Groups

Master the art of second-chair leadership

in a new an interactive an immersive coaching experience.

What are
Coaching Groups?

Leading Second Coaching Groups are for executive pastors, campus pastors, and lead team members. These groups are for you if you want to…

1

Stretch your leadership capacity and gain tools for immediate application.
2

Develop personal leadership rhythms to help carry the weight of ministry with your pastors.
3

Join a tribe of thriving, like-minded leaders and grow your network with other leaders serving in similar roles.

Upon completion of this semester of Coaching Groups, you will be empowered to better lead & serve your church and have a supporting network of leaders to help you run strong for the Kingdom.

Coaches &
Contributors

We’ve gathered some of the best second-chair leaders from across the Church to be a part of this immersive coaching experience. You’ll learn mastery of your skills and be pushed to be your best.

Contributor

Brandon Stewart

Founder // Leading Second

Alongside his wife Lindsay, Brandon fiercely believes in the power and potential of a healthy local church. Believing that healthy teams are essential to thriving churches, they began to pioneer a new community of church leaders built around the heart of servant leadership. From this belief, they founded Leading Second which exists to equip an engaged community of UNCOMMON church builders. Firmly planted at Champions Centre in Tacoma, WA, they have given their lives toward this cause. He’s given his drive and his effort to the success of the Team Church Conference and tribe, as well as coaching pastors, leaders, and teams across North America. Brandon is the Team Church Director as well as the founder of Leading Second.
Contributor

Anna Morgan

Word of Life Church

Anna Morgan has been in pastoral ministry for twenty years.  She supports the development of church leaders. She is married to John Morgan and has three daughters. She pastors Word of Life Church along with her husband.  Anna holds an M.A. in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and is working on a Doctorate in Missiology focused on developing women in church leadership.
Contributor

Larry Brey

Elevation Church

Larry and his wife Janet were one of the original eight families that sold their homes, quit their jobs and moved to Charlotte to start Elevation Church in February of 2006. Over the past 15 years the church has seen incredible blessings growing into a worldwide ministry and over 20 physical locations. He’s served in multiple roles of leadership driving the culture of the ministry and developing the future leaders within the church. Additionally, he’s leading the charge to share the experiences Elevation has learned along the way with the hope of encouraging and equipping other churches and pastors.
Coach

Matt Martin

NorthRock Church

Matt has served in full time ministry for over 25 years. He served as a student pastor for 10  years before moving to San Antonio, Texas to help plant NorthRock Church with lead pastor  Jonathan Moore. He is currently serving as Executive Pastor of Operations at NorthRock  where he’s passionate about living out his purpose of helping others discover and live their  God-given purpose. Matt has served in nearly every role at NorthRock over the years and  currently he oversees financial, legal, and HR of all three physical locations for NorthRock  Church.  

He has been married to Jennifer for 25 years and has 2 amazing boys, Blake 23, and Brady 15.  He loves fishing, rides through the Texas Hill Country with old school country music playing  and always has a book (or 3) that he is reading.

Coach

Liz Dekold

Lakeshore Church

Liz is currently serving alongside her husband, Nick, the executive pastor at Lakeshore Church in Rockwall, TX. She is also the Host Team Coordinator and is passionate about raising up leaders in the Church. She thrives on seeing an event idea come to life and coordinates multiple events throughout the year! Most days, you can find her either working, drinking coffee, or shopping! She is also mom to three amazing kids – Gavin, Emory and Preston!
Coach

Jesse Rodriguez

Champions Centre

Jesse has served in full time ministry for over 6 years. He is currently serving as a Yakima Location Pastor & LeadX leadership ministry for Champions Centre where he’s passionate about creating a team environment, drawing out your best God given potential and challenging you to see past any adversity you believe to be in your way.

Jesse and his wife, Nora have been married since 2017 and have 2 amazing boys, Aaron 2, and Joseph 5 months. He loves fitness, DQ blizzards and always has a book that he is reading.
Coach

Jennifer Martin

NorthRock Church

Jennifer serves as the Executive Pastor of Weekend Experience at NorthRock Church  in San Antonio Texas. Jennifer oversees a team of staff and volunteers that assist in  NorthRock’s services each weekend across all 3 campuses. Jennifer loves pouring into  her team and helping them develop solid leadership skills that in turn trickles down the  pipeline of volunteers. Prior to working full-time in ministry, Jennifer spent 12 years as  COO of a flooring company that she helped develop and found from just an idea. 

Jennifer has been happily married to Matt for 25 years. She is a mom to two incredible  boys. Brady, their 15 year old has been serving the church since before he started  elementary school and Blake, their 23 year son, is recently married to Anna Kate and  works in full time ministry at Church of The Highlands. 

