“Thanks to Jim’s excellent relationship skills with me and congregation members…and the new pastor, we were able to achieve the transition we had all wanted…

Attending Jim’s ‘church hospitality’ workshop was the key for lay members, leaders, church staff, and me to open new doors of welcome and inclusion for our newly relocated church. We subsequently hired Jim to coach us in our new location, and eventually he coached us through a pastoral change as I prepared for retirement. It was a very successful clergy transition accompanied by numerous comments by lay people… ‘It’s been an amazing transition.’ ‘Why can’t UMs do it this way every time?’ ‘We didn’t skip a beat in this healthy pastoral change.’ Thanks to Jim’s excellent relationship skills with me and congregation members…and the new pastor, we were able to achieve the transition we had all wanted.  Through phone calls, emails, and Skype sessions with Jim, their new pastor, and me… we were able to accomplish our transition goals. Jim’s coaching includes time and space to get to know people. He doesn’t have his own cookie-cutter agenda to push, but uses his experience and wisdom to support and coach you with your agenda. Jim’s a people-person and very gentle but he’s also not afraid to share ‘hard truths’ with you if that’s what’s needed. His books (and shared manuscripts) were a great source of inspiration and insight for all of us. I’m convinced that Jim was the seasoned guide who kept me from stepping off the edge of numerous cliffs along the way!