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Pivot in Leadership: Reimagining Roles and Partnerships
Explore what it looks like to move from a clergy-led, lay-supported church toward a lay-led, clergy-supported way of being church together. [FREE Mini-course]
About this Course
An increasing number of lay-led churches brings opportunities to reimagine leadership and to decentralize leadership in ways that faithfully mobilize all the gifts of the body of Christ. This course invites the critical listening, honest reflection, and practical tools needed to navigate a lay-led and clergy-supported future of the church.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
For many congregations, ministry has rested almost entirely on the shoulders of clergy—a pattern that can leave both clergy and laity feeling stretched thin. In this mini-course, Clara King explores the pivot from clergy-led, lay-supported congregations toward a model of church led collaboratively by the laity, with clergy playing a supporting and equipping role.
Drawing on two contrasting congregational stories, and images like the difference between a cruise ship and a cargo ship, Clara invites you to consider what becomes possible when the whole community shares in discernment, mission, and ministry together. This pivot isn't simply a response to a shortage of clergy—it's an invitation for clergy and laity alike to rediscover what it means to be the church together.
Modules
Pivot in Leadership: Reimagining Roles and Partnerships
In this course, you will:
- Understand the difference between clergy-led, lay-supported congregations and lay-led, clergy-supported congregations, and why this shift is an emergent invitation rather than an unavoidable necessity.
- Develop attentiveness to how God is already at work among the whole community, calling clergy and laity alike into shared discernment and mission.
- Reflect on your own congregation's leadership model and consider what a more collaborative, lay-led, clergy-supported ministry might look like in your context.
Get to Know Your Instructors
Clara King
The Rev. Clara King empowers and equips good, faithful leaders wherever they’re found in the Church. An Anglican Priest from Calgary, Canada, King has been researching, discerning and fostering congregational health since 2005, using tools such as Adaptive Leadership.
King is a Ph.D. Candidate in Practical Theology at Fuller Seminary, studying how to teach Adaptive Leadership. She is a Research Affiliate at Vancouver School of Theology, and since 2021, her work has been funded in part by Trinity Church Wall Street.
King has ten years of ordained ministry experience, both in parish and diocesan ministry, working with urban, multi-ethnic churches as well as struggling rural congregations.
With her husband Michael, she has two adult step-daughters, two characterful horses, and a delightful Border Terrier named Jonah.
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What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course
You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.
Know
Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.
Be
Do
Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.
Every Academy course is designed to
Help your growth in one of these core areas:
Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.
Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.
Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.
Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when I take an Academy course?
Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).
How long will it take me to complete a course?
Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.
What resources are available if I’m a group leader?
Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.
What do I need to know about the free private online social group?
The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.
What should I do if I have questions or problems with my registration?
Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.
What if I have a suggestion or request for a course topic?
The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.
Don’t see your question addressed?
Email us at support@faithlead.org for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!