At Thriving in Ministry at Virginia Theological Seminary, we are developing a new culture of ongoing clergy development in the Episcopal Church. Our program builds a renewed focus on fostering enthusiasm and dedication to continual growth in wise, skillful, and faithful leadership.
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This is achieved through a dynamic process of action, reflection, and practice within a supportive community of peers in similar ministry roles. Mentor-Coaches guide individuals and peer groups in cultivating habits of self-reflection, seeking feedback, deep reflection, experimentation, and deliberate practice. This cyclical and collaborative process results in lasting changes in how clergy approach their own development and discuss growth with peers, with the potential for significant impacts on leadership and congregational vitality throughout the Episcopal Church.
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In emphasizing the practice of mentoring and coaching skills, along with collaborative learning, we are successfully instilling a common spirit of commitment to the mentoring-coaching and peer learning processes that we have established. We are generating bonds of trusting peer relationships and partnerships among clergy, and we are establishing shared standards of practice that include a spirit of continuing growth and development for clergy themselves. 
​MENTOR-COACHES RECEIVE:
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5 days of intensive training at VTS, expenses paid
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6 months of online practice with fellow Mentor-Coaches
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Assistance recruiting clergy for Peer-Learning Groups
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Regular Thriving staff check-ins and refresher trainings
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Compensation for group and individual sessions
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Web-based access to learning tools, testimonies, and case studies across 8 key areas
​PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE:
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16 months of online Peer-Learning Groups
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16 months of online 1:1 Mentor-Coach sessions
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Financial support for 1 in-person regional gathering
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Self-development and transformational growth in 8 key areas for effective clergy leadership
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Web-based access to learning tools, testimonies, and case studies across 8 key areas
PROGRAM TIMELINE
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YEAR ONE
YEAR TWO AND THREE
GRAPHIC TIMELINE
AN EXAMPLE OF A PEER LEARNING GROUP SESSION
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A PLG session consists of three core parts: check-in/accountability time, content and practice learning, and case situation/ministry narrative discussion. PLGs will begin with a spiritual practice and conclude with a brief time of inviting feedback.
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Welcome & Gather (3-4 minutes)
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Accountability (30 minutes)
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Case Situation or Ministry Narrative (40 minutes)
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Content, Practice, and Resources (35-40 minutes)
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Next Meeting (3-4 minutes)
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Feedback and Gratitude for Time Together (3-4 minutes)
During the online experience, clergy build relationships, share insights and learnings, laugh, pray, and rejoice together. Each virtual meeting begins and ends with smiles and waves as cohort members greet and say farewell to their new friends from different parts of the country. 
You cannot force someone to desire mentorship, nor can you force someone to aspire to thrive. The concept of thriving may seem daunting—just surviving is hard enough. Embracing the path of thriving signifies a commitment to purpose and intentionality.
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Thriving in Ministry provides a process for continuous strengthening of leadership skills through acute discernment and deliberate practice with colleagues and savvy coaching. Learning Participants learn new ways of assessing oneself and seeking feedback, stretching and experimenting with new action pathways, rehearsing best practices for specific actions, and determining what one specifically wants to practice, refine, or develop. ​
One facet of the trust engendered by our program stems from the confidentiality afforded to Mentor-Coaches and Learning Participants being connected to cohorts outside their ministry settings. This creates a safe space to work through ministry roadblocks with candor, allowing the mentor-coaching process to better meet participant needs.
We focus on eight key areas of ongoing leadership development over a lifetime: building strong connections, strengthening others’ participation and leadership, setting and managing clear goals, working effectively with conflict, engaging the local community, connecting the Gospel with local cultures, connecting people with spiritual practices, and becoming effective allies and advocates with under-represented people. ​Finally, it’s all online to fit the busy schedules of clergy.
Costs of the 2026 - 2028 Cohort will be posted by October 1, 2024.
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How long does the program last?
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What is Mighty Networks and how do I use it?
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Can I pay my yearly participant fee with a check?
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Do Mentor-Coaches get paid?
How can my diocese become a partner of Thriving in Ministry?