Orthodox Christian Coaching

For the Building Up of His Holy Church

Considerations for Hierarchs

WHY SHOULD MY PRIESTS BE COACHED?

Like every practitioner or athlete, every priest stands to benefit from the dispassionate assistance of a competent third party. He might be a new seminary graduate, facing his first parish, or a seasoned churchman who is uncertain about retirement. Maybe there’s conflict in his parish, or perhaps his parish is on the verge of greatness, but he just can’t seem to work out his best course of action. He might be in danger of burning out, or he might be thriving and ready to take his performance to “the next level.” His issues might be at the parish level, or in his personal life.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES A COACH DO?

A competent, professional coach is a specialist in the art of asking questions. He gives the priest a safe, confidential space to explore options, assess risks and rewards, and decide on his next steps in keeping with his own faith and understanding of mission. Unlike casual conversations with friends and peers, the process is focused, deliberate and methodical. The result is confident, committed leadership; the priest leads with conviction, the faithful move forward and the Bishop sees the fruits of the Spirit in his parish.

WHO SHOULD BE COACHED?

The best candidates for coaching are priests who want to improve their work performance and satisfaction. They are not afraid of hard questions, facing their own fears and weaknesses, or receiving critiques and challenges. They are able to engage in a dialogue with the coach, rather than passively waiting for advice and instruction. In short, experience, education, or previous track records don’t matter. Attitude does.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Our success depends on your success. We know that Diocesan funds are hard earned and limited. We want your money to be well spent. That’s why we use a two-part process to select clients:

Part 1: Candidates for coaching are referred to Synergeia.org by your office. The candidate may be a priest whom you have identified as one who could benefit from coaching, or he may be one who volunteers to be coached – in any case, the final recommendation rests with you, the Diocesan Bishop.
Part 2: When you refer someone to Synergeia.org for coaching, we will invite them to a 30-minute exploratory interview. If we find the candidate to be “coachable,” we will set up a series of five, one-hour sessions to be completed within the next ninety days. If for any reason we do not take the candidate as a client, you will be informed and no fee will be charged.

EVERYBODY’S A COACH THESE DAYS – WHAT MAKES SYNERGEIA.ORG SPECIAL?

When you engage Synergeia.org, you receive the services of an experienced Orthodox Christian pastor who also has been trained as a professional coach. He comes alongside the priest-client as a brother and interlocutor, whose only goal is the priest-client’s growth and success.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “PROFESSIONAL”?

A Synergeia.org coach is professionally trained; he is a member of the Orthodox Coaching Network and the International Coaching Federation; he abides by the Code of Ethics and other policies of both governing bodies, and he carries professional malpractice (Errors and Omissions) insurance.

WHAT ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY?

The coaching relationship is confidential. This means that, as Bishop, you agree that no part of any coaching conversation will be revealed by the coach or by Synergeia.org. This ensures that the priest feels comfortable in his discussions with the coach, and can speak freely without fear or apprehension of judgment or other repercussions. We will, however, provide you with an itemized record of the number and times of all coaching sessions, including the clients’ names, invoiced at the rate agreed upon by your office and Synergeia.org.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Synergeia.org offers internal coaching services to your diocese on a retainer basis. A $3000 retainer entitles you to engage up to twenty hours of coaching for priest-clients recommended by you. These hours may be distributed according to the individual need of the clients. Some may require only an hour or two, while others may benefit from a longer-term engagement.
If, at the end of twelve months, you decide to terminate your relationship with Synergeia.org, you will be refunded any unused portion of your retainer.

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

Give us a call! Click the button to make an appointment to discuss your needs and questions. At the end of the call, if we agree, Synergeia.org will email you a Coaching Retainer Agreement, and we will go forward from there!