Leading Second Coaching Groups are a 12-24 month leadership development program for church leaders featuring monthly coaching sessions and a retreat for Coaching Group participants in late November-early December, 2023.

Year 1 is for first time Coaching Group participants. Year 2 is for participants who have completed Year 1 of Coaching Groups who want to continue their journey of learning how to master the art of second-chair leadership.

Year One is for first time Coaching Group participants. This is a 12-month coaching experience which includes monthly coaching Zoom calls, 3 group sessions with your cohort, 3 1:1 sessions with your coach, and an in-person Summit in Phoenix, AZ.

Year Two is for participants who have completed Year One of Coaching Groups who want to continue their journey of learning how to master the art of second-chair leadership. Year Two is a 12-month coaching experience which includes monthly coaching Zoom calls, 3 group sessions with your cohort, 3 1:1 sessions with your coach, an in-person Summit in Phoenix, AZ, plus an additional onsite observation/training in Seattle, WA.

Leading Second Coaching Groups are for leaders in church ministry. Paid or volunteer staff members are welcome to apply. Our cohorts are designed for Executive Pastors, Campus Pastors, and Lead Team members. We believe that anyone serving their church can lead second. When stating “second-chair”, we are referencing the spirit of leading second, not just a leader sitting in the second seat on the org chart.

Group meetings happen once per month on Thursdays.

To find the full schedule, see the “SCHEDULE” section above.

Each cohort will be intentionally small with a coach dedicated to just their cohort.  We are creating a space for leaders to grow deeper relationships and have the ability to be coached on a personal level.

Leading Second Coaching Groups are launching in September 2023. Applications are open now. You can apply here.

Before applying to join Leading Second Coaching Groups, please review the following requirements for applications:

–  Completion of Year One of Coaching Groups

–  Completion of the coaching groups application including a 300 word essay

–  $25 nonrefundable application fee

Once your application and non-refundable application fee have been received, you will receive final notice of the status of your application via email within 3 weeks.

Participants can expect to spend 4-8 hours a month on Coaching Groups. Each month (besides December & May due to the in-person opportunities) will feature either a teaching lesson or a 90-minute coaching session filled with tools & practices to put into action in their leadership. There will be an in-person leadership summit in Phoenix, AZ in late November – early December, 2023. Additionally, there will be an in-person Leadership Practicum in Seattle, WA in late April, 2024. Participants will be expected to travel to Phoenix & Seattle and be present for both in-person opportunities.

Coaches and cohorts will be assigned at the discretion of Leading Second. We will be praying and applying wisdom to best match leaders to the cohorts and coaches that will benefit them the most. All decisions on coaches and cohorts will be final.

Many churches have special budgets for pastoral staff to attend conferences and buy reading materials to develop their ministry skills. If Leading Second Coaching Groups sound like something that would be a great fit but you’re not sure how funding would work, consider writing an email to your supervisor or elders and ask if there might be a ministry development fund that could be applied towards this program.

If you are part of a church-plant and are interested in Leading Second Coaching Groups, but are unable to get funding through your church, reach out to us at coaching@leadingsecond.com and tell us your story. We’d love to talk through possible solutions for funding.

Participants in Leading Second Coaching Groups Year Two are required to attend the in-person leadership summit in Phoenix, AZ on November 29-December 1, 2023 & the leadership practicum in Seattle, WA on April 28-30, 2024. (April 28th will feature an optional observation of a weekend experience to have hands on learning from peers in ministry.) Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and transportation. Food, refreshments, and admission to the summit & the practicum are included in your registration cost.

The in-person leadership summit will be on November 29-December 1, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ. The venue for meetings will be determined at a later date. Participants are responsible for their own lodging.

The in-person leadership practicum for Year Two participants will be on April 28-30, 2024 in Seattle, WA. (April 28th is an optional observation of the weekend experience from peers in ministry.)  The venue for meetings will be determined at a later date. Participants are responsible for their own lodging, travel, and transportation.

Reach out to us via email at coaching@leadingsecond.com with your questions. Our team would be happy to help you with any questions you may have.