church through studying Leading Yourself.
We’re creating the same cohort model that shaped me as a safe place to share what we're experiencing in leadership, ask questions, pray for one another, and encourage each other to keep growing. We believe deeply that no one leads alone. Every leader needs people who know them, encourage them, challenge them, and walk alongside them.
As we’ve been in the early stages of launching Mustang Naz Leads, several leaders have asked us, “How do I get into a cohort?” That question helped our staff realize that, while we've talked a lot about Mustang Naz Leads, we needed to make the next steps clearer and easier to follow.
With that in mind, we've created a Mustang Naz Leads Interest Form. If you're interested in growing as a leader, joining a cohort, developing an apprentice, or simply figuring out where you fit, complete the form below. It will give our staff the information we need to help connect you with the right people and opportunities.
We also know there are times when you need a more personal conversation, which is why participants of the Mustang Naz Leads have the opportunity for one-on-one coaching with one of our staff pastors. Each month participants can schedule a 30-minute coaching conversation or grab coffee with a pastor of your choice. Bring a leadership challenge you're facing, talk about your strengths, work through a goal, discuss how to develop an apprentice, or simply talk about where God may be leading you next. Coaching isn't about having someone give you all the answers; it's about having someone come alongside you and help you keep moving forward.
Why are we investing in all of this? Because at Mustang Naz, we believe every leader is a Disciple Maker.
We're not simply trying to fill positions or find more volunteers. We want to develop people who develop people. We want leaders who are learning to lead themselves well, who are growing alongside others, and who are intentionally investing what God has given them into someone else.
That's what Mustang Naz Leads is all about: leading yourself, growing with others, investing in an apprentice, and multiplying what God has placed in you. You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin. You simply need to be willing to take your next step.