Coach

Nick Dekold

Lakeshore Church

Nick Dekold is the Executive Pastor of Lakeshore Church in Rockwall Texas where he has served on the pastoral team since 2004
Nick is passionate about building leaders who build the church, he is a Dallas Cowboys fan and a wannabe foodie! Nick and his wife, Liz, have been married since 2003 and have three incredible children.
Coach

Stephanie Blanton

Freedom House Church

Ps. Stephanie serves as a second chair leader at Freedom House Church in Charlotte, NC. As the Executive Director of Ministries, she oversees a team of people who steward over the connection and discipleship of people at every campus. She and her husband also serve as Campus Pastors who champion the growth and mobilization of the vision while pastoring the people. They have a heart for discipleship and helping people reach their greatest leadership potential.

Why Coaching
Groups?

The Church needs healthy, thriving second-chair leaders. Coaching is often the difference between good and great. Leading Second Coaching Groups are the environment we will use to equip you to walk in your God-given calling and bring excellence to your unique role.

Through this 12-month coaching journey, our commitment is to walk alongside you and help you to grow in your leadership in the second-chair. Our heart is to see you begin to thrive in your leadership and give you the tools to maintain strength as you lead.

Leadership doesn’t have to be lonely. Our prayer is that you would see that you’re not alone. We see a collective of peers in passion. Peers who also want to get it right for their pastors, for their churches, and ultimately for Jesus. We are creating an atmosphere for leaders to come together, be challenged and stretched, and develop deeper relationships that will help them to stay the course in ministry.

Your 12 Month
Leadership Journey

  •  Monthly teachings from some of the finest second-chair leaders across the Church
  • Practical tools to help carry the load of ministry with your pastors
  • Interactive exercises with feedback from your coaches to stretch your leadership capacity
  • Monthly in-depth coaching calls with your cohort
  • Community building through a private online platform
  • 3-day leadership summit in Phoenix, AZ in late November-early December, 2023

What Will You Gain
In These 12 Months?

Over the course of 12 months, you will walk through teaching and training specifically designed to stretch and strengthen you. By completion of this semester of Coaching Groups you will be better equipped to…
  • Know how to get more done in less time
  • Develop a personal dashboard to create stronger self-awareness
  • Gain the practical tools to lead your team to their highest capabilities
  • Confidently know how to carry the vision of your pastor while staying true to your unique calling
  • Receive a renewed clarity of your purpose in the second-chair
  • Understand how to build relationships, reduce team stress, and defuse conflict
  • Develop proven practices for leading from the middle

Schedule

Group meetings happen once per month on Thursdays.
Dates for 2023/2024 will be released in May.

Coaching Summit

Exclusive 3-day leadership retreat in Phoenix, AZ for Coaching Group participants.
Late November-early December.

Pricing Information

We offer two pricing plans to choose from:

Pay in Full
One Payment of $1800

Pay in Two-Parts
Two Payments of $1050
1. Pay in full comes at a discounted rate.
2. The two payment option will be two payments of $1,050.

Interested in Joining
Leading Second Coaching Groups?

Applications for our 2023/2024 groups will open in early May. To stay the most connected, fill out our digital connect card.

FAQ

What are Leading Second Coaching Groups?

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

Do I have to work at a church to apply for Leading Second Coaching Groups?

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.

When are the meeting times for Coaching Groups?

Monthly Meeting Schedule:

 

Group meetings happen once per month on Thursdays.

Dates for 2023/2024 will be released in May.

How many leaders are in each cohort?

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.

When are the next cohorts happening?

Leading Second Coaching Groups are launching in May.

What is needed to apply to join a Leading Second Coaching Group cohort?

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

–  3-5 minute video testimony
–  Completion of the coaching groups application including a 500 word essay
–  2 References
–  $25 nonrefundable application fee

When will I know that I’ve been accepted for Coaching Groups?

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.

What are the time commitments for being in Coaching Groups?

Participants can expect to spend 4-8 hours a month on Coaching Groups. Each month (besides December due to the in-person summit) will feature a teaching lesson, a 90-minute coaching session, and 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. Participants will be expected to travel to Phoenix and be present for this summit.

Can I choose my coach or cohort?

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.

Are there sponsorships or scholarships available?

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.

Is the in-person summit required?

Participants in Leading Second Coaching Groups are required to attend the in-person leadership summit in Phoenix, AZ in late November – early December, 2023. Participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and transportation. Food, refreshments, and admission to the summit are included in your registration cost.

What are the dates and location for the in-person summit?

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

What if I still have questions?

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.