2027 Soul Care for Leaders Network
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European leaders serve in their ministries, organisations, and communities with faithfulness, yet when circumstances become difficult and ministries enter periods of extended stress, many leaders do not receive the personal care and guidance they desperately need. Leaders suffer from isolation, lacking mutual encouragement and fellowship from others who are going through similar difficulties as well as wisdom and direction from trustworthy mentors who have successfully persevered through their own seasons of pain and hopelessness.
The Soul Care for Leaders Network’s vision is to equip Christian leaders to:
- Understand and apply a biblically-based view of life and ministry
- Receive encouragement, prayer, and guidance and mentoring
- Establish a biblical mindset and approach to the work God has called them to
What Network Participants Are Saying
- "The Forum has been a great blessing for me. It is amazing to be able to have conversations with like-minded people who share my same passion about Jesus. I'm also really enjoying my network: Soul Care for Leaders. When I applied I was going through a very difficult time, the hardest in my life, and I thought I didn't have any strength left for my ministry. What I'm hearing at this conference is continuing to confirm that Jesus is taking care of my soul and that I can receive encouragement from my family in Christ."
- Shanizee Scorsone, GBU Staff & Youth Coordinator, Italy - "I have received an important reminder that we, as leaders, must take care of our own souls and well-being and that at the center of that is an active and strong relationship with God. In ministry, it is very easy to get stressed and emotionally immersed in the problems of youth, but being a part of the Soul Care Network was a reminder that I need to take care of my own well-being so I can help others."
- Gabriele Stake, Youth Leader, Lithuania - "I do evangelism ministry in the Czech Republic, which is one of the most atheistic countries in the world. My ministry is sometimes an uphill grind and lonely, so to be part of such an amazing Christian community is really priceless for me."
- Martina Valcharova, Project Leader, Czech Republic
The Soul Care for Leaders Network seeks to bring hope, healing, and renewal to weary Christian leaders through a biblical understanding of God’s grace, prayer, and living out the command to carry one another’s burdens.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
Heather Holdsworth is a Bible teacher, author and artist. Her focus is on the Spiritual Formation of people of all ages. As a teacher she developed a keen interest in how people grow. Following a 2-year diploma in Practical Theology, she completed an MA in Spiritual Formation & Discipleship… Read more
Eric L. Johnson is professor of Christian Psychology at Houston Baptist University, serving in the Gideon Institute of Christian Psychology & Counseling. He taught psychology for 10 years at University of Northwestern and counseling for 17 years at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In… Read more
Marián Kanuch is a Lutheran pastor in Žilina, Slovakia. He also serves as a regional leader for twenty-two local congregations. In 2018, he defended his dissertation: “Planting New Churches as a Challenge for Lutheran Missiology”. He is also very interested in the topic of revitalization of… Read more
Dave Patty has been involved in training youth leaders and leading national and international youth movements in Europe for over 30 years. He serves as the president of Josiah Venture. He is also a founding member of Concentric, which mobilizes and equips youth ministry trainers in over 60… Read more
Scott Poling serves as Senior Pastor of Harvest New Beginnings Church located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. He has served in ministry for 31 years at Harvest, seeing first-hand God’s work in the renewal of a dying church. He’s gained a unique perspective, understanding the pressures and… Read more
Dr. Sunil Raheja is a psychiatrist, executive coach, and author of the book "Dancing with Wisdom: A sacred quest to restore meaning, purpose and fun to your life and work". He helps leaders move from success to significance by integrating biblical wisdom with practical psychology. Host… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 23 May
Together we will study one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture. We will learn how the Lord lovingly shepherds his children, including those who are his under shepherds. Let’s take a humble journey, being reminded of the importance of complete contentment, rest, renewal, and trust in our ever-faithful Lord.
Humans are wired to favour happiness over unhappiness. Yet, we were created with the ability to experience a number of negative emotions: sadness, anger, anxiety/fear, shame, and guilt. The purpose of these emotions in a fallen world will be discussed, along with some basic guidelines for how to deal with them Christianly.
Monday, 24 May
All of us, even those in spiritual leadership, know the feeling of disappointing ourselves, others, and God. Despite our feelings, failure is not final. God has, does, and still restores. Join us as we experience the grace of God all over again and are renewed in our relationship and service to the Lord.
The tempestuous poetry of the Psalms is raw; it’s unnerving. It tells us we do not need to cover bewildered days with surface smiles and clichés. But how do we voice our aches, and how do we help those we lead not to walk away from God when trouble comes? This session will give invaluable practical tools to grow our trust in God in the midst of pain.
Tuesday, 25 May
More often than we might be comfortable admitting, faithful service can quietly consume our identity and distort our view of God, ourselves, and others, leading to burnout. How can we recognise the signs of burnout early and build sustainable rhythms to serve from souls that are being regularly restored instead of being slowly depleted? And how can we recover from burnout once we realise we’re already there? Drawing from professional psychiatric and personal experience, this session traces God’s path from rest, nourishment, and gentle presence to renewed purpose in Elijah’s collapse and restoration in 1 Kings 19. Through Elijah’s story, we are reminded that grace comes before mission and identity comes before activity.
What does it take to emerge from a season of discouragement when feeling overwhelmed with ministry and life? Is it possible to recover? If so, what does it look like, what changes need to be made and how long does it take? In this interview, Marian Kañuch, a Slovakian pastor who has served in ministry for many years, will share some of his personal experiences with ministry fatigue and the practical steps the Lord has used to lead him toward renewed vibrancy.
Wednesday, 26 May
According to Matthew 18, unforgiveness puts us in prison and deeply impacts our relationship with God. But how can we know if we have really forgiven or not? What if the other person does not acknowledge what they have done or ask for forgiveness? Is forgiveness always possible, even in devastating situations like abuse or betrayal? Does forgiveness mean that I have to trust the other person, or forget what happened? In this workshop, we will dig into God’s Word for answers to these burning questions. Knowing how to lead yourself and others to forgiveness is one of the key skills for maintaining spiritual health.
In this final Network session, we will continue to interact with some of the speakers from the Network in a time of Q&A as we process what we have learned throughout the week and consider how to apply the lessons learned to our individual contexts. We will also spend a dedicated time in prayer facilitated by Scott Poling.