Offered by Beth Anne Fisher, Ph.D. Candidate in Theology at Emmanuel College (Toronto School of Theology), SUSTAINED helps you to answer the question: “How can I build a life that brings hope and healing to both myself and my community?”
Workshops offered by SUSTAINED and Beth Anne Fisher are available online through (1) individual sign up at the scheduled dates and (2) virtually or onsite (with travel costs) at an arranged time for a private group booking.
Contact us to book a group or if you are interested in a workshop that is not scheduled at this time.
2 hr workshop, capped at 12 participants per session
Ministry life comes with very particular and unique struggles, and many leaders find themselves living in a state of overwhelm and overwork. We may wonder:
Is it even possible to be healthy while in ministry? Why does spiritual leadership require so many sacrifices? Is burnout inevitable? How do I protect and nurture the parts of ministry that I love?
This workshop brings both ordained and non-ordained ministry leaders into a space for self-engagement, integrative reflection, and honest dialogue about how to build sustainable ministry lives. Drawing on the language and insights of the Malcolm Inventory of Satisfaction and Stress in Ministry (MISSiM), a statistically valid and reliable assessment tool, Beth Anne helps participants self-identify their current Satisfiers and Stressors, the relationship between them, and how integrative reflection can help foster long-term thriving in ministry.
Cost: $75/person
2 hr Workshop
In this workshop, Beth Anne explores new possibilities for how we understand vocation and calling, how they might shift as life unfolds, and how we can listen for God along the way. Drawing on personal experience, several years of quantitative research, her PhD dissertation, and others’ wise voices, Beth Anne will offer some initial thoughts, provide prompts and time for personal reflection, and facilitate wherever the discussion may go.
Does God ever call us to do more than we’re able? What does it sound like if God calls me to leave? How do I know if I am called to a specific job position? Why does my work feel exhausting if God has called me to it? How does my vocation fit with the rest of my life?
Cost: $45/person
2 hr workshop
In this workshop, Beth Anne presents a framework for bringing our multi-dimensional human experiences into formal theological reflection. What encounters might occur as we seek God’s presence in our internal worlds, our interpersonal relationships, our institutional affiliations, and our political, cultural, and ecological environments?
Do you/your community find yourselves unsure of the way forward? Do you find yourself struggling to connect abstract theological ideas to everyday life? Are your theological perspectives or spiritual practices breaking down?
Broadly speaking, integration is the practice of bringing different parts into a peaceful relationship with one another, allowing difference and distinction to co-exist and dialogue together within a greater whole. An integrative approach to theology navigates the conflict and uncertainty that arise between our pre-existing or inherited theological commitments and the new perspectives and experiences we encounter.
Cost: $45/person
2 hr workshop
In the spring of 2021, Statistics Canada research identified that 25% of Canadians were showing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or PTSD. (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210927/dq210927a-eng.htm ) Given the increasing awareness of and struggles with psychological well-being across the country, it is inevitable that our church communities will encounter mental health struggles as well as significant mental health crises in the lives of congregants or leaders.
How do we, as a community, support people during these times? What do our theological perspectives offer those who are suffering? What can we do, practically-speaking?
This workshop frames mental health crises within a continuum of mental wellness that parallels our experiences with physical health. Beth Anne shares from her own internal experiences and the times she has walked with others navigating mental health struggles, articulates a theological perspective on supporting those who suffer, and looks at the importance of boundaries compassion.
Cost: $45/person
This full-day (6 hr plus breaks) workshop is intended for a community (ie leadership team, a congregation, etc) that is facing a specific dilemma or need for change.
Over the course of a day together, Beth Anne will guide the community through the following:
Bringing our whole selves: the best work happens when each person is welcomed & their voice valued
Considering power dynamics: how we can choose collaboration instead of competition
Identifying the dilemmas: it’s unlikely that there’s only one…
Reflecting theologically: how do we listen for God individually and together?
Discerning next steps: at the end of the day, we want to know where we’re headed!
*Virtual or onsite workshops are available for your group. For onsite workshops, travel for the instructor are in addition to the group fee.
Group cost: $750 + travel
Additional Community Consultation is also available at the hourly rate
coming soon…
The Malcolm Inventory of Satisfaction and Stress in Ministry (MISSiM) is a statistically valid and reliable instrument that explores 29 aspects of ministry life and how they contribute to an individual's current experiences in ministry life. It is intended for both ordained and non-ordained leaders.
