Spiritual Formation

A personal, intimate friendship with Jesus is the greatest gift we have as believers. It’s the whole point. Mission is excellent; ministry is essential—but skipping our personal spiritual growth leads to burnout and spiritual decline. Spiritual rhythms are the foundational practices for spiritual formation.

Where We Started

I’ve been a church girl my whole life. Sometime I wish I had the story of one who abandoned the church and found her way back, but that’s not how it’s gone for me. I met Jesus when I was a kid and I’ve been figure out (with Him!) what it means to be His child, His brother, His friend, His co-laborer ever since. 

I graduated from Wheaton College in 2018 with degrees in Psychology and Writing and a job that I was convinced was my be-all, end-all career.

3 months into my big-time, downtown Chicago lifestyle and I was over it. I was missing ministry. I was missing believer fellowship. I was craving something deeper for the Kingdom, and that, my friends, is often called “a calling.”

Step Into Ministry

I transitioned into full-time ministry in 2019 as a communications specialist, which was like 4/10 valuable in 2019 and 11/10 valuable in 2020. At the end of 2020, I transitioned my role into the first-ever Director of Digital Discipleship at my church.

And can I be honest?

It went pretty badly.

By mid-2021, our plans for growth had crumbled. That was a tough season, where a lot of the ministry failures I work with now were totally exposed:

• Inconsistent communication

• Lack of vision

• Missing intentionality and soul care

• A staff that wasn’t shepherded as well as the congregation was shepherded

The Start of Coaching

In the background of this all, I had received my coaching license with Go + Tell Gals in 2020 and had begun coaching women from around the country over Zoom. Now, I’m not the kind of coach or person who believes that everyone has a “soul mate” job or career or vocation. But coaching—walking alongside people, helping them say what they’re trying to say and do what they’re trying to do—is pretty darn close for me. I loved it, but wasn’t 100% connected to the kinds of people I was working with.

The breakdown of what I thought might be my big ministry launch showed me what I’d been looking for:

I wanted to work with ministry leaders, especially church staff members. I wanted to support their spiritual lives and leadership development, and I wanted to coach the most senior leaders through providing amble soul care and equipping to the staff under their care.

In August 2021, I left everything in my Chicago chapter and started fresh in Pittsburgh, where I am now. I had been planning this move for a year, and it still was an intense season. Brand new place, few friends, new church—and this coaching side hustle became my full-time job.

My Vision for The Church

This might be a hot take today, but I really love the church. I believe in God’s design for his people to become a family and build His Kingdom here on Earth. I love that he picked us and gave us purpose and walks with us daily. It’s a miracle, from the 1:1 time we get to spend with the King of the Universe to the work we get to do that has everlasting, eternal impact.

Here’s what I’m not loving in the church. I’m not loving the rate of burnout of staff members. I’m not loving the spiritual abuse or the negligence of spiritual warfare. I’m not loving the commitment to breadth over a commitment to depth.

I think we’re at a crossroads, the American church—and I think it hinges on spiritual health.

I’ve got a vision that I think is from Jesus—a vision of a flourishing, thriving church here in the West. One full of people who love Jesus and want to live like Him in this world. One where we choose hard things in our family because we live in the grit of grace. 

I’m sold out for that. You can catch me living my whole life for Christ and for His Kingdom.

What I’m Up To

Right now, I’m working directly with ministry leaders, lay and formal alike. I’m helping them build spiritual rhythms into their lives that cultivate love for Jesus. I’m helping executive and senior church leaders steward their staff and their gifts with integrity and care. I’m helping people all over the country connect with Jesus in an honest and life-changing way.

• I’m the link-up and walk-together type, who prefers to be in person for hours, with good coffee and comfy sweaters. 

• I like charts and plans and knowledge—I do a lot of research with and for my clients. 

• Book recommendations are my love language, and you can expect a list of resources and podcasts to go home with you after our sessions.

I’d love to step into your spiritual health and leadership growth with you. 

Church leader, I pray for you daily. I’d love to talk with you in person. Let’s connect and get your ministry—personal and missional—moving again.