Reliant has taken a deep dive into MTD Health recently. Here’s what we found: It takes only a few small pieces of effort to turn a struggling field worker into one that’s thriving in MTD. That effort entails:

• Identifying the people that need help
• Giving them the space/time to focus on MTD for a season
• Walking alongside them during that time through weekly coaching

We know coaching cohorts are an effective means for getting seasoned people back to health. And as MTD health increases, ministers become more hopeful about staying in ministry, marriages experience healing, and a sense of peace is restored. 

Intro to MTD Cohorts

The objective of this weekly, one-hour group call is to guide ministers in creating and achieving specific goals to increase their MTD health. The cohort provides camaraderie, structure, accountability, and encouragement around an 8-week focused time of MTD. 

If it's a cohort for seasoned support raisers, members are asked to commit to making at least 20 financial asks during their first 8 weeks. Coaches seek the goal of seeing financial progress for every person in the cohort, helping members gain a better foundation for MTD, and empowering members with the tools needed to continue MTD after exiting the cohort.

The group is limited to 8 people at a time, not including the coach. It can include people from around the country and across the globe. Coaches can host sessions via phone or video call. 

The time commitment for coaches

Once a coach gets the hang of it, they can expect to spend about 15-30 minutes of prep time before a call, one hour for the call, and 15-30 minutes after the call. 

Total time per weekly call: 1-2 hours. 

Coaching Bonus

Reliant offers a coaching bonus - we pay you!

$250 per 8-week commitment. 

PS - We also know people who are coaching others end up raising more personal support than normal. So, this is a huge side-benefit of coaching. 

What it takes to lead a cohort

The cohort model is based on four pillars: 

1. Shared Knowledge: There is no single “expert.” As the coach, you don’t bear the burden of having all the answers. Instead, you’re encouraging the cohort to answer each other’s questions. You’ll fill in the gaps when needed. (You also have access to resource pages that have been curated from the last 3 years of seasoned field worker cohorts. These are written topically, so you can send them directly to those you coach.) We all have something we do well in MTD. The cohorts are a place to share that knowledge; for support-raisers to teach each other. Mainly, the cohort is teaching the cohort.  
2. Accountability: Updating the group each week on what they said they would do often provides the motivation needed to reach goals. 
3. Camaraderie: People work better when they know they’re not alone. Coaches ask questions to bring out obstacles group members are facing and help work toward solutions. When group members can hear how others are overcoming the same obstacle, it builds camaraderie and strengthens resolve. 
4. Structure: Cohorts provide structure during what can be a very unstructured time (raising new support). This structure ministers to the individual by reducing stress and keeping them focused. 

What happens in a cohort call

1. Hour-long calls (video or voice) are at the same time weekly, for 8 consecutive weeks. 
2. A cohort member opens in prayer. 
3. Facilitate a discussion through: 
   1. Six update questions at the beginning of the call. These are the same each week. 
   2. Q&A time
   3. Sharing of knowledge, strategies, and motivators
   4. Teaching time 
4. Encourage the group to write down at least two action items for the coming week
5. The coach ends the call in prayer. 

How to get started

• Contact Jenni.Saniuk@reliant.org to let her know you’d like to coach.  
• Join a cohort coach training session. 
• Observe a cohort call. Contact keva.ambre@reliant.org to schedule.  
• Be available to coach a weekly, one-hour call for 8 consecutive weeks.
  

Questions? 

Contact Jenni.Saniuk@reliant.org. 

To observe a cohort, contact keva.ambre@reliant.org