SHAPE experience

Greetings!

I am now most of the way done with training to be a SHAPE leader. SHAPE stands for Sustaining Health and Pastoral Excellence. Learn more here: SHAPE.

The time of training walks us through the SHAPE process so that we know the experience and what to expect.  However, while we are training we are also being ministered to.  Paul Dreger, the national SHAPE coordinator has been walking me through this along with two other pastors from NEO: Rev. Jonathan Holloway from Massillon and Rev. Brian Smith. 

So far, the process has been really powerful.  SHAPE is hard in that it encourages you to deal with the things in your life that are holding you down or holding you back from your life and ministry potential.  We don't like to look at our messy-ness, but it is so necessary in becoming healthy (emotionally and spiritually)!  SHAPE encourages us to have a plan in place for our personal life and for our ministry - so that we are working towards healthy and Godly goals and paths. It's both good and hard, but totally necessary for healthy leadership.

As a leader, I will have several other pastors in my group. Together we will go through the three year program where we will deal with these same things; as well as encouraging each other, doing ministry together, reading and learning together and praying together.  

SHAPE is a terribly important ministry not just for me as your pastor, but for you as the congregation.  A healthy pastor is much better equipped to lead a church. Please pray for me as I continue in the training process and also as begin to lead a group (starting in January of 2014). 

And if you have questions, please ask! I'd love to talk to you about this process,
Pastor Shannon