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
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.
Individual access to the MISSiM questionnaire and a one-on-one debrief conversation about your MISSiM report.
Once you have completed the questionnaire, your report will be sent to you within a week, along with an invitation to schedule a one-on-one conversation.
Gather a group of 8-12 people to take the MISSiM and participate in a 2.5-hour debrief workshop together personalized to the MISSiM reports of the group members.
We will be in touch with you within 2 business days to provide links and participation codes for individuals in your group!
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.