On an individual level, it can provide insights for vocational discernment, assessment, and reflection. In the context of a denomination, seminary, or other large groups, a group profile could illuminate the particularities of organizational experiences and be used to support team development and well-being. Our overall aim is to support the thriving of faith leaders as they engage in sustainable, long-term ministry leadership.
The MISSiM is a not-for-profit tool and its associated costs provide equitable compensation for the human work behind the scenes.
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“I took transformational coaching so that I could help transform people, but in the end, I was the one who was being transformed. There is so much freedom in knowing that I am not responsible to find a solution. My role as a Pastor/coach is to ask questions that provide space for God to move in the problem.”
- Michael Kotsopolous, The Meeting House Alliston (formerly Faith Community BIC)
“I was, and still am, learning from the excellent teaching. The freedom that comes when we are able to depend entirely upon the spirit, laying down our ego and knowing that our identity is not linked with the outcome of our work. I loved the focus of our own transformation before we step out to serve others.. . . . It has brought to the surface the areas in my leadership that I have struggled to find my identity in Christ and not in my own performance and its showered it with grace, allowed the light of the spirit to awaken growth and brought a beautiful freedom to blossom again. It’s been one of the most transformative courses I have ever done - I am really grateful to the team for taking us through it.”
- Jill Hines, Missional Practitioner United Methodist Church Northern Ireland
“I think that this is a fantastic resource for anyone heading out onto Canadian soil and I am not a church planter, but I have been involved in two Canadian church plants in which my husband has served on staff. Nonetheless this book was filled with many moments of “you’ve got that right” and head nods as I remembered many scenarios and experiences we have lived through – I wish I’d read this before we started! I think that this is a fantastic resource for anyone heading out onto Canadian soil and is a much-needed resource in light of the religious disaffiliation of our context and the need for courageous planters.”
- anonymous amazon customer
“Loved the book. At this point in my life, I no longer find myself very much drawn to books that have that “How-To-Do Church” feel. I thought Gutsy might be one of those books. And, besides that, I am not directly involved with pioneer church planting ministry. But, I decided to take a look at it and, in fact, found myself immediately drawn in. Every chapter is packed with so much goodness. Honest, but positive. Very insightful and full of practical guidance. I could see that it is primarily geared to pioneer church planters and those who work with them (locally and denominationally), but it addresses challenges that I know many pastors in established works are also facing these days. The thoughtful questions in just about every chapter are so good. I can imagine the leadership (and congregation) of any church that is wondering, “Who are we and what are we to do?” benefitting tremendously by asking and dialoging about those questions. Although it is a research work, it is not simply a “heady” work. I found myself drawn into it at quite an emotional level–because a lot of us pastors struggle with feelings that are talked about in this book. Gutsy really helped bring our pioneer church planting brothers and sisters to life for me in a deeper way. It’s not that I haven’t thought about or prayed for them before. And, I certainly believe that this “new kind” of work is necessary as we think about the spread of the gospel. But, Gutsy has definitely amplified that sense. So, loved the book — for lots of reasons.”
Tom Gurnick, Pastor
“As a younger pastor, realizing that I don’t need to have all the answers is really freeing. Transformational Coaching trained me to listen well and ask questions in order to help individuals recognize God is already speaking to them about their lives.”
— Lisa Goetze, The Meeting House Oakville
“I believe that Transformational Coaching would benefit every pastor. I wish I would have taken this training earlier in my ministry.”
- Rev. Dr. Dallas Friesen
Director of Congregational Development Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec.
If you’re a leader looking for individual support and spiritual accompaniment, or if you’re part of a community looking to support its constituents/leaders (e.g. congregations, denominations, theological schools), I would be delighted to connect with you!
Coaching $85/hour
Community consult $115/hr
Beth Anne Fisher
Meet Beth Anne:
I am a PhD candidate in Theology at Emmanuel College, part of the Toronto School of Theology, and have a Masters of Divinity from Wycliffe College in the same consortium. I belong to the Christian tradition and also have extensive experience working in interfaith contexts.
In my late twenties, as I watched the aftermath of yet another church leader’s personal life crumble, I finally voiced a question that had haunted me since I had started a full-time ministry job straight out of my bachelor’s degree: is it even possible to be healthy and in leadership?
Over the decade since that moment, my education and career have led me to explore how faith leaders can build integrated theological and spiritual practices that help them lead with integrity and hope, building communities of spiritual healing rather than harm.
