Gracebridge Alliance Inc

Our goal is to support ministry for a lifetime - to provide resources, guidance and support for ministry leaders at all stages of their lives to tend to their own interior life with God, an area often depleted by the demands of day to day ministry. This reduces both the "crash and burn" and the slow "drying out" departures from ministry and has a leveraged effect on the strength and vitality of those they lead.

We provide spiritual direction in a three phase approach: ASSESS, ADJUST and ACCOMPANY. We have a variety of academically sound tools to help leaders ASSESS the current state of their spiritual journey, and work in both group and individual settings to identify personal barriers, historical patterns and character traits that influence their spiritual development. We then work closely with them to ADJUST these factors to regain, refresh and reignite their interior life with God in a way that strengthens their ministry, family life and personal lives. We then ACCOMPANY them over time, with varying frequency, to maintain and refocus the adjustments over time. We work with individual leaders as well as with staff groups from churches and some established para-church organizations. We provide structured support for sabbatical programs and times of retreat, so they are times of true spiritual refreshment and growth rather than simply a "vacation" from day-to-day activities.

Our ministry director is a former pastor with 30 yrs experience in ministry who can speak first hand of the issues and risks faced by ministry leaders. He brings the credibility of experience along with the specific tools and training to be a welcome mentor and guide to ministry leaders who seek our counsel. Our executive director has a Masters Degree in Christian counseling, is trained and certified with several programs, including the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, We have invested in office space that, while raising our administrative costs, provides a safe and confidential space for ministry leaders to gather. We have a board with experienced ministry and lay leaders that provide valuable insight and oversight to the ministry.

We have provided one-on-one spiritual direction for more than 50 ministry leaders over the last two years. We have arranged and led more than a dozen guided retreats for small groups of leaders. We have worked with several church boards to consult on the development and implementation of a sabbatical policy that meets the long term needs of the staff and the congregation. We have implemented several "cohort" groups that explore issues of spiritual development together as a group.